tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82960850415484466882024-03-19T00:29:36.089-05:00Inside of a DogInside of a Dog is where I talk about the books that I am reading and other things related to books and reading going on in my life.Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.comBlogger5294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-77649817656744989772024-03-18T06:30:00.221-05:002024-03-18T06:30:00.130-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 18, 2024)<p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kxAPVtjQeA/ViVdb6Mv58I/AAAAAAAAXkw/vYWR_neq--k/s1600/It%2527s%2BMonday%2521%2BWhat%2BAre%2BYou%2BReading.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kxAPVtjQeA/ViVdb6Mv58I/AAAAAAAAXkw/vYWR_neq--k/s1600/It%2527s%2BMonday%2521%2BWhat%2BAre%2BYou%2BReading.jpg" /></a>It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">The Book Date</a>.</p>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.<div><br /><div>Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at <a href="https://www.readingreality.net/category/stacking-the-shelves/" target="_blank">Reading Reality.</a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Other Than Reading...</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>This was another nice, quiet week filled with reading and listening. Some of the listening included Spring Training baseball with my Atlanta Braves. </div><div><br /></div><div>I spent most of Friday waiting for Baen Books to release the eARC for <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ribbon-Dance-26-Liaden-Universe%C2%AE/dp/1982193441/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HU8AE9MOT6U0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yBFZPbYHos0X7rdNY_20EDHEgSxdU_a4gUA5Bq4v_WLGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.UG-0YZdF0fsYXrpH7cDYG0PsivQFM_Wqeybt1pz-mzo&dib_tag=se&keywords=ribbon+dance+sharon+lee+steve+miller&qid=1710702889&sprefix=ribbon+dance+%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Ribbon Dance</a></b> by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. It wasn't released until Saturday morning. I bought it, downloaded it and then had to search for the correct cable to attach my Kindle to my computer and then figure out which file to drop it into on the Kindle. Once all that was done, I spent most of Saturday reading <b><i>Ribbon Dance</i></b>. Since it isn't actually being released until June 4, I'll reread it and write the review nearer to the publication date. But I couldn't wait and thoroughly enjoyed the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today's plans include cooking Corned Beef and Cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Actually, my brother is doing the cooking, but I found the recipe. After all, one of our great-grandparents was Irish. Of course, everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I made Irish Soda bread a couple of days ago to have with our dinner. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also made some potato soup this morning because I had leftover mashed potatoes I wanted to repurpose. It was a "clean out the fridge" recipe since it also let me use the last of the celery which was getting a little tired and limp and the last of a bag of carrots. It was tasty and there are leftovers. I love Google where you can search for "leftover mashed potato soup" and find a good recipe. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next week has a couple of medical appointments including my annual mammogram and my yearly wellness visit with my primary care doctor. While the weather will be cooler than last week, no measurable snow is in the forecast. I'll be able to drive myself to my appointments. </div><div><br /></div><div>My reading next week with give me a break from review books too. I'll be reading a couple of books that have been on TBR mountain since 2009 and also reading a couple of books in two of my on-going series. I'll try to fit in another In Death audiobook too. </div><div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Read Last Week</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEDl3y27VCChdIjUxOkZP5jiCoE5Oo39tdltCRJzWsnCF7UCPpjm_h1oBIeYddjonhbabizK-3wr5qEAM3TDCO7fx_tXbvuMm6BqXCdU305-H-WWR6VqoUV2PU0mAa7_7H1i8kjX0Y78NH9uKS4ivFwv4CF7XWGwpkmy6EP_csPuzWF4OA2N8sC3TdS3n/s767/Last%20Week%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="767" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEDl3y27VCChdIjUxOkZP5jiCoE5Oo39tdltCRJzWsnCF7UCPpjm_h1oBIeYddjonhbabizK-3wr5qEAM3TDCO7fx_tXbvuMm6BqXCdU305-H-WWR6VqoUV2PU0mAa7_7H1i8kjX0Y78NH9uKS4ivFwv4CF7XWGwpkmy6EP_csPuzWF4OA2N8sC3TdS3n/w400-h184/Last%20Week%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweetness-Bottom-Pie-Flavia-Novel-ebook/dp/B0027G6XDS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2EP1MYHXDTCFR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.99HLrIjML9i7zqmOxVqzDw8djR9u-Dt7b1SoHRwjsebgrMXd9ASUoeulZ-_fM9KIdtFrMzVoAhQEwcgKsBBoe0tuccml6N7A6wonRaUNLKUZhBn3mb8U5L5l5kbU3_-2yY0haOFOwxA8xAJItK1Izut3wo_EYEz9DdCGgpH8iO1GFsYnrMJ-ynoJTBwouhDHNGqG8-hcvTOB6ZUK-F5FMQ.yqcLR_B-oNYiSkG9augZjED51KWpIDHlMUaqb3gMwYU&dib_tag=se&keywords=sweetness+at+the+bottom+of+the+pie+series&qid=1710703228&s=books&sprefix=sweetness+at+the+bott%2Cstripbooks%2C146&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie</a></i></b> by Alan Bradley (Mine since 2/8/2024) -- First in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. My review will be posted on March 22,</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RM0JTN0?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703939&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Obsession in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Lattes-Novel-Fantasy-Stakes-ebook/dp/B0B3755RV9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6VTTLRAUSI2G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c7pkFBRF7r2gkUpj9yqzFmQdOSixH-mq5T5HDb58qfT34qrXJUrMW7zs0sObHzzufU2Ct2-B2xh_kNpHi4t7cQXpX52OpcSKgg4v428DlIO-s0RjTrwgTH4XrlcUnMgyxsFbrlvbp6Fnetxq1BuNHAQGu-SP6LKhRFq9tpqjcm2gPdGTk0ScrE-5QWmb14gmFzJkM4wZSOyGtwbTNBBPVj2Y4hb5Aa1vhL3VkDbHWFg.s7e8NlEZYaYkYF__jS_mkA1yrGSitjowOIegZx4qkZs&dib_tag=se&keywords=legends+and+lattes&qid=1710704100&s=digital-text&sprefix=lengends+%2Cdigital-text%2C166&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Legends & Lattes</a></i></b> by Travis Baldree (Mine since 11/24/2023) -- Sweet cozy fantasy. My review will be posted on March 30.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQB1Sb3ex-nivCT6E7CF0xCkNOA3NfvJjiS8dJcWbY7-EW6rDScE7FoxpILWp_2C5TZWNtihCYFUKaMS5eP4mFPoXyDFip56gilIlEVFe8MsDAqKkkQByhyH8X5s5S9OuY3a_dRvBzD6vJoew_ku9uz8hjXQ-1u9gDA_cVCk_Mxm53AsEw5tQ3GXpJGJe/s782/Last%20Week%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="782" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQB1Sb3ex-nivCT6E7CF0xCkNOA3NfvJjiS8dJcWbY7-EW6rDScE7FoxpILWp_2C5TZWNtihCYFUKaMS5eP4mFPoXyDFip56gilIlEVFe8MsDAqKkkQByhyH8X5s5S9OuY3a_dRvBzD6vJoew_ku9uz8hjXQ-1u9gDA_cVCk_Mxm53AsEw5tQ3GXpJGJe/w400-h183/Last%20Week%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Relative-Murder-Medlar-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B093DM7WWJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DUDQWFYEWPBH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Gm3aWcl1cowp1XKynNWL6CrbHqXgPiQqhmrAar15kWPFH-HGFo-pIu2nwA0F4f3VfYA-oepqzvllW6cuvTEfHbmeSrrzOiA7Nb9Z3JmONAU.rLBImLdpjlFZnx2oXhLISvbDhslXqBcZFD8wajzvvJ8&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+relative+murder+jude+deveraux&qid=1710704197&s=digital-text&sprefix=a+relative+murder%2Cdigital-text%2C164&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Relative Murder</a></i></b> by Jude Deveraux (Mine since 12/7/2022) --The fourth Medlar Mystery is filled with family secrets that are now revealed. My review will be posted on March 27.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01311IPT2?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703939&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Devoted in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019S99GCG?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703939&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Brotherhood in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxqETk11Z-C0056IPQPF5KWOMwG7vtKZ57gia6LwN7fDI3c4rTdAkbGwEqFJd2NPDBnADLwZRtfnpUA9v2deBuXx0JKaqbiH2BBgkln_FaNL3QP5DnEvthE_j0bYooLzSUywA_1TZ4vUI4onv6oPHjicjVmbo3_Q6NXRwqHmflI8-tWxAw2P3qwvtf9zS/s767/Last%20Week%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="767" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxqETk11Z-C0056IPQPF5KWOMwG7vtKZ57gia6LwN7fDI3c4rTdAkbGwEqFJd2NPDBnADLwZRtfnpUA9v2deBuXx0JKaqbiH2BBgkln_FaNL3QP5DnEvthE_j0bYooLzSUywA_1TZ4vUI4onv6oPHjicjVmbo3_Q6NXRwqHmflI8-tWxAw2P3qwvtf9zS/w400-h185/Last%20Week%203.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593550528/?coliid=I28WTHNT4324JK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Nosy Neighbors</a></i></b> by Freya Sampson (Review; April 2) -- Quiet mystery about two very different women who need to work together to save their apartment building from developers. My review will be posted on April 2.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982193441/?coliid=I3PKM6H4JM84BN&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Ribbon Dance</a></i></b> by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Review; June 4) -- Quick read of the newest Liaden Universe book. I'll read it again and write a review before its June 4 release.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250890608/?coliid=I1WKJD1UBKFL5&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Poison Pen</a></i></b> by Paige Shelton (Review; April 9) -- Ninth Scottish Bookshop Mystery mostly concerns a newly discovered crusader sword but also deals with a woman who might be the illegitimate daughter of Edward VIII. My review will be posted on April 3.</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Currently</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9baLK_NAqnwvbaeJ-jMKVqrZqcXejJacTIXkcPvt9uF3mpzHFl0cHanfxdqVKT2wDcrH6BEWxfKUqhHZ0w2vMtQxaxa8u-_g17dx0pQFWThmqYdaEZB2RuWKIn7hNgTsSL3VIkfttHXPPx95Z3ryB-oShyk1xjH3om-WJJAmZy6fbrZgZw7ihiZpg92f/s513/Currently.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="513" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9baLK_NAqnwvbaeJ-jMKVqrZqcXejJacTIXkcPvt9uF3mpzHFl0cHanfxdqVKT2wDcrH6BEWxfKUqhHZ0w2vMtQxaxa8u-_g17dx0pQFWThmqYdaEZB2RuWKIn7hNgTsSL3VIkfttHXPPx95Z3ryB-oShyk1xjH3om-WJJAmZy6fbrZgZw7ihiZpg92f/s320/Currently.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J8DCTFI?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703939&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Apprentice in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639107185/?coliid=I2Y4X0DDL059CP&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Death in the Details</a></i></b> by Katie Tietjen (Review; April 9)</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6BbDoQRPasaQDS2y8flYhWNn7mpwlU3nk8IAoQe66N-1XTl6TXo9PuEpShMM_4vwug03yP3L0l3T3vqiz2uIeftdQ87K_k_Vhbo2rXZ_XKv5BC-6_XjM3ApI9ttDDFrXnT8ZBqgz1efgCvvWjbwXDxSv1_6rRJ-CZcWXj6hSPcLPt_STK3FxsaYrFF7s/s765/Next%20Week%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="765" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6BbDoQRPasaQDS2y8flYhWNn7mpwlU3nk8IAoQe66N-1XTl6TXo9PuEpShMM_4vwug03yP3L0l3T3vqiz2uIeftdQ87K_k_Vhbo2rXZ_XKv5BC-6_XjM3ApI9ttDDFrXnT8ZBqgz1efgCvvWjbwXDxSv1_6rRJ-CZcWXj6hSPcLPt_STK3FxsaYrFF7s/w400-h186/Next%20Week%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ3ZXYGK/?coliid=I3VM0PTYHPZSYR&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=0&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Body at the Dance Hall</a></i></b> by Marty Wingate (Review; April 8)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Better-Part-Darkness-Kelly-Gay-ebook/dp/B002WKSNX2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3H9FC6I6YUD6I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8zBQ_YzPcD_FuKFKkYr_xJuSl_6gmqFGBgYoWzpOR3qxIQD2VLJJUrKAuoWrZsmaEhyPCUboyQHhAsz7_GwW7mlhFt9l4wZ-bBGI_TnR0DuAFuKzij6EL1BgQyKvZGKqAwRk2LKBKQR9QlJk5BHBbigX2-OWBFSlA0A8PI8BCYmscaLjilW_Cj8V88rViQj90ihxtzA8Y19WX-7ByfVc9zqqyq6NrPftWdekZ0-t8RU.5kmGZeD6w5iwgoMRPXhLUb4UaNPE5i8dDaAoAiyomcs&dib_tag=se&keywords=better+part+of+darkness&qid=1710703858&s=digital-text&sprefix=better+part+of+darkness%2Cdigital-text%2C167&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Better Part of Darkness</a></i></b> by Kelly Gay (Mine since 12/18/2009)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leader-Pack-Andy-Carpenter-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006TXN2WK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3O6N3E1UVSUKE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.885j6Ts7q-_G4GqWoE2OTfIo9jFdD_Jt2o9yGdhyF0Y.WENDQcsroReblj3HFMaHSneff9nQZtN3uE9-DE1JrJs&dib_tag=se&keywords=leader+of+the+pack+an+andy+carpenter+mystery&qid=1710703900&s=digital-text&sprefix=leader+of+teh+pack%2Cdigital-text%2C128&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Leader of the Pack</a></i></b> by David Rosenfelt (Mine since 11/2/2022)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVhUikbrLdt85iqJZH_BeoG0cWYNu9BgYNmcShlIFQpL4HtJVhGxmuMl7K-LFNGbM8W74qvIuTs1waotMqmHkF2TScXI-Wbd93P786BxSUtrd7GDq2gOo-qB4saB8q4OPiYdTUGTVhkkTVzfuY2PkHfg-fogAPcrtIo0WsdtyJ8PWCoXpO-8Sl61oLwtN/s756/Next%20Week%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="756" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVhUikbrLdt85iqJZH_BeoG0cWYNu9BgYNmcShlIFQpL4HtJVhGxmuMl7K-LFNGbM8W74qvIuTs1waotMqmHkF2TScXI-Wbd93P786BxSUtrd7GDq2gOo-qB4saB8q4OPiYdTUGTVhkkTVzfuY2PkHfg-fogAPcrtIo0WsdtyJ8PWCoXpO-8Sl61oLwtN/w400-h186/Next%20Week%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Well-Always-Parrots-Langslow-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B006KDTLX8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VVRTG7SZDZ00&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2QESpfAjCWzrip3DwJaFnqJ_Vm8yMv4CZtH2Rneqa5FlMVE5vI6IN6DI3PCOoBQ6XvLJNnSiUfTQWeIaAxUKkAQUq6BzjqQBQfRxH2RIKc3gl8dsKGfktCGG5O1mJ3x8yDcxSr22AVEfWY6BWQsxP6hdRJd090DrZXEDGOym5qWtS7P4s9cJl4-ePa6gkZ4RBNtN6XO-GwYSPmKstP-h6jjoKs9-SafqvFLUOGKjlY8.R_okqRxol34Z9IZcwxr3T4jPK6PdAXtHxzlU8CpLG_g&dib_tag=se&keywords=we%27ll+always+have+parrots&qid=1710703484&sprefix=we%27ll+always+have+parrots%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1" target="_blank">We'll Always Have Parrots</a></i></b> by Donna Andrews (Mine since 12/8/23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593198786/?coliid=IJBNDQ100NPX2&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Christa Comes Out of Her Shell</a></i></b> by Abbi Waxman (Review; April 16)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Days-Dead-Dreg-City-ebook/dp/B002VD6NRS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EY0OALY2NEFX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LFLBEHYuwtPx4Uoh1RDkhuDHObDZgaI-GznMYqC6ZdKTfkzf1b7OvD1H46zd5scJBUAVzFbzF_V6ncOKwvKD5Stsgv3XN0ikZYPLAbWd0FxlA04bxLhdqzGknifBt-geE3yZ7KSKOAn_R4lwGNAjGcCTps5u6Yq74AHXZo3VRAIXVXVfXN6Hmz5_qvKtyi6NZFGe6WETXYXXIo1EMuoJCfdsMB2lscDUfi4IZ7lDq0s.X4_2QEFe7wNG2wA_Jga3fyH6tX_UjFNcZjsM39Wouhs&dib_tag=se&keywords=three+days+to+dead&qid=1710703448&sprefix=three+days+to+dead%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Three Days to Dead</a></i></b> by Kelly Meding (Mine since 12/4/2009)</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews Posted<br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YCo_PF4AyL8xcnR6txzG8mRXTkko6LPrUgQeCcBTHHW4W2_LHRkcM9lmuWPKQu-7vw88dPNx_IcoGU76fFcjmgqvRLKPcKBQhIUESlhnBEpf2x2k4grSvfct3gSTE6yhikZLTqDcV2PpplCQafaFqijE9STDflM2lbdUMmuWpovt8xb1D9HYu730u8Fz/s772/Reviewed%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="772" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YCo_PF4AyL8xcnR6txzG8mRXTkko6LPrUgQeCcBTHHW4W2_LHRkcM9lmuWPKQu-7vw88dPNx_IcoGU76fFcjmgqvRLKPcKBQhIUESlhnBEpf2x2k4grSvfct3gSTE6yhikZLTqDcV2PpplCQafaFqijE9STDflM2lbdUMmuWpovt8xb1D9HYu730u8Fz/w400-h183/Reviewed%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/audiobook-review-bastion-by-mercedes.html" target="_blank">Bastion</a></i></b> by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/arc-review-peril-in-pink-by-sydney-leigh.html" target="_blank">Peril in Pink</a></i></b> by Sydney Leigh (Review copy)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/arc-review-love-remedy-by-elizabeth.html" target="_blank">The Love Remedy</a></i></b> by Elizabeth Everett (Review copy)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhso5axgzQF-nwDPTqdDpBUxZ33tjrbMeprKQ2oB6eALtXYyt8C_eBlMRrZqdAWuMlNZF5oyaySag9DMz4iuHobMNBUz69QjtpL7fbKXSUCV76LBryjQO1ZM8M_-z-dYwVdhiuLDBPor1y6qJH0VdrN762ByeSvqLaaSuhU9m6iLP_s3D-fqyLznjz0BdCr/s771/Reviewed%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="771" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhso5axgzQF-nwDPTqdDpBUxZ33tjrbMeprKQ2oB6eALtXYyt8C_eBlMRrZqdAWuMlNZF5oyaySag9DMz4iuHobMNBUz69QjtpL7fbKXSUCV76LBryjQO1ZM8M_-z-dYwVdhiuLDBPor1y6qJH0VdrN762ByeSvqLaaSuhU9m6iLP_s3D-fqyLznjz0BdCr/w400-h183/Reviewed%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/arc-review-midnight-puzzle-by-gigi.html" target="_blank">A Midnight Puzzle</a></i></b> by Gigi Pandian (Review Copy)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/arc-review-stars-turned-inside-out-by.html" target="_blank">The Stars Turned Inside Out</a></i></b> by Nova Jacobs (Review copy)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-medici-manuscript-by-c-j.html" target="_blank">The Medici Manuscript</a></i></b> by C. J. Archer (Mine)</li></ul></div><a href="https://www.readingreality.net/category/stacking-the-shelves/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?</span></b></a><br /><br /><b><u><span style="font-size: medium;">Review:</span></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXYkth7kTZ8JL33MlbrKas4jwgiRnXXttx1AR5QD1X4iD4vN7AtPxsRnKOi4J-QZBhAg-FSyYo5x6-fjlaNRjiv3OCSJLYDivoCnq2G2hympULyV7zoRvPx32jAxjJrlwCnPADqTV3iYNbnVN6OX0esdJjpA-_m9W5RC1XJrJYQRTqHLbZb4H3FjyN6c6/s498/New%20Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="498" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXYkth7kTZ8JL33MlbrKas4jwgiRnXXttx1AR5QD1X4iD4vN7AtPxsRnKOi4J-QZBhAg-FSyYo5x6-fjlaNRjiv3OCSJLYDivoCnq2G2hympULyV7zoRvPx32jAxjJrlwCnPADqTV3iYNbnVN6OX0esdJjpA-_m9W5RC1XJrJYQRTqHLbZb4H3FjyN6c6/s320/New%20Review.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593550013/?coliid=I2RG89ZXTM9H86&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Archangel's Lineage</a></i></b> by Nalini Singh (Review; April 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ribbon-Dance-26-Liaden-Universe%C2%AE/dp/1982193441/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HU8AE9MOT6U0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yBFZPbYHos0X7rdNY_20EDHEgSxdU_a4gUA5Bq4v_WLGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.UG-0YZdF0fsYXrpH7cDYG0PsivQFM_Wqeybt1pz-mzo&dib_tag=se&keywords=ribbon+dance+sharon+lee+steve+miller&qid=1710702889&sprefix=ribbon+dance+%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Ribbon Dance</a></i></b> by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Review, June 4)</li></ul></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Bought:</u></span></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HWqAxEk43Oj-x7ZnAHs2l0T4RJy7ae_Rz9b5RTV1Wt1tqvVwq4y-fqGkrAMxh305jXq11xurt2IlF7q-ql6WhtKfxLvY4BG7EcqQqLO2uI6pXiNRQxNZGR_lzX3hsC9Av6e569-727xU2TdUra7C3VV5fbSrYxM4ZXY6cmfxYcJtj18Fj-krx-FDJnqi/s766/New%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="766" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HWqAxEk43Oj-x7ZnAHs2l0T4RJy7ae_Rz9b5RTV1Wt1tqvVwq4y-fqGkrAMxh305jXq11xurt2IlF7q-ql6WhtKfxLvY4BG7EcqQqLO2uI6pXiNRQxNZGR_lzX3hsC9Av6e569-727xU2TdUra7C3VV5fbSrYxM4ZXY6cmfxYcJtj18Fj-krx-FDJnqi/w400-h185/New%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073DN12HK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Hot and Badgered</a></i></b> by Shelly Laurenston (BookBub, $1.99) - Reread</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9KSW9JN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o03?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Identity</a></i></b> by Nora Roberts (BookBub, $1.99) - Reread</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09751K332/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Kris Longknife Boot Recruit</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchETAFAcZRPjPp6e6ImrOb8s4gDUN2oqfkDo-joHN6k5cTmrkw9-Z0VhoMR-vmdD5orl4z5ac_LeRafLIseBCiSohQ4f3cAjkGvO9O_wkQq7eH42fgO8XDNr39txkxdN6vyYr3KbrZbTDb760vepzVVM1_eKCbMLKledY80Leko-uHcOJy83dRZ0n-zJK/s501/New%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="501" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchETAFAcZRPjPp6e6ImrOb8s4gDUN2oqfkDo-joHN6k5cTmrkw9-Z0VhoMR-vmdD5orl4z5ac_LeRafLIseBCiSohQ4f3cAjkGvO9O_wkQq7eH42fgO8XDNr39txkxdN6vyYr3KbrZbTDb760vepzVVM1_eKCbMLKledY80Leko-uHcOJy83dRZ0n-zJK/s320/New%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030DHPH0?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703228&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag</a></i></b> by Alan Bradley (Kindle)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004C43FTS?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_2&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703228&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Red Herring Without Mustard</a></i></b> by Alan Bradley (Kindle)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0HEIzfQZ_2hBisbx03fIjN_wziz5VzJ2MXyyycbWnme5k7yyhxgL5ZJvYP_xviKL8Rd8JTACOfQnoFYwrqV3z8qoB-se16Gw6GKwPoMsXeGdNW1RIxEQWVbczxgsVBZXsom8WZTq3rgX8-3ijFea8SvNJ4LYlKimTGhWmwlpf_Nwf_fB9Xw8aIJCXGSX/s502/New%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="502" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0HEIzfQZ_2hBisbx03fIjN_wziz5VzJ2MXyyycbWnme5k7yyhxgL5ZJvYP_xviKL8Rd8JTACOfQnoFYwrqV3z8qoB-se16Gw6GKwPoMsXeGdNW1RIxEQWVbczxgsVBZXsom8WZTq3rgX8-3ijFea8SvNJ4LYlKimTGhWmwlpf_Nwf_fB9Xw8aIJCXGSX/s320/New%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X6PSCW?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703228&sr=1-1" target="_blank">I Am Half-Sick of Shadows</a></i></b> by Alan Bradley (Kindle)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZPG8XK?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_4&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710703228&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Speaking from Among the Bones</a></i></b> by Alan Bradley (Kindle)</li></ul></div>What was your week like?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrdx1c_vUlY/WSjUGB6QZII/AAAAAAAAbQ8/H1g5--msRycdj6PVoyqppjuO5jID2HoJwCLcB/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrdx1c_vUlY/WSjUGB6QZII/AAAAAAAAbQ8/H1g5--msRycdj6PVoyqppjuO5jID2HoJwCLcB/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-58521865999912750432024-03-16T06:30:00.081-05:002024-03-16T06:30:00.132-05:00Book Review: The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81BMg3Y4-oL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81BMg3Y4-oL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>The Medici Manuscript</span><br />Author:</b> C. J. Archer<br /><b>Series:</b> The Glass Library (Book 2)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Self-Published (March 7, 2023)<br /><br /><b>Description: One book can change your life.</b><br /><br />Finding an old manuscript in the attic has always been a fantasy of Sylvia’s. She just never expected the fantasy to come true, or for it to lead her to answers about her mysterious family.<br /><br />The silver clasps binding the pages contain rare magic – the same magic that might run through Sylvia’s veins. To discover a link to her ancestors means understanding the book itself, but it’s written in a code that proves difficult to crack. The only thing she knows for certain is that it was once owned by the Medicis, the powerful family that controlled Renaissance Florence.