Friday Memes: Always Time to Die by Elizabeth Lowell

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:

The cutting edge of a winter storm made the old house sigh and moan as if someone was dying.

Someone is. Soon.

Friday 56:

She ignored him and peered through reading glasses at the photograph Carly was holding out. Normally Winifred wouldn't have needed -- or admitted she needed -- glasses, but she was too tired to struggle tonight. 

This week I am spotlighting Always Time to Die by Elizabeth Lowell. This thriller was a BookBub deal nearly a year ago. I feel sure that I read the story when it was released in 2005, but I don't recall anything about it. Here's the description from Amazon:

The sensational New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Death is back with an exhilarating novel of danger, romance, and suspense

Carolina May—Carly to her friends—never knew her biological family. Ironic, considering she a successful family historian. Recently hired by the eccentric aunt of New Mexico’s multi-millionaire governor Quintrell, the future looks bright. Until things start going wrong . . . and Carly begins to learn the true meaning of fear.

Daniel Duran made a career out fighting for other people’s beliefs—principles they’d given their lives for. But now he wants some meaning of his own. Yearning for a reason to live, he’s come back to Taos, the town where he grew up.

Soon, the lawyer(?) and the historian’s paths cross. While Carly’s investigation into the Quintrell family amuses Dan it also chills him, because he knows a dark truth Carly doesn’t: in New Mexico, tracing bloodlines is a deadly sport. . . .

Audiobook Review: Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins

Supreme Justice
Author: Max Allan Collins
Narrator: Dan John Miller
Series: Reeder and Rogers Thriller (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (July 1, 2014)
Length: 7 hours and 18 minutes

Description: After taking a bullet for his commander-in-chief, Secret Service agent Joseph Reeder is a hero. But his outspoken criticism of the president he saved—who had stacked the Supreme Court with hard-right justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, amp up the Patriot Act, and shred the First Amendment—put Reeder at odds with the Service’s apolitical nature, making him an outcast.

FBI agent Patti Rogers finds herself paired with the unpopular former agent on a task force investigating the killing of Supreme Court Justice Henry Venter. Reeder—nicknamed “Peep” for his unparalleled skills at reading body language—makes a startling discovery while reviewing a security tape: the shooting was premeditated, not a botched robbery. Even more chilling, the controversial Venter may not be the only justice targeted for death...

Is a mastermind mounting an unprecedented judicial coup aimed at replacing ultra-conservative justices with a new liberal majority? To crack the conspiracy and save the lives of not just the justices but also Reeder’s own family, rising star Rogers and legendary investigator Reeder must push their skills—and themselves—to the limit.

My Thoughts: This excellent thriller introduces former Secret Service agent Joe Reeder who took a bullet for his President but then lost his job when he made his negative opinions about that President to apparent. Now he runs his own investigations agency. 

Joe is called in to work on a taskforce by the leader who is an FBI Agent and his best friend when a Supreme Court Justice is murdered. This is the first time in US History that a Justice was targeted. At first, the death looks like a botched robbery. But when a second Justice is murdered, it soon becomes apparent that someone wants to change the composition of the Court. These two murdered Justices were both strongly Conservative, and the President who will appoint their successors is a Liberal Democrat. 

Joe works with FBI Agent Patti Reeder who is the partner of the best friend who appointed Joe to the taskforce. She isn't sure what to think of Joe who has an unparalleled ability to read people and crime scenes. 

The story was fast-paced and filled with tension. I especially enjoyed the quotations by various famous people who are buried at Arlington National Cemetary which is a place Joe frequents when he needs to think. 

Dan Jon Miller did an excellent job of the narration. His characters all had distinctive voices and he handled the pacing well.

I bought this one June 3, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

Murder at the White Palace
Author: Allison Montclair
Series: Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery (Book 6)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 30, 2024)

Description: In post-WWII London, the matchmakers of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are involved in yet another murder.

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture―The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous―and never discussed―past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Looking to throw a New Year’s Eve soiree for their clients, Sparks and Bainbridge scout an empty building―only to find a body contained in the walls. What they initially assume is a victim of the recent Blitz is uncovered instead to be a murder victim―stabbed several times.

To make matters worse, the owner of the building is Sparks’ beau, Archie Spelling, who has ties to a variety of enterprises on the right and wrong sides of the law, and the main investigator for the police is her ex-fiancée. Gwen, too, is dealing with her own complicated love life, as she tentatively steps back into the dating pool for the first time since her husband’s death. Murder is not something they want to add to their plates, but the murderer may be closer to home than is comfortable, and they must do all they can to protect their clients, their business and themselves.

