Audiobook Review: Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy

Dead in Dublin
Author: Catie Murphy
Narrator: Lucy Rayner
Series: Dublin Drivers Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Tantor Audio (December 31, 2019)
Length: 8 hours and 18 minutes

Description: In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, murder occurs at the feet of sweet Molly Malone....

Ferrying tourists around Dublin for the Leprechaun Limo Service makes quite a change after years in the military. Still, Megan Malone is enjoying her life in Ireland. She likes the scenery, the easy pace, the quirky, quick-witted locals. Everything - except having one of her clients drop dead at the statue of fabled fishmonger, Molly Malone.

Most restaurant critics notch up their share of enemies. Elizabeth Darr, however, was a well-loved international star. She and her husband, Simon, had just had dinner when Elizabeth collapsed, and spoiled seafood is the first suspect. The restaurant's owner, worried her business is doomed, begs Megan to look into it. Between her irate boss and a handsome Garda who's both amused and annoyed by her persistence, Megan has her hands full even before she's cajoled into taking care of two adorable Jack Russell puppies (which she is almost definitely not keeping). But if cockles and mussels aren't to blame, can Megan find the real culprit...before another fishy death occurs?

My Thoughts: American military vet Megan Malone works for a limousine service in Dublin. When one of her clients drops dead in front of her, Megan becomes involved in investigating the death. Her curiosity and the fact that her friend's restaurant might be blamed for the death encourages her interest.

A second death is connected to the restaurant when the joint owner and investor in the business is found dead inside the restaurant. Also inside the restaurant kitchen is a mama dog and her two newborn puppies which Megan agrees to take home only until a place opens for them in a shelter since her boss and landlady is very much opposed to dogs.

I enjoyed this audiobook once I got used to the Irish accents. Luckily, I also own the Kindle copy and could read along until my ear adjusted. The narrator did a great job with all the characters and accents.

I liked Megan and the other supporting characters in this series starter. I thought that there was enough suspense for a cozy mystery and liked the fast pace.

I bought the Kindle and added on the audiobook. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey

Seams Deadly
Author: Maggie Bailey
Series: A Measure Twice Sewing Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 5, 2023)

Description: When sewist Lydia Barnes finds a dead body soon after moving to a new town, she will need more than shear luck to find the killer, in this novel perfect for fans of Molly MacRae and Anna Gerard.

Lydia Barnes is excited for a fresh start when she moves to the quaint mountain town of Peridot, Georgia. Her friend, Fran, offers her a job at the Measure Twice fabric store and even sets her up on a date with the handsome Brandon Ivey, who also happens to be Lydia’s new next-door neighbor. Finally, things are looking up. But after a disaster first date that ends with a fist bump instead of a kiss, Lydia doesn’t think her night can get any worse. She’s soon proven wrong when she later stumbles upon Brandon’s dead body.

Considered the prime suspect by the police, Lydia calls on her friends to help her hunt for the truth and prove her innocence. But when another body is soon found inside the Measure Twice store, Lydia knows that the killer must be close by, and that this town has more than its fair share of secrets. Who would want to frame the newest addition to Peridot for these terrible murders—and why?

Lydia may discover that while sewing might have a pattern, killing rarely does. Will she be able to stitch together the clues and clear her own name before the killer strikes again?

My Thoughts: SEAMS DEADLY begins a new cozy series set in a small town in northern Georgia. Lydia Barnes has fled there after catching her husband in bed with her teaching assistant. She had visited before and enjoyed stopping in at Measure Twice, a quilting store. Now she's been offered a job there and she also rents the upstairs apartment. 

When she is coerced into a date with Brandon, a younger man who works in the local bookstore, by her boss, she reluctantly agrees even though she knows she isn't over her cheating husband. The date is a failure since he's determined to talk only about his Great American Novel. After he walks her home and she walks her dog Charlie, she decides to drop off some brownies and discovers him dead at his desk. He was stabbed with a pair of sheers from Measure Twice. 

The local police think she killed Brandon which has the effect of making her dissolve into tears and suffer from shock. She's so new in town that she can't think of anyone else who might be a suspect. However, a few conversations indicate that Brandon did have some enemies who are unfortunately all alibied. 