<br /><br />With the help of Gabe and his friends, Sylvia investigates the book’s origins. But following the clues throws up more questions – questions they need help answering. Trusting others is not Sylvia’s strong suit, but with Gabe at her side, she becomes capable and confident. Until their trust is shattered when the book is stolen.<br /><br />Uncovering the thief proves dangerous, particularly when someone is also trying to kidnap Gabe. With his own mysteries to unravel, Gabe’s private life becomes more complicated. Sylvia tries to keep her distance but staying away from someone as magnetic as Gabe is impossible.<br /><br />With so many distractions, can they find the thief before the book is lost forever? Or will the secrets contained within its pages remain unsolved and will Sylvia’s past continue to be a mystery?<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>The second book in The Glass Library fantasy series centers around the discovery of a book in code that might unlock some secrets about Sylvia's past. Sylvia came to London after the deaths of her brother and mother to try to find out about her heritage. Her mother kept the three of them moving from place to place all through her life and didn't share any information with her children about her own past. Her brother began to believe that they were the descendants of a silver magician. Sylvia wants to find out if this is true.<div><br /></div><div>As a result of the influence of new friend Gabriel Glass, Sylvia is now working at a job she loves in the Glass Library which is a repository of books about magic. When a new book is discovered in the library's attic, Sylvia and her new friends try to find out the book's history and try to decipher its contents which are written in an unknown code. </div><div><br /></div><div>This story is set in 1920 and does deal with a lot of the issues returning soldiers had. Shell shock and a sense of hedonism were just some of things soldiers brought home with them. And for women who had entered the workplace while the men were away, there is a sense of displacement as they lose their jobs and purposes when the men return. One of the characters mentions that he hadn't been sober since his demobilization, for example. Add in magic which has recently been rediscovered and which only a small percent of the population has, and this story becomes historical fantasy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gabriel is also in the process of ending his three-year engagement to the daughter of a magical family. He knows he made a mistake and isn't the man he was when he became engaged. However, his fiance Ivy isn't going to go quietly. Gabriel, the only son of a noble magical house, is quite a catch even though he believes that he has no magic himself. </div><div><br /></div><div>When the book is stolen, Gabriel and Sylvia and their friends follow all sorts of clues and explore various parts of London before they manage to recover it. And an assortment of bright friends of Gabriel do manage a translation of what turns out to be medieval/early Renaissance gossip. Translating the book is sort of anticlimax since the key seems to be Sylvia discovering that she does have some sort of magic if not the silver magic her brother thought the family had. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is the second book of a five-book series. It really doesn't stand alone well and needs to be read along with the other books in the series. I am eager to continue the series to find out what sort of magic Sylvia has and whether her budding relationship with Gabriel grows.<br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b></div><div></div><blockquote><div>He laughed softly. "Is it just me, or are there more eccentric people now than before the war?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"I've noticed it too. It's as if people were hiding their true selves, but can no longer keep up the pretense. Or they simply don't want to. I like it this way. I like seeing people as they truly are."</div></blockquote><div></div><div>I bought this one. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Medici-Manuscript-Glass-Library-Book-ebook/dp/B0B57ZCD8C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33OMZB8DDXI8T&keywords=the+medici+manuscript+by+cj+archer&qid=1707589795&sprefix=the+medici+manu%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-32344838533703307202024-03-15T06:30:00.032-05:002024-03-15T06:30:00.129-05:00Friday Memes: The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer<p> Happy Friday!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQnVttuyZNP1WaaaC_ZDKstzzmkM0ZtoE364y1j67T8vYBIsWyYnfdLGhgAyUnSc-IuLjLC93V9LsWH40NdUMl6Te2CAy_xKbkoayvOHKKe-5itaKd0OuNCjTej8t6KYYQGjiPvWQ4FgsS7-Pxp-ZjARE9HuPK2y6l-XOsYry5QRLnwhgdo4F-3kqnfNi/s718/BB.Button.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="718" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQnVttuyZNP1WaaaC_ZDKstzzmkM0ZtoE364y1j67T8vYBIsWyYnfdLGhgAyUnSc-IuLjLC93V9LsWH40NdUMl6Te2CAy_xKbkoayvOHKKe-5itaKd0OuNCjTej8t6KYYQGjiPvWQ4FgsS7-Pxp-ZjARE9HuPK2y6l-XOsYry5QRLnwhgdo4F-3kqnfNi/s320/BB.Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Book Beginnings</b> is hosted by Gillion at <a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank">Rose City Reader</a>. 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. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-W9nULgq22FLkxuHmqDwbkBSatNfTrf6ceqtLnqa4W2pp5c92gV_whpoRtZ8waACHFJQAp9rYe1Fi8-pWErp14xVVkN4bja6VpKP7UWjcklhb-U1k3pIVFKPYqm0jnlourBmHqpl4wTpdulDPFEe7KuGhWiH1StxKjMlaxe-XLfb0avbupMvqJDvCWg3/s560/First%20Line%20Friday.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-W9nULgq22FLkxuHmqDwbkBSatNfTrf6ceqtLnqa4W2pp5c92gV_whpoRtZ8waACHFJQAp9rYe1Fi8-pWErp14xVVkN4bja6VpKP7UWjcklhb-U1k3pIVFKPYqm0jnlourBmHqpl4wTpdulDPFEe7KuGhWiH1StxKjMlaxe-XLfb0avbupMvqJDvCWg3/s320/First%20Line%20Friday.png" width="320" /></a></div><div>Carrie at <a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">Reading Is My Superpower.org</a> 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. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" target="_blank">Freda's Voice.</a> 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. <a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I think this link will get you to the correct place</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Beginning:</b></div><div><blockquote>"Moving pictures are the future," Daisy declared, "and I want to be in one."</blockquote></div><div><b>Friday 56:</b></div><div><blockquote>Whether he could or couldn't read them himself, I wanted to know more about Sir Andrew Sidwell. Not only could he be a direct link to the silver magician who's made the clasps, he was also a link to the book's contents.</blockquote></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81BMg3Y4-oL._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81BMg3Y4-oL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>This week I am spotlighting <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Medici-Manuscript-Glass-Library-Book-ebook/dp/B0B57ZCD8C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33OMZB8DDXI8T&keywords=the+medici+manuscript+by+cj+archer&qid=1707589795&sprefix=the+medici+manu%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Medici Manuscript</a></i></b> by C. J. Archer. This is the second book in the Glass Library five-book series. It had been on my Amazon wishlist since I read the first book last April. A double-point Kindle Rewards deal had me adding it to my stack.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the description from Amazon:</div><div><blockquote><b>One book can change your life.</b><br /><br />Finding an old manuscript in the attic has always been a fantasy of Sylvia’s. She just never expected the fantasy to come true, or for it to lead her to answers about her mysterious family.<br /><br />The silver clasps binding the pages contain rare magic – the same magic that might run through Sylvia’s veins. To discover a link to her ancestors means understanding the book itself, but it’s written in a code that proves difficult to crack. The only thing she knows for certain is that it was once owned by the Medicis, the powerful family that controlled Renaissance Florence.<br /><br />With the help of Gabe and his friends, Sylvia investigates the book’s origins. But following the clues throws up more questions – questions they need help answering. Trusting others is not Sylvia’s strong suit, but with Gabe at her side, she becomes capable and confident. Until their trust is shattered when the book is stolen.<br /><br />Uncovering the thief proves dangerous, particularly when someone is also trying to kidnap Gabe. With his own mysteries to unravel, Gabe’s private life becomes more complicated. Sylvia tries to keep her distance but staying away from someone as magnetic as Gabe is impossible.<br /><br />With so many distractions, can they find the thief before the book is lost forever? Or will the secrets contained within its pages remain unsolved and will Sylvia’s past continue to be a mystery?</blockquote><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcI2or5iRRlppYnQ-zJXIs5TwIrtKdpjUmtjX9EXmITg-iptiVesjF8k2Xv4P38kVtZivsFfO2ynpzH7OVPUkzkAN7XmBnLt2b0OzZ1V9zF88Ejz2-IedK4hUq8dyoEd1O3v-wYeRYl6Z-uQWAK4PU-Wo3CW6th54whM4Czgl32Y_hyphenhyphen6F_mc5CHClHlr_k/s102/New%20Kathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="102" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcI2or5iRRlppYnQ-zJXIs5TwIrtKdpjUmtjX9EXmITg-iptiVesjF8k2Xv4P38kVtZivsFfO2ynpzH7OVPUkzkAN7XmBnLt2b0OzZ1V9zF88Ejz2-IedK4hUq8dyoEd1O3v-wYeRYl6Z-uQWAK4PU-Wo3CW6th54whM4Czgl32Y_hyphenhyphen6F_mc5CHClHlr_k/s1600/New%20Kathy.png" width="102" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-90039491731742524612024-03-14T11:00:00.028-05:002024-03-14T11:00:00.239-05:00Audiobook Review: Bastion by Mercedes Lackey<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61P9whkwoIL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61P9whkwoIL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Bastion</span><br />Author:</b> Mercedes Lackey<br /><b>Narrator: </b>Nick Podehl<br /><b>Series:</b> Collegium Chronicles (Book 5)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Audible Studios (October 1, 2013)<br /><b>Length: </b>11 hours and 13 minutes<br /><br /><b>Description: </b>Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings--his included--about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid that coming back to his known haunt is going to give him less protection than if he went into hiding. Everyone decides that going elsewhere is the solution for now. So since he is going elsewhere--why not return to the place he was found in the first place and look for clues? And those who are closest to him, and might provide secondary targets, are going along.<br /><br />With Herald Jadrek, Herald Kylan (the Weaponsmaster's chosen successor), and his friends Bear, Lena, and Amily, they head for the Bastion, the hidden spot in the hills that had once been the headquarters of a powerful band of raiders that had held him and his parents prisoner. But what they find is not what anyone expected.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> BASTION ends the five-book story arc that tells Mags' story. From abused mine slave to Herald of Valdemar is quite a journey and it was fascinating watching him grow up and come into his own. Throughout the whole series we have watched Mags search for his history. In this episode we finally find out about his people.<div><br /></div><div>Mags has escaped from the people who kidnapped him, but he is afraid that he brought trouble back with him to the Collegium in Valdemar. He is very worried about Amily, the young woman he loves, and his friends becoming targets. He did gain a promise from his kidnappers to stop trying to assassinate the Crown that Mags is sworn to protect. </div><div><br /></div><div>So a plot is hatched. Mags will go out on circuit with a mentor as most young heralds do and along the way he will "die." His friends will also get out of town for various reasons of their own. They will meet up and hope to elude the assassins. They will be patrolling the north of Valdemar including the Bastion which used to be a bandit hide-out. The same bandits who killed his parents. Mags is hoping to find some clues about them. </div><div><br /></div><div>He and his mentor weren't expecting to find an area that was hostile to heralds and many problems to solve. Nor was he expecting to find the family that he had wondered about for years. His cousin Bey is a fascinating character who tries to convince Mags to come "home" with him and be part of the assassin's guild that Bey hopes to take over. </div><div><br /></div><div>This story had romance as Mags and Amily finally get together. It had danger as Mags and company had to fight off assassins who also wanted to take Mags home with them. It was a nice conclusion to a story arc.</div><br />I bought this one at Audible. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bastion-Mercedes-Lackey-audiobook/dp/B00FKJ9UKW/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here.</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-4708149802979680272024-03-14T06:30:00.083-05:002024-03-14T06:30:00.252-05:00ARC Review: A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/91ha72zglzL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/91ha72zglzL._SY466_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>A Midnight Puzzle</span><br />Author:</b> Gigi Pandian<br /><b>Series: </b>Secret Staircase Mysteries (Book 3)<br /><b>Publication: </b>Minotaur Books (March 19, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a brilliant homage to the greats of classic detective fiction.</b><br /><br />Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business―known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls―is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed.<br /><br />When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater―only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes.<br /><br />Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>The third book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries was another twisty puzzle of a mystery.<div><br /></div><div>Tempest Raj is enjoying her new career as a designer for her family's construction business. But all is not well with the business. A former client Julian Rhodes is suing the company for shoddy craftsmanship after his wife fell down the new staircase. Tempest and her family are sure that Rhodes attempted to murder his wife and damaged the staircase himself. But his fleet of lawyers may force the company to settle. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then Julian Rhodes is murdered and left hanging, sword in chest, from the venue where Tempest has been planning the finale to her career as a stage magician. A booby trap in the same place injures a paramedic who is ministering to Rhodes and also damages the hand of Tempest's mentor Nicodemus the Necromancer when the two go to check out the site. </div><div><br /></div><div>When Nicodemus's assistant Brodie is also found dead in a locked room mystery - found on the dust covered floor of a hidden stage at the theater - Tempest and her group of friends have another mystery to solve. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tempest has a long-ago mystery to solve which has great impact on her life. A supposed curse has claimed the oldest child in a magical accident back to the days of her great-grandparents. It cost her the life of her aunt in Scotland who suffered a tragic accident while performing a new trick at her magic show. And it cost the life of Tempest's mother who disappeared in the same theater where Tempest was planning her final show because her mother was going to reveal who killed her sister. </div><div><br /></div><div>It has always been Tempest's goal to find out who killed her aunt and her mother and this story lets her finally reach that goal and solve the two new murder too. </div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed the twisty plot and the magical tricks in this story. I love the setting and Tempest's new career. I like her close family and interesting assortment of friends. While this book resolves the mystery that Tempest has been working on through the first three books, it isn't the end of the series. Her next case walks in the door at the end of the book. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b></div><div></div><blockquote><div>"If she had rigged booby traps before she died and they only got triggered now for some reason, then how did she hang an axe from the ceiling with fishing wire without anyone seeing it for more than five years?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Sanjay shrugged. "Since when do people on the internet make any sense?"</div></blockquote><div>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250880203/?coliid=IAN2GVL9LYJO&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-52629488582480996222024-03-13T06:30:00.083-05:002024-03-13T06:30:00.135-05:00ARC Review: The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/71T3fCN2omL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/71T3fCN2omL._SY466_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>The Stars Turned Inside Out</span><br />Author:</b> Nova Jacobs<br /><b>Publication:</b> Atria Books (March 19, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: The discovery of a suspicious death at a famous Swiss physics laboratory sparks a mystery that merges science, philosophy, and the high-stakes race to unlock the fundamental nature of our universe in this thrilling new novel from the Edgar Award–nominated author of the “hugely entertaining” (<i>The Wall Street Journal</i>) <i>The Last Equation of Isaac Severy</i>.</b><br /><br />Deep beneath the ground outside of Geneva, where CERN’s Large Hadron Collider smashes subatomic particles at breathtaking speeds, a startling discovery is made when the tunnel is down for maintenance: the body of Howard Anderby, a brilliant and recently arrived young physicist, who appears to have been irradiated by the collider. But security shows no evidence of him entering the tunnel, and for all of the lab’s funding, its video surveillance is sorely lacking.<br /><br />Eager to keep the death under wraps until more is known, CERN brings in private investigator Sabine Leroux, who has her own ties to the lab’s administration—and more than a passing interest in particle physics. Meanwhile, Howard’s colleague and budding love interest Eve, shattered by his death, determines to reconcile what she knew of Howard with his gruesome fate, wondering if she could have done something to stop it.<br /><br />As Sabine digs into petty academic rivalries and personal secrets, an escalating international physics arms race heightens tensions and fuels speculation of a mole at the lab—throwing into question loyalties and revealing what sort of knowledge may be worth killing for.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> The first thing I have to say about this story is that it contains a lot of Physics -- really, really a lot. I know nothing about Physics having managed to dodge the subject in high school, college, and graduate school. The story is also a mystery which is a genre I read and enjoy.<div><br /></div><div>When the body of a young, brilliant physicist is found in the tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the director calls in her college friend Sabine Leroux, a private investigator, to determine not only how Howard Anderby died but how he found himself in the tunnel in the first place. Sabine studied Physics in college but decided that police work and later private investigation were the career for her. She sees much similarity between her job and the jobs of scientists. Fearing for CERN's funding, the director would greatly prefer not to have to call in the police.<br /><br />As Sabine investigates, she finds herself dealing with all sorts of academic rivalries and secrets as she tries to learn about the life of a man who was very good at keeping his own secrets. Luckily for us readers, the story is also told in part by Eve who is another physicist at CERN. Eve also had a relationship with Howard and has more insight into his mind than anyone at the lab. The story also includes a large number of flashbacks detailing Eve and Howard's growing relationship and Howard's relationship with some of the others at CERN. </div><div><br /></div><div>But when a second physicist is murdered and his body shows on a live stream of a tank built to capture dark matter, it is impossible to keep the police away from CERN. The second death also shifts the investigation to missing data from the lab and the scientific rivalries between the EU, China and Russia. Spies and moles and traitors to CERN are revealed in the conclusion of this mystery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once I allowed myself to skim lightly over the physics and the philosophy, I enjoyed this story. The characters were what kept me reading when the science went too far over my head. I recommend this one especially to science nerds, but mystery lovers will enjoy it too. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Favorite Quote:</b></div><div><blockquote>One night, Mary Shelley looked out on a view not unlike this one and conceived a terrible monster named Dr. Frankenstein. Because, of course, the real monster of that story was not a revivified corpse but a scientist stripped of all humanity. Sometimes Sabine wondered that if Shelley was to be credited with the invention of science fiction, might she be equally to blame for the insidious stereotype of the heartless scientist?</blockquote>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668018543/?coliid=I2AF6SKAQ25HC7&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-54408628119589532522024-03-12T11:00:00.094-05:002024-03-12T11:00:00.235-05:00ARC Review: The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/91OxqbtcSRL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/91OxqbtcSRL._SY466_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>The Love Remedy</span><br />Author:</b> Elizabeth Everett<br /><b>Series: </b>The Damsels of Discovery (Book 1)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Berkley (March 19, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: When a Victorian apothecary hires a stoic private investigator to protect her business, they learn there’s only one way to treat true love—with a happily ever after.</b><br /><br />When Lucinda Peterson’s recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she’s certain it’s only the latest in a line of misfortunes at the hands of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. She just didn’t expect her champion to be so . . . grumpy?<br /><br />A single father and an agent at Tierney & Co., Thorne accepts missions for a wide variety of employers—from the British government to wronged wives. None have intrigued him so much as the spirited Miss Peterson. As the two work side by side to unmask her scientific saboteur, Lucy slips ever so sweetly under Thorne’s battered armor, tempting him to abandon old promises.<br /><br />With no shortage of suspects—from a hostile political group to an erstwhile suitor—Thorne’s investigation becomes a threat to all that Lucy holds dear. As the truth unravels around them the cure to their problems is clear: they must face the future together.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>This story takes place in the same world as Everett's The Secret Scientists of London and stars Lucinda Peterson who is an apothecary and Jon Thorne who is a former prize fighter turned private investigator. <div><br /></div><div>Lucinda is outraged that her recipe for a cough lozenge was stolen by the man she was dating and turned into big money for him. When her formula for a croup remedy goes missing, she naturally suspects the ex. She hires Jon Thorne to find her missing formula and find out if it was the ex who stole it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thorne takes the case, but he has no intention of falling for Lucinda. He's sworn off beautiful women and many other things including alcohol, music, and dancing in his quest to make a good life for his illegitimate daughter Sadie. Since his relationship with Sadie's mother - a beautiful member of the demimondaine- failed, Thorne has tried to create a safe though constrained world for himself and his daughter. