ARC Review: All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally

All's Fair in Love and Treachery
Author: Celest Connally
Series: Lady Petra Inquires (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 12, 2024)

Description: Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling next installment in a captivating Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

21 June, 1815. London may be cheering the news of Napoleon’s surrender at Waterloo, but Lady Petra Forsyth has little to celebrate after discovering that the death of her viscount fiancé three years earlier was no accident. Instead, it was murder, and the man responsible is her handsome, half-Scottish secret paramour Duncan Shawcross―yet the scoundrel has disappeared, leaving only a confusing riddle about long-forgotten memories in his wake.

So what’s a lady to do when she can’t hunt down her traitorous lover? She concentrates on a royal assignment instead. Queen Charlotte has tasked Petra with attending an event at the Asylum for Female Orphans and making inquiries surrounding the death of the orphanage’s matron. What’s more, there may be a link between the matron’s death and a group of radicals with ties to the aristocracy, as evidenced by an intercepted letter.

Then, Petra overhears a nefarious conversation with two other men about a plot to topple the monarchy, set to take place during three days of celebrations currently gripping London

As the clock counts down and London’s streets teem with revelers, Petra’s nerves are fraying as her past and present collide. Yet while all’s fair in love and war, she can never surrender, especially when more orphaned girls may be in trouble. And to save their lives, the monarchy itself, and even her own heart, Lady Petra must face her fears with the strength of an army of soldiers and fight with the heart of a queen.

My Thoughts: The second in the Lady Petra Inquires series has Lady Petra investigating the murder of the matron of an orphanage at the request of Queen Charlotte. She is also dealing with the fallout from discovering a note which indicates that her fiancé didn't die in an accidental fall as was assumed and that her love and current lover Duncan Shawcross might have been responsible.

Shawcross is the illegitimate son of a duke and an agent for the government. He also knows more than he's saying about the death of Petra's fiancé.  Duncan's current assignment has him investigating a group that wants to violently overthrow the monarchy and institute a republic in England.

Petra and Duncan's investigations soon begin to overlap putting both of them in danger. 

This was an engaging Regency mystery. I liked the historical detail in the story. I also liked that Petra was an early version of a feminist fighting for women's rights. 

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

Audiobook Review: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

The Spy Coast
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Narrator: Hilary Huber
Series: The Martini Club (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (November 1, 2023)
Length: 10 hours and 23 minutes

Description: A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

My Thoughts: This thriller has a retired spy confronted by her past. Maggie Bird has retired to Purity, Maine, after a career as a CIA Agent. She joins a small group of fellow spies who have retired to the small Maine town. However, someone seems determined to ruin her quiet retirement, and it all seems linked to a mission that was completed sixteen years earlier. 

When the body of a woman is dumped in her yard and gunshots are fired at her, she and her friends need to band together to discover who wants Maggie dead. With flashbacks to events early in her career we get to know Maggie and the life she led.

We also follow her romance with Dr. Danny Gallagher whom she met in a market in Bangkok. As their relationship grows, Maggie must keep secrets from him. And when he accepts a position as physician to the rich and famous, Maggie is tasked with learning about one of his patients who has ties to international crime and very much wanted international criminals. 

This was an excellent thriller and is the first in a series. 

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

ARC Review: Out in the Cold by Steve Urszenyi

Out in the Cold
Author: Steve Urszenyi
Series: Special Agent Alexandra Martel (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 12, 2024)

Description: Special Agent Alex Martel is thrown back into a deadly world of deception when a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III in this action-packed thriller.

While sailing across the Mediterranean, the megayacht Aurora is rocked with explosions, taken under siege by unknown assailants. On board are some of Europe’s wealthiest and most powerful political players, including the secretary general of Interpol, a high-ranking Finnish diplomat, and Special Agent Alex Martel―whose lethal sniper skills kick in to bring them safely to shore.

Someone is waging a ruthless campaign of attacks against Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, in an attempt to throw the Alliance into turmoil. Teaming back up with CIA agent Caleb, Alex is thrust into the middle of the fray, pursuing the villains from the waters off of Monaco to the Baltic Sea and home to American soil.

As the US is pulled deeper into the conflict, a global catastrophe seems inevitable. But who is really responsible for these escalating attacks on Finland? The Russians, or someone much closer to home? As new allies surface and old enemies reappear, Alex has no way of knowing who to trust―and she might only have one last shot to keep the world from going to war.

My Thoughts: The second Alex Martel thriller was an excellent story. It begins with Alex on a mega-yacht with her friend Celeste who is the secretary general of Interpol. She sees Celeste meeting with a Finnish ambassador who would like Interpol to begin an investigation.