When another murder occurs in the classroom of Measure Twice, Lydia is again the prime suspect. She needs to find the real killer in order to keep her place in this small town that really feels like home to her. 

There were lots of things I liked about this story. I liked that Lydia rescues a cat named Baby Lobster from the local shelter. Baby Lobster has quite an interesting personality. I also liked the setting of the story. The main thing I didn't like about the story was the main character. She seems totally self-absorbed and very prone to break into tears all the time or go off daydreaming at the most inappropriate times. She was a really unlikeable character for me. 

I'm not sure if I will continue with this series because I really didn't like the main character or most of the other characters. I don't think an interesting setting will be enough motivation for me to read more. 

Favorite Quote:

She didn't do fancy hair or fancy makeup, she made her own dresses, and too often she forgot to use the lint roller to remove the dog hair.

At least tonight, she'd remembered to do that, though her rescue dog, Charlie, had watched her with a slightly offended look, as though his hair all over her clothes was a good look and she was just being absurd.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose
Author: Nancy Springer
Series: Enola Holmes
Publication: Wednesday Books (September 5, 2023)

Description: In May of 1890, Enola Holmes is finally fully on her own and, no longer hiding from her older brothers Sherlock and Mycroft, attending classes and occasionally pursuing her chosen profession as a scientific perditorian, a finder of lost things and people.

Wolcott Balestier, the representative of an American book publisher, arrived in London on a singular mission - to contract with English authors for their latest works. When Balestier disappears on the streets of London one day, his great friend - Rudyard Kipling - bursts into Enola's office looking for help in finding him. Brash and unwilling to hire a young woman, instead he turns to Sherlock Holmes. Convinced that evil has befallen Balestier, at the hands of rival American publishers who pirate the works of English authors, he sets the elder Holmes on the trail.

But Enola is not one to accept defeat, especially not to her brother, and sets off on her own - determined to learn the truth behind the disappearance of the young American. Can book publishing truly be so ruthless and deadly or can the missing man be rescued from his apparent fate and returned to his friends and loved ones?

The redoubtable Enola is determined to do just that, even if it means working with her brother Sherlock!

My Thoughts: Enola Holmes starts her newest case when a very upset Rudyard Kipling bursts into Dr. Ragostin's office in search of help finding his missing friend Wolcott Balestier. Unwilling to believe that Ragostin was a front Enola used to cover up the fact that she was a woman investigator, Kipling storms out leaving Enola very curious.

She begins her own search for the missing publisher. She needs lots of disguises and goes to lots of different parts of 1890 London. And she finds herself in competition with her brother Sherlock until the two decide to work together on the case.

She soon learns that Balestier disappeared after being bitten by a rabid dog which leads her to do some research on rabies which is not yet a treatable disease in 1890 although Louis Pasteur in France and Jacob Lister in London are working on the problem. Enola's tour of Lister's research facility was a good look into the medical experimentation of the day. 

This story was a great addition to the series. I like the historical detail and the way Enola investigates a complicated crime. 

Favorite Quote:

I felt, I must admit, a distinct glow. All was well between me and Sherlock. All was very good indeed. Despite the fact that I was going to spy on him.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg

Malibu Burning
Author: Lee Goldberg
Series: Sharpe & Walker (Book 1)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (September 1, 2023)

Description: For a professional criminal and a relentless arson investigator, fear and revenge spread like wildfire in an incendiary thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at near hurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire is exactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.

As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspect that someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end.

While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker are closing in. But when they all collide in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them against an unexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.

My Thoughts: The first Sharpe and Walker thriller introduces the two main characters who are arson investigators in California. Sharpe is the old veteran. Walker is new to the department after a career with the US Marshals Service. Since his wife is pregnant, he's looking for a job that will let him be home nights and his wife wants him to be in less danger,

It's October which is fire season in California and this year isn't helped when fires are being started by criminals who are determined to loot under the cover of the fires.

The story is told with a variety of flashbacks mixed with the current time. I liked the way the story was told. I liked getting to know a couple of interesting new characters. I also liked the way the story coincided with the Eve Ronin series. 

I recommend this one to anyone who enjoyed fast-paced suspense.

Favorite Quote:

Mertz stepped up beside him. "So, you're not simply stealing them, you're saving them,"

"That's right."

