ARC Review: An Unfinished Murder by Jude Deveraux

An Unfinished Murder
Author: Jude Deveraux
Series: A Medlar Mystery (Book 5)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (April 30, 2024)

Description: Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery—and it’s a killer.

Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.

With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.

As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.

My Thoughts: This story begins when Kate is given the listing for Lachlan House. When she, Sara, and Jack go to look at it, Kate is overwhelmed with memories of having spent time there as a child. Trauma had erased many of Kate's childhood memories so this ease in Lachlan House rings alarm bells for Sara and Jack.

Things escalate when they find a skeleton sealed up in a closet in the playroom and escalate more when they find one of Kate's toys stuffed with jewels in the skeleton's skull. Things become interesting when the Medlar Three, along with Kate's father Randal, decide to try to recreate the weekend party that ended with the death of the man who is now the skeleton in the closet. 

The story is filled with interesting characters, many of whom have connections with Sara, Randal, Kate and Jack, who all have their reasons to come back to a place they left twenty-five years earlier because there are secrets there. 

I enjoyed this twisty plot filled with suspicious characters. I also enjoyed a resolution to the romance between Kate and Jack which has been brewing since the first book. And we finally learn the secrets hidden in Sara's romance with Jack's grandfather. 

Favorite Quote:

"I want to be one of those TV detectives," Sara said. "In the last five minutes, they put together every word everyone has said and voila! they know who the murderer is."

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

ARC Review: Archangel's Lineage by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Lineage
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter (Book 16)
Publication: Berkley (April 23, 2024)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s dangerous and beautiful world of archangels, vampires, and mortals has never faced a threat this cataclysmic…

Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first ever year of true peace. No war. No horrors of archangelic power. No nightmares given flesh. Until…the earth beneath the Refuge begins to tremble, endangering not only angelkind’s precious and fragile young, but the very place that has held their most innocent safe for eons.

Amid the chaos, Elena’s father suffers a violent heart attack that threatens to extinguish their last chance to heal the bonds between them and make sense of the ruins of their agonizing shared history.

Even as Elena battles grief, Raphael is torn from her side by the sudden disappearance of an archangel. But worse yet is to come. An Ancestor, an angel unlike any other, stirs from his Sleep to warn the Cadre of a darkness so terrible that it causes empires to fall and civilizations to vanish.

This time, even the Cadre itself may not be able to stop a ticking clock that is counting down at frightening speed…

My Thoughts: Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first year of peace after years of horrors. However, the earth beneath the Refuge is starting to suffer from earthquakes and the Mantle which protects if from being seen by humans is fading. 

As the quakes get more pervasive and more world-wide, none of the extensive archives of the angels provide any answers. It takes the awakening of one of the ancients who has been sleeping almost since the start of time to provide a solution.

Meanwhile, Elena is dealing with her father's major heart attack and the fear that she will lose him before they can ever reconcile. As she is going through emotional trials, Raphel is dealing with one of the Cadre going into sleep and leaving his territory unsupervised which is very destabilizing in a world that is already teetering on the edge of collapse.

This story was a very emotional one and very fast-paced. The Cadre are racing to deal with a crisis that could cause the destruction of all living things on Earth while Elena deals with her emotional trauma. 

Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. 

Favorite Quote:

Some wounds didn't ever vanish; they just faded with time, until you could look at them without bleeding and breaking.

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

ARC Review: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Author: Catherine Mack
Series: The Vacation Mysteries (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (April 30, 2024)

Description: Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

"Quick, captivating, and oh-so-much-fun! This delicious mystery is as spellbinding as Knives Out."―Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of the Finlay Donovan series.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary competitors, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

My Thoughts: EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES was an interesting mystery told in a unique way. Eleanor Dash is the author of ten mystery books. She finds herself on an author tour to Italy along with some literary rivals, her sister who is her assistant, and nineteen members of her fan club including one who is her stalker. Also on the tour is Connor Smith who was with her on her first trip to Italy which led to the beginning of her writing career and her first book. He has also become the star of her series and the man who has been blackmailing her for all of those ten years. 

Since she is at the end of her publishing contract, she is determined to kill Connor off - in her books. However, it seems that someone might be trying to kill him off in real life. And maybe they want Eleanor dead too. 

While it is easy to see why a good many of the people on tour with her want Connor dead, she can't see why anyone would want her dead. But she and her fellow authors are determined to use the skills they've learned as mystery writers to figure out who want Eleanor and Connor dead. 

But then another of the authors dies and there are more questions raised. 

