Book Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (June 7, 2022)

Description: After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

My Thoughts: This fantasy is about fresh starts and finding friends. Viv is an orc who is tired of being in battles all the time. When she discovers a magical relic, she takes it as an opportunity to start a new life. Research leads her to Thune with its converging leylines as a new home. She plans to open a coffee shop which will be a challenge because no one in Thune has ever heard of coffee.

Her circle grows as a she meets a carpenter who helps her convert the old livery stable she bought into a new venue for her business. Then she advertises for an assistant and gets a succubus who is looking for a new start of her own. When another customer wanders in who is a genius baker, he is drawn into the fold too. 

But all is not simple and easy. The local protection association threatens her livelihood, and an old enemy wants the magical relic that she found. But calling still other friends and a deal with the crime boss whose organization is selling protection, lowers those threats.

At least until the old enemy manages to use magical fire to burn down Viv's place and steal the relic. But friends rally to rebuild bigger and better and confirm that Viv has found her new home and people who are just who she has been missing.

This was an enjoyable story - almost a cozy fantasy - with great characters. 

Favorite Quote:

While Viv puzzled over that, Laney wafted the steam from the roll to her nose. "I don't mind tellin' you, this beats the smell of horse apples, any day of the week." Her eyes disappeared in the dried-fruit crinkle of her grin.

"I'd always hoped we'd clear the high bar set by horseshit."

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

Friday Memes: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

 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:

Viv buried her greatsword in the scalvert's skull with a meaty crunch.

Friday 56:

They browsed for a few hours, past noon. Viv kept her eye out for the items on her list, and Tandri deftly steered her away from some bad buys, noting subtle cracks in pottery or poor joins in ironwork.

This week I am spotlighting Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. This one has been on my TBR pile for a while, and I have seen lots of good buzz about it. Here is the description from Amazon.

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Audiobook Review: Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay

Sprinkle with Murder
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Narrator: Susan Boyce
Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (November 29, 2016)
Length: 6 hours and 24 minutes

Description: Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else.

My Thoughts: This cozy mystery was a nice start to a new series. Mel Cooper and her best friend Angie DeLaura have opened a cupcake bakery with the help of their best friend Tate. They've been buddies since middle school despite having all attended different colleges and having vastly different careers. 

Now, Tate is set to marry a real bridezilla. She wants Mel to prepare 500 unique flavors of cupcakes for her wedding. She has also had Mel sign a contract saying that the bride will own the cupcake flavors and that Mel can't make them again for her store. 

When Mel goes to the bride's dress design business to talk about the cupcakes, she finds the bride dead on the floor. Then Mel finds herself the chief suspect in the woman's death. 

Meanwhile, another local baker is harassing Mel and Angie and wants to force them out of business. If Mel and Angie want to save their new business, they will have to find the real murderer. 

First published in 2010, the story is a little dated. Mentions of Blackberrys are the first clue. The biggest clue comes in the form of the murder weapon. Fentanyl is much more on everyone's radar than it was in 2010. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and liked the main characters. I wasn't very fond of Mel's mother who just didn't seem to listen to her daughter even if her heart was in the right place. I liked the romance aspects of the story though one big one was unresolved. Luckily, this is the first book of a sixteen-book series. 

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

Book Review: Kris Longknife: Stalwart by Mike Shepherd

Kris Longknife: Stalwart
Author: Mike Shepherd
Series: Kris Longknife (Book 19)
Publication: KL & MM Books (December 5, 2019)

Description: The foolish Iteeche clans that hauled Grand Admiral Kris Longknife back to the Iteeche Capital and interrupted her campaign against the rebels, are dead. Very dead. Their clans are disgraced and their palaces in ruin.

However, while Kris was handling that noise, the rebels took back one of the planets she had recently captured, Arteccia, and are planning to take more.

Now it's time once more again for Kris to kick butts and take names.

However, life is never easy for a Human in the Iteeche Empire.