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lucy has been burned in the romance department too. Her suitor dropped her and declared her unmarriageable after they had a physical relationship. Then he stole her formula for cough lozenges. However, sparks fly as the investigation continues causing Thorne to question his old promises. There is a lot to investigate here beyond the former suitor. A growing political organization which targets women who work outside the home has set its sights on Lucy's pharmacy and the free clinic where her sister works caring for poor women. Lucy's own brother is keeping secrets which causes Thorne to suspect him for a while. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was almost more a social commentary than a historical romance. Lucy's belief in women's rights to control their own reproductive rights conflicts with Thorne's Victorian beliefs that women - good women - should let their husbands or fathers manage their lives and sex outside of marriage makes a woman unwomanly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fans of Everett's other books will enjoy this return to the setting of her earlier books. Fans of romances with a bit of kinky sex will also enjoy it. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b></div><div></div><blockquote><div>"I'm an apothecary, not a master criminal," she said. </div><div><br /></div><div>"True," he said, shaking his head. "You are not even a mediocre criminal."</div><div><br /></div><div>Stupid to feel offended, but Lucy bristled none the less. </div></blockquote><div>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593550463/?coliid=I2BNJJQ6OHYLJM&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-8806621143480204142024-03-12T06:30:00.063-05:002024-03-12T06:30:00.238-05:00ARC Review: Peril In Pink by Sydney Leigh<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61yKqnD30kL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61yKqnD30kL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>Peril in Pink</span><br />Author: </b>Sydney Leigh<br /><b>Series: </b>Hudson Valley B&Bs Mystery (Book 1)<br /><b>Publication: </b>Crooked Lane Books (March 19, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning.<br /><br /><i>Schitt’s Creek</i> meets <i>Only Murders in the Building</i> in this sparkling debut mystery.</b><br /><br />It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.<br /><br />After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder.<br /><br />With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled.<br /><br />My Thoughts: Jess Byrne has moved from California back to her hometown in New York to open a B&B with her best friend Kat. The opening is set and totally instagram worthy. She has even convinced her ex-boyfriend and rising music star Lars Armstrong to perform. Unfortunately, he is accompanied by his stepfather/manager Bob who is an object of hatred in the town. <div><br /></div><div>When Bob is found murdered, it looks like The Pearl's grand opening is going to be a failure. In order to save her business and save her ex from being arrested for the murder, Jess will have to become a sleuth. She has a large number of suspects since many of the guests at the opening had reasons to want Bob dead. </div><div><br /></div><div>Things get even worse when a second murder occurs and Lars is found standing over the body,</div><div><br /></div><div>This was an entertaining start to a new cozy mystery series. Jess is an engaging character and is surrounded by a cast of interesting people from her retired high school principal mother to her Deadhead Aunt and her bartender brother and new wife yoga guru. There is even a potential love interest in the police detective assigned to the case.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fans of cozies will enjoy this one. <br /><br />Favorite Quote:<div><blockquote>He snorted. "The Momfia strikes again, huh? Impressive." The Momfia was the nickname we'd given my mom and her circle of friends, who seemed capable of accomplishing anything they put their minds to, from convincing a professor to expand his class for a few needy students to barring the building of a well-known hotel chain in our charming little town."</blockquote>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639106391/?coliid=I1BAYEL5QC9I9G&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-51047714795522265392024-03-11T06:30:00.243-05:002024-03-11T06:30:00.131-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 11, 2024)<p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kxAPVtjQeA/ViVdb6Mv58I/AAAAAAAAXkw/vYWR_neq--k/s1600/It%2527s%2BMonday%2521%2BWhat%2BAre%2BYou%2BReading.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kxAPVtjQeA/ViVdb6Mv58I/AAAAAAAAXkw/vYWR_neq--k/s1600/It%2527s%2BMonday%2521%2BWhat%2BAre%2BYou%2BReading.jpg" /></a>It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">The Book Date</a>.</p>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.<div><br /><div>Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at <a href="https://www.readingreality.net/category/stacking-the-shelves/" target="_blank">Reading Reality.</a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Other Than Reading...</span></b><br /><br />I had a quiet week filled with reading and watching/listening to my Atlanta Braves Spring Training games. I'm also current on watching <i>The Voice</i>. The weather has been pleasant with lots of sunny days and no snow in the forecast.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've almost finished the Kris Longknife space opera series. I have the newest still to add to my collection. Chronologically, it would actually be the first in the series since it goes back to Kris joining the Navy and tells how that happened. There are also tons of related series set in the same world which I want to read someday but have so many series that I'm currently reading that I'm holding off on them.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent some time this week setting up my April calendar and choosing what I want to read. I chose a number of Kindle books that I've had since 2009 since I have 140 unread books in that collection. I also slotted in the next books in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt and the Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews as I'm slowly trying to read all of the books in those series. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>I added more non-review books to TBR mountain this week than I did all of last month. I have already read one of them. Five others are rereads as they are Kindle or audiobook copies of books I've already read and wanted for "keepers."</div></div><div><br /></div><div>This coming week includes an appointment to have my taxes done. Otherwise, the week is mine to use as I wish.</div><div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Read Last Week</span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MARU9uZdFWw2SESEZwPXvngXRdi3lUXCulWeiS_e1Z3lbZQ7SL-6GpYUxvUqTxp-fNUOoGcti9H_CIzEcbCAHJEw1T17i1IVWVt2j6jg5fWquYy_5tz4m2OdbVcM6uJqbDoyNJVBnvZ2qCF0xo2AQPy4fo_c7JGORdgXfUT4wNN2ZzPjhthKmIkIIf-0/s767/Last%20Week%201.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="767" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MARU9uZdFWw2SESEZwPXvngXRdi3lUXCulWeiS_e1Z3lbZQ7SL-6GpYUxvUqTxp-fNUOoGcti9H_CIzEcbCAHJEw1T17i1IVWVt2j6jg5fWquYy_5tz4m2OdbVcM6uJqbDoyNJVBnvZ2qCF0xo2AQPy4fo_c7JGORdgXfUT4wNN2ZzPjhthKmIkIIf-0/w400-h188/Last%20Week%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250860121/?coliid=I1F54XXR2WJ8PK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Rhythm and Clues</a></i></b> by Olivia Blacke (Review; March 26) -- The third Juni Jessup mystery has Juni trying to figure out who killed the predatory investor who was pressuring Juni and her sisters to let him invest in their business. My review will be posted on March 19.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EKOCB0E?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710090805&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Thankless in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593474015/?coliid=ITOIM32JC449U&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">How to Solve Your Own Murder</a></i></b> by Kristen Perrin (Review; March 26) -- Interesting mystery told partly through the victim's own journals. My review will be posted on March 20.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XDcouul1S7qUqGJjE6B0UXXsi9xPjz89W7DlMsmFVI9ynC_5tgWlawflKOV1IiKwpqCmCIxcKyYrLD9HT1tw6JP3Ou61RqpIvKD1aGVlKeH0rCi4yzn2PJ0En0I3mJMZiJhcUyqv84f_pQMAGM1bvQCaN_B5M0fRS6dBLE7OkLqP-QNVXHQCc79CiYC7/s512/Last%20Week%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="512" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XDcouul1S7qUqGJjE6B0UXXsi9xPjz89W7DlMsmFVI9ynC_5tgWlawflKOV1IiKwpqCmCIxcKyYrLD9HT1tw6JP3Ou61RqpIvKD1aGVlKeH0rCi4yzn2PJ0En0I3mJMZiJhcUyqv84f_pQMAGM1bvQCaN_B5M0fRS6dBLE7OkLqP-QNVXHQCc79CiYC7/s320/Last%20Week%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HX22FTC?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710090805&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Concealed in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250863856/?coliid=IPN27K1JCI4HP&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Off the Air</a></i></b> by Christina Estes (Review; March 26) -- Series debut stars an ambitious TV reporter in Phoenix who is competing with other journalists to discover who murdered controversial radio host Larry Lemmon. My review will be posted on March 21.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NCKpHE3QOlWXZwaof4o75jbI8CHXRRFLE73ap_-1ar25xzwBDuFzG_OET2l_REju2whCbx6B708gU1fk8du5MEeFuuV2Myf-utDRFQbxum7OnUOR3mR-YSMj1YQ9sCBF9lVbKWMSDb2YI5QRKuzzH_ir9GVlIm9v36wklfDQ0JVg6wAt3e0dqbbbNyAr/s801/Last%20Week%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="801" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NCKpHE3QOlWXZwaof4o75jbI8CHXRRFLE73ap_-1ar25xzwBDuFzG_OET2l_REju2whCbx6B708gU1fk8du5MEeFuuV2Myf-utDRFQbxum7OnUOR3mR-YSMj1YQ9sCBF9lVbKWMSDb2YI5QRKuzzH_ir9GVlIm9v36wklfDQ0JVg6wAt3e0dqbbbNyAr/w400-h179/Last%20Week%203.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Minor-Nero-Wolfe-Mystery/dp/B086WPNPH2/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DnMmq-P2I0L_CTFck4J9dZB8OgycQFX_qz1ZMlL8cGdctB2_kxoF-CeTM3kC004bS4nQBN35JYvUMrPpTyNt9T0iuKnO686-FqU4vykW_pF88DDD6c90fd4XijKAYMqaHTeuOpR4SCBkC6tN55l_Slqh6K1jhRbJPto950oGcDpqaTX4520lV-Hu-vHsjrxyn6buTz9UkzpI4oZspHdG-w.xhcYFzuDaj9_4sF0kdJ3X5h2PQW028k0PUdhH_zADa4&qid=1710090960&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Murder in E Minor</a></i></b> by Robert Goldsborough (Audible Plus) -- New adventures begin for Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin when a damsel in distress begs them to help her uncle, an old friend of Nero's. My review will be posted on March 21.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R69PSND?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_17&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710091005&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Kris Longknife: Indomitable</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Mine since 10/13/22) -- Kris is called back home to report to the Emperor and finds herself in the middle of a plot to overthrow him. My review will be posted on March 26.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MNNI77A?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1710090805&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Festive in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMakDg65qX-2SKpE5znvcnQawwE-HrWGUxzwVYJXr3b8g5XinM8Rqe6QJkdpGeEwvwSP_WIopR6sgLlaDi7KXVQz3OfyoQ-y_f2jJ78pBYT6i-kYnrip_z_-TwK6RqXQZxWlytgb_UV4xEYhmdCFTHrZiPLrRR9320xReP_LDmSrrj1faSWFVCSwIbkG0/s508/Last%20Week%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="508" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMakDg65qX-2SKpE5znvcnQawwE-HrWGUxzwVYJXr3b8g5XinM8Rqe6QJkdpGeEwvwSP_WIopR6sgLlaDi7KXVQz3OfyoQ-y_f2jJ78pBYT6i-kYnrip_z_-TwK6RqXQZxWlytgb_UV4xEYhmdCFTHrZiPLrRR9320xReP_LDmSrrj1faSWFVCSwIbkG0/s320/Last%20Week%204.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kris-Longknife-Stalwart-Mike-Shepherd-ebook/dp/B07ZTV8RXN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W1IAGJ03BEXB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JYhGpoeh-37jitwjAy3OzEc7jWb9855roPmh6XumFl7Q4DE-ovHMkBe8qi0mj49g23M1NRITZTvTdJYXKred1_YWEXYtGpKFuUJpc8cIk6eq9o2aWMK_iknMNRUfH3LNmOAHygGDzM3cSWNb4_GF_sv6ZzmmMq9LdHvyXiylYL3X0Txbpoq5Oil0pI1fYVUg4NelpPSndAA2dmcF_LTOQQzbt646Y_IcHv7_uwHAdvM.I28M9lUpGzo-Bb_7pFjVgi_dzr91IoMlzmNouXpsFWs&dib_tag=se&keywords=kris+longknife&qid=1710091005&s=books&sprefix=kris+longknife%2Cstripbooks%2C116&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Kris Longknife: Stalwart</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Mine since 10/13/22) -- Space opera. Kris is off fighting Iteeche rebels and doing her own brand of social engineering on the Iteeche Empire. My review will be posted on March 28.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085WDHDB5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Longknifes Defend the Legation</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Newly mine) -- While Kris is away it is up to her great-grandparents Gramma and Grampa Trouble and her children almost-8 Ruth and 6-year-old Johnny to defend the humans and their allies on the Iteeche capital planet. Ruth, Johnny and 28 of their human and Iteeche friends are kidnapped, but Ruth isn't going to quietly wait for rescue. My review will be posted April 11.</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Currently</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillh11t22cWdzNLXloLLt8aW2x4mpvq_swoByuk-7xqCCBsQuEnya7WexRJ1Cktsg6zUE8fUqFHXD3rsXfsC_owQo-PmT9X12EY0MX9WeHBUqD7-B9W_NspTSmn_eDwZqAMgu_zRJZBEZ3W294zDS_R5i5FA06HPxYWiVV9FvzvIJ6_CpIWb0iGhVIEYGq/s512/Currently.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="512" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillh11t22cWdzNLXloLLt8aW2x4mpvq_swoByuk-7xqCCBsQuEnya7WexRJ1Cktsg6zUE8fUqFHXD3rsXfsC_owQo-PmT9X12EY0MX9WeHBUqD7-B9W_NspTSmn_eDwZqAMgu_zRJZBEZ3W294zDS_R5i5FA06HPxYWiVV9FvzvIJ6_CpIWb0iGhVIEYGq/s320/Currently.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweetness-Bottom-Pie-Flavia-Novel-ebook/dp/B0027G6XDS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IWT3Y45K86MT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.99HLrIjML9i7zqmOxVqzD5GPnV9EhUYHjlbTOVZJ_XiL1q1YIFl3yUWWWmtUmuZe0p9Oz6B4UTw54HXEJ9KCHDwCNnDeaPCmVChuebz6b6jJV1n3JA7TTyIGp_XepMYIhPuOJPh8BXmiTXI9TP2dENw_TKBh_QHEdLwfJMfIr8ARs5BjLHnciM9N6gpUjnle02dvTv6UIgYVKcmONcRb47aiet0za-G1bMT0Ts6B458._-KoV7FWZ7qF7K3L6ua4GexEqahLbdmP9LEb2-DtR1I&dib_tag=se&keywords=sweetness+at+the+bottom+of+the+pie&qid=1710090773&sprefix=sweetness+at+t%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Sweetness at the Bottom</a></i></b> of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Mine since 11/29/2017)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Obsession-Death-J-D-Robb-ebook/dp/B00L9AXVPQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XGN62TQ0R3OD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zbB7dv5cVMdzaxz2kV9cJdT3pwAEIh08GeMdFjkQn6oZIXrm6RgrH46h-meE9ZrjR2etJCdPWsbF6KjK2-XnUarvAV7wDJHdqeFNX9lqwUiZQw-WDVvXwi5uJO_bzQMnUWqCa177DgnC40BcIkmkOJzy-ES3dOBjv8I1h1F6Rafrjpq2KAOTj8diZv_f12G-Bl3QKKXrOJqAi5afSzFyPA.V5-CJahgBL752uyYtmhtjkIMfsCjrccySM_twPzDoVc&dib_tag=se&keywords=obsession+in+death+jd+robb&qid=1710090805&sprefix=obsession+in+%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Obsession in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread) -- In Death #40</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGm57FcPp9v8kCqYSe2uAQ3EUtU3Z5dn0DefE7M8HQCbt4HoYiEjDSrEOfa3CMIavfb-D1uU6rEHsSRN5-56fG5ASnoVhA-xe6Uf7Zhi4gd5zwjKWvT8AgkSHzqVPV3lPGSq8BAmci0anlYdKsPxXzXz4RhxbXfhBvjtz6cnB_38l9Wldi-4NAig0WUxp/s772/Next%20Week%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="772" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGm57FcPp9v8kCqYSe2uAQ3EUtU3Z5dn0DefE7M8HQCbt4HoYiEjDSrEOfa3CMIavfb-D1uU6rEHsSRN5-56fG5ASnoVhA-xe6Uf7Zhi4gd5zwjKWvT8AgkSHzqVPV3lPGSq8BAmci0anlYdKsPxXzXz4RhxbXfhBvjtz6cnB_38l9Wldi-4NAig0WUxp/w400-h188/Next%20Week%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Lattes-Novel-Fantasy-Stakes-ebook/dp/B0B3755RV9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GABTYNZOGVJ0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.V-xijbVrL_f2c3cpp9F30kfqiRT62BhhyUMhiO22WcjL74gg8JbOkJh2FFngyfZTNVGfaTrhGRMqV6AQzRcfGD4fpMNfHozYrASEJLodGUXpABmVls064oLlvs2USK4pYEmhB5JPBdzLU7-vqne1IRy4TDipkI1zzAP6rk5ZRrtbqo6z2GyyvEa9QAXtJVbOYdjVsSVpRtpYi1U0_ZKwdnwKpbiSrW82VsMZUAjo_w4.pTgtOMGjX4XuR6ccw5cdNKHGK18hXqCpEDZyDKP-Cds&dib_tag=se&keywords=legends+and+lattes&qid=1710090697&sprefix=legends+and+%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Legends & Lattes</a></i></b> by Travis Baldree (mine)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Relative-Murder-Medlar-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B093DM7WWJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1U0YQC8RGCU63&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Gm3aWcl1cowp1XKynNWL6CrbHqXgPiQqhmrAar15kWMj6yT8THSIFsn_f2v2swwrOxYPVxCtdk0ErbxtZ-JUVE1MBGHDckVemIfY3TOIQyDRR7OKbL7vm0Y5pzYn31HU.lVnYsRgEkGnuUfbvkg6a3GwwVHoOEcVKF2Gr5AupvEg&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+relative+murder+jude+deveraux&qid=1710090730&sprefix=a+relative+murder%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Relative Murder</a></i></b> by Jude Deveraux (Mine since 12/7/22)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593550528/?coliid=I28WTHNT4324JK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Nosy Neighbors</a></i></b> by Freya Sampson (Review; April 2)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Wu4hA7U6ZIZO3p3_-5bK65gARpr5uhakBytc-JYyoBbkUx3L4B5z-SM_8gUfYqqHNG649EMF8lX4g_t1L7FNuAkJpSeeA90inBDmvH-BNrhEiEbGZXtJQ0EA-5Ogq1ehVqVRB7ESiq6PghpeP9M148RTQ7YtbqcleZSesMo5REP4Ow2Zv8g-6Mr22HBg/s771/Next%20Week%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="771" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Wu4hA7U6ZIZO3p3_-5bK65gARpr5uhakBytc-JYyoBbkUx3L4B5z-SM_8gUfYqqHNG649EMF8lX4g_t1L7FNuAkJpSeeA90inBDmvH-BNrhEiEbGZXtJQ0EA-5Ogq1ehVqVRB7ESiq6PghpeP9M148RTQ7YtbqcleZSesMo5REP4Ow2Zv8g-6Mr22HBg/w400-h186/Next%20Week%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250890608/?coliid=I1WKJD1UBKFL5&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Poison Pen</a></i></b> by Paige Shelton (Review; April 9)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639107185/?coliid=I2Y4X0DDL059CP&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Death in the Details</a></i></b> by Katie Tietjen (Review; April 9)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ3ZXYGK/?coliid=I3VM0PTYHPZSYR&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=0&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Body at the Dance Hall</a></i></b> by Marty Wingate (Review; April 8)</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews Posted</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPO3IKamaIbp4F8wzHCyOauGzD31ADdHpZerHET5CBINO0sZU94uV6vJmTOXQNJ0IDJY6ayXMtOUL9DSZ-nAy_fBRPzxwGRlmNe6yVsJm4TEU_j2a5qmE7A6izgmp0nxWC16rpb0zJihIkJ4LyRV0pVHA9Al2Hcde_ck_EorIQB9OMM0rUhVYB9KQhW1K/s771/Reviewed%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="771" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPO3IKamaIbp4F8wzHCyOauGzD31ADdHpZerHET5CBINO0sZU94uV6vJmTOXQNJ0IDJY6ayXMtOUL9DSZ-nAy_fBRPzxwGRlmNe6yVsJm4TEU_j2a5qmE7A6izgmp0nxWC16rpb0zJihIkJ4LyRV0pVHA9Al2Hcde_ck_EorIQB9OMM0rUhVYB9KQhW1K/w400-h185/Reviewed%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/audiobook-review-redoubt-by-mercedes.html" target="_blank">Redoubt</a></i></b> by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook Reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/audiobook-review-blue-sword-by-robin.html" target="_blank">The Blue Sword</a></i></b> by Robin McKinley (Audiobook Reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/arc-review-black-wolf-by-juan-gomez.html" target="_blank">Black Wolf</a></i></b> by Juan Gomez-Jurado (Review copy)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOcPs5UIQjrPFePtoqi2H1FM8O9tFeO4oW3VFyuabd8eo1sngmktWTNxhFsm20gwAnniyW8xXXtPrP7Wj2hssid1jNFMhqAEHPj2dR3T3zUUWrVi1CNNM73Z5t6CNoF7dz9lp5WOFuk9IvKflm1V6Sb0R55t6c21LLZfSLPr69u_ocF_dsW_B-XkSli5s/s771/Reviewed%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="771" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOcPs5UIQjrPFePtoqi2H1FM8O9tFeO4oW3VFyuabd8eo1sngmktWTNxhFsm20gwAnniyW8xXXtPrP7Wj2hssid1jNFMhqAEHPj2dR3T3zUUWrVi1CNNM73Z5t6CNoF7dz9lp5WOFuk9IvKflm1V6Sb0R55t6c21LLZfSLPr69u_ocF_dsW_B-XkSli5s/w400-h185/Reviewed%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/audiobook-review-forgotten-murder-by.html" target="_blank">A Forgotten Murder</a></i></b> by Jude Deveraux (mine)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/arc-review-grave-robbery-by-deanna.html" target="_blank">A Grave Robbery</a></i></b> by Deanna Raybourn (review copy)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-taken-ones-by-jess-lourey.html" target="_blank">The Taken Ones</a></i></b> by Jess Lourey (Mine)</li></ul></div><a href="https://www.readingreality.net/category/stacking-the-shelves/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?</span></b></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Review:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">None</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bought:</span></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL3gUue5mFvTUhbVWTg7zJRrGWxxmz0rXOgJMlMP9GZfNAgpZ1wUFBvQikeIz_Lp9Rfh9_NgtJNRto4ZTAfUC5hyaZie84shOUtQm0I8u_D7Z6Jb3kPUxoJMAr0e_pmrY2xcGLcCNTnxwz1CYDORkbojNVzriaOmjOOzzTuRXUIlbg3-atAkXewROaY1-/s775/New%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="775" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL3gUue5mFvTUhbVWTg7zJRrGWxxmz0rXOgJMlMP9GZfNAgpZ1wUFBvQikeIz_Lp9Rfh9_NgtJNRto4ZTAfUC5hyaZie84shOUtQm0I8u_D7Z6Jb3kPUxoJMAr0e_pmrY2xcGLcCNTnxwz1CYDORkbojNVzriaOmjOOzzTuRXUIlbg3-atAkXewROaY1-/w400-h184/New%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FH9S2W9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o06?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Lady Has a Past</a></i></b> by Amanda Quick (Kindle, $1.99) -- Keeper copy of a book I reviewed</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CN1QQ9Z9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_129_o05aud_?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Lantern's Dance</a></i></b> by Laurie R. King (Audiobook Add-on, $7.49) --Audiobook of a book I reviewed</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQGJRBFV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o06?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Inheritance</a></i></b> by Nora Roberts (Kindle, $7.99) -- Keeper copy of a book I reviewed</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPk5lscoqyi6xEP8deiCAxw-YqoZT2WtbLIbj7PD2gNnKfi4OVFm1LRcSJfhO8rYDYNspdSqZ06NXAImOWdfQ3zbhB8ZOWsWpaQN0EQpSD3wb7MR4X88GmM9b66mjaVZUtYxXjYwpMW6FDe72Q41fgjtu-BqtGiuhLqlA5XE87wsRjlp9wyxpI_e0GRBI/s778/New%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="778" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPk5lscoqyi6xEP8deiCAxw-YqoZT2WtbLIbj7PD2gNnKfi4OVFm1LRcSJfhO8rYDYNspdSqZ06NXAImOWdfQ3zbhB8ZOWsWpaQN0EQpSD3wb7MR4X88GmM9b66mjaVZUtYxXjYwpMW6FDe72Q41fgjtu-BqtGiuhLqlA5XE87wsRjlp9wyxpI_e0GRBI/w400-h184/New%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CD3CV73K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o02?