Month: February 2020

PIES BEFORE GUYS by KIRSTEN WEISS

Pies before Guys (Pie Town Mystery #4)

A Pie Town Mystery  #4 ( With Recipes)

Val Harris, the owner of Pie Town, is not quite sure a poetry slam in a bakery is a thing. But Abril is excited enough for both of them. Does that have something to do with her professor, Michael Starke, a poet or is she a little starstruck?

Val would much rather spend time with her newfound half-brother but this could be good for the shop and she goes along. But the night ends abruptly when several of the professors begin to threaten each other and toss around the dreaded plagiarism accusation.

When later that night Starke is found dead, the Baker Street Bakers are determined to figure out who is guilty. And my goodness there were enough despicable people, right there in the English Department.

Everyone is keeping secrets. Everyone looks guilty. Even Abril! But with some help from her friends, especially the formidable Charlene, they are determined to find the guilty party without losing their heads.

I love this series!! I mean, PIE. And Charlene and her crazy UFO theories had me laughing the entire book. What a great cast of characters that Weiss has invented for us! And don’t forget…recipes!

Another winner!

Kensington February 25th, 2020

 

The Survival of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson

The Survival of Molly Southbourne

The Second in the Molly Southbourne Books

This is a book that just begged me to pick it off the library shelf. I read the back and ordered the first one on the spot.

The first book, The Murders of Molly Southbourne, you have to read. I went into the second one with very little background and I did not put it down once.

As we see Molly, she is huddled and bleeding across from a burning building. She only knows she is supposed to call the number carved on her arm. When she does people arrive and clean up the mess. Asking her numerous times if she is bleeding. She says no.

When Molly bleeds, monsters are born. But is this the prime Molly or one she made?

There are still other Mollys out there. Most of them want to kill her. That’s what they do. So when Molly is kidnapped by another group of people like her, she is stunned at how nice they are to each other. But she doesn’t have a good feeling about this group and when she finds the prime talking to the cleanup guys, she needs to get out of there and figure a lot of things out is she wants to stay alive.

What a surprising book. And the idea of a drop of blood on a piece of wood can become a raging molly!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

 

 

 

 

A TEARRIFIC WEEKEND!

High Tea at Inspirations Tea Room in Edmond. Saturday I had reservations to take OU Boy out for a proper tea.

We hit up the gym first thing and ran enough to eat a few sweeties. I went to the market and then got all dressed up and headed to 4 o’clock tea. OU Boy loves the way this place smells. They have a B&B in the back and they sell all things tea and flavored oils, soaps, and just all the pretty things I covet.

We were seated right away and I ordered classic Earl Grey and OU Boy went for Paris. We love that one. I let him eat the sandwiches and I ate the Quiche Lorraine and a scone with lemon curd. There were so many lovely things, chocolate eclairs, macarons, Neapolitan cupcakes, which are a vanilla cupcake with raspberry buttercream and fudgy middles. I brought all the sweets home and shared with my elderly neighbor.  We had a great time. So relaxing and calm and oh the smells were heavenly.

I bought a bag of loose pear green tea and a jar of lemon curd and we came home stuffed and wondering if they would let us live there.

Sunday was beautiful so we ran a few errands, filled out our passport renewal paperwork, had new pictures taken and worked our bums off at the gym.  Then we stopped by the market for eggs, and parked right next to us was the new Lamborghini SUV. Although I could hear OU Boy telling me ” Hey, that’s not your car.” I had no will power and went straight up to the man and begin talking body styles. He is 70 years old and had a huge cigar in his mouth and had just bought it for his birthday. I’m thinking, so is he single?? OU Boy made me get in the car and lo and behold if the fellow doesn’t live in our neighborhood. I may take a run through today.

I hope you all had a good weekend and have a peaceful and productive week! And have some tea.

xx P

Home Sweet Home by Fern Michaels, Donna Kauffman, and Melissa Storm

Home Sweet Home

Three great stories in one book! With my favorite writers.

Fern Michaels: THREE’S A CROWD  has Samantha Stewart coming home with more than she left with. An overseas reporter who hasn’t been home in years is bringing with her a huge surprise for her mom and dad. A grandchild! But the how and the when and the why are complicated. A nice story of what home is and who it is.

Donna Kauffman: NEW BEGINNINGS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS has our Katie MacMillan back in Blue Hollow Falls to help her sister get ready to have her baby. What no one knows is she is staying. Or she was until she found out her biggest crush is in town and it looks like she may get a second chance at love while Declan finds a home. Beautiful. I am a big fan of Blue Hollow Falls and all the folks who live there!

Melissa Storm: BRING ME HOME  Hazel Long is spending time with her father. He is bedridden and the time they spend is sad and happy. The people at the hospital are kind and friendly. Especially one of the male nurses. Hazel’s dad begins telling her about her mother. A mother Hazel didn’t really know. As they grow closer she finds hope and a bond. And maybe a bit about making every day count.

I enjoy it when my favorite authors get together and tell a few short stories for us while we linger pitifully awaiting their next full-length book.

February 25th, 2020 by Zebra/ NetGalley Review

Happy Valentine’s Day!! And Happy Birthday!

valentinekitchen

Happy Valentine’s Day! Or whatever event you are celebrating. Here we never do Valentine’s Day because it’s everyone’s birthday!

The first half of that day I will never forget. Mainly because the nurses asked me to “Keep it down”.  Well, that was like baptizing a cat. I’m quite sure I declared I had had enough and no watermelon was coming out today. Nope, I changed my mind. We all know how that goes, right? Me begging for drugs like a junkie and them shushing me so I didn’t upset the other women in labor. Really?? But just as I gave up, here comes this gorgeous little boy with red hair and I fell in love. But after 24 hours I was tired and hurting and just wanted to sleep.  So when they asked if I wanted to keep the said child in my room and take care of him myself instead of having him in the nursery, I may have asked if that isn’t what they get paid for. Okay, I did.

Eventually, we had three Valentine boys at our house. So, no it’s not my day. It’s their day and I love all of them and have no regrets. Or candy. Which is good.

Whatever you are doing, enjoy it! Tomorrow we are going to high tea and that is what I’m happy about.

Much Love

P

THE OTHER MRS. by MARY KUBICA

The Other Mrs.

She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs.

Sadie and Will have moved from Chicago to a small town in Maine. One, they need a fresh start. Someone had an affair. Two, Will’s sister has died and he has inherited a large home and a surly teenager. Plus there was an incident with their son Otto at school.

Imogene is the one who found her mother dead and she is not happy about Will and Sadie and their two boys showing up. She is scary!

Shortly after they move in a neighbor, Morgan Baines, is killed in her home. A neighbor swears he saw Morgan and Sadie fighting, but Sadie has never met Morgan.

This is one messed up family! Every single character had some serious issues! And the twists and turns almost gave me whiplash! What??? I was on the edge of my seat the entire book!

February 18th, 2020 by Park Row/NetGalley

 

 

 

 

TEN DAYS GONE by Beverly Long

Ten Days Gone (A.L. McKittridge, #1)

Most of the police procedurals I have read have been set in the UK. This one is set in Wisconsin with bits of Minnesota and Illinois. This is the first in a series and I am so glad I read it.

In Baywood, Wisconsin, A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have a big problem. Four women dead in forty days. One killed every ten days. All found dead, naked, with clothes folded neatly. No signs of a struggle. It is a race against time to find the killer before they find another body.

This was a twisty, evil, puzzle of a tale! The best type! I think we have a winner here and I hope we see more!

NetGalley/ February 18th, 2020 by MIRA