The Clan Chiefs expect Kris to retake what the rebels took from the loyalists because that is the Iteeche Way. That is a tune she will not dance to. So, the Clan Chiefs play their ace: Do what we want, or we won't give you command of our ships.

To their consternation, Kris does not give in. She gives them a literal middle digit salute and invites every minor clan to join the fun and games of capturing planets and gaining plunder.

Unfortunately, the rebels have used their time well and they have their own plans for Kris, plans that should leave her fleet in ruins and the young Iteeche on the throne dead. Unfortunately for them, their plans can't really hold back Grand Admiral, the Stalwart Kris Longknife.

My Thoughts: Having settled business on the Iteeche capital planet, at least for a while, Kris needs to get back out into space to continue the battle against the rebels who are threatening the empire and the life of the teenager on the Imperial throne. 

She'd like to add to her fleet and the clans do owe her and their emperor their support. But when she gets nothing but excuses from the major clans, she bypasses them in favor of offering the minor clans a chance at gold and glory or, actually, land and plunder. 

But the rebels have not been standing still while Kris was dealing with problems on the capital planet. They have taken back one of the systems Kris had won. Kris plans to continue capturing the rebel planets that are the most able to support the rebel cause. She plans to do it her way. If the planet surrenders to Kris, she'll let the local overlords keep their places which irritates the young lordlings from the capital planet who have been promised land and jobs and opportunities for plunder of their own. 

A large part of this story, told both from Kris's point of view and from the Iteeche Admiral leading the rebel fleet, is concerned with a space battle for control of one of the rebel planetary systems. It was filled with action and warfare.

This was another excellent adventure in the Kris Longknife series. 

Favorite Quote:

"I always assume we win. If I ever face defeat, I prefer it to come as a surprise," Kris muttered as she studied her board. 

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

Book Review: A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux

A Relative Murder
Author: Jude Deveraux
Series: A Medlar Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (March 29, 2022)

Description: Even the closest families have secrets hidden away.

Bestselling novelist Sara Medlar is skilled at sharing stories about other people, but she hoped the truth about her own family would never surface. Her home in Lachlan, Florida, is her refuge and she loves having her niece Kate and dear friend Jack Wyatt together under her roof. The Medlar Three, as they are known around town, have sworn off getting involved in any more murder investigations.

When the sheriff unexpectedly leaves on vacation, Jack is surprised to find himself appointed as deputy. So when Kate stumbles upon a dead body while visiting a friend, the Medlar Three are back in the sleuthing game. Kate also has a charming new real estate client with a mysterious past. He seems to be followed by trouble and that makes Sara and Jack uneasy.

It doesn’t take long to discover that the murder and the new man in town are somehow related—the question is how. When the stranger’s true identity is revealed, Sara realizes her carefully crafted story is about to unravel and she fears she’ll lose Kate and Jack forever. But she desperately hopes that love and honesty will win out over years of lies and deceit. And besides, family is family—even if you sometimes want to kill them.

My Thoughts: The fourth book in the Medlar Mysteries reveals a lot of secrets many of them centering around Kate. First of all, the father her mother told her was dead is released from prison early and has come to Lachlan to get to know his daughter. Kate's world is shaken. Her beloved Aunt Sara has been keeping secrets from her for years. 

And Sara is suffering from guilt of her own as she feels that she was instrumental in her brother Randal's incarceration. Kate also doesn't know that Aunt Sara is the one who provided all the money for her and her mother ever since her father went to prison. 

Then Kate's mother Ava, who has been insisting that Kate return to Chicago to take care of her, decides to show up in Lachlan too. She wants her daughter and her husband back and is keeping quite a few secrets of her own too. 

There is some element of slapstick to this episode with both Sara and Randal both doing everything they can to keep out of Ava's sight. And the sheriff who has his own reasons for staying away from Randal convinces Jack to become deputy sheriff and take over the department saying that he's going on a cruise with his wife but stays almost hidden in his home. 

This was an excellent episode in the series. I enjoyed learning some of the secrets and liked that the Medlar Three came through it all still a tight trio. 