When the ship is attacked, Alex's skills as a medic, sniper, and all around badass are called into play. Her goal is to get Celeste and her boyfriend to safety. Along the way she has to deal with boatloads of invaders. 

The next day Celeste and her boyfriend are attacked. The boyfriend is killed, and Celeste is in a coma. Alex who has been seconded to the CIA was recalled to Washington before the second attack. She goes rogue to find out who is targeting her friend. Then she's called to Finland where she learns that the Finns don't believe that it is the Russians who have been causing all sorts of problems and raising tensions in the area. 

Meanwhile, back in the US, the reader learns that there is a conspiracy that reaches deep into government and even to the President's advisers whose goal is to "restore American supremacy" by bringing the US to war with Russia. 

I really enjoyed the twists and turns as Alex and some of her fellow spies unravel the conspiracy and find a way to end it. Fans of Alex who is a female version of James Bond will enjoy this fast paced adventure. 

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? (November 4, 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...

This was an interesting week. We got our first rain in a couple of months which turned to snow as the day progressed. Since this happened on Halloween, I had only 9 trick or treaters this year and have tons of leftover candy. The snow is gone already. I'd be okay waiting another month before we have more. 

The most exciting thing that happened this week was that I received an email invitation to read Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb. I have been haunting NetGalley waiting for that one to show up so that I could request it. 

I am currently reading my last December review book and looking forward to digging into my TBR mountain for interesting books to fill out the rest of my December calendar since I finished my November calendar this week except for these Monday posts. 

October Report

I read 36 books in October for a total of 13, 698 pages. I read twelve review books. The other 24 books were mine with 15 coming off the TBR stack. Sixteen of the books were audiobooks for a total of 200 hours. Nine of this month's books were rereads. 

I added 20 books to my LibraryThing account including 8 audiobooks. I used three of my Audible credits, got another two for $1.99, and got another via Audible Plus. I also bought one new audiobook from Chirp. Nine of the other new additions were review copies from NetGalley. Sixteen of the new additions are still on the TBR pile including 8 of the review books. 

As of the end of October, I have read 369 books including 130 review books and 170 audiobooks. 

Here's my State of the Stack post. I currently have 30 review books on my stack. 

Read Last Week

• Passions in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; mine since September 3, 2024) -- Reread of book 59 in the In Death series. 
• The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetch (Audible Plus; Mine since October 24, 2024) -- Historical mystery wherein a young girl just out of finishing school finds herself in the middle of murder investigation. My review will be posted on December 3.
• The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong (Review; December 3) -- Set in 1922, this is the second Ruby Vaughn Gothic mystery. My review will be posted November 27.

• Perfect Storm by Paige Shelton (Review; December 3) -- Sixth in the Alaska Wild contemporary thriller series. My review will be posted on November 28.
• Hounded by David Rosenfelt (Kindle mine since November 5, 2022; Audiobook since October 29, 2024) -- Twelfth book in the Andy Carpenter series. My review will be posted on November 28.

• The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (Mine since September 6, 2024) -- Historical medical thriller. I enjoyed this dual timeline story. My review will be posted on November 30.
• Crowbones by Anne Bishop (Mine since March 6, 2022) -- Audiobook reread about Trickster Night at the Jumble.
• The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn (Mine since July 12, 2024) -- The second cozy mystery starring Jazzi Zander who is a house flipper. My review will be posted on December 3.

• Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson (Review; December 10) -- First in a new series wherein a former actress inherits her Aunt Rose's bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, and has to live there for six months before it is truly hers. Fires and a murder are encouraging her to leave. My review will be posted on December 4.
• A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon (Audiobook; mine since July 8, 2021) -- First in a series wherein a former English professor turned YA author inherits a house from her ex-husband and decides to turn it into a writers' retreat. Only the murder of one of her first guests threatens her plans. My review will be posted on December 5)

Currently

• The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot (Review; December 10)

Next Week

• The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Mine since July 31, 2024)
• Cherish and the Duke by Meara Platt (Mine since October 21, 2024)
• Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep (Audiobook; Mine since October 27, 2024)

• The Lady in Glass and Other Stories by Anne Bishop (Mine since February 27, 2024)
• Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine since January 9, 2024)
• Penric and the Bandit by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine since July 1, 2024)

Reviews Posted

• Pike Island by Tony Wirt (Review; November 1)
• The Author's Guide to Murder by Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, & Karen White (Review; November 5)
• Only Good Enemies by Jennifer Estep (Audiobook; Mine since July 25, 2023)

• The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci (Mine since May 28, 2023)
• The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (Review; November 5)
• An Ace and a Pair by Blake Banner (Mine since November 3, 2018)

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

Review:

• Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb (Review; February 4)

Bought:

• The Bride Wore White by Amanda Quick (Kindle at BookBub for $1.99; Audiobook Add-on for $2.49)
• Fatality by Firelight by Lynn Cahoon (Audible Plus)

• Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep (Audible Credit)
• Hounded by David Rosenfelt (Audiobook Add-on)

What was your week like?