I thought the style of this book, which is told by Eleanor, who claims herself to be an unreliable narrator, and includes a number of footnotes was an interesting way to set up the story. I found her asides to her audience entertaining and informative too. 

Mystery lovers who want a look behind the curtain of mystery writing will especially enjoy this story. 

Favorite Quote:

I should stop trying to play detective. Because-- and I can't believe I'm saying this--I think I'm vad at it. I'm certainly not as subtle as I should be.

And that person who crashes around in books, asking everyone all the questions?

That's the person who ends up as the second victim.

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 22, 2024)

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

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

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

Other Than Reading...

I had a nice week last week. I made it to my dentist's appointment through snow flurries. The snow was melting as it hit the ground and not causing any problems. I also went out to lunch at Big Daddy's - a local hamburger joint - which happens to be next door to my dentist. 

I give my brother a gift certificate for a pizza of the month from our favorite local pizza place for Christmas. We used April's coupon on Saturday. I did fix a salad to go along with the pizza to add a little healthy food to the meal. 

I have only one book left to listen to in my In Death Rereadathon and then it is the long wait until September for the newest release. I may get to it this week, but I may save it for later. I'm trying to listen to the Lady Sherlock series since the newest book will be published June 25. I have a pending request for the ARC at NetGalley and am still hoping for approval to read it. I also want to continue to listen to a series of science fiction books I read earlier. The new one in that series is being released July 2. 

I am reading a book from my TBR mountain right now. I've had it since 2010 and it is a bit of a slow read. I don't read as many paranormal romances as I used to and am having trouble getting back into the genre. I need to finish it or abandon it TODAY.

Next week is free of any sort of appointment. I should have a lot of time for reading and listening -- and watching my Atlanta Braves play baseball.

Read Last Week

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Mine) -- Begins a series of contemporary mysteries with geriatric detectives. My review will be posted on April 25.
• Encore in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- In Death Book 56
• The Phoenix Code by Catherine Asaro (Mine) -- Contemporary science fiction about cybernetics and artificial intelligence with a nice romance too. My review will be posted on April 27.

• Star Struck by Marjorie McCown (Review; May 7) -- Second contemporary mystery set in Hollywood and starring a movie costumer. My review will be posted on April 30.
• People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle (Review; May 7) -- A new mystery/romance set on Harmony. My review will be posted on May 2.
• Undercity by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread) -- This science fiction mystery is set in the author's Skolian universe. My review will be posted on April 30.

• Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen (Audiobook) -- First in the Molly Murphy historical mystery series. My review will be posted on May 2.
• A Lonesome Place for Dying by Nolan Chase (Review; May 7) -- Debut contemporary mystery. My review will be posted on May 1.
• Payback in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- In Death Book 57

Currently

• Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast (mine since January 12, 2010)
• The Bronze Skies by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread)

Next Week

• Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver (Review; May 14)
• Disturbing the Dead by Kelly Armstrong (Review; May 7)
• Blood Red Summer by Eryk Pruitt (Review; May 14)

• Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews
• Lights, Camera, Bones by Carolyn Haines (Review; May 21)
• Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas (Audiobook Reread)

Reviews Posted

• At the Edge of the Woods by Victoria Houston (Review copy)
• Murder in Rose Hill by Victoria Thompson (Review copy)
• The Mayfair Dagger by Ava January (Review copy)

• Next of Kin by Samantha Jayne Allen (Review copy)
• The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George (Review copy)
• Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly (Review copy)

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

Review:

• A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber (Review; June 18)
• The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell (Review; August 6)

Bought:

• The Study of Poisons by Maria V. Snyder (Kindle, Kindle Rewards)
• The Study of Magic by Maria V. Snyder (Kindle, Kindle Rewards)

• Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas (Audible Credit)
• The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro (Audible Credit)
• The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro (Audible Credit)

• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99) -- Reread
• When She Dreams by Amanda Quick (Kindle Daily Deal, $4.99) -- Reread

What was your week like?

ARC Review: Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly

Four-Alarm Homicide
Author: Diane Kelly 
Series: A House-Flipper Mystery (Book 6)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (April 23, 2024)

Description: The sixth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, TN―where the real estate market is to die for.

Some properties are too hot to handle...

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market―a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago.

The cousins have just begun the interior demolition work at the fire station when Joanna Hartzell, who lives in a townhouse around the corner, comes by with a plea for help. Joanna owns the right half of her building, which she proudly maintains in perfect condition, while the left side falls into disrepair: the seven adult children who inherited it years ago refuse to lift a finger on repairs. Never one to turn down a challenge, Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse―though it turns out Joanna is only one of the many neighbors interested in buying the property once they’ve worked their magic.