Favorite Quote:

"There's no reason to be upset," he said. "Nothing has happened to you. Well, except your mother flaunting herself about town to make sure you know she's here--which is eating you with guilt. Sara's so angry that black mold is beginning to grow on the walls. And then there are a couple of dead bodies, but one's not dead. He's in a coma and may not ever wake up. And of course there's your not-dead father who's making you crazy by courting you like he's the Beast, and you're Beauty. If he doesn't  win you over to his side, he seems to think his life will be forfeit. And then there's..."

Kate's laugh cut him off. 

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

Audiobook Review: Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey

Closer to Home
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Nick Podehl
Series: The Herald Spy (Book 1)
Publication: Audible Studios (October 7, 2014)
Length: 11 hours and 56 minutes

Description: Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King's Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive family, including his Companion Dallen.

Although normally a Herald in his first year of Whites would be sent off on circuit, Mags is needed close to home for his abilities as a spy and his powerful Mindspeech gift. There is a secret, treacherous plot within the royal court to destroy the Heralds.

The situation becomes dire after the life of Mags' mentor, King's Own Nikolas, is imperiled. His daughter, Amily, is chosen as the new King's Own, a complicated and dangerous job that is made more so by this perilous time.

Can Mags and Amily save the court, the Heralds, and the Collegium itself?

My Thoughts: Mags and Amily are back in Haven after their year on circuit. Both are ready to settle in with their new adult responsibilities. Mags will continue to apprentice as Royal spy under the tutelage of Nikolas, Amily's father and King's Own herald. Amily will be working as a chronicler in the Royal Archives. They are looking forward to a quiet period in their lives. However, that isn't what happens.

Nikolas has an accident during which he almost drowns. He dies but is revived by Mags who saw the accident. When he died, his bond with his Companion Rolan was severed and Rolan chooses Amily to be his new Chosen. That makes her the new King's Own which causes all sorts of chaos until Mags straightens out the thinking of the King and the Court. One of the first things the new King's Own has to deal with is a family feud that could cause all sorts of problems in Haven.

The story has a Romeo and Juliet vibe as the youngest daughter of one of the feuding families falls for the son of the other. This leads to a lot of discussion of the marriage customs of the high born in Valdemar which follow a medieval pattern. Young women are given in marriage by their fathers for reasons that have nothing to do with love. There is a lot of conversation about the role of women in this society. We also see Mags building his spy network in Haven and get a look at what life is like for the poor.

Both Amily and Mags are very busy keeping this feud from exploding but are still blind-sided when things they hadn't anticipated happen. 

This was a book that was more about social issues and about Mags and Amily learning their new jobs. There wasn't a big political plot in this one. Fans of the Valdemar books will enjoy this one because it explores topics not seen before.

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

Book Review: Kris Longknife: Indomitable by Mike Shepherd

Kris Longknife: Indomitable
Author: Mike Shepherd
Series: Kris Longknife (Book 18)
Publication: KL & MM Books (April 25, 2019)

Description: Grand Admiral, Her Royal Highness Kris Longknife, commander of the Iteeche Imperial Combined Fleets has the enemy on the run. Literally. The last time she entered a rebel system, every disloyal ship picked up its skirts and ran.

So why has she been ordered, as in requested and required, to make a formal report to the Emperor? Ron the Iteeche and his two young Iteeche Counselors have little to say on the subject except that some Iteeche think Kris is winning too much, too fast.

What human combat commander has ever heard those words?

Worse, when Kris returns to the capital, no one wants to sell her a ticket on the space elevator. Driving the streets is dangerous . . . not two roadside bombs but three detonate! Now she's got her embassy in sight and she can't get in!

What kind of games are the clan lords playing? What threats are being hatched against the young Emperor? Even more pressing, how does Kris get back into her embassy and back to her kids?

The Iteeche Empire claims it has a ten-thousand-year history and traditions for every possible situation. However, they've never run into Kris Longknife Indomitable.