"From a fire you started," Mertz said.

"Let's not get bogged down in the details."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris

All the Dead Shall Weep
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Gunnie Rose (Book 5)
Publication: Gallery / Saga Press (September 5, 2023)

Description: #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author returns with the fifth installment in the bestselling Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brother Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.

Following the murderous events of the “gripping…thrill-ride” (Karin Slaughter) Serpent of Heaven, Lizbeth Rose is awaiting the arrival of her sister Felicia and her husband’s younger brother Eli in Texoma. Both needed to leave the seat of the Holy Russian Empire in San Diego after Felicia’s burgeoning wizardly power in death magic became the reason for kidnapping and assassination attempts from her mother’s family of high-powered wizards in Mexico.

Yet bad news has traveled ahead of them, as Eli is called back to San Diego, taking Peter along with him, splitting them apart in more ways than one as their enemies’ plans for revenge come to fruition. In this fifth installment in the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series, #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a family drama of murderous and magical thrills.

My Thoughts: The fifth book in the Gunnie Rose series takes place in Texoma. Lizbeth and Eli have settled in Lixbeth's home country after leaving San Diego. There are major adjustments to make for this newly married couple. Lizbeth has just lost a baby and is dealing with grief. She is also wondering if Eli regrets both their marriage and their move since he can't really use his grigori talents. 

Lizbeth's half-sister Felicia and Eli's brother Peter have arrived from San Diego for a visit and to get out of San Diego. Felicia is now fifteen and is coming into her grigori powers which are looking to be very strong. Her major talent is death magic which makes her a very attractive commodity for magical families looking to increase their power.

When a militia comes to Texoma and kidnaps Eli and Peter, Lizabeth and Felicia go after them. After rescuing them, Eli and Peter head off to San Diego without explanation. Lizbeth fears that Eli has left her forever. But several visitors coming courting Felicia for their families and a couple of kidnapping attempts keep both Felicia and Lizbeth busy. 

This alternate history story with magic was an entertaining story. I like the worldbuilding and I like the characters. 

Favorite Quote:

I was aching to kill Thomas. I was indifferent about Joanie. I'd opened my mouth to tell Felicia this when a newcomer rode into the scene.

Prancing up on a gorgeous black horse was a man in a fancier uniform. He had more insignias on his arms, a different hat, and even medals. His neat white beard and trimmed white hair said that he looked in the mirror a lot. The newcomer dismounted easily, walked over to Joanie, and glanced from her to Thomas with clear disapproval. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 28, 2023)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This past week was generally cool and cloudy. As I'm writing this Sunday noon, the temperature is 60F. Most days have been in the high 50s and low 60s. I'm hoping this is only a back-to-school blip and warm temperatures will be returning soon. Though I know fall is coming by the noticeably shorter daylight hours, I hate the end of summer. I love the heat and the long bright days. 

I did have a good reading week completing two review books, one from my TBR mountain, and three audiobooks. These audiobooks have been longer than the ones I have been reading since I'm trying to listen to the whole Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters and finish up the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. I've listened for well over 35 hours and still have a couple of hours to go on the final Ruth Galloway. I need to shift focus to my review books since I still have some September titles to complete and a dozen or so October releases on my stack. 

This coming week will be a quiet one. I don't have any appointments that will get me out of the house. I have plenty of baseball to watch and books to read. 

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany (Review; September 19) -- The sixth in the Year-Round Christmas series takes place in December and centers around the local production of A Christmas Carol. My review will be posted by September 13.
• The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (Mine; Audible Plus) -- This Amelia Peabody adventure takes place in England and centers around a mummy in the British Museum and includes aristocrats and young lovers. My review will be posted on October 3.
• Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman (Review; September 19) -- A ball turns into a locked room mystery when a snowstorm strands Lily and others including a murderer. My review will be posted on September 14.

• New Tricks by David Rosenfelt (Mine) -- Seventh book in the Andy Carpenter series. A pro bono case to resolve the fate of a Bernese puppy leads to murder and a new client. My review will be posted on September 19.
• The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters (Mine; Audible Plus) -- Peters take on an H. Rider Haggard story has Amelia, Emerson, and Ramses on an expedition to find a lost explorer and his wife. My review will be posted on October 10.
• The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths (Mine; Audiobook) -- The fourteenth Ruth Galloway mystery coincides with the start of Covid-19. My review will be posted October 12.