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Dead Letter Delivery</a></i></b> by C. J. Archer (Kindle. $5.99) - next in a series I'm reading</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CGVQ63T1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Interstellar Medic: The Long Run</a></i></b> by Patrick Chiles (Kindle, $8.99) -- New author and series</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SI028SG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o04?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Gulf of Time and Stars</a></i></b> by Julie Czernada (BookBub, $.99) -- new book by an author I've read before</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkT-hwystqN3Fc4ThunarPbJiH0xU5VHP4csjxxXf3wdZlbE5sPxYmtvy5RvqvHh1NbqWgu7ksxyQo-s9ynIH201Vn5z-5w4v4ALop4E3kUUqTzDzfyFPGirj7qyF8jjxET30zgb2TOBX8LmFo2gouV_ZHUI8quwfaaHAdRELpyYSpuSGquCK20Vh20Nw/s766/New%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="766" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkT-hwystqN3Fc4ThunarPbJiH0xU5VHP4csjxxXf3wdZlbE5sPxYmtvy5RvqvHh1NbqWgu7ksxyQo-s9ynIH201Vn5z-5w4v4ALop4E3kUUqTzDzfyFPGirj7qyF8jjxET30zgb2TOBX8LmFo2gouV_ZHUI8quwfaaHAdRELpyYSpuSGquCK20Vh20Nw/w400-h185/New%203.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UYUTMC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o04?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Unforgivable</a></i></b> by Laura Griffin (BookBub, $1.99)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015DROA0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o04?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Laughter of Dead Kings</a></i></b> by Elizabeth Peters (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99) - Kindle copy of print book on my shelves</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085WDHDB5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Longknifes Defend the Legation</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Kindle, $3.99) - completes a series</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yCUozne6m1QRQhKFq1_O98KsSJ3k5xr5H_sAbXF9LPqN0JYXmhnnbPRlCl0uJNPRh_twWkqtFxbB-FXzGFygP1oSIuuwMfHq_m-IHN7ulcZEhED_HXyFwCJ4frjO7azS4LwUjKE7A06VSfsy6WObuNrDoYhgg80spsBCgBDSeBXcZKf2MaOc5zUUzpLt/s513/New%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="513" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yCUozne6m1QRQhKFq1_O98KsSJ3k5xr5H_sAbXF9LPqN0JYXmhnnbPRlCl0uJNPRh_twWkqtFxbB-FXzGFygP1oSIuuwMfHq_m-IHN7ulcZEhED_HXyFwCJ4frjO7azS4LwUjKE7A06VSfsy6WObuNrDoYhgg80spsBCgBDSeBXcZKf2MaOc5zUUzpLt/s320/New%204.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ER6G0E2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o02?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Heartstone</a></i></b> by Elle Katharine White (Kindle copy of a print book on my shelf; Kindle Daily Deal, $2.99)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Elle-Katharine-White-audiobook/dp/B07BYWP7T3/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Heartstone</a></i></b> by Elle Katharine White (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)</li></ul></div>What was your week like?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrdx1c_vUlY/WSjUGB6QZII/AAAAAAAAbQ8/H1g5--msRycdj6PVoyqppjuO5jID2HoJwCLcB/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrdx1c_vUlY/WSjUGB6QZII/AAAAAAAAbQ8/H1g5--msRycdj6PVoyqppjuO5jID2HoJwCLcB/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-19102733997097422902024-03-09T06:30:00.117-06:002024-03-09T06:30:00.248-06:00Book Review: The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91BPRYpLxbL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91BPRYpLxbL._SY466_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>The Taken Ones</span><br />Author:</b> Jess Lourey<br /><b>Series:</b> Steinbeck and Reed (Book 1)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Thomas & Mercer (September 19, 2023)<br /><br /><b>Description: Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes lie decades of secrets yet to be unearthed in a pulse-pounding novel by the Edgar Award–nominated author of <i>Unspeakable Things</i>.</b><br /><br />Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation.<br /><br />Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide―a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. They’re both desperate to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share.<br /><br />As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood―and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> Cold Case detective Van Reed of the BCA finds danger and begins to come to terms with her own very troubled past when she is assigned to look into the case of two young girls who go missing in Leech Lake, Minnesota, on a sunny summer day in 1980. <div><br /></div><div>The case gets more complicated when the body of a woman buried alive is found in a secluded part of Minneapolis in the summer of 2022 and she proves to be one of the girls not seen since 1980. Van, who was a former member of the Minneapolis Police Department before joining the BCA, is forced to work with a detective who was instrumental in freezing her out of the MPD. He also has a connection to the Leech Lake case which he isn't eager to share.</div><div><br /></div><div>Van works with forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck who is her polar opposite. He is meticulous in his methods and personal appearance; she's prone to hunches and lives surrounded by garbage. However, the two play off each other well and have some hidden similarities which come out in the story.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Van investigates those witnesses who are still alive and retraces the crime, she suffers flashbacks of her own childhood when she was raised in a cult run by an obsessive patriarch. She only got out when the cult's leader was arrested and jailed for tax evasion. Van began having prophetic visions while still in the cult. They have sometimes helped her with her police work, but they have also led her to vigilantism where she has killed people she wasn't able to bring to justice through the legal system.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was an interesting mystery with intriguing characters including a very creepy villain. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I liked seeing a new relationship beginning for Van and Harry. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b></div><div></div><blockquote><div>I jerked my head to the side, sending sleep-ratted hair into my face, trying to erase the image of the terrified infant. At least it hadn't been as bad as the nightmare it had displaced, I'd give it that. Of course, like Bart used to say, that was like winning the tallest leprechaun award.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Better bad is still bad, kid.</i></div></blockquote><div>I bought this one. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taken-Ones-Novel-Steinbeck-Reed/dp/1662507615/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WCNHYL9R78SR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eXbNaNgbqb_zwZHZD-VWuSDn68PCcUExH1oAzZFG4XqHW7jkme_Deym1KMmUnb_-mAhTgFpkvfs_W3RNim7tQWfLFOb4xC-lz7Z1YgtcosKn9VlpYd0jkRCPtWsIVA2mJ1ZVxVTK8DsdcIGgglWTc8doQnnBseCvSMR19m9IifbbrK--vD5vG2ixDrSUhq1u-mWUaAfyR48CF4Q4F9I9PeYQ6HfhDQSm3a-Io07Xw_8.K8CL5GjlTtbtaNOkz48lXhhFow2Jumk9cKTlxt_gPjI&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+taken+ones+jess+lourey&qid=1709093956&sprefix=the+taken+ones%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-22647808827713564422024-03-08T06:30:00.047-06:002024-03-08T06:30:00.282-06:00Friday Memes: The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey<p> Happy Friday!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQnVttuyZNP1WaaaC_ZDKstzzmkM0ZtoE364y1j67T8vYBIsWyYnfdLGhgAyUnSc-IuLjLC93V9LsWH40NdUMl6Te2CAy_xKbkoayvOHKKe-5itaKd0OuNCjTej8t6KYYQGjiPvWQ4FgsS7-Pxp-ZjARE9HuPK2y6l-XOsYry5QRLnwhgdo4F-3kqnfNi/s718/BB.Button.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="718" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQnVttuyZNP1WaaaC_ZDKstzzmkM0ZtoE364y1j67T8vYBIsWyYnfdLGhgAyUnSc-IuLjLC93V9LsWH40NdUMl6Te2CAy_xKbkoayvOHKKe-5itaKd0OuNCjTej8t6KYYQGjiPvWQ4FgsS7-Pxp-ZjARE9HuPK2y6l-XOsYry5QRLnwhgdo4F-3kqnfNi/s320/BB.Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Book Beginnings</b> is hosted by Gillion at <a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank">Rose City Reader</a>. 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. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-W9nULgq22FLkxuHmqDwbkBSatNfTrf6ceqtLnqa4W2pp5c92gV_whpoRtZ8waACHFJQAp9rYe1Fi8-pWErp14xVVkN4bja6VpKP7UWjcklhb-U1k3pIVFKPYqm0jnlourBmHqpl4wTpdulDPFEe7KuGhWiH1StxKjMlaxe-XLfb0avbupMvqJDvCWg3/s560/First%20Line%20Friday.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-W9nULgq22FLkxuHmqDwbkBSatNfTrf6ceqtLnqa4W2pp5c92gV_whpoRtZ8waACHFJQAp9rYe1Fi8-pWErp14xVVkN4bja6VpKP7UWjcklhb-U1k3pIVFKPYqm0jnlourBmHqpl4wTpdulDPFEe7KuGhWiH1StxKjMlaxe-XLfb0avbupMvqJDvCWg3/s320/First%20Line%20Friday.png" width="320" /></a></div><div>Carrie at <a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">Reading Is My Superpower.org</a> 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. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" target="_blank">Freda's Voice.</a> 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. <a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I think this link will get you to the correct place</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Beginning:</b></div><div><b><i></i></b></div><blockquote><div><b><i>July 1980</i></b></div><div><b><i>Leech Lake, Minnesota</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The sun smiled violently overhead, causing the tar beneath Rue's blue-striped Adidas to glisten and pulse. </div></blockquote><div></div><div><b>Friday 56:</b></div><div><blockquote>Rue Larsen sat in her car studying her bungalow. Like most houses in her pocket of southeast Nokomis, hers was a single-story box, a style popular in the 1950s.</blockquote></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91BPRYpLxbL._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91BPRYpLxbL._SY466_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>This week I am spotlighting <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taken-Ones-Novel-Steinbeck-Reed/dp/1662507615/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WCNHYL9R78SR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eXbNaNgbqb_zwZHZD-VWuSDn68PCcUExH1oAzZFG4XqHW7jkme_Deym1KMmUnb_-mAhTgFpkvfs_W3RNim7tQWfLFOb4xC-lz7Z1YgtcosKn9VlpYd0jkRCPtWsIVA2mJ1ZVxVTK8DsdcIGgglWTc8doQnnBseCvSMR19m9IifbbrK--vD5vG2ixDrSUhq1u-mWUaAfyR48CF4Q4F9I9PeYQ6HfhDQSm3a-Io07Xw_8.K8CL5GjlTtbtaNOkz48lXhhFow2Jumk9cKTlxt_gPjI&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+taken+ones+jess+lourey&qid=1709093956&sprefix=the+taken+ones%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Taken Ones</a></i></b> by Jess Lourey. This thriller was on sale for $2.49 which was the first draw. The bigger draw was that it is set in my home state of Minnesota. I also just added the sequel to my review stack and thought I should read this one sooner rather than later. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the description from Amazon:</div><div><blockquote><b>Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes lie decades of secrets yet to be unearthed in a pulse-pounding novel by the Edgar Award–nominated author of <i>Unspeakable Things</i>.</b><br /><br />Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation.<br /><br />Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide―a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. They’re both desperate to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share.<br /><br />As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood―and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return.</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcI2or5iRRlppYnQ-zJXIs5TwIrtKdpjUmtjX9EXmITg-iptiVesjF8k2Xv4P38kVtZivsFfO2ynpzH7OVPUkzkAN7XmBnLt2b0OzZ1V9zF88Ejz2-IedK4hUq8dyoEd1O3v-wYeRYl6Z-uQWAK4PU-Wo3CW6th54whM4Czgl32Y_hyphenhyphen6F_mc5CHClHlr_k/s102/New%20Kathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="102" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcI2or5iRRlppYnQ-zJXIs5TwIrtKdpjUmtjX9EXmITg-iptiVesjF8k2Xv4P38kVtZivsFfO2ynpzH7OVPUkzkAN7XmBnLt2b0OzZ1V9zF88Ejz2-IedK4hUq8dyoEd1O3v-wYeRYl6Z-uQWAK4PU-Wo3CW6th54whM4Czgl32Y_hyphenhyphen6F_mc5CHClHlr_k/s1600/New%20Kathy.png" width="102" /></a></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-15222475914115321602024-03-07T11:00:00.035-06:002024-03-07T11:00:00.137-06:00Audiobook Review: Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61HX8uOeg5L.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61HX8uOeg5L.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Redoubt</span><br />Author: </b>Mercedes Lackey<br /><b>Narrator: </b>Nick Podehl<br /><b>Series: </b>Collegium Chronicles (Book 4)<br /><b>Publication: </b>Audible Studios (June 3, 2013)<br /><b>Length: </b>10 hours and 44 minutes<br /><br /><b>Description: </b>Life at the Heralds' Collegium in Haven has definitely improved for Mags. He's even become something of a hero since risking his own life to rescue Amily--daughter of Nikolas, the King's Own Herald--from Karsite kidnappers. But Mags still doesn't know who his parents were, and Bear, Mags' Trainee friend, was not one to let him forget: <i>"You gotta deal with your past Mags, you have to. If you don't, it'll just keep coming back to haunt you, and one day it'll do something to you that you can't get out of."</i><br /><br />Mags began his special training as Nikolas' undercover partner and future spy for the crown. Disguised, they work at night in one of the seedier parts of Haven, where Nikolas had set up a false identity as a pawnbroker and fence. Mags poses as his deaf-mute nephew, covertly watching and listening from behind the desk. He was especially good at the trait that had kept him alive as a child laborer in the gem mine--ferreting out hidden motives.<br /><br />Now Mags has graduated to a new role: Nikolas' partner and information broker. Mags channels his old cunning self from the mines and discovers that he's quite good at his new job. So good, in fact, that Nikolas decides to let him open the shop alone one hot, summer night. Mags has barely unlocked the shop when everything goes black in a blinding flash of pain.<br /><br />He wakes with an agonizing headache, bound, blindfolded, in a conveyance of some kind. But worst of all, he's head-blind. No Mindspeech--he can't even sense Dallen. And if he can't sense or hear Dallen, then no one can sense him. And if no one can sense him, no one can come to his rescue.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>This fourth book of the Collegium Chronicles starts out as one sort of book and then turns into something else. When the story begins, Mags and the rest of Haven are preparing for the wedding of Crown Prince Sedric and his bride Lydia. So the story begins with a romance that turns other characters' thoughts to romance too. Mags questions the consequences of his feelings for his mentor's daughter Amily and Bear and Lena run off to get married which solves some major problems for both of them that were begun in earlier books in this series. It was a good story about growing up and forming adult relationships. But there was more...<div><br /></div><div>We also get to see Mags playing his beloved game of Kirball and learning in every situation not excluding watching rope walkers entertain at the wedding. Mags is constantly observing everything which is a large part of why he is being trained by the King's Own to be a spy. But the one thing that he is willing to overlook is the mystery of his own beginnings. He has done some research and learned that his parents where well-dressed foreigners who died when he was two or three. He has come to a dead end in his search to learn more.</div><div><br /></div><div>It looks like they mystery is coming to him when he is kidnapped, drugged and dragged into Karse by the same assassins who have been attempting to kill or kidnap other Valdemarans and who have attempted to kidnap him before. </div><div><br /></div><div>The sections of the story where he is experiencing drugged hallucinations about the terrible time he spent as a small child in the mines were very moving. (As was the description of his life there that he was finally able to share with his mentor Nikolas and a Healer.) Gradually, he gains control of his mind and manages to escape his captors in a raging thunderstorm. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then we have a survival story of a young man who isn't trained in wilderness survival and has few assets but who has a strong will and desire to survive and return home. After being attacked by demons, Mags is rescued by a hermit Karsite priest and his suncat. He learns that life isn't good for anyone is Karse because of the abuse of the black robed priests who control the demons. He is recaptured, drugged again by the assassins, and gets some information about his past that he will still need to sort out since it came as a series of drug-induced visions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Beginning with romance and ending with heart-pounding danger, REDOUBT moves the story of Mags along. I look forward to more volumes so that more of the mysteries will be solved.</div><br />I bought this one from Audible. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Redoubt-Mercedes-Lackey-audiobook/dp/B00D1YRA4Q/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-90713083961480523702024-03-07T06:30:00.090-06:002024-03-07T06:30:00.131-06:00ARC Review: A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/91Wg7zlPMCL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/91Wg7zlPMCL._SY466_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>A Grave Robbery</span><br />Author:</b> Deanna Raybourn<br /><b>Series:</b> Veronica Speedwell (Book 9)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Berkley (March 12, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: Veronica and Stoker discover that not all fairy tales have happy endings, and some end in murder, in this latest historical mystery from <i>New York Times</i> bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.</b><br /><br />Lord Rosemorran has purchased a wax figure of a beautiful reclining woman and asks Stoker to incorporate a clockwork mechanism to give the Rosemorran Collection its own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud’s. But when Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open to insert the mechanism, he makes a gruesome discovery: this is no wax figure. The mannequin is the beautifully preserved body of a young woman who was once very much alive. But who would do such a dreadful thing, and why?<br /><br />Sleuthing out the answer to this question sets Veronica and Stoker on their wildest adventure yet. From the underground laboratories of scientists experimenting with electricity to resurrect the dead in the vein of Frankenstein to the traveling show where Stoker once toured as an attraction, the gaslit atmosphere of London in October is the perfect setting for this investigation into the unknown. Through it all, the intrepid pair is always one step behind the latest villain—a man who has killed once and will stop at nothing to recover the body of the woman he loved. Will they unmask him in time to save his next victim? Or will they become the latest figures to be immortalized in his collection of horrors?<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> In this ninth historical mystery starring Veronica Speedwell and Revelstoke Templeton-Baine the mystery comes to them in the form of a waxwork - an Anatomical Venus - purchased by Lord Rosemorran for his young daughter Lady Rose who wants Stoker to turn her into a clockwork waxwork.<div><br /></div><div>Both Veronica and Stoker are fascinated by the waxwork, but secrets of a sinister nature are uncovered when Stoker opens to chest to make room for the device which it make it look like she's breathing. They find a perfectly preserved human body instead of a waxwork. Determined to find out who she was and who managed to preserve her in a way unknown to them. Stoker and Veronica begin a quest through the scientific underground of London.</div><div><br /></div><div>Assisted by their friends journalist J. J. Butterworth and Metropolitan police officer Mornaday who have assisted on others of their investigations, they discover a shady undertaker's parlor and scientists who let their quest to bring the dead back to life overwhelm their lives. <br /><br />This was another exciting adventure for the crime-solving duo which, naturally, puts Veronica in danger from a particularly nasty villain. I love the Victorian setting. Veronica's modern and unfiltered opinions often put the more conservative Stoker to the blush which is particularly amusing since his visage is that of a pirate. </div><div><br /></div><div>I like that the author builds her plot around real things. Underground railroads to carry coffins and mourners to the cemetery and Anatomical Venuses really existed. And the Victorian interest in galvanism and other experiments with electricity was also real. </div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, this is a very engaging series especially as it is told from Veronica's journals which give us insight into her mind and her opinions. </div><div><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div><blockquote>No matter what he wore, he resembled a privateer who might have graced the court of Gloriana herself. It was a sight to thrill the heart of any susceptible maiden -- and a good many other of her parts as well. </blockquote>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593545958/?coliid=I2ZGOOS4P5EOX&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-17555201352082781222024-03-06T06:30:00.089-06:002024-03-06T06:30:00.127-06:00Audiobook Review: A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81QrR69h4jL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81QrR69h4jL._SY466_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>A Forgotten Murder</span><br />Author:</b> Jude Deveraux<div><b>Narrator:</b> Susan Bennett<br /><b>Series: </b>A Medlar Mystery (Book 3)<br /><b>Publication: </b>MIRA; Original edition (March 10, 2020)</div><div><b>Length:</b> 11 hours and 40 minutes<br /><br /><b>Description: </b>An English manor home, an unsolved mystery, too many suspects to count… It’s the perfect holiday for romance novelist Sara Medlar.<br /><br />Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery so Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them.<br /><br />When everyone assembles, Sara explains. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since—and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event.<br /><br />In reenacting the events of that night, Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>The third book in the Medlar Mysteries sees retired romance novelist Sara Medlar, her niece real estate agent Kate Medlar, and her adopted grandson contractor Jack traveling to England to visit an estate with a mystery. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sara knows the owner of Oxley Manor as she was instrumental in funding the restoration of the manor in its new incarnation as a boutique hotel. Sara has become curious about the disappearance of two young people from there in 1994 and wants to see if she can solve the mystery. To do so, she has invited those who were there at the time of the event to come to stay at the hotel during its closed month. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also at the estate for the investigation are Bella who is the new owner, Mrs. Aiken who is the long-time cook, and Puck who was a young teen at the time of the disappearances and who now makes and sells herbal wreaths. </div><div><br /></div><div>Back in 1994, Oxley Manor was the weekend hangout of the pack - students from Cambridge - hosted by Nicky who was the heir to the estate. The pack included Nicky's best mate Byon, his next estate neighbor Nadine, Diana a chauffeur's daughter, Willa an outsider who funded much of the pack's fun, and Cliff who was the poor relation working as the estate manager. Peripheral to the pack was Sean Thorpe who was the stable manager in charge of Nicky's father's racing stable. </div><div><br /></div><div>When Sean and Diana disappear on the same night, the pack breaks up. Sara is bringing them together to try to uncover the secrets of that disappearance. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since we learn, when Puck stumbles on Sean's bones in an old abandoned well in a fenced off nature preserve, that Sean never left the estate, the three - Sara, Kate, and Jack - know part of the mystery that the others gathered to discuss it do not. </div><div><br /></div><div>The story is told partially in flashbacks to 1994 which let the reader know more about the conflicts of that time. It was interesting to see how the pack members had changed since that time. </div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed this mystery. The narration was well done and good at distinguishing the characters from one another. <br /><br />I bought this one. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R5WJB19/ref=mes-dp?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=DniHh&content-id=amzn1.sym.07f68587-1ea8-46cf-8c0c-8374d8d96b4a&pf_rd_p=07f68587-1ea8-46cf-8c0c-8374d8d96b4a&pf_rd_r=R35EHXPTECT6AXNBJHDM&pd_rd_wg=qNp8t&pd_rd_r=4712d79e-f2c0-4476-91e5-6e6bea068dc1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-84178154637253214492024-03-05T11:00:00.038-06:002024-03-05T11:00:00.136-06:00Audiobook Review: The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/51LT3VZyaVL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/51LT3VZyaVL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Blue Sword</span><br />Author:</b> Robin McKinley<br /><b>Narrator:</b> Diane Warren<br /><b>Series:</b> Damar (Book 2)<br /><b>Publication: </b>Recorded Books (January 11, 2013)<br /><b>Length:</b> 12 hours and 15 minutes<br /><br /><b>Description: Read this modern classic of young adult fantasy from award-winning, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Robin McKinley</b><br /><br />Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Free Hillfolk. When Corlath, the Hillfolk King, sees her for the first time, he is shaken—for he can tell that she is something more than she appears to be. He will soon realize what Harry has never guessed: She is to become Harimad-sol, King’s Rider, and carry the Blue Sword, Gonturan, which no woman has wielded since the legendary Lady Aerin, generations past.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> This epic fantasy/romance won a Newbery Honor in 1982. It tells the story of orphaned Harry Crew who is sent to live with her brother in a Homelander colony named Damar. Her brother is stationed at the far end of the colony near the land the Free Hillfolk still contol. <div><br /></div><div>Harry lives with the head of the Homelander delegation and his wife and tries to make a new life for herself. Unlike most who have come to the far reaches of Damar, Harry falls in love with the bleak desert and enjoys being there.</div><div><br /></div><div>But there are problems. The Northerners are threatening an invasion though the Homelanders don't believe that they are much threat. King Corlath of the Free Hillfolk come to see the head of the Homelanders to ask for alliance against the Northerners and is rather rudely dismissed. </div><div><br /></div><div>But he gets a look at Harry and his magic demands that he kidnap her. Harry is thus taken into the culture of the Hillfolk and taught to be one of the King's Riders. Harry fits right in. Learning a new language, learning to ride the Hill horses, and learning to fight with a sword come easy to her - as if she had known those skills all before. </div><div><br /></div><div>Harry's path seems to echo that of an earlier lady hero - Lady Aerin - who is something of a legend to Cortlath's people. Harry also manifests the Hill magic that is gradually leaving the Hillfolk which gives her visions of the future and visions of Lady Aerin. </div><div><br /></div><div>As they prepare for battle against the Northerners, Harry comes to believe that Corlath is overlooking a potential point for the coming invasion. When she can't convince him, she sneaks out to return the the Homelander outpost to try to recruit help to secure this mountain pass. She's accompanied by two Hillfolk companions but recruit some other help along the way including a Homelander Colonel who is also in love with Damar. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was an excellent fantasy story. It is also a romance since Harry and Corlath fall in love over the course of her captivity. <br /><br />I bought this one from Audible June 27, 2022. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Sword-Robin-McKinley-audiobook/dp/B00B01DE9M/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EcmnwW3JtTqc50ddoF4XMVJgVTZPWr1ayVTljHqDhk8Qoat9Ij-RrOqD6dWzqdTyKfAeQ9FX7PJ8ldbQ-uorMg.MqGGArW5VpxJ8_HH9CahxN3KmNMVYoJQAhESoqXxWX0&qid=1703694844&sr=8-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-67524760136742875482024-03-05T06:30:00.072-06:002024-03-05T06:30:00.137-06:00ARC Review: Black Wolf by Juan Gomez-Jurado<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81X+ahs0IZL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81X+ahs0IZL._SY466_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Black Wolf</span><br />Author:</b> Juan Gomez-Jurado<br /><b>Series:</b> Antonia Scott (Book 2)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Minotaur Books (March 12, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: International bestselling sensation Antonia Scott, along with Jon Gutierrez, return in the much anticipated sequel to <i>Red Queen</i>.</b><br /><br />Antonia Scott has an unusually gifted mind, able to see what others miss, able to solve the crimes that baffle all others. The only thing she fears is herself.<br /><br />Antonia is the lynchpin of the Red Queen project, created to work behind the scenes to solve the most devious and dangerous crimes. But she is unwilling to move past the last case, convinced it’s related to a personal tragedy, until a series of deadly events pulls her back in. In southern Spain, in the Costa del Sol, a key mafia figure is found brutally murdered in his villa, his pregnant wife, Lola Moreno, barely escapes an attempt to kill her in a shopping mall and is on the run. A shipping container from St. Petersburg arrives in port in Spain containing the corpses of nine woman, all who suffocated. Now Antonia, with the help of her helper and protector, Jon Gutierrez, must track down this missing Lola. But they aren’t the only ones on Lola’s trail – a dangerous contract killer, known as the Black Wolf, is also on her trail. And Antonia Scott, still plagued by her personal demons, must outwit, out-maneuver, and, ultimately, face this terrible, mysterious rival.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>The second Antonia Scott adventure sees Antonia and Jon looking for the missing wife of a murdered mafia figure who was found dead in his villa. The story is told from the viewpoint of Lola Moreno too who is trying to escape from assassins and who is both diabetic and pregnant.<div><br /></div><div>Antonia is still obsessing about events in her last case. She's the only one who believes in the mysterious Mr. White who was the master villain who orchestrated her last case. Mentor, who assigns her cases, wants her to move on. But moving on isn't what Antonia does. She is still visiting her brain dead husband and feeling guilty that she survived when he has not. As the product of a secret experiment designed to produce genius investigators, Antonia is often lost in her own head. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jon Gutierrez is the Basque Police Inspector who has been assigned to be Antonia's keeper. Much of the story is told from his point of view. He's an interesting character who among other things is gay and lonely and not fat and who is a man loyal to Antonia and to the law. </div><div><br /></div><div>The story has a fast-paced plot as Antonia and Jon try to track down Lola. They aren't the only ones who want her. She is also being searched for by Orlov and his men since she disappeared with huge amounts of the mafia don's money. And there is a mysterious assassin, whose viewpoint we also see, who wants to find her too. </div><div><br /></div><div>The writing style, with the many shifts of viewpoint, keeps the reader busy trying to weave together all the various threads of the story. I enjoyed it and the cliffhanger ending makes me really want to get my hands on Jon and Antonia's next adventure. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div><blockquote>Someone like Antonia, who lives inside the prison of her brain, perceives much more clearly than other mortals an incontrovertible truth. That the limits of your language are the limits of your world. This is something every avid reader understands intuitively, even if they don't express it in those terms. and it's why they can never read enough. </blockquote>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250853699/?coliid=IU30YXOCP1NFV&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-7573860516832791362024-03-04T06:30:00.239-06:002024-03-04T09:45:04.896-06:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 4, 2024)<p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kxAPVtjQeA/ViVdb6Mv58I/AAAAAAAAXkw/vYWR_neq--k/s1600/It%2527s%2BMonday%2521%2BWhat%2BAre%2BYou%2BReading.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kxAPVtjQeA/ViVdb6Mv58I/AAAAAAAAXkw/vYWR_neq--k/s1600/It%2527s%2BMonday%2521%2BWhat%2BAre%2BYou%2BReading.jpg" /></a>It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">The Book Date</a>.</p>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.<div><br /><div>Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at <a href="https://www.readingreality.net/category/stacking-the-shelves/" target="_blank">Reading Reality.</a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Other Than Reading...</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>This was a nice quiet week despite our roller coaster temperatures. It was 0F (I slept through the -5F which was the day's low) when I got up on Wednesday morning. Two days earlier we had a high temperature of 54F. Two days later we reached 54F again. Right now, it is foggy, windy and 39F with heavy rain expected later. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have been enjoying watching or listening to Spring Training baseball this week even though it is cutting down on the number of books I can read or listen to. <i>The Voice</i> has been entertaining too. Both activities are in this week's plans too. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wrote my monthly <a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/state-of-stack-150-march-1-2024.html" target="_blank">State of the Stack</a> post this week which helps me keep track of review books and have only two more review books from my March stack which I plan to read this week. I will have a short window before beginning to read April review copies to read I few from my TBR pile. I am continuing with my In Death rereadathon. I had planned to skip some I had read more recently but decided to read them again for continuity. I am almost finished with book 37 of this currently 58 book series. Book 59 will be released this coming September. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February Report</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I read 35 books in February including 19 audiobooks and 14 Review books. I read 5 books from my TBR pile (books I've had for more than a year). My totals were 11,837 pages and 234.5 hours of listening. As is getting to be the norm, 30 of the books I read were mysteries of one sort or another. </div><div><br /></div><div>I had a great month for adding books. I added 30 but 22 of them were review copies. Of course, 27 of my new additions are still on TBR mountain. </div><div><br /></div><div>My goal is to buy fewer books since my TBR stack is so overwhelming. I held the line pretty well. I only bought 8 books. Two of those were full price Kindle copies by authors who live on my keeper shelves. One was a hardcover from Amazon Marketplace by a new-to-me author I discovered this month. The rest were Kindle books that I got for $5.00 or less each and most of them were $1.99. I did have to use a lot of my Kindle Reward points to reach the $1.99 prices though. <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Read Last Week</span></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTBbZTplmM5xZdlm7Rx_BARkEiRL1CWRnOjFsymy-5Y9OVU-tqVsHCtzX2jJj55_6dVxNTcVYxyZ1swOKkLxfFa0SUX-lM7AZXy5_3T3VVefAX6vbmkabYjjzpLaeEH334pgd18lTm6wOFe53zkZw8CU3RjJsU5j9gUrJJP2GPUOgwJB1yNjbQEhU92GT/s511/Last%20Week%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="511" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTBbZTplmM5xZdlm7Rx_BARkEiRL1CWRnOjFsymy-5Y9OVU-tqVsHCtzX2jJj55_6dVxNTcVYxyZ1swOKkLxfFa0SUX-lM7AZXy5_3T3VVefAX6vbmkabYjjzpLaeEH334pgd18lTm6wOFe53zkZw8CU3RjJsU5j9gUrJJP2GPUOgwJB1yNjbQEhU92GT/s320/Last%20Week%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BJUPY4?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709481416&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Celebrity in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668018543/?coliid=I2AF6SKAQ25HC7&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Stars Turned Inside Out</a></i></b> by Nova Jacobs (Review; March 19) -- Mystery set at CERN with lots and lots of Physics. My review will be posted on March 13.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMq6kWI-SMMYvUeSJ0I-TkVBxzUA_8swJql226bB34gwLn7TSq8rEpC0GrANr5715rgrgCyEaRzjsNMydSxx-bTJJA7Px94oMHN_uHLXxnrLOhTdYLJGfYYFeKibmI-Z0NrHVMBHtVUretjEMtLnXwhQXRPzoLyq7j6kKxVFRjtcgCQfOvnWh4qdbYE2v/s770/Last%20Week%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="770" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMq6kWI-SMMYvUeSJ0I-TkVBxzUA_8swJql226bB34gwLn7TSq8rEpC0GrANr5715rgrgCyEaRzjsNMydSxx-bTJJA7Px94oMHN_uHLXxnrLOhTdYLJGfYYFeKibmI-Z0NrHVMBHtVUretjEMtLnXwhQXRPzoLyq7j6kKxVFRjtcgCQfOvnWh4qdbYE2v/w400-h183/Last%20Week%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098TUYRS?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709481416&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Delusion in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taken-Ones-Novel-Steinbeck-Reed-ebook/dp/B0BG626SNH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EQ52ATEREXF9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tsguLsToPJS22Q8Med5D95dVVAu4pNePN7nUZR4lgYVhU06rixW5H6r0PznuiCq4McZC51OHGQRwibpGAl11IQ.iTgi7Vyvn0hfa1S8yHwYJhPfJUHF9DkqLk6yDrjCu7Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+taken+ones+a+novel+steinbeck+and+reed&qid=1709481963&sprefix=the+taken+ones%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Taken Ones</a></i></b> by Jess Lourey (Mine since January 28) -- Domestic thriller that I got from BookBub. Starts a new series. Great characters and an intense plot. My review will be posted on March 9.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662515820/?coliid=I81JWJ60QY3NJ&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Forgotten Kill</a></i></b> by Isabella Maldonado (Review; March 26) -- Second in the Dani Vega thriller series. Loved the fast-paced story and the interesting characters. My review will be posted on March 19.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBVhs_zhHpjHU4Z6P4pVf8wvIETYhJ6jX8o1I2OUQNUlRVlE15yMER1y4RwBS00dx9kxy-o_bxB71Em4qK2xLct8UmzoS5gRiZ_k_oAo3RhrP9UUmxIIfHZ_vO1w-B7-wmqLgmgSjashVKbxwkqxh1wUJOhJOvlbAgzc9dKJKtdhFqbCXwtmAG6TDS69P/s507/Last%20Week%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="507" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBVhs_zhHpjHU4Z6P4pVf8wvIETYhJ6jX8o1I2OUQNUlRVlE15yMER1y4RwBS00dx9kxy-o_bxB71Em4qK2xLct8UmzoS5gRiZ_k_oAo3RhrP9UUmxIIfHZ_vO1w-B7-wmqLgmgSjashVKbxwkqxh1wUJOhJOvlbAgzc9dKJKtdhFqbCXwtmAG6TDS69P/s320/Last%20Week%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Medici-Manuscript-Glass-Library-Book-ebook/dp/B0B57ZCD8C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VQB4KZNH20UJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8BSGeAppX4e5ZfFqX8AFZ79hK_czHhvspql2hr_VWOA.B2OXUORjxAhoo_ZvGLKsuXWWOVvMDsGid2AOF14mXKU&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+medici+manuscript+by+cj+archer&qid=1709482004&sprefix=the+medici+manu%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Medici Manuscript</a></i></b> by C. J. Archer (Mine since January 28) -- Historical fantasy set in 1920. Second book in a five-book series. Left a lot of plot threads dangling but was an enjoyable story. My review will be posted on March 16.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1CIRFG?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709481416&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Calculated in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread) </li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Currently</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczGaQugYy67Sdj5QZIL12Slh611umwk6mkCeSehiZrUo38bojuWZd9rQUaDuP6PH2OY6jJs2lk5W121ffl1wLsgjElEvyGA6q9Vluoehbzwvh1TqRyauI5_cu33ypzSMliLrMQsX4Un2yD_79ZzawL0unUwIhee1V3FrYVZiUQr27v4BA3SQgJ93jbpTh/s483/Currently.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="483" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczGaQugYy67Sdj5QZIL12Slh611umwk6mkCeSehiZrUo38bojuWZd9rQUaDuP6PH2OY6jJs2lk5W121ffl1wLsgjElEvyGA6q9Vluoehbzwvh1TqRyauI5_cu33ypzSMliLrMQsX4Un2yD_79ZzawL0unUwIhee1V3FrYVZiUQr27v4BA3SQgJ93jbpTh/s320/Currently.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250860121/?coliid=I1F54XXR2WJ8PK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Rhythm and Clues</a></i></b> by Olivia Blacke (Review; March 26)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EKOCB0E?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_taud_tkin&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709481416&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Thankless in Death</a></i></b> by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zsYS5czCQT0plPJNEndK_ELycAJJqEC09WxMp9IOjJpTSYx6rIBN0qNHrUDhHiClNHi5qaT90zjGdrhFXbS7l_aQMHSTHP2r6m3wOyfYWIlLATgszxXqezz2_a4ZVQHjbbAdvWI3LNBs4K-TpK5LPlAEpAkM27Gf_WqXseMTjO3SmTjXZai51bCdZtn3/s758/Next%20Week%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="758" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zsYS5czCQT0plPJNEndK_ELycAJJqEC09WxMp9IOjJpTSYx6rIBN0qNHrUDhHiClNHi5qaT90zjGdrhFXbS7l_aQMHSTHP2r6m3wOyfYWIlLATgszxXqezz2_a4ZVQHjbbAdvWI3LNBs4K-TpK5LPlAEpAkM27Gf_WqXseMTjO3SmTjXZai51bCdZtn3/w400-h188/Next%20Week%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593474015/?coliid=ITOIM32JC449U&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">How to Solve Your Own Murder</a></i></b> by Kristen Perrin (Review; March 26)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250863856/?coliid=IPN27K1JCI4HP&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Off the Air</a></i></b> by Christina Estes (Review; March 26)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweetness-Bottom-Pie-Flavia-Novel-ebook/dp/B0027G6XDS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ISY774YK0L09&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.99HLrIjML9i7zqmOxVqzD5GPnV9EhUYHjlbTOVZJ_XiL1q1YIFl3yUWWWmtUmuZeEQSNIDAa4dJ3qKJzHsnuWn-p60KJgQg8roNjtFNXg_fJV1n3JA7TTyIGp_XepMYIhPuOJPh8BXmiTXI9TP2dENw_TKBh_QHEdLwfJMfIr8BSkiEajXib-DrZO-_BvIVUZSvvzVbwMajzD73S6gAcWuiQ28SVkEhN12vU3qs2u5o.dcKjGDd34jtTVz6xwZBpy1cUgc1QLzldx87ZpyrMqb4&dib_tag=se&keywords=sweetness+at+the+bottom+of+the+pie&qid=1709482054&sprefix=sweetness%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie</a></i></b> by Alan Bradley (Kindle copy of a book that has been mine since 11/29/2017)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMVnbWOopkA_OJV5FUF9Dr8pQP9jr3A3wqOvydkPUToCWkBhYXiUdnwLipmhaWFZwb7pxPmAdBiO8G0PQAfdxm9_ibhrkBt62UYdlxsHj77j0CpXWiGv00v1STcWPQ5VyoOrXRDNJ8becduCATe9hG2lyK54zbkCXrHYhNEwbokoJg8sPDHfRUIzkxzyX/s762/Next%20Week%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="762" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMVnbWOopkA_OJV5FUF9Dr8pQP9jr3A3wqOvydkPUToCWkBhYXiUdnwLipmhaWFZwb7pxPmAdBiO8G0PQAfdxm9_ibhrkBt62UYdlxsHj77j0CpXWiGv00v1STcWPQ5VyoOrXRDNJ8becduCATe9hG2lyK54zbkCXrHYhNEwbokoJg8sPDHfRUIzkxzyX/w400-h186/Next%20Week%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R69PSND?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_17&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709482086&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Kris Longknife: Indomitable</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Mine since 10/13/22)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Relative-Murder-Medlar-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B093DM7WWJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1BOC5MSBXE5LL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9SqS0YyffCfl8l9Pc87zfJBDa7XVWOe99seiukHNZ3o81HIBTldr1e03XafLYuttfYA-oepqzvllW6cuvTEfHbmeSrrzOiA7Nb9Z3JmONAU.CEBjnGId-slypsbQGlyejlaUc4y1E6MAaefoULcZt8w&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+relative+murder+jude+deveraux&qid=1709482162&s=digital-text&sprefix=relative+murder%2Cdigital-text%2C124&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Relative Murder</a></i></b> by Jude Deveraux (Mine since 12/7/22)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZTV8RXN?