My Thoughts: Kris Longknife has been running a very successful campaign against the rebels who want to take over the Iteeche Empire. Some think even too successful. No one thought it would be as easy to capture ships and planets as Kris Longknife makes it look.

Then she is called home to make a report to the emperor and finds all sorts of problems. First of all, she faces delays getting to her embassy in the form of bombs and armed troops. Then she has trouble getting into her embassy which is being surrounded by a million or so protestors who seem way to well organized to be an actual spontaneous demonstration. Bombs and having multi-story buildings dropped on her are not enough to keep her away from her duty which has become finding a way to keep the emperor alive.

I enjoyed seeing the way Kris deals with the Iteeche and life the way she keeps running into ways that the Iteeche are alien in thought and custom. Kris becomes concerned that she won't be able to do what she was brought to the empire to do unless she manages to find a way to change the culture of the Iteeche empire. But that won't stop this Longknife from doing her duty. 

This was an exciting episode in the long-running Kris Longknife series which lets everyone know that no one gets in of way of a Longknife who has a duty to perform. 

Favorite Quote:

"There's always the official reason, the real reason, and the actual reason why things happen," General Trouble said. 

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 25, 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, quiet late winter week. My two doctor's appointments went well and can now be checked off the list until next year. 

My upcoming dental appointment on Tuesday has just gone into the "iffy" category. The weatherbeans have been talking about a significant late winter storm starting later today and lasting through Tuesday. We are supposed to receive between 14" and 19" inches of snow between when I'm writing this on Sunday morning and Tuesday evening. Adding to the excitement will be strong winds and near blizzard conditions tonight through tomorrow noon. Then there will be the possibility of more snow or ice or freezing drizzle or rain through Tuesday evening depending on where you live in Duluth. 

Duluth is an interesting city. It stretches about 26 miles long along the shores of Lake Superior through the harbor and up the St. Louis River. However, it is only about three miles wide at its farthest from the lake. Think of it as a right triangle with the Duluth International Airport at the point of the triangle. It is also a city with quick elevation changes. The airport sits at 1397 feet above sea level. My house sits at 1247 feet above sea level since I'm nearer the airport than downtown. Downtown Duluth is at 626 feet above sea level. Those of us "over the hill" are expecting more snow and more blizzard-like conditions than those who live at the lower elevations. 

Luckily, I don't have to go anywhere during the storm - discounting the possible dentist's appointment. My brother is supposed to work on Monday at 9AM which is also supposed to be the worst part of the storm. He's already thinking about not going even though he drives a Subaru Outback with snow tires. You can't drive if the streets haven't been plowed and you can't see the road because of the blowing snow. 

My plan is to read and listen and watch Braves baseball. They start things for real on Thursday but have a couple of Spring Training games that I can watch earlier in the week.

Read Last Week

• Apprentice in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread) -- In Death Book 43
• Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen (Review; April 9) -- Post WWII mystery starring a widow who creates the field of crime scene investigations. My review will be posted on April 4.
• A Body at the Dance Hall by Marty Wingate (Review; April 8) -- Third Ladies Murder Club Mystery set in London 1922. My review will be posted on April 4.

• Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread) -- In Death Book 44
• Hello, Darkness by Sandra Brown (Mine since August 18, 2009) -- Romantic suspense starring a Late Night DJ and a police psychologist. When she gets a disturbing call, she contacts the police where she reconnects with a man from her past as they two try to track down a potential murderer who has her in his sights. My review will be posted on April 6.
• Secrets in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread) -- In Death Book 45

• Dark in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- In Death Book 46
• Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (Mine since November 2, 2022) --Andy Carpenter Book 10. My review will be posted on April 9.