My Thoughts: Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are the owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau operating in London in 1946. Since the new year is approaching, they decide to host a New Year's Eve party for all of their clients. However, finding a venue isn't easy until Iris's beau Archie Spelling tells them that he has purchased and is renovating a club. 

Archie and Iris's relationship is deepening. He has asked her to his nephew's wedding which will entail meeting his family. And she has asked him to dinner with her mother who is an MP and with whom Iris has a difficult relationship. Archie's criminal past - and present - makes the relationship that is growing between them a bit problematic. 

When they inspect the club to see if it will be suitable for the party, Gwen encounters a man she met and was attracted to on an earlier case. Then, she didn't feel that she had enough control of her life to begin dating again. Now, he's the one who's engaged. Just as they are exchanging some words, a wall Des is demolishing falls and reveals a body. Unfortunately, the body was not a victim of the Blitz but was stabbed to death and walled up more than twenty years earlier. And Iris's ex from Scotland Yard is on the case which creates a lot of tension for Iris. 

Meanwhile, Gwen, who has regained control of her financial life but not yet custody of her young son, is house hunting and dipping her toes back into the dating pool. She has dated their friend Sally a few times, but nothing has clicked for her. The man who was her Friend in her court battle for her competence wants to date her. And she meets a pool shark at Archie's who looks to be someone she can have fun with except for his hidden agenda.

When Archie is shot at his nephew's wedding and almost dies, Iris and Gwen are determined to find out who wants him dead and why they do. They both believe that the shooting is because of the discovered body and the secrets around it, though Iris's ex and the detective assigned to Archie's shooting aren't so sure. Their investigations find a long-hidden enemy deep in Archie's organization.

I really enjoyed this story. Gwen's surprising talent for Snooker was a revelation. Her ability to read truth from lies when she is meeting with people had a number of uses in this episode. I also liked Iris's relationship with Archie which really tested Iris's limits.

The ending makes me really want to read the next book in this series which I hope is coming soon.

Favorite Quote:

Archie got up, then helped Iris to her feet.

"Thought it was a gun for a second there," he said.

"Not a gun," said Iris. "Something worse. A camera."

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

ARC Review: Havoc by Deborah J. Ledford

Havoc
Author: Deborah J. Ledford
Series: Eva "Lightning Dance" Duran (Book 2)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (July 30, 2024)

Description: In this tightly paced sequel to Redemption, Eva “Lightning Dance” Duran joins the Taos Pueblo tribal police department to uncover a member of her community’s murder…and the conspiracy behind it.

It’s been over a year since the case that almost broke her, but when Eva “Lightning Dance” Duran is called back to duty, she doesn’t hesitate to answer. A bank robbery has left an officer down and a suspect on the run. Law enforcement is in hot pursuit, and residents are on the lookout―but before anyone can catch the criminal, tragedy strikes.

A member of the Taos Pueblo tribe has been shot and killed. The culprit? An untraceable 3D printed gun. With the support of fellow tribal cops, Eva breaks the news to the victim’s family and swears to find justice.

More violence follows, feeding the rising racial tensions between the Taos Pueblo people and the Hispanic community. New evidence forces Eva to consider the possibility that the bank robbery and 3D guns are related, but until she figures out how, there’s no telling how deep this crime ring goes…or how far its evasive ringleader will go to protect it.

My Thoughts: The second Eva "Lightning Dance" Durand thriller deals with a bank robbery, 3D printed guns, and the death of a child who had one of those fake guns. 

The story is told from multiple viewpoints and includes chapters from various characters in the book. The bank robber's point of view illustrates his complete lack of humanity. Other viewpoints include both Eva and her boyfriend/fellow police officer Cruz and young Kai Arrio who is a biology student training a Belgian Malinois. We hear from Tomas Salas who was Kai's favorite teacher in high school and who has big dreams for the Pueblo reservation but a horrible way of realizing them. We hear many other viewpoints too. 

The viewpoints are all woven together into a fast-paced suspenseful story. It is also a story about grief and loss and life on the Pueblo reservation near Taos. I enjoyed it very much. 

Favorite Quote:

"Nothing new. You ready for this?" Cruz asked when they reached the long black vehicle. 

"Nope," she said. "Let's go."