ARC Review: The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

The Gardener's Plot
Author: Deborah J. Benoit
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 5, 2024)

Description: A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.

My Thoughts: Maggie Walker is back in her hometown after a failed marriage. She has purchased her grandmother's house and is eager to build her new life. As a master gardener, she's eager to restore her grandmother's gardens. She has also been encouraged to volunteer with the new community garden that is just opening by new friend Violet Bloom.

However, on opening day, Violet is a no-show. Worst of all, Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the newly prepared plots and there is a body attached to it. Carl Henderson is a local real estate developer with a shady reputation. Maggie knows him because he has been pressuring her to sell her grandmother's house. 

The police want to talk to her, and they want to talk to Violet who seems to have disappeared. Maggie and her next-door neighbor and childhood friend decide to look into the case despite the police strongly discouraging their help. 

I enjoyed this mystery. I liked that Maggie was very upset by her discoveries which seems much more realistic than many cozy mysteries. I also liked that Maggie wasn't going to be deterred from finding out what has happened to her new friend. 

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

State of the Stack #158 (November 1, 2024)

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

Read This Month 

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

1. The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Willims, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (October 29)
2. The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (November 2)
3. Out in the Cold by Steve Urszenyi (November 5)
4. All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally (November 6)
5. Burn This Night by Alex Kenna (November 7)
6. A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley (November 13)
7. The Mirror by Nora Roberts (November 14)
8. The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews (November 16)
9. Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney (November 19)
10. Feuds edited by Mercedes Lackey (November 20)
11. The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong (November 27)
12. Perfect Storm by Paige Shelton (November 28)

DNF

1. Misery Hates Company by Elizabeth Hobbs (November 5)
2. Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch (November 5)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima (October 2)
2. The Night Woods by Paula Munier (October 3)
3. The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt (October 8)
4. Long Time Gone by Hannah Martian (October 8)
5. Death at a Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connally (October 9)
6. Buried Lies by Steven Tingle (October 10)
7. Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews (October 10)
8. Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley (October 15)
9. Fondue or Die by Korina Moss (October 15)
10. Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux (October 16)
11. Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni (October 17)
12. A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke (October 22)
13. Pike Island by Tony Wirt (October 29)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. Perfect Storm by Paige Shelton (December 3)
2. Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 7)
3. Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J. Chow (January 21)
4. Head Cases by John McMahon (January 28)
5. Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb (February 4)
6. A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (February 25)
7. Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (March 3)
8. Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro (April 29)
9. One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (June 3)

All TBR Review Books

December

• Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson (December 10)
• The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot (December 10)

January 

• Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert (January 7)
• Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 7)
• The Incident of the Book in the Nightime by Vicky Delany (January 14)

• Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh (January 14)
• Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove (January 21)
• She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (January 21)

• A Death in Diamonds by S. J. Bennett (January 21)
• A Killer's Code by Isabella Maldonado (January 21)
• Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J. Chow (January 21)

• Dead Money by Jakob Kerr (January 28)
• Head Cases by John McMahon (January 28)

February

• Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb (February 4)
• Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan (February 11)
• The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman (February 11)

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

• Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson (February 18)
• Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (February 18)
• A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (February 25)

March

• Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (March 4)
• The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (March 11)
• Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (March 11)

• The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen (March 18)
• The Big Fix by Holly James (March 25)

April 

• Blood on the Vine by J. T. Falco (April 22)
• Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro (April 29)

May

• The Language of the Birds by K. A. Merson (May 13)

June

• One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (June 3)

Friday Memes: The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

 Happy Friday!

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

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

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

Beginning:

Of all the people I didn't want to run into, the person at the top of that list just happened to be in the line in front of me at the Grocery Mart.

Friday 56:

Too late I thought of the possibility of fingerprints. I sighed. If anyone else's fingerprints had been on the note, they were long gone now; though truth be told, they probably were gone when I crumpled it up and shoved it in my pocket on Saturday morning.

This week I am spotlighting The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit. This is an award winning first novel from my review stack. Here's the description:

A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.