Currently

• The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths (Mine; Audiobook)
• Redemption by Deborah J. Ledford (Review; Amazon First; September 1)

Next Week

• Unleashed Holiday by Victora Schade (September 26)
• Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss (September 26)
• Overdue or Die by Allison Brook (October 3)

• Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black (October 3)
• A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander (October 3)
• Rumor of Evil by Gary Braver (October 10)

Reviews Posted

• Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon
• The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
• The Camelot Caper by Elizabeth Peters

• Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare
• My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
• In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin (October 24)
• The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson (December 5)

Bought:

• Forgotten Ages (The Complete Saga) by Lindsay Buroker (BookBub; $.99)
• Murder in E Minor by Robert Goldsborough (Audible Plus)
• Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg (Kindle)

• Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg (Kindle)
• The Sentence Is Death by Anthony Horowitz (BookBub, $1.99)
• Holmes Coming by Kenneth Johnson (BookBub, $1.99)

• The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (Kindle & Audible Plus)
• Callander Square by Anne Perry (Kindle & Audible Plus)
• Paragon Walk by Anne Perry (Kindle & Audible Plus; BookBub $.99)

What was your week like?

Book Review: In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle

In Her Sights
Author: Katie Ruggle
Series: Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters (Book 1)
Publication: Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 26, 2019)

Description: He may be her greatest rival—her sworn enemy—but when they face a hidden danger neither could survive alone, he'll soon become her partner…and fiercest protector.

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the struggling family business into an unqualified success. She doesn't need complications in her life—especially not John freaking Carmondy. Six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match, John's the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly's ever had the pleasure of facing…and he may be her only hope of making it past these dangerous grounds alive.

John's been over the moon for Molly for years, but she's always seemed untouchable. Unreachable. Now she's looking to him for help, and he'll be damned if he lets her and her sisters down. Teaming up against nearly impossible odds, they'll fight to make it through this alive…even if it means learning to trust in a connection that burns brighter than either has ever known.

Get out your trusty handcuffs: This pulse-pounding romantic suspense contains sizzling enemies-to-lovers attraction, long-time pining, explosions and explosive chemistry between two rival bounty hunters, and a family bond that'll have you coming back for more.

My Thoughts: This romantic suspense title begins a new series. It stars the relationship between Molly Pax and John Carmondy. They are rival bounty hunters. At least, Molly sees them as rivals. John is more interested in keeping Molly out of trouble since he has had a crush on her since he first saw her chasing a skip through a food court. 

Molly is the oldest of five sisters who are all bounty hunters. Living with a mother who has no respect for the law and who has been arrested and even jailed numerous times, introduced her daughters to this career. Molly is the oldest and has been taking care of her sisters since she was a pre-teen.

This time their mother has gone too far. Besides steeling Molly's car, she has been accused of stealing a million-dollar necklace. After her arrest, she arranges her bail through a sleazy bail bond's man who takes the deed to their house as collateral - the house that Molly and her sisters paid for. In order to save their house, they have to find their mother and make sure she makes her court date.

Molly is also forced to work for the bail bond's man to find a fugitive she doesn't want to chase in order to keep him from getting the court date moved up so that he can claim their house. The skip is very dangerous; he favors explosives to help him get away when being caught is imminent. John is right there with Molly as they hunt for this fugitive.

Molly gradually accepts that she is in love with John through the course of the story which made for a satisfying romance. However, large parts of the plot concerning catching their fugitive mother and saving their house were left unresolved. Hopefully, resolution will come in future books in this series.

Favorite Quote:

She froze, caught in a strange moment of wondering if this was what it would be like to have a partner, someone who could have her back and prop her up when the weight of taking care of her family got unbearably heavy. It was an addictive, incredible feeling to have support, and she know she had to be careful. He wasn't here forever, just the night, and it would be stupid of her to start leaning on him. when he inevitably disappeared, she'd fall.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

"I'm heading to the park," Molly called as she let the screen door slam behind her. It slapped against the edge of the frame, too warped to close properly. She absently made a mental note to fix it later...along with the hundred other things that needed doing around the house.

