Audiobook Review: Lavender's Blue by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

Lavender's Blue
Author: Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
Narrator: Cris Dukehart & Eric G. Dove
Series: The Liz Danger Series (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (February 6, 2024)
Length: 11 hours and 54 minutes

Description: From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the first book in the Liz Danger series.

LAVENDER’S BLUE: Would it kill you to go home and see your mother?

Liz Danger has returned home after fifteen years to deliver a giant teddy bear for her mother’s birthday (color: Guilt Red) when a cop with a great ass picks her up for speeding, fixes the missing lug nuts on her back wheel, pulls her out of a ditch, doesn’t give her a ticket, and helps her avoid her family. This is a man with real potential. The rest of the day goes downhill, starting with her finding out that the only man she’s ever loved is getting married to Lavender Blue, the most beautiful woman in southern Ohio. Really, the best thing in her day is that cop with the lug nuts.

Vince Cooper still isn't sure about being a cop in Burney, Ohio, a place he just moved to six months ago, since Burney is full of some fairly odd people spaced between long stretches of boredom. Still, considering the dangerous, difficult life he had before Burney as an Army Ranger and New York City cop, boredom is good. Then he picks up Liz Danger for speeding and life gets a lot more interesting. And when he picks her up again in the local bar the next night, he starts to realize that “interesting” doesn’t begin to describe what’s going to happen to him if he pulls Liz into his arms and his life

As Liz navigates her dysfunctional family, her flamboyant boss phoning in from Chicago, her still-interested ex, her bridesmaid dress from hell, a dachshund with issues, a disaster of a wedding, assault, murder, and three hundred and ninety-three teddy bears, Vince shows up to get her through, even though he knows that the real peril for him in Burney is the one who came with her own warning label, Liz Danger.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this first book in the Liz Danger series. I liked the combination of humor and mystery. I also liked that alternate chapters were from each of the main characters' points of view.

Liz Danger left Burney, Ohio, fifteen years earlier and has a job as a ghost writer which means lots of traveling. She mostly lives and writes in her car. She's home now because she got a call from her aunt ML telling her that her mother needs her. She arrives along with a six-foot-tall stuffed bear in Guilt Red for her mother's birthday gift. She finds that her bear will be joining 393 other stuffed bears at her mother's. 

Liz also learns that the boy she loved in high school is getting married to the lovely Lavender Blue. Through a variety of weird circumstances, she finds herself drafted as maid of honor complete with an unfortunate dress choice. Then Lavender dies a very short time after her wedding and Liz finds herself a suspect. 

All Liz wants is to leave town, connect with the eccentric woman she's ghostwriting for, finish the book, and collect her bonus. 

The first person Liz meets when she comes to town is Vince Cooper who pulls her over when she hits the town limits. His excuse is that she has a tire ready to fall off. Luckily, he just happens to have the necessary lug nuts. Neither is looking for a relationship, but one quickly forms between the two of them. 

Vince chose Burney, after being an Army Ranger and New York City cop, because there hadn't been a murder on record there. He wanted a less stressful life. But he's suspicious about a recent car accident and then the accidents start happening to Liz and his quiet job becomes a lot less quiet.

I loved the quirky characters in this story including the neurotic blond dachshund. There were also a lot of real issues too. Liz's relationship with her mother needs readjustment. As the daughter of an alcoholic, Liz has a strong need to fix things for the people around her that gets her into trouble. 

I bought this one January 19, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Lavender's Blue by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

On a cold April day, thanks to an awful card my awful Aunt ML had set me, I was driving down Route 52 along the Ohio River toward my hometown for the first time in fifteen years. 

Friday 56:

JB's Bar is a very old bar -- since 1912 it says on the old mirror above the row of bottles on the old mirror above the row of bottles on the back shelf -- located on the main street of Burney next to the Red Box on the corner. The two places were the center of the town. Drink and food, what more do you need?

This week I am spotlighting Lavender's Blue by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer. I bought this one when it was a BookBub daily deal last January. I added on the audiobook for $1.99. Here is the description from Amazon:

From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the first book in the Liz Danger series.

Liz Danger has returned home after fifteen years to deliver a giant teddy bear for her mother’s birthday (color: Guilt Red) when a cop with a great ass picks her up for speeding, fixes the missing lug nuts on her back wheel, pulls her out of a ditch, doesn’t give her a ticket, and helps her avoid her family. This is a man with real potential. The rest of the day goes downhill, starting with her finding out that the only man she’s ever loved is getting married to Lavender Blue, the most beautiful woman in southern Ohio. Really, the best thing in her day is that cop with the lug nuts.