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_18&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709482086&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Kris Longknife: Stalwart</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Mine since 10/13/22)</li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews Posted</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBc0sIMOgkedWfVCI1eptl9k-OtYYzUOBdL9ivFbzmInN8mwssdvDm2fco3SnZSU2CJk9YPg8EubRuvSIo1Bx_lsHTAAkfKQNPT9LgdWwGeG1V3K8An32jHVTCRAD4J52OWCTvkJonZAGMwj6IPlJipDBNFjpduMJ5j1VXOsIZW42i7066hLqBfRhxK2d/s757/Reviewed%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="757" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBc0sIMOgkedWfVCI1eptl9k-OtYYzUOBdL9ivFbzmInN8mwssdvDm2fco3SnZSU2CJk9YPg8EubRuvSIo1Bx_lsHTAAkfKQNPT9LgdWwGeG1V3K8An32jHVTCRAD4J52OWCTvkJonZAGMwj6IPlJipDBNFjpduMJ5j1VXOsIZW42i7066hLqBfRhxK2d/w400-h188/Reviewed%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-review-kris-longknife-commanding.html" target="_blank">Kris Longknife: Commanding</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd (Mine)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/audiobook-review-changes-by-mercedes.html" target="_blank">Changes</a></i></b> by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-unquiet-bones-by-loreth-anne.html" target="_blank">The Unquiet Bones</a></i></b> by Loreth Anne White (Review copy)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbljse6xGB1YyjL6f0IYdmghyW11qEB_1YiiLPkDDsSJnDeBrEs9BvQCG4E6PiX3fV79DS1sXqrKyeFhpPGmwYX2MbcusOlVw1YXL_maNbrK-u5d3ZNFzFJ0MTp5CQ7_GyymbaGcwvv4RtlywZ2wzof4AekDwBeRRy5eyc-fX_Py_-iZRlNcmdz0XT88L/s761/Reviewed%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="761" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbljse6xGB1YyjL6f0IYdmghyW11qEB_1YiiLPkDDsSJnDeBrEs9BvQCG4E6PiX3fV79DS1sXqrKyeFhpPGmwYX2MbcusOlVw1YXL_maNbrK-u5d3ZNFzFJ0MTp5CQ7_GyymbaGcwvv4RtlywZ2wzof4AekDwBeRRy5eyc-fX_Py_-iZRlNcmdz0XT88L/w400-h188/Reviewed%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-speculations-in-sin-by.html" target="_blank">Speculations in Sin</a></i></b> by Jennifer Ashley (Review copy)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-deadly-endeavor-by-jenny.html" target="_blank">A Deadly Endeavor</a></i></b> by Jenny Adams (Review copy)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-cirque-du-slay-by-rob-osler.html" target="_blank">Cirque du Slay</a></i></b> by Rob Osler (Review copy)</li></ul></div><a href="https://www.readingreality.net/category/stacking-the-shelves/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>Review:</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokWdddfrRybVbgn78qh84tLubn4h3gVku3BRhKNVGEyVPDBPA3s5VXfi886XfyfQQTXiq-nY99cB3QEkS1rPjOgzIbxbf_o_fhKT7FqBnxgRzb3_AnD8ZFon9k44NC8dcoIm9u5dy1Puw9I-yKFbmTcmbqxBCScTodimrN3l6TtjG5F88wADVB4uPZYiX/s757/New%20Review%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="757" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokWdddfrRybVbgn78qh84tLubn4h3gVku3BRhKNVGEyVPDBPA3s5VXfi886XfyfQQTXiq-nY99cB3QEkS1rPjOgzIbxbf_o_fhKT7FqBnxgRzb3_AnD8ZFon9k44NC8dcoIm9u5dy1Puw9I-yKFbmTcmbqxBCScTodimrN3l6TtjG5F88wADVB4uPZYiX/w400-h186/New%20Review%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ3ZXYGK/?coliid=I3VM0PTYHPZSYR&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=0&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Body at the Dance Hall</a></i></b> by Marty Wingate (Review; April 8)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/125089607X/?coliid=IDQX2MQVADRK5&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">All's Fair in Love and War</a></i></b> by Virginia Heath (Review; May 28)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250781116/?coliid=I2RBLTME3BN9OG&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Burning</a></i></b> by Linda Castillo (Review; July 9)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oKdF4Qs6FN40qzjrIUvJ-bSy-Nb-7c1SUWLIZMwqUH03MvQGquJaSuHdm8s9uhvPYTvDkEXYo-ial5OeY8-_omKQTPr4NYuBPzBiwDi4-cP1xBVu1fMfy5XEx6cQoyEigx-fZKu5nTFDngohdG6irMTKVHeSJYBcvRkClqHMdUVvtaoTMa_pAqwv0f3k/s757/New%20Review%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="757" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oKdF4Qs6FN40qzjrIUvJ-bSy-Nb-7c1SUWLIZMwqUH03MvQGquJaSuHdm8s9uhvPYTvDkEXYo-ial5OeY8-_omKQTPr4NYuBPzBiwDi4-cP1xBVu1fMfy5XEx6cQoyEigx-fZKu5nTFDngohdG6irMTKVHeSJYBcvRkClqHMdUVvtaoTMa_pAqwv0f3k/w400-h188/New%20Review%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250848091/?coliid=I13MOBGMI18I0M&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Shades of Mercy</a></i></b> by Bruce Borgos (Review; July 16)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662513984/?coliid=I19CU2LYVTRS30&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Reaping</a></i></b> by Jess Lourey (Review; September 3)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639108947/?coliid=IKK8JK0RZB0Q3&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Gathering Mist</a></i></b> by Margaret Mizushima (Review; October 8)</li></ul></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Bought:</u></span></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFcJMPlivPgSbH2J7vEn2kRGBSHHtUrmBQ1IQWJqhdpxOmEwYVriEBr87S9AUyP-U5jWar78G9Z4QZURmJWa0HZ4KZJWZVX6KcHFIXbZe-zFOgbte5zAxIzPeo3vLMkV6dLi5HA3oHamRSKxn3XYJFBNiDNWUHG_jS7MIY_1B0jm-KK7WTOZ7RFuai_pt/s352/New.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFcJMPlivPgSbH2J7vEn2kRGBSHHtUrmBQ1IQWJqhdpxOmEwYVriEBr87S9AUyP-U5jWar78G9Z4QZURmJWa0HZ4KZJWZVX6KcHFIXbZe-zFOgbte5zAxIzPeo3vLMkV6dLi5HA3oHamRSKxn3XYJFBNiDNWUHG_jS7MIY_1B0jm-KK7WTOZ7RFuai_pt/w134-h200/New.png" width="134" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Glass-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B0C6HLR9VB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SYIZN1QDH10G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5Kj5J-m-fKDT_aT_YNNMGQ.aUrSOAW3S6N1pJl0Oax24HHNh_PWuXecn2dCVKPh1-c&dib_tag=se&keywords=anne+bishop+the+lady+in+glass&qid=1709482209&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+lady+in+gl%2Cdigital-text%2C115&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Lady in Glass and Other Stories</a></i></b> by Anne Bishop</li></ul></div>What was your week like?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrdx1c_vUlY/WSjUGB6QZII/AAAAAAAAbQ8/H1g5--msRycdj6PVoyqppjuO5jID2HoJwCLcB/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrdx1c_vUlY/WSjUGB6QZII/AAAAAAAAbQ8/H1g5--msRycdj6PVoyqppjuO5jID2HoJwCLcB/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-20722135659993305972024-03-02T06:30:00.072-06:002024-03-03T09:22:04.134-06:00Book Review: Kris Longknife: Commanding by Mike Shepherd<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71b8P+3IxFL._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71b8P+3IxFL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>Kris Longknife: Commanding</span><br />Author:</b> Mike Shepherd<br /><b>Series: </b>Kris Longknife (Book 17)<br /><b>Publication: </b>KL & MM Books (May 1, 2018)<br /><br /><b>Description: </b>Grand Admiral, Her Royal Highness Kris Longknife is up to her ears in problems . . . again.<br /><br />While summoned to the Imperial Iteeche Court to be humanity’s Emissary, it turns out that what the Iteeche really want is a fighting admiral!<br /><br />You see, they’ve got this huge civil war going, and the Imperial side isn’t doing so well. Kris now has command of the entire Imperial Combined Fleet. Sort of.<br /><br />The Iteeche Empire has a ten-thousand-year long history. There is nothing that won’t say, “We’ve always done it that way,” pointing to a track record lasting for thousands of years. Even when Kris reminds them they’re losing, many have a hard time changing.<br /><br />Many Iteeche also wonder if letting a human win this war for them isn’t losing everything already<br /><br />Kris managed to win a defensive battle with a scratch force. Now she’s thrown together a larger force and is ready to take the fight to the rebels.<br /><br />It’s full speed ahead with Kris Longknife: Commanding.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> Having defeated the rebel battle force intent on taking over the Imperial Capital planet, Kris is tasked with taking the fight to the rebels. She and her crew identify the planets which are the centers of the rebellion and the ones that need to be defeated in order to put down the rebellion. <div><br /></div><div>The first planet chosen doesn't require space battles. They need to find the ruler of the planet and take him out along with his staunchest supporters. This task falls in part to Lieutenant Megan Longknife who has a way of connecting with computers that sometimes runs in the Longknife family. Megan and a small task force use her ability to get into and understand alien computer networks to locate their targets and take them out. </div><div><br /></div><div>They also have to deal with sabotage of the planetary infrastructure and, in doing so, get to know what some of the rank-and-file Iteeche are like and let them see what humans are like. Kris is determined to do the conquering the human way which is quietly bringing another form of rebellion to the Iteeche empire. </div><div><br /></div><div>The second planet they choose to take on is the one farthest from the Imperial Capital planet. They weren't expecting to encounter a fleet that outnumbers them by 4-to-1 but using some tactics from human history, including Nelson's at Trafalgar, and hitting a force that hasn't trained to anything like the human led fleet allows them another victory. </div><div><br /></div><div>And, though the planetary government isn't willing to surrender the planet to the loyal forces, Megan's skills with computers again allows the human led loyal forces to triumph.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was another entertaining episode in the Kris Longknife series. I'm eager to see more of her efforts to defeat the rebels and bring her own brand of change to the Iteeche Empire. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div><blockquote>"I fight," Kris said, "for every sailor that sails with me. I fight for every citizen in the United Society. Yes, from the richest and most powerful to the poorest and least of them all. But first. I fight for the man on my right and the woman on my left. We fight for each other and each of us matter to each other."</blockquote>I bought this one. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kris-Longknife-Commanding-Mike-Shepherd-ebook/dp/B07BC89H8X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UAR7BFSJJ1KR&keywords=kris+longknife+commanding&qid=1704160041&sprefix=kris+longknife+commanding%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-84426298946241414392024-03-01T11:00:00.364-06:002024-03-01T11:00:00.247-06:00State of the Stack #150 (March 1, 2024)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-WtrtQxlZg/XzrGrfIIO1I/AAAAAAAAgaI/gU-ZvxHIXMIhv2S7mpv-2MCDAXAi4mX7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s444/State%2Bof%2Bthe%2BStack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-WtrtQxlZg/XzrGrfIIO1I/AAAAAAAAgaI/gU-ZvxHIXMIhv2S7mpv-2MCDAXAi4mX7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/State%2Bof%2Bthe%2BStack.jpg" /></a></div><p>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. </p><div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Read This Month</span></b> </div><div><br /></div><div>Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.</div><div><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-smoking-bun-by-ellie.html" target="_blank">A Smoking Bun</a></i></b> by Ellie Alexander (February 17)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-i-only-read-murder-by-ian.html" target="_blank">I Only Read Murder</a></i></b> by Ian Ferguson & Will Ferguson (February 20)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-leave-no-trace-by-j-landau.html" target="_blank">Leave No Trace</a></i></b> by A. J. Landau (February 21)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-rumor-game-by-thomas-mullen.html" target="_blank">The Rumor Game</a></i></b> by Thomas Mullen (February 22)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-unquiet-bones-by-loreth-anne.html" target="_blank">The Unquiet Bones</a></i></b> by Loreth Anne White (February 27)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-speculations-in-sin-by.html" target="_blank">Speculations in Sin</a></i></b> by Jennifer Ashley (February 27)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-cirque-du-slay-by-rob-osler.html" target="_blank">Cirque Du Slay</a></i></b> by Rob Osler (February 28)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-deadly-endeavor-by-jenny.html" target="_blank">A Deadly Endeavor</a></i></b> by Jenny Adams (February 29)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Black Wolf</i></b> by Juan Gomez-Jurado (March 5)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i>A Grave Robbery</i></b> by Deanna Raybourn (March 7)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Peril in Pink</i></b> by Sydney Leigh (March 12)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i>The Love Remedy</i></b> by Elizabeth Everett (March 12)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i>A Midnight Puzzle</i></b> by Gigi Pandian (March 14)</li></ol></div><div><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>DNF</b></span></div><div><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><span> </span></li></ol></div><div><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Read Previously, Posted This Month </b></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Dates indicate when the review was posted.</span></div><div><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-fish-out-of-water-by-katie.html" target="_blank">Fish Out of Water</a></i></b> by Katie Ruggle (February 6)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-lanterns-dance-by-laurie-r.html" target="_blank">The Lantern's Dance</a></i></b> by Laurie R. King (February 7)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-at-river-by-kendra-elliot.html" target="_blank">At the River</a></i></b> by Kendra Elliot (February 8)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-murder-by-lamplight-by.html" target="_blank">Murder by Moonlight</a></i></b> by Patrice McDonough (February 13)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-boy-who-cried-bear-by-kelley.html" target="_blank">The Boy Who Cried Bear</a></i></b> by Kelley Armstrong (February 14)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-murder-in-masquerade-by-mary.html" target="_blank">Murder in Masquerade</a></i></b> by Mary Winters (February 13)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://inside-dog.blogspot.com/2024/02/arc-review-last-word-by-gerri-lewis.html" target="_blank">The Last Word</a></i></b> by Gerri Lewis (February 15)</li></ol></div><div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">New This Month </span></b></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Date indicates when the book will be released.</span></div><div><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Speculations-Sin-Below-Stairs-Mystery/dp/0593549910/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SYRXTDCI7IAZ&keywords=9780593549919&qid=1707151337&sprefix=9780593549919%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Speculations in Sin</a></i> </b>by Jennifer Ashley (March 5)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nosy-Neighbors-Freya-Sampson/dp/0593550528/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2D6I18WW2SHYF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SbymMpn0qcyblZG4LyZ3PA.Zjb9qKdaLerq5TRaP708BW2uZW2dw8ZV0nSrxwKVtBk&dib_tag=se&keywords=9780593550526&qid=1708023712&sprefix=9780593550526%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Nosy Neighbors</a></i></b> by Freya Sampson (April 2)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Dance-Hall-totally-unputdownable-ebook/dp/B0CQ3ZXYGK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TJ5QC8MOIWFO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9EpZAsZQKFnA82eSG9olxQ.r1VWQqTbLsbPyllc_qY6WgPoCNtYuqI5tEOyZqhDWPg&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781835251973&qid=1708966069&sprefix=9781835251973%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Body at the Dance Hall</a></i></b> by Marty Wingate (April 8)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christa-Comes-Out-Her-Shell/dp/0593198786/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RPOUWTI4R027&keywords=9780593198780&qid=1707522568&sprefix=9780593198780%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Christa Comes Out of Her Shell</a></i></b> by Abbi Waxman (April 16)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Some-Stupid-Love-Story/dp/1250328098/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GAO8FTEIJKU5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HM2giSY2DOAF6O7u40swjw.pQ-3vjpRZaG39s02BgQc0Cx1hbwpKjT8BD3Zx4eZrUM&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781250328090&qid=1707927695&sprefix=9781250328090%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Just Some Stupid Love Story</a></i></b> by Katelyn Doyle (June 4)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Disappearing-Kimi-Cunningham-Grant/dp/1250907616/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HG9KYWBQ1LQH&keywords=9781250907615&qid=1706891252&sprefix=9781250907615%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Nature of Disappearing</a></i></b> by Kimi Cunningham Grant (June 18)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a 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left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Folk-Novel-Alli-Dyer/dp/166804577X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24KBGWQCTWIR5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WUfNFegZnvZk9zfIwv0tmg.OOd5zncwBugK5Qza9He2fyMGTB30Y6uQk5rEqRotrms&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781668045770&qid=1708055708&sprefix=9781668045770%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Strange Folk</a></i></b> by Alli Dyer (August 6)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Need-You-Read-This-Novel/dp/1668008033/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RFD9FE4IQZOO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TnovF6aoauebdShSJzLXpg.YSbl-BkvdZL3CZwPjMLpVXF1-d1Z5TwDIJ6uzU6ER1o&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781668008034&qid=1707940733&sprefix=9781668008034%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-1" target="_blank">I Need You to Read This</a></i></b> by Jessa Maxwell (August 13)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Too-Deep-Orleans-Novel/dp/0593638581/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12PRLC4S3037Y&keywords=9780593638583&qid=1707754953&sprefix=9780593638583%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1" 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Matthews (August 20)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scandal-Mayfair-LILY-ADLER-MYSTERY/dp/1639108416/ref=sr_1_1?crid=247C455IO0EKT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7kpiuwUdHGv55sEPAxCPhw.cph9zWyKoDENm-VFAuG-OdTvvLkdY74kGjmjYkKSRSI&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781639108411&qid=1708480258&sprefix=9781639108411%2Caps%2C240&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Scandal in Mayfair</a></i></b> by Katharine Schellman (August 20)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reaping-Steinbeck-Reed-Jess-Lourey/dp/1662513984/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MRUS5NTJJIX2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8kIQB-2bJUTHU-iBrUMEGA.rty-RLfZk6J-zKO3X5pFgj_JFfFQfgT_u-BhW3Ga8bU&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781662513985&qid=1709093241&sprefix=9781662513985%2Caps%2C383&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Reaping</a></i></b> by Jess Lourey (September 3)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pike-Island-Thriller-Tony-Wirt/dp/1662519877/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RH76ZI61OIRG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X93Y3qqo4kuyhHF5mq0VPQ.lNacd56nVIJ1KXvvL6Bhq220l9M-UTc-2-a0aBceb3s&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781662519871&qid=1708480926&sprefix=9781662519871%2Caps%2C302&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Pike Island</a></i></b> by Tony Wirt (September 10)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Clue-Hunter-Clewe-Mystery/dp/163910643X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=225LA2AJ31N4X&keywords=9781639106431&qid=1707579153&sprefix=9781639106431%2Caps%2C520&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Killer Clue</a></i></b> by Victoria Gilbert (September 24)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Serial-Killer-Guide-San-Francisco/dp/1250359309/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MFG4LUR58CB4&keywords=9781250359308&qid=1707321011&sprefix=9781250359308%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco</a></i></b> by Michelle Chouinard (September 24)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Mist-Timber-Creek-Mystery/dp/1639108947/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PRUDLAAYCOW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cgYug0Rv7Z0nBKFNzEVthg.E_dqcYAqTxvn5VZwL4Hdax1J-ErzL-wh4HQeCdlatKY&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781639108947&qid=1709141306&sprefix=9781639108947%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Gathering Mist</a></i></b> by Margaret Mizushima (October 8)</li></ol></div><div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">All TBR Review Books</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">March</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwCfVDLZnYCH4nkZ_fXnuThUwFl3II_rO7nYaiERVltI2igggjrCo-OGGziSyFszATZLcHUxOhdNjoJvIG6BEeO8wSnv-9eLf13LVWlpyJkdOWmgsOx02n-RYG2dJzMb7S0VuXbJws0UG_Zw993tMfePjfwiiFxoGfji_iXUzzvelcT80wbDCi7Qqia_N/s491/March%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="491" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwCfVDLZnYCH4nkZ_fXnuThUwFl3II_rO7nYaiERVltI2igggjrCo-OGGziSyFszATZLcHUxOhdNjoJvIG6BEeO8wSnv-9eLf13LVWlpyJkdOWmgsOx02n-RYG2dJzMb7S0VuXbJws0UG_Zw993tMfePjfwiiFxoGfji_iXUzzvelcT80wbDCi7Qqia_N/s320/March%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662515820/?coliid=I81JWJ60QY3NJ&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Forgotten Kill</a></i></b> by Isabella Maldonado (March 26)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250860121/?coliid=I1F54XXR2WJ8PK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Rhythm and Clues</a></i></b> by Olivia Blacke (March 26)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-SQP3gqXfJ-rbo8ihWoXl8OCdbRqvXVvltee4qzO7tyXj5qQpARkxRHKKpkvyeDxDMB4qoMILnq7grqFB6vqXSdxpwH85ySSOhsd1j0BGNwe6-qraRNSLBehL9wYHXPvNWGFRz5eNDnSMIzHz6NZ12TrQaJ3d4Vg5Hrx2ILCZMtQyhFLfyeLlfrHprKK/s502/March%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="502" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-SQP3gqXfJ-rbo8ihWoXl8OCdbRqvXVvltee4qzO7tyXj5qQpARkxRHKKpkvyeDxDMB4qoMILnq7grqFB6vqXSdxpwH85ySSOhsd1j0BGNwe6-qraRNSLBehL9wYHXPvNWGFRz5eNDnSMIzHz6NZ12TrQaJ3d4Vg5Hrx2ILCZMtQyhFLfyeLlfrHprKK/s320/March%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593474015/?coliid=ITOIM32JC449U&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">How to Solve Your Own Murder</a></i></b> by Kristen Perrin (March 26)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250863856/?coliid=IPN27K1JCI4HP&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Off the Air</a></i></b> by Christina Estes (March 26)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">April </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCfWY0DWA66O-oaY_SHGV1tiEt3vZmpTjgUuoli4a_W7tt5UTlLFZcIIs9R7TMCabAL7qFzpii2wv0Lq91nuOomA9VSwL9kjjwewoY5Kl_qYp921aCu30j1oTLz59y-1cF-1jW0VjCbK59v5bxtg42-t1pWfkIrLhB9Ckxm_Rs_S2Wt71wMuo6Jt0RhKx/s763/April%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="763" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCfWY0DWA66O-oaY_SHGV1tiEt3vZmpTjgUuoli4a_W7tt5UTlLFZcIIs9R7TMCabAL7qFzpii2wv0Lq91nuOomA9VSwL9kjjwewoY5Kl_qYp921aCu30j1oTLz59y-1cF-1jW0VjCbK59v5bxtg42-t1pWfkIrLhB9Ckxm_Rs_S2Wt71wMuo6Jt0RhKx/w400-h188/April%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593550528/?coliid=I28WTHNT4324JK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Nosy Neighbors</a></i></b> by Freya Sampson (April 2)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ3ZXYGK/?coliid=I3VM0PTYHPZSYR&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=0&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Body at the Dance Hall</a></i></b> by Marty Wingate (April 8)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639107185/?coliid=I2Y4X0DDL059CP&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Death in the Details</a></i></b> by Katie Tietjen (April 9)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggu6SMMfks-x2K_x60EWERdChSIl6BGR3wnPk0kqA0PyQmBqQw5qiH9Q61DP0o4_FHLOQ31yx9lqvj3g8fTSlPzGXuBNFg6e8yEAViRGGjB6bQmQlOATKcfb61LcYy_xYIsuoqNbUKNfzBdJibcg3MkrDRtYIk-6Y5jks-47ghbh12v5zohtfC8ryVBHi/s491/April%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="491" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggu6SMMfks-x2K_x60EWERdChSIl6BGR3wnPk0kqA0PyQmBqQw5qiH9Q61DP0o4_FHLOQ31yx9lqvj3g8fTSlPzGXuBNFg6e8yEAViRGGjB6bQmQlOATKcfb61LcYy_xYIsuoqNbUKNfzBdJibcg3MkrDRtYIk-6Y5jks-47ghbh12v5zohtfC8ryVBHi/s320/April%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250890608/?coliid=I1WKJD1UBKFL5&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Poison Pen</a></i></b> by Paige Shelton (April 9)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593198786/?coliid=IJBNDQ100NPX2&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Christa Comes Out of Her Shell</a></i></b> by Abbi Waxman (April 16)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfz8HNrpNpOw5qmUtxi11QIhfEdahvvJqwGXvd_m3KDmziwASqp5Iubv98KQWGUxWkehgiebwAJ2qCG4tTuiVWiEr4EREjDzFoth_P75PTpPEGCfqhGpfn26_V9k3jnwv48pfPdWXNjz9AUiR2rRtp9B8JQ2Yd6gVCBsc-ciN9izHJ0HUVRwDowxm80yp/s747/April%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="747" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfz8HNrpNpOw5qmUtxi11QIhfEdahvvJqwGXvd_m3KDmziwASqp5Iubv98KQWGUxWkehgiebwAJ2qCG4tTuiVWiEr4EREjDzFoth_P75PTpPEGCfqhGpfn26_V9k3jnwv48pfPdWXNjz9AUiR2rRtp9B8JQ2Yd6gVCBsc-ciN9izHJ0HUVRwDowxm80yp/w400-h191/April%203.