Friday 56:

The mention of money made her head snap up, and she rushed back to where she'd dropped her backpack on the kitchen counter. Yanking out her wallet, she quickly checked inside and bit back a snarl.

"All the cash in my purse -- about eighty dollars -- and our business ATM card are missing."

This week I am spotlighting In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle which is a recent addition to my TBR mountain. It is the first in the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunter series. I have read and enjoyed other books by this author.

Here is the description from Amazon:

He may be her greatest rival—her sworn enemy—but when they face a hidden danger neither could survive alone, he'll soon become her partner…and fiercest protector.

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the struggling family business into an unqualified success. She doesn't need complications in her life—especially not John freaking Carmondy. Six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match, John's the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly's ever had the pleasure of facing…and he may be her only hope of making it past these dangerous grounds alive.

John's been over the moon for Molly for years, but she's always seemed untouchable. Unreachable. Now she's looking to him for help, and he'll be damned if he lets her and her sisters down. Teaming up against nearly impossible odds, they'll fight to make it through this alive…even if it means learning to trust in a connection that burns brighter than either has ever known.

Get out your trusty handcuffs: This pulse-pounding romantic suspense contains sizzling enemies-to-lovers attraction, long-time pining, explosions and explosive chemistry between two rival bounty hunters, and a family bond that'll have you coming back for more.

Audiobook Review: The Camelot Caper by Elizabeth Peters

The Camelot Caper
Author: Elizabeth Peters
Narrator: Grace Conlin
Publication: Blackstone Audio (November 10, 2004)
Length: 6 houors and 46 minutes

Description: For Jessica Tregarth, an unexpected invitation to visit her grandfather in England is a wonderful surprise—an opportunity to open doors to a family past that has always been closed to her. But sinister acts greet her arrival. A stranger tries to steal her luggage and later accosts her in Salisbury Cathedral. Mysterious villains pursue her through Cornwall, their motives and intentions unknown. Jessica's only clue is an antique heirloom she possesses, an ancient ring that bears the Tregarth family crest. And her only ally is handsome gothic novelist David Randall—her self-proclaimed protector—who appears from seemingly out of nowhere to help her in her desperate attempt to solve a five-hundred-year-old puzzle. For something from out of the cloudy mists of Arthurian lore has come back to plague a frightened American abroad. And a remarkable truth about a fabled king and a medieval treasure could ultimately make Jess Tregarth very rich . . . or very dead.

My Thoughts: Elizabeth Peters has lots of fun with romantic suspense tropes in THE CAMELOT CAPER. 

Jessica Tregarth has been invited to visit her grandfather in Cornwall. Since he and her father were estranged, she's never met him. She's excited to be traveling in Britain and really wants to see all the typical tourist attractions. 

However, things don't go well for her. Someone tries to steal her luggage when she arrives, and she keeps seeing the same strangers following her. She believes they want the ugly heirloom that her grandfather asked her to bring with her when she visits him. 

She makes her escape on a bus where the friendly passengers and driver helps her get away from the villains. However, they leave her in a small village and the young man who is supposed to drive her to London isn't there. Instead she meets David Randall who thinks she is part of an elaborate prank set up by his friends. 

He does agree to take her to London even though he doesn't believe her story. That is, he doesn't believe it until her pursuers attack him. Then he's all in and the two find their way to Cornwall where they discover a complicated plot having to do with King Arthur.

The plot elements sound like the plot of a good Gothic novel which is handy since David writes them. It also features a classic case of insta-love and some nicely witty dialog. 

It was a fun story to revisit many years after I read it for the first time. Grace Conlin does an excellent job with the narration.

I got this one from Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

My Roommate Is a Vampire
Author: Jenna Levine
Publication: Berkley (August 29, 2023)

Description: True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.

Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.

Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean...

Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.

My Thoughts: Cassie Greenberg needs a new apartment. She's being evicted from her current place. When she sees a Craigslist add about a guy looking for a roommate for only $200 a month, she suspicious, but she's also desperate. 

Frederick J. Fitzwilliam needs someone to help him fit into modern society. He's a vampire who has recently awoken from a 100-year curse. He's also dealing with a mother who really, really wants him to marry the vampire of her choice. 