Vince Cooper still isn't sure about being a cop in Burney, Ohio, a place he just moved to six months ago, since Burney is full of some fairly odd people spaced between long stretches of boredom. Still, considering the dangerous, difficult life he had before Burney as an Army Ranger and New York City cop, boredom is good. Then he picks up Liz Danger for speeding and life gets a lot more interesting. And when he picks her up again in the local bar the next night, he starts to realize that “interesting” doesn’t begin to describe what’s going to happen to him if he pulls Liz into his arms and his life.

As Liz navigates her dysfunctional family, her flamboyant boss phoning in from Chicago, her still-interested ex, her bridesmaid dress from hell, a dachshund with issues, a disaster of a wedding, assault, murder, and three hundred and ninety-three teddy bears, Vince shows up to get her through, even though he knows that the real peril for him in Burney is the one who came with her own warning label, Liz Danger.

LAVENDER’S BLUE: Would it kill you to go home and see your mother?

Audiobook Review: Fatality by Firelight by Lynn Cahoon

Fatality by Firelight
Author: Lynn Cahoon
Narrator: C. S. E. Cooney
Series: Cat Latimer Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Tantor Audio (February 28, 2017)
Length: 7 hours and 57 minutes

Description: To kick off a winter writing retreat, Cat and her handyman boyfriend, Seth, escort the aspiring authors to a nearby ski resort, hoping that some fresh cold air will wake up their creative muses. But instead of hitting the slopes, they hit the bar - and before long, a tipsy romance novelist named Christina is keeping herself warm with a local ski bum who might have neglected to tell her about his upcoming wedding.

Next thing Cat knows, her uncle, the town sheriff, informs her that the young man's been found dead in a hot tub - and Christina shows up crying and covered in blood. Now, between a murder mystery, the theft of a rare Hemingway edition, and the arrival of a black-clad stranger in snowy Aspen Hills, Cat's afraid everything's going downhill....

My Thoughts: The second book in the Cat Latimer mysteries centers around the second group of authors who come to the writer's retreat. This time one of the authors takes up with a local who winds up dead with her as a suspect.

Cat knows this writer of sweet romances couldn't also be a killer. So, she's on the case. Of course, she's also still trying to solve the mystery of what her late husband Michael was doing that caused him to blow up their marriage. 

And just to add interest, the library has suffered the theft of a rare, signed Hemingway novel which her authors discover when they go out for pizza. Cat also learns that the college where she and her husband taught is the preferred college for children from mafia families which comes as news to her. 

Besides a mysterious hired assassin, Cat also draws the attention of Dante who is the uncle of a current student and connected to the mafia in some way. He encourages her to stop investigating what her ex was involved in which Cat ignores. 

This story solves the current murder but only provides clues on the whole Michael problem. I'll have to keep reading this eight-book series. 

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

ARC Review: Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Schooled in Murder
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (January 7, 2025)

Description: A mystery writer must solve a real murder case before an innocent girl is condemned in this series debut from acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Lorna Barrett.

Jennifer "Jen" Dalton is an author and educator at Clarion University in Virginia. She loves her job, but some of her petty coworkers look down on her for writing genre fiction. As members of the English department, they wish to encourage students to pursue higher literary aspirations. When a humiliating confrontation between an uppity professor and one of Jen’s students, Mia, escalates, no one thinks much of it. Until his dead body is found along with evidence incriminating Mia.

Jen knows Mia couldn’t have killed him, but Mia’s suspicious disappearance might as well be a proclamation of guilt. With the sleuthing skills Jen has acquired writing murder mysteries, she’s determined to solve the case and clear Mia’s name.

Along with the help of her fellow sleuthers—Christine Kubiak, a cafeteria manager; Zachary Flynn, the charming but annoying campus psychologist; and Brianna Rowley, a librarian—Jen must catch the real killer before there’s another murder on the books.

My Thoughts: This series debut stars Jen Dalton who is an author of mysteries and who is in charge of the writing center at Clarion University. When one of her mentees is accused of murdering her belittling English professor, Jen is on the case for a real-life mystery. 

As she investigates along with her friends Cristine Kubiak who is a cafeteria manager and Brianna Rowley who is a librarian, she learns to appreciate the dangers of the situations she puts her fictional characters into since she is putting herself into danger for real. 

I enjoyed her budding relationship with Zachary Flynn who is a psychologist first assigned to counsel her after the murder. I liked that he tried to be the voice of reason when Jen had her more dangerous ideas. 

Jen had lots of intriguing suspects including the wife and the mistress of the murdered professor. Then there was her friend who is an English department rival of the deceased and even the head of the college who might have wanted the professor dead. 

This was a nice introduction to Jen Dalton and her friends and an enjoyable mystery.