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250816084/?coliid=IV7KEISYHJC36&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Four-Alarm Homicide</a></i></b> by Diane Kelly (April 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593441001/?coliid=I34P94MGG33VHU&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Stranger I Wed</a></i></b> by Harper St. George (April 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593639790/?coliid=IVVRJUYS7U2BF&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Murder in Rose Hill</a></i></b> by Victoria Thompson (April 23)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ4HUfIQtUmd9ldVNnKwfiSWyz7Px9DWlbwBKmt8Vp3HWz5S-vcnzR8HaFc5nSymg3VaEuZIyYXRLneLUz0D18HGxmmZQR8YlnyyRkI52u5MCsZMuqvWkaiG0i1JXWGfBE6AGdKzg6XyKgHiMnWiD_epKXWHi5yzAYo_aymQSre5JwxCH_7XDBIbJ8gi2/s497/April%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="497" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ4HUfIQtUmd9ldVNnKwfiSWyz7Px9DWlbwBKmt8Vp3HWz5S-vcnzR8HaFc5nSymg3VaEuZIyYXRLneLUz0D18HGxmmZQR8YlnyyRkI52u5MCsZMuqvWkaiG0i1JXWGfBE6AGdKzg6XyKgHiMnWiD_epKXWHi5yzAYo_aymQSre5JwxCH_7XDBIbJ8gi2/s320/April%204.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/125086383X/?coliid=I18R0575O68ETZ&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Next of Kin</a></i></b> by Samantha Jayne Allen (April 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639106537/?coliid=I3CB9U4WPG35V4&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">At the Edge of the Woods</a></i></b> by Victoria Houston (April 23)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENwtit99nxiqskkNv4oyyT15QmFKeG4-GVjyT4fLmAfbVTGrzNmUs1l6vEmTeb9LHKZzehxmo_fBY8vfBv52mDcW6eE3GybNw6pfHp9PfmU7CA3Y6r-B8jDaTEnYVEoggL32emU26yW9nAd1TnGGmdqO8AgWKsbxwuUlbgR07baALU1v8TEwjMCQ8oGgq/s757/April%205.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="757" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENwtit99nxiqskkNv4oyyT15QmFKeG4-GVjyT4fLmAfbVTGrzNmUs1l6vEmTeb9LHKZzehxmo_fBY8vfBv52mDcW6eE3GybNw6pfHp9PfmU7CA3Y6r-B8jDaTEnYVEoggL32emU26yW9nAd1TnGGmdqO8AgWKsbxwuUlbgR07baALU1v8TEwjMCQ8oGgq/w400-h189/April%205.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639107517/?coliid=I33E0DQOIYSLUE&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Mayfair Dagger</a></i></b> by Ava January (April 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778305392/?coliid=I3BYWV8AIRPRJJ&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">An Unfinished Murder</a></i></b> by Jude Deveraux (April 30)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250325854/?coliid=I3B96QDRC0C82Y&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies</a></i></b> by Catherine Mack (April 30)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">May </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHbf0n-OZSzi7KT4C0YWfFk7xBnyzCI3qV5dBjuPVbbdVcyHwSUdWg8yM3prNEq0Syu06aezwb6m5JcMISWKR9j55miTpeShrPrdsL_P8EdX6xH2UwJj3YsK34SNBF2EE177z_EVGTHe9ZsI-TTZZpzB3OvF0KIZpM-HvA7hDNa0bwqrxV_YoyZ2CPlP4/s760/May%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="760" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHbf0n-OZSzi7KT4C0YWfFk7xBnyzCI3qV5dBjuPVbbdVcyHwSUdWg8yM3prNEq0Syu06aezwb6m5JcMISWKR9j55miTpeShrPrdsL_P8EdX6xH2UwJj3YsK34SNBF2EE177z_EVGTHe9ZsI-TTZZpzB3OvF0KIZpM-HvA7hDNa0bwqrxV_YoyZ2CPlP4/w400-h189/May%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639107770/?coliid=I241LDH83TMITO&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Lonesome Place for Dying</a></i></b> by Nolan Chase (May 7)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639106642/?coliid=I36ZPN2ZI3HAAK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Star Struck</a></i></b> by Marjorie McCown (May 7)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662514565/?coliid=I2TSTEFMYWLU45&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Blood Red Summer</a></i></b> by Eryk Pruitt (May 14)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT3kIs9F5GHLpzK11gFEtjRqyCq4Hb3R24WC1sk0XclgvKVdOiorgt_rzBjTMkcaeoPIltv61mBC20I_0iNZGdKABHyvNHxSWI8Syr0BxJ25nyOmzZTerjo-kOISwMhFaiXSyN2ugqk44C4fVch0brUoe8V-NKFtF0cISnIIWGwSecUY9TQRTvc-rA17V/s752/May%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="752" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT3kIs9F5GHLpzK11gFEtjRqyCq4Hb3R24WC1sk0XclgvKVdOiorgt_rzBjTMkcaeoPIltv61mBC20I_0iNZGdKABHyvNHxSWI8Syr0BxJ25nyOmzZTerjo-kOISwMhFaiXSyN2ugqk44C4fVch0brUoe8V-NKFtF0cISnIIWGwSecUY9TQRTvc-rA17V/w400-h189/May%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250885906/?coliid=I2O4TZN8JEZ6F6&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Locked in Pursuit</a></i></b> by Ashley Weaver (May 14)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250289696/?coliid=I3JZZH5MOD0V1J&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Mind Games</a></i></b> by Nora Roberts (May 21)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/059354675X/?coliid=I4CLLGHCSUW32&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Liar's Point</a></i></b> by Laura Griffin (May 21)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHsxoVX93Ijf_sLEab6BTJXxRI89b493kf3F94w88BLcZ1juhDU6X3pkYEhmLNFg2Mup6tVTxiVKqRb7ojLxggKoEbQY0JtxxfJPVspsM939zvhC_tyzeSDjKEo9KV2yVuHvt0W7cLoq_-gTDXsjp9ccK8khNjPAqjANcFF0IpzW1NzDFsjOlvAUJGvM8/s495/May%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="495" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHsxoVX93Ijf_sLEab6BTJXxRI89b493kf3F94w88BLcZ1juhDU6X3pkYEhmLNFg2Mup6tVTxiVKqRb7ojLxggKoEbQY0JtxxfJPVspsM939zvhC_tyzeSDjKEo9KV2yVuHvt0W7cLoq_-gTDXsjp9ccK8khNjPAqjANcFF0IpzW1NzDFsjOlvAUJGvM8/s320/May%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250885949/?coliid=I3QDKTJQF3L3MI&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Lights, Camera, Bones</a></i></b> by Carolyn Haines (May 21)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662519532/?coliid=I1YO1UBO7DP676&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Original Twin</a></i></b> by Paula Gleeson (May 28)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">June</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7dQHs0Ko5zy_sZKyV6CD0geu7gOuWHw6I-d7Ne340OS4gLrKo2IcP7aHnejb4kaMDt__U6SZ8xfx5RpRuhl53IAJg9oS5UrNFyl-J_Ls6DE10KzCjMxugoefJnNCjJ-Jb8Eei4A0i1TcV2cdE5vrEafmSifqyIkuz_fEORX41qkFSpVELFPdX5ccHmy1/s487/June%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="487" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7dQHs0Ko5zy_sZKyV6CD0geu7gOuWHw6I-d7Ne340OS4gLrKo2IcP7aHnejb4kaMDt__U6SZ8xfx5RpRuhl53IAJg9oS5UrNFyl-J_Ls6DE10KzCjMxugoefJnNCjJ-Jb8Eei4A0i1TcV2cdE5vrEafmSifqyIkuz_fEORX41qkFSpVELFPdX5ccHmy1/s320/June%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250328098/?coliid=IA4GXGOFZLI0M&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Just Some Stupid Love Story</a></i></b> by Katelyn Doyle (June 4)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250322731/?coliid=I22KHUQDTQ18MS&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Dead Tired</a></i></b> by Kat Ailes (June 4)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1fZwkzerOsfPTm2iIjvS9UhC-cQp0vDdptIEnVbevZ2WT_kkWxGFMDQc-CGEfnbT6om8aS9F93YEP88L8uIRVREEkIOyXabCXTiUv9UAJlfjpIZVKxH7zrwd47K26MrHmYkT7nXRwj9ijGbnDFQEiifXjdp-fzR-7y2FR2U1XonqKBRbVTpuec_yxMhI/s762/June%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="762" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1fZwkzerOsfPTm2iIjvS9UhC-cQp0vDdptIEnVbevZ2WT_kkWxGFMDQc-CGEfnbT6om8aS9F93YEP88L8uIRVREEkIOyXabCXTiUv9UAJlfjpIZVKxH7zrwd47K26MrHmYkT7nXRwj9ijGbnDFQEiifXjdp-fzR-7y2FR2U1XonqKBRbVTpuec_yxMhI/w400-h185/June%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639106626/?coliid=I2F15A2RWRLHH&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets</a></i></b> by Kate Khavari (June 4)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639106197/?coliid=I3SZZ14E98FD27&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Smoke and Mirrors</a></i></b> by M. E. Hilliard (June 4)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608096092/?coliid=I3NC5Y6UZ1KJBK&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Don't Ask, Don't Follow</a></i></b> by Mary Keliikoa (June 4)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWfgz1IudySopdUXK6q7_y6GcCwL2w971puGSI7iXnSQUQQR3FVPJX8UqTbLkj0nnAXluH4BZrr6oBdq1Y9DMqis6E_tHEEcl57sKQge6jrULeunEMf1JYfgqS9U-fPxEwqg0UJYbfNq2kLAbQ7SjKLwqG2py2vniEcsHnSnYp7IQYZ9lqxxDTkFdKtZr/s497/June%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="497" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWfgz1IudySopdUXK6q7_y6GcCwL2w971puGSI7iXnSQUQQR3FVPJX8UqTbLkj0nnAXluH4BZrr6oBdq1Y9DMqis6E_tHEEcl57sKQge6jrULeunEMf1JYfgqS9U-fPxEwqg0UJYbfNq2kLAbQ7SjKLwqG2py2vniEcsHnSnYp7IQYZ9lqxxDTkFdKtZr/s320/June%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250907616/?coliid=I16LJCWUJ2B60&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Nature of Disappearing</a></i></b> by Kimi Cunningham Grant (June 18)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639106669/?coliid=I2IW3SFRICG60E&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Collection of Lies</a></i></b> by Connie Berry (June 18)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">July</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIroVXRayEB73fq-4nVreUrWEShY3L7WOZ5q2pFcgTTHbEIDDbCA7iXSloXTj-fKZFkQtwlBkan-MQ1MDiHCpXkUde0M5Rx0_EdMVwYNNoU2x132fp7xwqftu2EgKRYP-oeQ-zn6TXxoPl5lhfLMFwCfD87J9KVj_cwxV_mbLamnL4EoBkihaPGmM7rIk/s758/July%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="758" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIroVXRayEB73fq-4nVreUrWEShY3L7WOZ5q2pFcgTTHbEIDDbCA7iXSloXTj-fKZFkQtwlBkan-MQ1MDiHCpXkUde0M5Rx0_EdMVwYNNoU2x132fp7xwqftu2EgKRYP-oeQ-zn6TXxoPl5lhfLMFwCfD87J9KVj_cwxV_mbLamnL4EoBkihaPGmM7rIk/w400-h186/July%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250324475/?coliid=IJ3C8EWCA0FV3&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Dog Day Afternoon</a></i></b> by David Rosenfelt (July 2)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250781116/?coliid=I2RBLTME3BN9OG&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Burning</a></i></b> by Linda Castillo (July 9)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250848091/?coliid=I13MOBGMI18I0M&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Shades of Mercy</a></i></b> by Bruce Borgos (July 16)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPnfN7qzOQt_0CBq6Y7iZdiJfGVQZqZqv72jwJvzlJabulH7mdS3dnBxtxiwIMeE6ilWi39WeIESlru2MbRGIH4hrtdCHbsv-8WJgyUQU74hbi1nabkF1wcsS0Qn-ugu_g53SXazvwdrq7JPNpA6ERe_PC717JiyQd239GaaziLW4zKXOEeBD6sD7KE7D/s497/July%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="497" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPnfN7qzOQt_0CBq6Y7iZdiJfGVQZqZqv72jwJvzlJabulH7mdS3dnBxtxiwIMeE6ilWi39WeIESlru2MbRGIH4hrtdCHbsv-8WJgyUQU74hbi1nabkF1wcsS0Qn-ugu_g53SXazvwdrq7JPNpA6ERe_PC717JiyQd239GaaziLW4zKXOEeBD6sD7KE7D/s320/July%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593598873/?coliid=I36V4G7Q0WH28S&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Lost Story</a></i></b> by Meg Shaffer (July 16)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250904218/?coliid=I1T53J93PVPOSS&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Trouble in Queenstown</a></i></b> by Delia Pitts (July 16)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh13fMUc02kgljOUnnLNJJBDvEMMx4iYQ3naXP2_a0CqZMi8r5dWVE18u3IcY1AFhwE45h0wMPKF3Xun4qr1xyk4dsEFtwsVc0COWU6GGwgCKf50kat2GYny1Un7gShmfYJCNDUFvDk6omgSDXCKZo1K5ThdoIvFu-1bKzDQSvnAeQCVRKRkARElM0F0J/s761/July%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="761" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh13fMUc02kgljOUnnLNJJBDvEMMx4iYQ3naXP2_a0CqZMi8r5dWVE18u3IcY1AFhwE45h0wMPKF3Xun4qr1xyk4dsEFtwsVc0COWU6GGwgCKf50kat2GYny1Un7gShmfYJCNDUFvDk6omgSDXCKZo1K5ThdoIvFu-1bKzDQSvnAeQCVRKRkARElM0F0J/w400-h188/July%203.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250283205/?coliid=I1CYABXDQVVPMB&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">One Big Happy Family</a></i></b> by Jamie Day (July 16)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639108211/?coliid=I2YD3O9TBQAQ7W&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Last Line</a></i></b> by Scott Lyerly (July 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250284023/?coliid=I38MGGZH90FYS0&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish</a></i></b> by Paula Brackston (July 23)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmmXHbQjzZe5QPDnrG2tCvlAhX0ZIHH8mSGQ0XV2Qw-mwy_XH5_xidFj8HjRPGhi540rZ1xjYbfngqJMCkMkXBkF4BS53xEkQfp6N110bL2jumcYvgR26okCba7rfKFwfvEdxzYeqLSmo4ZL3UmsN0WcSI94tuSgJBc58JjPrCRUvWEADHFU-tTft0kZH/s497/July%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="497" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmmXHbQjzZe5QPDnrG2tCvlAhX0ZIHH8mSGQ0XV2Qw-mwy_XH5_xidFj8HjRPGhi540rZ1xjYbfngqJMCkMkXBkF4BS53xEkQfp6N110bL2jumcYvgR26okCba7rfKFwfvEdxzYeqLSmo4ZL3UmsN0WcSI94tuSgJBc58JjPrCRUvWEADHFU-tTft0kZH/s320/July%204.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/163910819X/?coliid=I1Y9A20IR8EYPN&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">There's No Murder Like Show Murder</a></i></b> by M. S. Greene (July 23)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/059348505X/?coliid=I13NBHGB7Y3YHE&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Such Charming Liars</a></i></b> by Karen M. McManus (July 30)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">August</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsba_fyxGfIBg9J7bYFd85UtdqmRfrGypXa788YYTL6KjZ5XSK3nxTdob5aY7-gPWhftB9JD5UrshIfD_OQJVbfx__QXf7hDCguU-Lvl1tk3PwHuWeNBUFNTmvKOIg3ZuqOgOMpUq3rdbW2Lp0m5lJ8kPiTigT2HprSO5khL-8V-1YGYdC5-8ESIbTVZN/s758/August%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="758" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsba_fyxGfIBg9J7bYFd85UtdqmRfrGypXa788YYTL6KjZ5XSK3nxTdob5aY7-gPWhftB9JD5UrshIfD_OQJVbfx__QXf7hDCguU-Lvl1tk3PwHuWeNBUFNTmvKOIg3ZuqOgOMpUq3rdbW2Lp0m5lJ8kPiTigT2HprSO5khL-8V-1YGYdC5-8ESIbTVZN/w400-h186/August%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250826624/?coliid=I1IK57510H97WC&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Agony Hill</a></i></b> by Sarah Stewart Taylor (August 6)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/166804577X/?coliid=I2ZQ7KMRZ6TZBB&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Strange Folk</a></i></b> by Alli Dyer (August 6)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639108475/?coliid=I1WWFPRQTMTWI3&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Poisonous Palate</a></i></b> by Lucy Burdette (August 6)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuaBEnord43evB7vZdWlhqRujSVCD2LUV41m_Cn6eWpkPskndIVImiwhAeqiYcaJKjBQKHI2-F55GFs7HW-Moh6R0CDvDz_0fFtfoTwtlfKRgxISNCZY6Y669DUmYoF8os5V4MgCLPcrgiWupxLQ6A1oNQofA8VHRepvPQZ4zvHwbXfezFcVqdRN3YUw2/s757/August%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="757" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuaBEnord43evB7vZdWlhqRujSVCD2LUV41m_Cn6eWpkPskndIVImiwhAeqiYcaJKjBQKHI2-F55GFs7HW-Moh6R0CDvDz_0fFtfoTwtlfKRgxISNCZY6Y669DUmYoF8os5V4MgCLPcrgiWupxLQ6A1oNQofA8VHRepvPQZ4zvHwbXfezFcVqdRN3YUw2/w400-h188/August%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668008033/?coliid=I2HZ7YKH91JCH0&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">I Need You to Read This</a></i></b> by Jessa Maxwell (August 13)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593638581/?coliid=I34B1AL5DH9CTG&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Buried Too Deep</a></i></b> by Karen Rose (August 13)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639108416/?coliid=IKHECPVXXGAZH&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Scandal in Mayfair</a></i></b> by Katharine Schellman (August 20)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYuvJ-p-71EMoJ4SrE0kqp19fVGQLDEWt-sBKkqydF-1jEHS9gaFwzUTe7zleI-ZPNfunkooH58Gh1Oa7yV5vTJAWGoARAkiRNdA4lmhVAH1gdX-EOhhg3s20RmOuax1mKaqafyly2XS-eG6vks_dctNMj460kEAHxB0lrebZ64fq_FIMWc1TdZy7S1Q7/s502/August%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="502" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYuvJ-p-71EMoJ4SrE0kqp19fVGQLDEWt-sBKkqydF-1jEHS9gaFwzUTe7zleI-ZPNfunkooH58Gh1Oa7yV5vTJAWGoARAkiRNdA4lmhVAH1gdX-EOhhg3s20RmOuax1mKaqafyly2XS-eG6vks_dctNMj460kEAHxB0lrebZ64fq_FIMWc1TdZy7S1Q7/s320/August%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639108513/?coliid=I19YHR8H8RKSQC&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Jig Is Up</a></i></b> by Lisa Q. Mathews (August 20)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639100709/?coliid=I22V0DBSRLLR94&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">In the Event of Murder</a></i></b> by Cynthia Kuhn (August 20)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">September</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm0A5QCh1LlNH8jVIgtZm63NqH7HB18I-fhnD_YWzi5pR7wMwp4-STfWmxzJ6MJE-T1Pz8yIK0fTk3krH6Xd8B4Iz-YkNdeJnN8wOzsJWEELuEUkaBHmwiEgFYh-NcDziNALopUxeQPoEYsOGDvx3FO4zK-o2F7ROoCUAf3HZZMWcRJ3yL7JMjspiDPsv/s497/September%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="497" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm0A5QCh1LlNH8jVIgtZm63NqH7HB18I-fhnD_YWzi5pR7wMwp4-STfWmxzJ6MJE-T1Pz8yIK0fTk3krH6Xd8B4Iz-YkNdeJnN8wOzsJWEELuEUkaBHmwiEgFYh-NcDziNALopUxeQPoEYsOGDvx3FO4zK-o2F7ROoCUAf3HZZMWcRJ3yL7JMjspiDPsv/s320/September%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662513984/?coliid=I19CU2LYVTRS30&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Reaping</a></i></b> by Jess Lourey (September 3)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1662519877/?coliid=I1OCIXFCX3BKN7&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Pike Island</a></i></b> by Tony Wirt (September 10)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9xydED0ESysYnR2RZx-XVG7c1nIPe-Sl7uJzVCxK2O6B-6aEruPP6ktDb-t3UQGC4usGCFD69Jrsw4mdf6OD_-3xs93nd_NOUsc1enHEQ9aE01tfEpHD_K5tdC20ZX1LZvXE5GwcrerFpCMIabd6TQtNe3lZCCmYhe_op8RhIriNiFI0ioSwYvhKm7Kf/s497/September%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="497" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9xydED0ESysYnR2RZx-XVG7c1nIPe-Sl7uJzVCxK2O6B-6aEruPP6ktDb-t3UQGC4usGCFD69Jrsw4mdf6OD_-3xs93nd_NOUsc1enHEQ9aE01tfEpHD_K5tdC20ZX1LZvXE5GwcrerFpCMIabd6TQtNe3lZCCmYhe_op8RhIriNiFI0ioSwYvhKm7Kf/s320/September%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/163910643X/?coliid=I1HZXPMVAVZYB8&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">A Killer Clue</a></i></b> by Victoria Gilbert (September 24)</li><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250359309/?coliid=I1C2NS3OLMP400&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">The Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco</a></i></b> by Michelle Chouinard (September 24)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">October</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOOzPaV7R-1GowygFpbQ80FlRgYPUIpPs0oEf13CHhkUS83DYr7ilmjsFl9qxR8dMvCgVA4PPWP4FNHI4lS9aL6XyXyz6GvnSGpenCe5bKe7Mq7QWrKMjUF8KKtabPCUpGoHU4FTQ-oc9E6oO8Ox7rhpn2U7g73mjHVNDnEKUCGICTlE4gdPJlnWE2beY/s356/October.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOOzPaV7R-1GowygFpbQ80FlRgYPUIpPs0oEf13CHhkUS83DYr7ilmjsFl9qxR8dMvCgVA4PPWP4FNHI4lS9aL6XyXyz6GvnSGpenCe5bKe7Mq7QWrKMjUF8KKtabPCUpGoHU4FTQ-oc9E6oO8Ox7rhpn2U7g73mjHVNDnEKUCGICTlE4gdPJlnWE2beY/w133-h200/October.png" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639108947/?coliid=IKK8JK0RZB0Q3&colid=1SMP4MX7CGR2X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Gathering Mist</a></i></b> by Margaret Mizushima (October 8)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwPOhML41Hwp9_NrIOEFThhai371XJ5OvG7WZQkBwvWDu7eRRyhpxfGZLwDmchY25Qmm0iCHDE7B9KE3zX9rl7ubdJuKAC0SJ4hyphenhyphen-8SnD5q2kdkaQvzlR07OO0FniMgEgxdsilBwR9mXIc6_yI6McJM-jZWgRNQVWCKKzLzxmB90GlXwN0k5746vcPgNY/s102/New%20Kathy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="102" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwPOhML41Hwp9_NrIOEFThhai371XJ5OvG7WZQkBwvWDu7eRRyhpxfGZLwDmchY25Qmm0iCHDE7B9KE3zX9rl7ubdJuKAC0SJ4hyphenhyphen-8SnD5q2kdkaQvzlR07OO0FniMgEgxdsilBwR9mXIc6_yI6McJM-jZWgRNQVWCKKzLzxmB90GlXwN0k5746vcPgNY/s1600/New%20Kathy.png" width="102" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-76841287421742024622024-03-01T06:30:00.042-06:002024-03-01T06:30:00.239-06:00Friday Memes: Kris Longknife: Commanding by Mike Shepherd<p> Happy Friday!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQnVttuyZNP1WaaaC_ZDKstzzmkM0ZtoE364y1j67T8vYBIsWyYnfdLGhgAyUnSc-IuLjLC93V9LsWH40NdUMl6Te2CAy_xKbkoayvOHKKe-5itaKd0OuNCjTej8t6KYYQGjiPvWQ4FgsS7-Pxp-ZjARE9HuPK2y6l-XOsYry5QRLnwhgdo4F-3kqnfNi/s718/BB.Button.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="718" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQnVttuyZNP1WaaaC_ZDKstzzmkM0ZtoE364y1j67T8vYBIsWyYnfdLGhgAyUnSc-IuLjLC93V9LsWH40NdUMl6Te2CAy_xKbkoayvOHKKe-5itaKd0OuNCjTej8t6KYYQGjiPvWQ4FgsS7-Pxp-ZjARE9HuPK2y6l-XOsYry5QRLnwhgdo4F-3kqnfNi/s320/BB.Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Book Beginnings</b> is hosted by Gillion at <a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank">Rose City Reader</a>. 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. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-W9nULgq22FLkxuHmqDwbkBSatNfTrf6ceqtLnqa4W2pp5c92gV_whpoRtZ8waACHFJQAp9rYe1Fi8-pWErp14xVVkN4bja6VpKP7UWjcklhb-U1k3pIVFKPYqm0jnlourBmHqpl4wTpdulDPFEe7KuGhWiH1StxKjMlaxe-XLfb0avbupMvqJDvCWg3/s560/First%20Line%20Friday.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-W9nULgq22FLkxuHmqDwbkBSatNfTrf6ceqtLnqa4W2pp5c92gV_whpoRtZ8waACHFJQAp9rYe1Fi8-pWErp14xVVkN4bja6VpKP7UWjcklhb-U1k3pIVFKPYqm0jnlourBmHqpl4wTpdulDPFEe7KuGhWiH1StxKjMlaxe-XLfb0avbupMvqJDvCWg3/s320/First%20Line%20Friday.png" width="320" /></a></div><div>Carrie at <a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">Reading Is My Superpower.org</a> 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. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" target="_blank">Freda's Voice.</a> 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. <a href="https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I think this link will get you to the correct place</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Beginning:</b></div><div><blockquote>Grand Admiral, Her Royal Highness Kris Longknife of Wardhaven stood at attention. </blockquote></div><div><b>Friday 56:</b></div><div><blockquote>Kris bowed her head from the neck for a moment. "It is an honor to see such an eminent advisor to the Emperor and wise leader to such a mighty clan," she said, modifying the Iteeche greeting she'd been given. She wasn't worshiping the Emperor. Granmpa Ray would never go along with that.</blockquote></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/91wOP1d+QML._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/91wOP1d+QML._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>This week I am spotlighting <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kris-Longknife-Commanding-Mike-Shepherd-ebook/dp/B07BC89H8X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2THKELL3GV599&keywords=kris+lonknife+commanding&qid=1704324116&sprefix=kris+longknife+commanding%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Kris Longknife: Commanding</a></i></b> by Mike Shepherd which is the 17th of a 19-book series of space operas. I hope to finish this series this month. Here is the description from Amazon:<blockquote>Grand Admiral, Her Royal Highness Kris Longknife is up to her ears in problems . . . again.<br /><br />While summoned to the Imperial Iteeche Court to be humanity’s Emissary, it turns out that what the Iteeche really want is a fighting admiral!<br /><br />You see, they’ve got this huge civil war going, and the Imperial side isn’t doing so well. Kris now has command of the entire Imperial Combined Fleet. Sort of.<br /><br />The Iteeche Empire has a ten-thousand-year long history. There is nothing that won’t say, “We’ve always done it that way,” pointing to a track record lasting for thousands of years. Even when Kris reminds them they’re losing, many have a hard time changing.