An artist who creates with found materials and who works a few part-time jobs doesn't seem like a good match for a man who is out of his time, but they are immediately attracted and the attraction grows as they exchange notes and learn more about each other. 

This was a cute romance with engaging characters. 

Favorite Quote:

So I said the first thing that popped into my head. "Are you...curious about kissing?"

Probably a stupid question, given what I'd found on my laptop. But he looke surprised all the same. His eyes snapped to mine. "What makes you think that?"

I huffed a laugh. "Your browser history."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare

Harlem After Midnight
Author: Louise Hare
Series: A Canary Club Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (August 29, 2023)

Description: A body falls from a town house window in Harlem, and it looks just like the newest singer at the Apollo...in this evocative, twisting new novel from the author of Miss Aldridge Regrets.

Harlem, 1936: Lena Aldridge grew up in a cramped corner of London, hearing stories of the bright lights of Broadway. She always imagined that when she finally went to New York City, she’d be there with her father. But now he’s dead, and she’s newly arrived and alone, chasing a dream that has quickly dried up. When Will Goodman—the handsome musician she met on the crossing from England—offers for her to stay with his friends in Harlem, she agrees. She has nowhere else to go, and this will give her a chance to get to know Will better and see if she can find any trace of the family she might have remaining.

Will’s friends welcome her with open arms, but just as Lena discovers the stories her father once told her were missing giant pieces of information, she also starts to realize the man she’s falling too fast and too hard for has secrets of his own. And they might just place a target on her back. Especially when she is drawn to the brightest stage in town.

My Thoughts: The sequel to MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS takes place in New York City in 1936. Lena has survived the problems of the first book but is in New York with no job and no friends except Will Goodman whom she met on the Atlantic crossing.

Lena is staying with Will's friends Claudette and Louis. She's a library assistant and he's a doctor. Lena is also learning more about Will. She meets his stepsister Bel and his niece Joey and lots of people in Harlem who remember him fondly. 

Lena is also looking for information about her father who recently died of tuberculosis. She met the woman who was her mother in the first adventure and has quite a few questions about her father's life that he never told her about. 

The book actually begins with a woman falling out of the window of Claud and Louis's apartment holding Lena's passport leading the reader to believe that it was Lena. Then the story slips backward to when Lena first arrives in New York. There are also flashbacks that let the reader take a peek into Lena's father Alfie's life in New York City before she was born. We learn about him before Lena does. 

This was an interesting historical story with a bit of mystery. Like in the first book, the mystery plot isn't the most important part of the story and isn't particularly strong. What is important is Lena's search for family and for the past her father never told her about. It is about the difficulties of being Black in New York City in 1936 even if your skin is light enough to pass. It's about the start of a romance that doesn't seem to have a future.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy getting to know Lena and her world. 

Favorite Quote:

People made mistakes, but I wasn't entirely sure that we weren't meant to. Our lives were formed from those errors of judgment. Even the bad times sometimes begat the good. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon

Girl Gone Missing 
Author: Marcie R. Rendon
Narrator: Siiri Scott
Series: Cash Blackbear (Book 2)
Publication: Blackstone Publishing (August 18, 2020)
Length: 6 hours and 48 minutes

Description: Her name is Renee Blackbear, but what most people call the 19-year-old Ojibwe woman is Cash.

She lived all her life in Fargo, sister city to Minnesota’s Moorhead, just downriver from the Cities. She has one friend, the Sheriff Wheaton. He pulled her from her mother’s wrecked car when she was three. Since then, Cash navigated through foster homes and at 13 was working farms, driving trucks. Wheaton wants her to take hold of her life and signs her up for college. She gets an education there at Moorhead State all right: sees that people talk a lot but mostly about nothing, not like the men in the fields she’s known all her life who hold the rich topsoil in their hands, talk fertilizer and weather and prices on the Grain Exchange. In between classes and hauling beets, drinking beer, and shooting pool, a man who claims he’s her brother shows up, and she begins to dream of the Cities and blonde Scandinavian girls calling for help.