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

State of the Stack #160 (January 1, 2025)

This is my monthly post which details progress made on review books. I want to thank the authors and publishers who have contributed their books. 

Read This Month 

Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.

1. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany (January 9)
2. A Death in Diamonds by S J Bennett (January 14)
3. A Killer's Code by Isabella Maldonado (January 14)
4. Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove (January 15)
5. Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J. Chow (January 16)
6. Dead Money by Jakob Kerr (January 22)
7. Head Cases by John McMahon (January 23)

DNF

1. She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (January 21)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson (December 4)
2. The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot (December 5)
3. Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 1)
4. Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert (January 2)
5. Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh (January 8)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. Change of Heart by Cristina LePort, MD (February 4)
2. I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower (February 25)
3. The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig (March 4)
4. Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove (March 18)
5. The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (March 25)
6. Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly (April 1)
7. The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson (April 8)
8. One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman (April 15)
9. How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (April 29)
10. Cold Burn by A. J. Landau (April 29)
11. Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong (May 20)
12. The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson (May 27)
13. The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (June 3)
14. The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell (June 3)
15. Grave Words by Gerri Lewis (June 10)

All TBR Review Books

February

• Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb (February 4)
• An Excellent Thing in a Woman by Allison Montclair (February 4)
• Change of Heart by Cristina LePort, MD (February 4)

• No Comfort for the Dead by R. P. O'Donnell (February 11)
• Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett (February 11)
• The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (February 11)

• The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman (February 11)
• Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan (February 11)
• Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (February 18)

• Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson (February 18)
• I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower (February 25)
• A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (February 25)

March

• The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig (March 4)
• Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (March 4)
• Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (March 11)

• The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (March 11)
• Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove (March 18)
• The Library Game by Gigi Pandian (March 18)

• A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (March 18)
• Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (March 18)
• The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen (March 18)

• The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (March 25)
• The Big Fix by Holly James (March 25)

April

• Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly (April 1)
• Written in Stone by Paige Shelton (April 1)
• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (April 1)

• The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson (April 8)
• Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd (April 8)

• One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman (April 15)
• Blood on the Vine by J. T. Falco (April 22)
• Cold Burn by A. J. Landau (April 29)

• How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (April 29)
• Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro (April 29)

May 

• The Language of the Birds by K. A. Merson (May 13)
• Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong (May 20)
• The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson (May 27)

June

• Trixie Belden and the Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell (June 3)
• Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (June 3)

• One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (June 3)
• Grave Words by Gerri Lewis (June 10)

ARC Review: Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz

Shattering Dawn
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: The Lost Night Files (Book 3)
Publication: Berkley (January 7, 2025)

Description: An unsettling investigation teaches two deeply suspicious people how to trust in the next thrilling novel of the Lost Night Files trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, hires private investigator Gideon Sweetwater to catch the stalker who has been watching her. Amelia suspects the stalker may be connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost to amnesia—a night that upended their lives and left them with paranormal talents.

Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or an outright con artist, but he can’t resist the chemistry between them. He takes the case despite his skepticism. For her part, Amelia has second thoughts about the wisdom of employing the mysterious Mr. Sweetwater. She is wary of the powerful attraction between them, and deeply uneasy about the nightmarish paintings on the walls of his home. She senses they were inspired by his own dreamscapes.

Amelia knows she doesn’t have time to find another investigator, and Gideon is forced to reckon with the truth when he disrupts what was intended to be Amelia’s kidnapping. Now the pair is on the run, with no choice but to return to the haunting ruins of the old hotel where Amelia’s lost night occurred. They are desperate to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a dangerous drug that is designed to enhance psychic abilities. If they are to survive, they will have to trust each other and the passion that bonds them.

My Thoughts: The final book in the Lost Night Files trilogy stars Amelia Rivers and Gideon Sweetwater. 

Since her lost night, Amelia has had her psychic gift of aura reading enhanced. She has also developed a phobia about the dark of night and attracted a stalker. She goes to private investigator Gideon Sweetwater for help finding and discouraging her stalker. 

Gideon is still recovering from a previous case when he rescued a young man from a cult. He has a stalker of his own. Fascinated with Amelia, he decides to take her case despite his doubts about her aura reading ability. Gideon has psychic powers of his own which are causing problems in his life. 

They travel to the deserted desert hotel where the events of Amelia's lost night occurred and make some discoveries and learn more about each other. 

This episode brings many of the events of the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion while still leaving the door open for further books. I enjoyed the romance between Gideon and Amelia. The growing relationship between Gideon and Amelia entertaining to watch. I also enjoyed the paranormal aspects of this story.

Fans of the earlier books in this trilogy will also enjoy this concluding story. 

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