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

Audiobook Review: The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

The Lady from Burma
Author: Allison Montclair
Narrator: Polly Lee
Series: Sparks & Bainbridge Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Tantor Audio (July 25, 2023)
Length: 10 hours and 27 minutes

Description: In Allison Montclair's The Lady from Burma, murder once again stalks the proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in the surprisingly dangerous landscape of post-World War II London…

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture - The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous - and never discussed - past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.

Shortly thereafter, she's found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn't make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets - perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.

My Thoughts: The women of the Right Sort Marriage Agency have matched a number of lonely people in their brief history as a business. This time they might have their greatest challenge. Their newest client is a woman looking for a wife for her husband. She's dying of cancer and wants to provide for the future happiness of a man she loves very much. He's a shy entomologist, much happier with bugs than with people. Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge agree to take the contract to be fulfilled at some future date, and Gwen secures a promise that the woman will not commit suicide.

The time for Gwen's case in the courts of Lunacy is approaching. She is being introduced to the company where she owns 40% since the death of her husband. She is invited to attend her first board meeting by the current chairman which is usually attended by the lawyer who was appointed by the court to manage her financial interests until she is proved sane and competent. Unfortunately, she foils that lawyer's plot to take over Bainbridge which further alienates the lawyer who hasn't been forthright with her from the beginning of their legal relationship.

Then the deaths start to happen. First of all, the cancer-stricken client is found dead in Epping Wood of an apparent suicide. Then the shady lawyer is found beaten to death in Soho at a time when Gwen, devasted by the results of the court hearing which didn't free her to manage her own affairs, doesn't have an alibi since she was wandering the streets in despair. 

A local constable is on the case of the so-called suicide which he isn't willing to accept. Nor are the women at the Right Sort. Iris and Gwen begin to look into that case to discover who had reason to murder her. They are also looking into the murder of the lawyer since Gwen is one of the main suspects for the crime. 

There is a lot of investigating and connections between the two cases are discovered. Also discovered in a bit of financial fraud committed by the lawyer who has been skimming from Gwen's accounts. Unfortunately, that fact gives Gwen even more reason to want him dead. 

This was another excellent episode in the Sparks & Bainbridge series. I loved the way both women's relationships are growing, and I love the way Gwen is finally getting the right to manage her own life. 

There was a change of narrator with this episode and, at first, I wasn't happy with the portrayals of the characters. Iris seemed too young, and Gwen seemed to have dropped down a couple of social classes if her accent was any guide. I also had difficulty distinguishing between Iris and Gwen until I got used to the new accents. Ultimately, I did enjoy this audio presentation. 

I bought this one in Kindle and audiobook. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus

Such Charming Liars
Author: Karen M. McManus
Publication: Delacorte Press (July 30, 2024)

Description: The newest mystery from the author One of Us Is Lying, the Queen of thrillers, Karen M. McManus! When mother-daughter grifters set out on their final job, the heist gets deadly and dangerously personal.

For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other

Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.

My Thoughts: This twisty YA thriller is told in alternate viewpoints from Kat and Liam. She's sixteen; he's seventeen. They were stepbrother and stepsister for forty-eight hours when his scammer father married her mother. They separated when the two children got lost in Las Vegas when they were supposed to be under Liam's father's care. They haven't seen each other for the twelve years that passed since those events in Las Vegas.

Now, they are meeting again as Kat's mother Jamie is doing one last heist for her employer Gem before she retires to a legitimate life. Liam's father Luke has scammed his way into a relationship with Annalise Sutherland, youngest daughter of a billionaire. Jamie is at the estate to steal a priceless necklace as her ticket out of her life of crime. 

Liam has only lived with his scamming father for some months, since his mother died in a car accident. He's determined to ruin any scam his father has in the works, but he isn't sure what to do about Annalise. He's even less sure when he reencounters Jamie and Kat because his actions could cause problems for the girl he thought of as his sister for a short time. 

The story is full of twists including the death of one of the other Sutherland children. He's shot to death and found with a copy of the necklace Jamie was supposed to switch for a flawless duplicate. Kat witnesses the shooting but can't identify the shooter. But he's seen her and makes two attempts on her mother's life since he believes she was the witness. 

Liam, Kat and Liam's new boyfriend Augustus Sutherland are all working to figure out what is going on. There seem to be too many necklaces and too many villains and nothing is clear about who killed Parker Sutherland. 