Currently

• We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews (Mine since December 8, 2023) - Meg Langslow Book 5
• Leverage in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- In Death Book 47

Next Week

• Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (Review; April 16)
• Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding (Mine since December 4, 2009)
• At the Edge of the Woods by Victoria Houston (Review; April 23)

• Murder in Rose Hill by Victoria Thompson (Review; April 23)
• Next of Kin by Samantha Jayne Allen (Review; April 23)
• The Mayfair Dagger by Ava January (Review; April 23)

Reviews Posted

• A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado (Review copy)
• Rhythm and Clues by Olivia Blacke (Review copy)
• How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (Review copy)

• Murder in E Minor by Robert Goldsborough (Audiobook)
• Off the Air by Christina Estes (Review copy)
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (TBR pile)

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

Review:

• Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong (Review; May 7)

Bought:

None

What was your week like?

Book Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Series: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Delacorte Press (April 24, 2009)

Description: It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

My Thoughts: This was an interesting historical mystery set in England in 1950. The mystery is told to us by eleven-year-old chemist Flavia de Luce. Flavia who lives with her father and two older sisters is a chemist with a particular interest in poisons. 

The story begins with her being bound, blindfolded, and thrown into a closet - by her two older sisters. She manages to escape but begins to plan her chemical revenge. Oil of poison ivy added to her rather vain oldest sister's lipstick will make an interesting experiment for Flavia.

However, events turn deadly when Flavia finds a man dying in the cucumber patch in her family's garden. She had recently overheard him arguing with her stamp-collecting father. The family's gardener Dogger was also listening in. Now, with the man dead, and her father accused of the murder, Flavia needs to find the true killer to save him.

The mystery leads Flavia to a missing famous stamp and a suicide that happened thirty years earlier to which her father was a witness. 

While I didn't like Flavia at the beginning who seemed quite a sociopath to me, I did come to like her and enjoy her using her great intelligence and knowledge of chemistry to help the police find out what happened to the man in the garden and the very valuable stamp. 

This is the first of a ten-book series. 

Favorite Quote:

"I found a dead body in the cucumber patch," I told them.

"How very like you," Ophelia said, and went on preening her eyebrows. 

I bought this one November 29, 2017. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

 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:

It was as black in the closet as old blood.

Friday 56:

Since the entire adult population of Bishop's Lacey had been huddled round one another's wireless sets, no one, including the fire department, had spotted the blaze until it was far too late. 

This week I am spotlighting The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. This book has been on my TBR stack for years. As I'm trying to read or discard print books that have been on the TBR pile for years, I added this one to my calendar so that I actually would read it. 

Here is the description from Amazon:

It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

Audiobook Review: Murder in E Minor by Robert Goldsborough

Murder in E Minor
Author: Robert Goldsborough
Narrator: L. J. Ganser
Series: A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Publication: Blackstone Audio (April 25, 2020)
Length: 5 hours and 54 minutes

Description: Iconic sleuth Nero Wolfe returns to track down the murderer of a New York Symphony Orchestra conductor in this Nero Award-winning mystery.

Ever since disgraced associate Orrie Cather’s suicide, armchair detective Nero Wolfe has relished retirement in his Manhattan brownstone on West 35th Street. Two years after Cather’s death, only a visit from Maria Radovich - and the urging of Wolfe’s prize assistant, Archie Goodwin - could draw the eccentric and reclusive genius back into business. Maria’s uncle, New York Symphony Orchestra conductor Milan Stevens, formerly known as Milos Stefanovic, spent his youth alongside Wolfe as a fellow freedom fighter in the mountains of Montenegro. And now that the maestro has been receiving death threats, Wolfe can’t turn his back on the compatriot who once saved his life.

Though her uncle has dismissed the menacing letters, Maria fears they’re more than the work of a harmless crank. But before Wolfe can attack the case, Stevens is murdered. The accused is the orchestra’s lead violinist, whose intimate relationship with Maria hit more than a few sour notes in her uncle’s professional circle. But Wolfe knows that when it comes to murder, nothing is so simple - especially when there are so many suspects, from newspaper critics and ex-lovers to an assortment of shady musicians.

Now, in this award-winning novel that carries on the great tradition of Rex Stout, the irascible and immovable Nero Wolfe is back in the game, listening for clues and ready to go to war to find a killer.