My Thoughts: The second Cash Blackbear novel has Cash starting college which she finds a really alien environment. Between hippies and flower children and the growing American Indian Movement, she's being introduced to all sorts of things that haven't come into her world before. She used to working for farmers, drinking beer, smoking and shooting pool. She been in her own apartment since she was thirteen and Wheaton got her out of her last abusive foster home. 

When a college girl goes missing for no apparent reason, Cash finds herself introduced to the white slavery industry which is also something new to her. Another new thing is the reappearance of her brother. She hasn't seen him or heard anything about him since she was taken from her mother as a small child and started on the parade of foster homes. Mo tracks her down and moves in to get to know her. He's a recently discharged Vietnam veteran who was a medic and who has come home with PTSD. They spend time together drinking beer and shooting pool. 

Cash is doing well in college. So well, in fact, that she opts to test out of her freshman English and science classes. Her results on her English final are so good that her professor enters her into an essay contest which will result in her first trip to the Twin Cities for the award ceremony at Macalaster College. And it results in her own encounter with white slavery.

I really enjoyed this story. The setting is familiar to me since I am also a Minnesotan although the Red River Valley is on the opposite side of Minnesota from where I grew up. Cash and I would be near in age and, although our life experiences couldn't be more different, some aspects were completely familiar. 

I liked the author's note that talks about real problems faced by Native American women. 

I got this one from Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

The Woman in Blue
Author: Elly Griffiths
Series: Ruth Galloway (Book 8)
Publication: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (May 3, 2016)

Description: A vision of the Virgin Mary foreshadows a string of cold-blooded murders, revealing a dark current of religious fanaticism in an old medieval town in this Ruth Galloway mystery.

When Ruth’s friend Cathbad sees a vision of the Virgin Mary—in a white gown and blue cloak—in the graveyard next to the cottage he is house-sitting, he takes it in his stride. Walsingham has strong connections to Mary, and Cathbad is a druid after all; visions come with the job. But when the body of a woman in a blue dressing-gown is found dead the next day in a nearby ditch, it is clear Cathbad’s vision was all too human—and that a horrible crime has been committed. DCI Nelson and his team are called in for the murder investigation and soon establish that the dead woman was a recovering addict being treated at a nearby private hospital.

Ruth, a devout atheist, has managed to avoid Walsingham during her seventeen years in Norfolk. But then an old university friend, Hilary Smithson, asks to meet her in the village, and Ruth is amazed to discover that her friend is now a priest. Hilary has been receiving vitriolic anonymous letters targeting women priests— letters containing references to local archaeology and a striking phrase about a woman "clad in blue, weeping for the world."

As Walsingham prepares for its annual Easter re-enactment of the Crucifixion, the race is on to unmask the killer before they strike again…

My Thoughts: The eighth Ruth Galloway mystery centers around Walsingham which is the center of an area devoted to Mary, the Mother of God. When Cathbad, who is catsitting in the area, sees a young woman with a blue robe in the graveyard next to his house, his first thought is that he's had a vision of the Virgin Mary.

However, when the same woman is found dead in a ditch, it becomes clear that there is a murderer on the loose. The young woman is Chloe Jenkins, a fashion model who was at a local drug treatment center. Nelson and his team are determined to find out who murdered her. 

Ruth gets involved mainly because an old friend who is now an Anglican priest calls her to come look at some troubling letters she has received. Hilary is there for a seminar with other female Anglican priests who are looking to become bishops once that is allowed. 

When another of the priests is also murdered in the same way as Chloe, Ruth finds herself more involved in the case despite Nelson's wanting her to back off and let him handle the police work. Nelson and Ruth's relationship had come to some sort of equilibrium until his wife Michelle's relationship with Nelson's colleague Tim comes to light. 

Nelson and Michelle are at odds until the villain attacks her in a Walsingham churchyard. They decide to try to rebuild their marriage. Tim transfers to another area but doesn't leave until he tells Michelle that he's still in love with her and will always be there for her. 

Ruth is left out in this new version of Nelson and Michelle's marriage and is trying to convince herself that she is okay with that. She knows that Nelson and her daughter Kate will always have a relationship and she will have to deal with that. 

This was another engaging mystery in the long-running Ruth Galloway series that seems to spend as much time talking about relationships as it does solving crimes. The crime does get solved but the relationships are unresolved. 