I enjoyed this story and really liked the young characters. 

Favorite Quote:

Because the thing about breaking points is, you don't realize you've hit yours until you're well past it. 

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? (July 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 an excellent week last week. A friend came to visit and spent from Monday until Friday at my house. We had a chance to catch up on all her remodeling woes which are many and varied and other life events. We listened to three of the Meg Langslow mysteries (books 13 -15) that I had in my collection from Chirp while we chatted, played computers games and crocheted (well, she crocheted). 

We took my brother and went out to eat at a restaurant that was new to us where we had excellent Southern food. I also did some cooking while she was here and made a new recipe for Chicken Parmesan that will be in my keeper file of recipes. Carry-out Chinese also fit into the week's plans and so did Reuben sandwiches which she often ordered at restaurants but had never made at home. 

We also went furniture shopping since she gave away all her living room furniture before she began her remodeling project. I had long been thinking about replacing my living room couch which has never been very comfortable and is now getting quite shabby. It was a seldom-used hand-me-down from our parents' house that came to our new house when we moved here in 2017. And I had promised (for Christmas 2022) that I would buy my brother more comfortable seating for his man cave since he had been using a loveseat I brought home when I moved back to Duluth in 2017. She didn't buy anything but was glad to try out some pieces she had seen online. I did get a new leather couch and ottoman, and my brother picked out a loveseat recliner for his man cave. 

This coming week would be quieter except Trailer Trash is coming on Wednesday to remove the old couch, loveseat and a worn-out swivel rocker before Ashley Furniture comes on Thursday to deliver and set up the new couch and loveseat. I was a little concerned that we wouldn't be able to get rid of the old furniture before the new arrived, but we got things worked out as long as people keep their schedules. 

Amazon Prime Days and a triple Reward points deal meant that I bought a lot of books this week that were sitting in a "Books I'm Waiting For" list at Amazon. Now I just have to figure out when I will actually have time to read them. 

As far as reading, I should finish all my August review copies this week if the furniture projects aren't too disruptive. And there is baseball to watch...

Read Last Week

• Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose (Review; August 13) -- Third in the New Orleans series. Excellent romantic suspense. My review will be posted on August 8.
• Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)

• The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook; Mine since August 25, 2022) -- An excellent addition to the Meg Langslow mystery series. My review will be posted on August 20.
• Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook; Reread)
• The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook; Mine since March 22, 2023) -- An excellent and laugh-out-loud funny episode in the Meg Langslow mystery series. My review will be posted on August 27.

• The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (Mine since January 7) -- Another excellent episode in the Thursday Murder Club series. My review will be posted on August 10.
• In the Event of Murder by Cynthia Kuhn (Review; August 20) -- Second in the Starlit Bookshop mystery series. Great setting and characters. My review will be posted on August 13.

• Rapture in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Bateman (Review; August 20) -- Entertaining Regency Romance. My review will be posted on August 15.
• City of Secrets by P. J. Tracy (Review; August 20) -- Gritty contemporary thriller set in LA. My review will be posted on August 13. 

Currently

• The Jig Is Up by Lisa Q. Mathews (Review; August 20)

Next Week

• A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman (Review; August 20)
• Shock and Paw by Cate Conte (Review; August 20)
• Marked by Magic by Lindsay Buroker (Mine since November 9, 2023)

• Unleashed by David Rosenfelt (Mine since November 2, 2022)
• Red River Road by Anna Downes (Review; August 27)
• Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey (Chirp Audiobook; Reread)

Reviews Posted

• The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (Audiobook)
• There's No Murder Like Show Murder by M. S. Greene (Review Copy)
• Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh (Review Copy)

• The Last Line by Scott Lyerly (Review copy)
• Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick (Audiobook)
• Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst (Mine)

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

Review:

• Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh (Review; January 14)

Bought:

• Slay Bells Ring by Nancy Robards Thompson (Kindle, BookBub, Free)
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (Kindle)
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Kindle)

• Familiars edited by Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier (Kindle)
• Alone in the Dark by Karen Rose (Kindle)
• Innocent as Sin by Elizabeth Lowell (Kindle)

• The Wrong Hostage by Elizabeth Lowell (Kindle)
• Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell (Kindle)
• The Body in the Gravel by Judi Lynn (Kindle)

• The Rhyme of the Magpie by Marty Wingate (Kindle, BookBub, Free)
• Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison (Kindle, BookBub, $1.99)

What was your week like?