My Thoughts: Nero Wolfe is back on the case after a two-year hiatus. He'd be willing to turn away a young woman in distress, but Archie Goodwin is more sympathetic. And when Wolfe learns that the woman is the niece of an old friend of his from his days as a freedom fighter in Montenegro, Wolfe agrees to take the case. 

The niece is concerned about some recent threatening letters that her uncle has received. Her uncle is the musical director of the New York Philharmonic. And when her uncle is found stabbed to death in his apartment, Wolfe is on the case. There are numerous suspects from rivals in the New York Philharmonic to old enemies. 

I enjoyed this return to the world of Nero Wolfe. The fantastic meals, the orchids, and Wolfe's quirks were all present. This story is narrated by Archie who knows his boss and is close behind on the solution to the mystery. I enjoyed the NYC setting too. 

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

ARC Review: Off the Air by Christina Estes

Off the Air
Author: Christina Estes
Publication: Minotaur Books (March 26, 2024)

Description: Equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining, Off the Air introduces Jolene Garcia in Emmy Award–winning reporter Christina Estes's Tony Hillerman Prize–winning debut.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments―anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo―and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell.

When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long.

As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It’s an investigation that could make or break her career―if it doesn't break her first.

My Thoughts: Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix who finds herself in the middle of a police investigation when local radio personality Larry Lemmon dies in the middle of one of his ranting, chauvinistic radio broadcasts. Jolene has his last interview, but she keeps finding herself one step behind now that it is time to investigate his death. 

She's dealing with all sorts of work pressure from rival reporters from other stations to big shot journalists coming in from all over the world who also want to find new information for their viewers. And with her own bosses looking for scoops and "sexy" items and with her local contacts unwilling to offer information, Jolene has to dig deep and take risks. She isn't willing to risk getting it wrong though. Not since she was already burned by a contact which cost her a job offer at a bigger station in a bigger market.

The story is filled with the pressures on modern news reporting from the insane presence of social media and bosses who want staff to do more with less. I enjoyed the story but didn't really care for the main character whose major focus seemed to be more about a possible Emmy and showing up her rivals than on getting the story right. I did sympathize with her distressed childhood and time in foster care and her fear of dogs after a childhood encounter with a vicious one. 

I also liked Jolene's persistence in her quest to not only find the killer but get an exclusive interview with him. I also liked the look around Phoenix that was provided in the story. 

This debut was entertaining. 

Favorite Quote:

"Is it fair to say you handled business finances while Larry was the figurehead?"

"That's a charitable way of putting it. He was more like a wild turkey strutting around all the time. So full of himself."

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

ARC Review: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

How to Solve Your Own Murder
Author: Kristen Perrin
Series: Castle Knoll Files (Book 1)
Publication: Dutton (March 26, 2024)

Description: For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate.... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

My Thoughts: This mystery takes place in two time periods. It begins with a teenager named Frances Adams going to a fortune-teller with her two best friends in 1965 and receiving a fortune that will haunt her life. The fortune teller says that she will be murdered!

Frances spends the rest of her life trying to discover who is going to kill her until she is finally killed nearly 60 years later. On the way, she creates all sorts of files about the people she connects with which contain many of their secrets. 

In the present day, Annie Adams receives a summons to the small village to learn about what will be coming to her in her great-aunt's will. Annie has never met her great-aunt although she and her artist mother live in her great-aunt's London home and have for most of Annie's life. Annie has recently lost her job as an administrative assistant and wants to become an author of mysteries. She has sent her first book out to agents and publishers. 

When Annie gets to the village, she meets the lawyer and other potential heirs but doesn't meet her aunt. When they go to her aunt's home, they discover her dead in suspicious circumstances. When the will is read a couple of days later, Annie learns that she has a week to discover who murdered her aunt if she wants to inherit all of her millions. She is in competition with her aunt's nephew by marriage and with the police. If the murderer is not discovered in a week the property will be sold to property developers and the monies donated.