<br /><br />Many Iteeche also wonder if letting a human win this war for them isn’t losing everything already.<br /><br />Kris managed to win a defensive battle with a scratch force. Now she’s thrown together a larger force and is ready to take the fight to the rebels.<br /><br />It’s full speed ahead with Kris Longknife: Commanding.</blockquote><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcI2or5iRRlppYnQ-zJXIs5TwIrtKdpjUmtjX9EXmITg-iptiVesjF8k2Xv4P38kVtZivsFfO2ynpzH7OVPUkzkAN7XmBnLt2b0OzZ1V9zF88Ejz2-IedK4hUq8dyoEd1O3v-wYeRYl6Z-uQWAK4PU-Wo3CW6th54whM4Czgl32Y_hyphenhyphen6F_mc5CHClHlr_k/s102/New%20Kathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="102" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcI2or5iRRlppYnQ-zJXIs5TwIrtKdpjUmtjX9EXmITg-iptiVesjF8k2Xv4P38kVtZivsFfO2ynpzH7OVPUkzkAN7XmBnLt2b0OzZ1V9zF88Ejz2-IedK4hUq8dyoEd1O3v-wYeRYl6Z-uQWAK4PU-Wo3CW6th54whM4Czgl32Y_hyphenhyphen6F_mc5CHClHlr_k/s1600/New%20Kathy.png" width="102" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-24366419871471855272024-02-29T11:00:00.049-06:002024-02-29T11:00:00.234-06:00Audiobook Review: Changes by Mercedes Lackey<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61N1kOp0DXL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61N1kOp0DXL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Changes</span><br />Author: </b>Mercedes Lackey<br /><b>Narrator: </b>Nick Podehl<br /><b>Series: </b>Collegium Chronicles (Book 3)<br /><b>Publication: </b>Brilliance Audio (October 4, 2011)<br /><b>Length:</b> 10 hours and 48 minutes<br /><br /><b>Description:</b> Mags was a Trainee in the Heraldic Collegium in Haven, Valdemar’s capital city. Though his background of poverty and abuse at Cole Pieters’ gem mine set him apart from most other trainees, nonetheless he had found his own group of friends. Bear, Lena, and Amily were all students whose situations in life set them apart from more usual Trainees. The four of them had found mutual support in their shared misfortunes, and together struggled to help one another find solutions to their individual problems<br /><br />But Mags’ friendship with Amily brought him to the attention of the King’s Own. The seemingly immortal Companion Rolan had Chosen Nikolas to suit the specific needs of the current monarch, and those needs were for an agent who could collect information surreptitiously. Nikolas recognized the same traits in Mags that Rolan had recognized in him, and because of Mags’ friendship with Amily, no one would think twice about seeing her overprotective father spending time with Amily’s “suitor”. So Mags began training as Nikolas’ partner.<br /><br />They worked in disguise at night with Mags as Nikolas’ deaf and mute helper, where his extensive knowledge of gems - especially his skill at separating the real from the fake - would be an added benefit. Hiding in the shadows behind the desk, pretending to neither hear nor speak, Mags could better “observe” the clients, and even the surrounding neighborhood. And Nikolas could send him out on “errands” to chase down leads.<br /><br />But this new job was far more dangerous than Mags had ever considered. For there were mysterious agents in the city - agents who sought to bring down the kingdom, and no one knew where they came from or who they worked for. They were smart, talented, and preternaturally fast. And most of all they were willing to do anything - anything - to bring Valdemar to ruin.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> In the third book of the Collegium Chronicles, Mags is beginning his career as the King's spy by working with his mentor King's Own Nikolas in a pawn shop down in the town with is Nikolas's cover to find out things happening. Mags is playing a deaf mute boy with a talent for knowing gems and the ability to separate the fake and the real.<div><br /></div><div>But there are still agents in town who want to bring Valdemar down and finding them soon becomes the focus of their work. Though Mags can't penetrate their shields, he is able to locate them if they get near enough to him. However, they are smart and talented and have an agenda that is still hidden from the Heralds. </div><div><br /></div><div>Foreseers have dreamed that they would like to disrupt the kingdom by kidnapping the King's Own's daughter Amily who is crippled after an accident she had as a small child. Amily and Mags are courting and Mags is very determined to keep Amily safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bear and some other healers have come up with a procedure to fix Amily's damaged leg but the threat from the agents has made them put off the procedure which Amily hates. It is especially bad because no one is telling her or Mags or any but a small circle why the procedure is being delayed. </div><div><br /></div><div>And tempers are rising even as the summer heat does. There are so many fights and arguments breaking out that no one knows what to do. Mags, Lena, Amily and Bear aren't spared the arguments either. Lena and Bear are falling in love but both have unresolved parent issues. Lena's is a bard who only notices her when he wants something from her and Bear's family has no respect for his talents since he doesn't have the healing gift. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was another excellent episode in the Collegium Chronicles. The worldbuilding is great. I am enjoying watching Mags and his friends grow up and claim their new adult responsibilities. <br /><br />I bought this one from Chirp Audiobooks. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Changes-Collegium-Chronicles-Book-3/dp/B005SA5LV0/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here.</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-7382716689444270102024-02-29T06:30:00.093-06:002024-02-29T10:49:33.347-06:00ARC Review: A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams<a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81QHDMO7zNL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81QHDMO7zNL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Deadly Endeavor</span></b><br /><b>Author:</b> Jenny Adams<br /><b>Series: </b>A Deadly Twenties Mystery (Book 1)<br /><b>Publication:</b> Crooked Lane Books (March 5, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: A serial killer is on the loose in Jazz Age Philadelphia in Jenny Adams’ debut historical mystery, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Rhys Bowen.<br /><br />Philadelphia, 1921.</b> When Edie Shippen returns home after spending years in California recovering from Influenza, she’s shocked to discover that her childhood sweetheart is engaged to her twin sister. Heartbroken and adrift, Edie vows to begin living her life as a modern woman—and to hell with anyone who gets in her way. But as young women start to disappear from the city, her newfound independence begins to feel dangerous.<br /><br />Gilbert Lawless returned home from the Great War a shell of his former self. He hides away in the office of Philadelphia’s Coroner, content to keep to himself until a gruesome series of corpses come into the morgue. And when his sister, Lizzie, goes missing, he risks his career to beg help from the one person Lizzie seemed to trust: her employer, Edie Shippen.<br /><br />Fearing the worst, Edie and Gilbert desperately search for clues. It soon becomes clear that Lizzie’s disappearance is connected to the deaths rocking the City of Brotherly Love...and it’s only a matter of time until the killer strikes again.<br /><br />With a lush Roaring Twenties setting and a wickedly smart sleuth to cheer for, <i>A Deadly Endeavor</i> is the perfect puzzling romp for fans of <i>Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries</i>.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>It is 1921 in Philadelphia and Edie Shippen has come home from California after recovering from the influenza that killer her mother and almost killed her. Her only souvenir is migraine headaches. <div><br /></div><div>Gilbert Lawless has come home from fighting in World War I with severe shell shock which he is treating with heroin. He is working as a doctor at the morgue and raising his four-year-old daughter after the death in childbirth of his wife. </div><div><br /></div><div>The two come together while investigating the same problem. There is a serial killer taking young women. One of the Shippen household maids has disappeared as has one of Edie's cousins. Then Edie's maid, this one Gilbert's sister, disappears. The police were quick to right off the first maid's disappearance but the disappearance of young women from the highest class isn't so easy to write off. </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, Gilbert has been dealing with the bodies of young women found near the river with a variety of injuries. All of them have evidence of being strangled and have strange marks on their wrists and ankles. But the first body is missing its head, the second is missing all of her internal organs, the third has been skinned, and the fourth is missing her eyes and tongue. </div><div><br /></div><div>Edie is determined to find her maid and Gilbert to find his sister. Their search takes them to the underbelly of Philadelphia with meetings with gangsters and an illicit boxing match before they determine that the killer is someone much closer to Edie's home and life. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was an engaging story which stars two people who are damaged in various ways as a result of World War I and the influenza epidemic. I liked that Edie was trying to live her own life despite the pressure to be a safe, soft socialite. I liked Gilbert's struggles with his shell shock and his determination to give his daughter a good life. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div><blockquote>And Edie...Edie didn't know what she wanted, other than to feel like she deserved the life she had. To feel like she'd earned a second chance. To feel...anything. Anything other than anger and guilt and so much damn sadness, the kind that threatened to drown her every time she closed her eyes.</blockquote>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Endeavor-Novel-Jenny-Adams/dp/1639106952/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35NDIF27ADPNF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.T_BDULahOWNmsjxCsB0l3eEbw_51hNQctcBT4w2Y7aWj3miPwCQm9AROHFxwqT94nZrKrZqkWC6XPBMVSkCHFQ.4SPbZhNvXcJXJEPstuoDRvVv3gBLzqJKIRrLd6fcBdQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=deadly+endeavor&qid=1703695511&s=books&sprefix=deadly+endeavor%2Cstripbooks%2C126&sr=1-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-80507138553757288862024-02-28T06:30:00.124-06:002024-02-28T06:30:00.161-06:00ARC Review: Cirque du Slay by Rob Osler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81hRHy5+uEL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81hRHy5+uEL._SY466_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cirque du Slay</span></b><br />Author: Rob Osler<br /><b>Publication:</b> Crooked Lane Books (March 5, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: In this rollicking mystery, perfect for fans of Steven Rowley and Elle Cosimano, the circus becomes the stage for a high-profile murder investigation.<br /><br />With quirky LGBTQ+ amateur sleuths, <i>Cirque du Slay</i> will delight readers looking for a madcap mystery with high-flying excitement!</b><br /><br />Pint-sized Seattle middle school teacher and gay dating blogger Hayden McCall and his best friend Hollister are invited to a fundraiser for Bakers Without Borders. The celebrity performer, Kennedy Osaka, is the artistic director of Mysterium, an upscale circus arts show combining magic, acrobatics, and a Michelin-star dinner. But Kennedy is a no-show—until she’s found dead in her hotel suite.<br /><br />When frenemy Sarah Lee is discovered in the room with the body, Hayden and Hollister are on the case to find the real culprit before Sarah Lee is charged with the crime.<br /><br />The suspects for the murder are as unique as Mysterium itself: a Russian trapeze artist, a cowgirl comedian sharp-shooter, an over-cologned operations director, a feisty, green-haired costume manager, and Adrenalin!, a sexy troop of Romanian male acrobats...If Hayden and Hollister are to clear Sarah Lee of suspicion, they’ll have to outsmart a killer for whom trickery is art.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> This is a quirky LGBTQ+ mystery filled with entertaining characters. Hayden McCall and his best friend Hollister are drawn into solving another mystery when Sarah Lee, a frenemy of Hayden's, is accused of murdering magician Kennedy Osaka. <div><br /></div><div>The story is centered around Mysterium which is a traveling circus show featuring a variety of acts and including a Michelin-star dinner. Kennedy Osaka is the new star and artistic director for the show. Kennedy is an old college friend of Sarah Lee's. Kennedy had promised to perform at an event Sarah Lee is hosting. She doesn't show up which sends her to Kennedy's hotel in a raging temper. Next thing she knows she arrested standing of the corpse with dressmaker's sheers in her hands and no memory of what happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hayden is a pint-sized, gay middle school teacher who also writes a column about gay dating. He's not much for putting himself out there. Hollister is a lesbian Black furniture designer who's fearless and imposing and Hayden's best friend. She's good at pushing him into situations that take him out of his comfort zone. This happens a lot in this case as they investigate the various acts at Mysterium to figure out who wanted Kennedy dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are lots of suspects from fellow performers Kit, who has a comedy sharpshooting act, and Yazminka Smilova, a trapeze artist whose father owns the show. To Sasha Smilov who is Yazminka's brother and the manager of the show and Zell who does the costumes. Also included as suspects with one being a new crush for Hayden are a troupe of Romanian acrobats.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was an entertaining mystery told by Hayden. I liked the diverse cast of characters which includes a new friend in transgender lawyer Jess Gemalto who looks enough like Hayden to be his twin. The story was filled with humor and lots of heart and had a nice lashing of danger for our main characters. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div></div><blockquote><div>"The plan is simple," Hollister explained. "We find the sick and twisted psycho who murdered Kennedy Osaka. Do we really need to go over that again?"</div><div><br /></div><div>I turned from the mirror, where I was working my hair into the suggestion of a part. "That's the <i>objective</i>. I'm talking about the <i>plan</i>."</div></blockquote><div>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cirque-du-Slay-Rob-Osler/dp/1639106472/ref=sr_1_1?crid=A8HRQGBQLOTY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dr_9o0hTRT_ublDVwJD9wQ.Fgq4DRcBVTzfXHpSIP7eeR_YhTYDyfO0FVrdUKa2OWQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=cirque+du+slay+by+rob+osler&qid=1703695976&s=books&sprefix=cirque+du+slay%2Cstripbooks%2C141&sr=1-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-68037220461633566812024-02-27T11:00:00.083-06:002024-02-27T11:00:00.247-06:00ARC Review: Speculations in Sin by Jennifer Ashley<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81sQ8K4G35L._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81sQ8K4G35L._SY466_.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>Speculations in Sin</span><br />Author:</b> Jennifer Ashley<br /><b>Series: </b>A Below Stairs Mystery (Book 7)<br /><b>Publication: </b>Berkley (March 5, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: To save an innocent man’s life, amateur sleuth and cook Kat Holloway must expose a financial scam that could ruin the most powerful aristocrats in Victorian-era London, from the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Secret of Bow Lane</i>.rev<br /></b><br />Kat Holloway is distressed to learn that Samuel Millburn, husband of the woman who looks after her daughter, has been accused of embezzling funds from the bank where he works as a clerk. The accusation is absurd, and Samuel’s wife fears that her husband will not only lose his post but be imprisoned. Kat vows to uncover the truth.<br /><br />When she discovers the bank is involved in shockingly murky business dealings, Kat realizes she’s treading in dangerous waters. She turns to her confidante and handsome suitor, Daniel McAdam, for help. To exonerate Samuel, Kat and Daniel may have to expose the unseemly financial dealings of prominent aristocrats and government officials, and even those working to bring down the royal family. Kat will risk everything to protect the man who has sacrificed so much for her daughter, even if it means endangering herself and the friends she has come to love.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts: </b>In the seventh Below Stairs mystery, cook Kat Holliday needs to prove that her best friend Joanna's husband didn't embezzle from his work at a bank or murder the chief clerk. The stakes are high. Joanna and Sam Millburn have been providing a home for Kat's daughter for many years. If she can't clear Sam, the consequences will spiral into disaster not only for the Millburn family but for Kat too. <div><br /></div><div>Luckily, Kat has made a number of friends in her time in London. She'll need to call on all of them to solve this problem. She has been wary of trusting Daniel who does some mysterious work for Scotland Yard, but he has never failed her. She also needs the help of her employer's niece Lady Cynthia and Lady Cynthia's circle of influential women if she wants to learn more about the bank where Sam Millburn worked.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides the person at the bank who is framing Sam for embezzlement and murder, an old enemy of his resurfaces from his boyhood in South London and wants to draw Sam back into his circle of criminals. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was an engaging story. I love Kat's dedication to her career as a cook and the pride she takes in her work. I also love that she is starting to get over her wariness and build a new relationship with Daniel. I even enjoyed the tension felt by the working class who are just one short step away from economic disaster. Kat's viewpoint makes the danger very clear and real. <br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div></div><blockquote><div>He'd said not many moments ago that we needed to find joy in the small corners of life. I decided to savor this moment, of Daniel and me sitting at the table together in the quiet of the night, basking in each other's company. The circle of lamplight shut out the darkness, and the glowing stove pushed aside the cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this slice of time, happiness prevailed, in a warm sanctuary that the howling terrors of the world cold not invade.</div></blockquote><div>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Speculations-Sin-Below-Stairs-Mystery/dp/0593549910/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SYRXTDCI7IAZ&keywords=9780593549919&qid=1707151337&sprefix=9780593549919%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here.</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296085041548446688.post-69498158967981668522024-02-27T06:30:00.083-06:002024-02-27T14:28:01.656-06:00ARC Review: The Unquiet Bones by Loreth Anne White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61nuxy4fMjL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61nuxy4fMjL._SY466_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Unquiet Bones</span></b><br /><b>Author: </b>Loreth Anne White<br /><b>Publication:</b> Montlake (March 5, 2024)<br /><br /><b>Description: A shocking discovery of human bones reopens an almost fifty-year-old cold case―and rips apart the lives of a group of friends―in a riveting novel by Loreth Anne White, the Amazon Charts and <i>Washington Post</i> bestselling author of <i>The Maid’s Diary</i>.</b><br /><br />When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen.<br /><br />Homicide detective Jane Munro―pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life―hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl’s family. But for a group of Annalise’s old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago.<br /><br />The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other?<br /><br />The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body―that of the boy long blamed for Annalise’s disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b> In THE UNQUIET BONES a cold case is finally solved after bones are discovered under a chapel at a ski resort. <div><br /></div><div>Sargeant Jane Munro has been transferred to Cold Cases after an emotional outburst at work. She's dealing with a fiancé who went missing while hiking and an unexpected pregnancy. She feels that she is in limbo and can't move forward or back. </div><div><br /></div><div>The bones prove to be those of a fifteen-year-old girl named Annalise Jansen who went missing Labor Day Weekend in 1976. The body was preserved in such a way that her torso wasn't skeletonized leading to the information that she was three months pregnant at the time of her death. There's the possibility of getting fetal DNA to help identify the father. </div><div><br /></div><div>As Jane reopens the almost fifty-year-old case, she begins to reinterview witnesses from the time Annalise went missing. Jane also learns that a young man named Darryl went missing the same night. It was thought at the time that they ran off together. Darryl's reputation had been trashed at the time leaving only his father and sister to mourn him. His disappearance didn't get as much media play since a black young man wasn't as interesting as a cute and perky blond girl. </div><div><br /></div><div>The story talks about the aftereffects of an unexplained disappearance on those who were left behind. Annalise's parents seem frozen in time fearing even to leave their house lest they be gone should Annalise return. Her best friends, who are all keeping secrets of varying kinds, have built successful lives that could be destroyed if their parts in her disappearance are ever discovered. And the young, ambitious news reporter who is eager to capitalize on the discovery of Annalise's remains also has her life changed by the experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a fast-paced thriller told from multiple viewpoints. I was intrigued by the story.<br /><br /><b>Favorite Quote:</b><div><blockquote>Perhaps a part of each one of them has always been locked in the autumn of 1976. In the amber of time. A limbo - or prison - for their lies. Neither heaven or hell. All waiting in one way or another for that knock to come on their doors. Waiting for justice to finally find them. Fearing it.</blockquote>I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Bones-Loreth-Anne-White/dp/154203857X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IHY0RRINFWEC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fS6hLevkXqDZSNgJdwH3SsgXVnpx7o_O2zQLJzhrW4LGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.sRZC02xlokMe7RKMugV3nuQaBYDXlEjhcMyZqlEQ0FI&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+unquiet+bones+white&qid=1703697044&s=books&sprefix=the+unquiet+bones%2Cstripbooks%2C129&sr=1-1" target="_blank">You can buy your copy here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="114" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HmZVeucfpIA/WWEEfOoX3BI/AAAAAAAAbig/vtDwM5TjDj0e-co3Th7OWMrNUJ6tBpFUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Newest%2BKathy.png" /></a></div></div></div>Kathy Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06168003964595205125noreply@blogger.com1