Favorite Quote:

Nelson thinks 'I took custody of it' sounds a lot better than 'I stole it'. It never ceases to amaze him, the way people find comfortable language for uncomfortable actions. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 21, 2023)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

I had a nice quiet week and finished eight books. I only have two left in the Ruth Galloway series and hope to finish those as audiobooks in the near future but maybe not this coming week. My first audiobook of this week will be the fifth in the Amelia Peabody series. This series is a reread since I read the print versions of all of them many, many years ago before I began blogging.

I also have some more September releases from my review stack for this week's reading. I added some review copies from NetGalley too. It started with an email offering me The Tainted Cup from a publisher I don't usually check out. I looked to see what else the publisher was offering and managed to secure a review copy of Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands which I had put on my Amazon wishlist as soon as I finished the first book in the series. Then, while I was there, I checked out my auto-approved titles and added a few more from that group. I also checked out my Favorite Publishers and added some review requests. I have 16 books pending and am still hoping to be approved for those titles. Right now I have 44 review books on my stack with release dates from September 19 to February 20.

I didn't try any new recipes this week. My brother and I spent the week clearing the leftovers out of the refrigerator. But I am making a stew today from one of our older cookbooks. The recipe has a note on it from my mother saying how good it was. I'm guessing the note was written somewhere around the year 2000. It is always fun and nostalgic too to find recipes I know my mom cooked. 

My plans for this week are to read and watch Atlanta Braves baseball. We're expecting nice weather after a brief cold streak Monday and Tuesday. But cold only means highs of 69 and 71 which are still quite nice temperatures. The rest of the week temperatures in the high 70s are predicted. It should be a good week for making solar power. 

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• Catch Her Death by Melinda Leigh (Review; September 12) -- The seventh in the Bree Tanner contemporary mystery series. My review will be posted on September 6.
• Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters (Audible Plus) -- Fourth in the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series. This is a reread after many, many years. My review will be posted on September 28.
• Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney (Mine) -- This cozy mystery introduces Molly and her mother Nina who have relocated to Cambridge to work in the family bookstore and have some murders to solve. My review will be posted on September 9.

• Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (Review; September 12) -- A horror novel set on an island in Lake Superior. My review will be posted on September 7.
• A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney (Mine) -- Second in a cozy series set in Cambridge and starring a young American who has come to work in the family bookstore. My review will be posted on September 23.
• The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Mine; Audiobook) -- The twelfth in the Ruth Galloway series. My review will be posted on September 26.

• The Golden Gate by Amy Chua (Review; September 19) -- Mystery set in 1944 San Francisco which is filled with historical detail. My review will be posted on September 12.
• The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (Mine; Audiobook) -- The thirteenth book in the Ruth Galloway series. My review will be posted on October 5.

Currently

• Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany (Review; September 19)
• The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (Reread; Audible Plus)

Next Week

• Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman (Review; September 19)
• Redemption by Deborah J. Ledford (Amazon First; September 1)
• New Tricks by David Rosenfelt (Mine)

• Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss (Review; September 26)
• Overdue or Die by Allison Brook (Review; October 3)
• Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black (Review; October 3)

Reviews Posted

• Dark Path by Melissa F. Miller (Audiobook)
• Murder at the Elms by Alyssa Maxwell (Review)
• Nine Lives and Alibis by Cate Conte (Review)

• Aged for Murder by Fiona Grace (Audiobook)
• Board to Death by CJ Connor (Review)
• Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (Mine)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• Calico by Lee Goldberg (November 7)
• Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (January 6)
• Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom (February 6

• A Killer Romance by Maggie Blackburn (February 6)
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (February 6) -- email invitation from the publisher
• The Last Word by Gerri Lewis (February 20)

Bought:

• Small Kingdoms & Other Stories by Charlaine Harris (Kindle Daily Deal; $2.99)
• Dead of Winter by Wendy Corsi Staub (Kindle; $1.99)
• Into the Mist by P. C. Cast (Kindle; $1.99)

• Into the Mist by P. C. Cast (Chirp Audiobook; $2.99)
• Murder at Haven's Rock by Kelley Armstrong (Keeper copy of review book; $2.99)
• The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths (Audiobook; Audible Credit)

What was your week like?