Then Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling, then collapses, never to recover. Alarm bells go off for Whitney: she suspects something―and someone―evil could be the real cause. Can she and Collin put the clues together and smoke out a killer?

My Thoughts: The sixth in the House Flippers series has Whitney and her cousin Beau renovating an old fire station in Germantown, a Nashville suburb. This leads them to a townhouse around the corner from the fire station which is owned by a bunch of feuding siblings. The owner of the attached townhouse - widowed Joanna Hartzell - is afraid that the neglected building is bringing down her property values. 

After some legal manipulations, including quit claim deeds, Whitney and Beau add the townhouse to their slate of renovations. But arson at the fire station, vandalism in the townhouse, and the suspicious death of Joana are delaying their renovations plans. Whitney needs to solve the murder and get the reno done at the fire station because she and her fiancé detective Collin are planning to use it as the venue for their upcoming wedding. 

With a wide variety of suspects including the arguing siblings, the man across the street who wants to buy the newly renovated townhouse, the victim's daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, and the family from across the street who also really want to move into the renovated townhouse, Whitney has plenty of people to investigate. 

This was an entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoyed the chapters told by Sawdust, Whitney's cat. 

Favorite Quote:

"It's already got a stripper pole." Keeping one hand on the pole, Buck hooked a knee around it and swung in a circle, arching his back in a poor imitation of an exotic dancer. "Maybe we should lean in nd turn it into a gentleman's club. It could be called Hooker and Ladder."

I rolled my eyes. "You get a hard no from me on that. But I agree on the leaning in."

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

Friday Memes: Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly

 Happy Friday!

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

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

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

Beginning:

I reached out a hand and clutched the cold metal pole, giving it a firm shake. It felt sturdy enough. Still...

Friday 56:

Gideon stood in front of the door chastising the man. "You expect to just show up here and leave with Joanna's valuables?"

This week I am spotlighting Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly from my review stack. This one is the sixth in a cozy mystery series. Here is the description from Amazon:

The sixth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, TN―where the real estate market is to die for.

Some properties are too hot to handle...

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market―a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago.

The cousins have just begun the interior demolition work at the fire station when Joanna Hartzell, who lives in a townhouse around the corner, comes by with a plea for help. Joanna owns the right half of her building, which she proudly maintains in perfect condition, while the left side falls into disrepair: the seven adult children who inherited it years ago refuse to lift a finger on repairs. Never one to turn down a challenge, Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse―though it turns out Joanna is only one of the many neighbors interested in buying the property once they’ve worked their magic.

Then Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling, then collapses, never to recover. Alarm bells go off for Whitney: she suspects something―and someone―evil could be the real cause. Can she and Collin put the clues together and smoke out a killer?

ARC Review: The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George

The Stranger I Wed
Author: Harper St. George
Series: The Doves of New York (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (April 23, 2024)

Description: New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife.  He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets...

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.

My Thoughts: THE STRANGER I WED was an engaging historical romance. Cora Dove and her sisters Jenny and Eliza are illegitimate and existing on the edges of society. When their father's mother dies and leaves them generous dowries, Cora thinks things will be better for them. However, her father, who controls the money, has put strings on it. He wants the girls to marry before they can inherit. He also wants them to live far away from New York so as not to embarrass his wife and legitimate children.

Inspired by the many American heiress who have married into the peerage, Cora, her sisters, and mother travel to England to look for husbands. One of the earlier American brides is willing to help them find men who meet the qualifications they have outlined for a husband.

Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, is on the list. He needs money to repair his home and get his younger brother clear of his gambling deaths before he can go back to what he really loves: serving in the House of Lords and passing a Water Quality Bill. The fact that he is handsome is actually a strike against him on the girls' list. 

After some negotiations, Cora and Devonworth marry expecting a relatively short term marriage in name only. Cora eventually wants some of her inheritance and her freedom. However, she finds herself falling in love and realizes that they have a lot in common including women's rights. He falls for her too despite having had a bad experience with love in a past romance. 

But the two have to face his political rivals and her many secrets before they can have their own 'happily ever after.'

Favorite Quote:

"I agree. Marriage is a very important matter. When will your mother be arriving?"

His eyes widened infinitesimally before the corner of his mouth quirked in that way she was coming to appreciate. "I only meant that the unmarried women of my acquaintance would never attend such a meeting alone."

"Would those young women attend such a meeting at all?"

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