Annie does have her great-aunt's journal to help her which is the way we get to know Frances Adams too. I liked that way the story switched from the past to the present and back again. I liked Annie's determination to solve the murder both as a way of getting to know her great-aunt and as a way to save the many villagers who life would be ruined if the property was sold for development.

This was an engaging mystery. I really enjoyed it. 

Favorite Quote:

"Well, if TV has taught us anything, it's that the murder rate in small villages is disproportionately high. So you'd better keep me on standby, because I'm sure there's a locked room in your future."

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

ARC Review: Rhythm and Clues by Olivia Blacke

Rhythm and Clues
Author: Olivia Blacke
Series: The Record Shop Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 26, 2024)

Description: The rhythm is gonna get you.

It’s been five whole months since the last murder in Cedar River, Texas, and Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie have been humming along when disaster strikes again.

Their struggling vinyl records shop/coffee nook, Sip & Spin Records, is under pressure from predatory investors, though the Jessup sisters aren’t ready to face the music and admit defeat. But the night after their meeting, the sketchy financier is killed outside their shop during a torrential Texas thunderstorm that washes out all the roads in and out of town. Now the sisters find themselves trapped in Cedar River with a killer, and Juni is determined to solve the case.

When the river spits out an unexpected surprise, Detective Beau Russell asks for Juni’s help, never predicting her investigation will spin her into danger. Up until now, the Jessup sisters have been playing it by ear, but with the whole town watching, can they catch a killer before he strikes again?

My Thoughts: Juni Jessup and her two older sisters own Sip & Spin - a coffee shop and a vinyl record shop - in a small Texas town near Austin. They have recently opened and are wondering if they will be able to make it as small business owners.

They are the target of predatory investors. One of the investors is Zackary Fjord. Juni and he went to college together but didn't really know each other. Now he and his partner Samantha are pressuring Juni and her sisters to take his company as a partner. 

However, when Zack dies in a car wreck in front of Sip & Spin during a raging thunderstorm, Juni and her sisters want to know who killed him. It turns out that there are a number of suspects right in town. Zack and his partner Samantha have their fingers in a number of local businesses. The owner of the local music store isn't happy with the partnership. The owner of a clothing shop is also on the side of the haters since he blames them for his store going out of business. Only the owner of the local consignment/thrift shop seems happy with the bargain she made. 

All the while Juni is investigating, she is also dealing with her two love interests. It has become time to stop juggling them and deciding which one she really wants to be with. Beau Russell was her first love, but he broke up with her when she left Texas to take her dream job in the Pacific Northwest. Beau, who is now a police detective, wants to rekindle their romance. Teddy Garza, the local postman, was a childhood friend but the friendship is shifting to romance now that Juni is back in town.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I enjoy Juni who is just now getting into "adulting." I liked the terrific puns for the coffee drinks that Juni creates at Sip & Spin. This is the third book in an enjoyable series. 

Favorite Quote:

The first person in line wanted to know what was in a Never Gonna Give Brew Up. I explained that it was a simple drip coffee made with mild roast beans. When I asked if they wanted a small, medium, or Ariana Grande, they ordered the grande. How could they not?

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

ARC Review: A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado

A Forgotten Kill
Author: Isabella Maldonado
Series: Daniela Vega (Book 2)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (March 26, 2024)

Description: An FBI agent tracks a brilliant serial killer in New York―right back to her own cold-blooded past in a riveting thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher.

FBI Special Agent Daniela “Dani” Vega was seventeen when her mother murdered her father. Ten years after Dani’s own damning eyewitness testimony sealed her mother’s fate, she’s starting to have doubts. What if she got it all wrong?

A veteran NYPD homicide detective agrees to reopen the closed case on one condition―Dani must help him find a serial killer who’s been operating throughout New York City for the past decade. If anyone can decipher his patterns, and his riddles, it’s a trained codebreaker like Dani. The killer knows this too. And his next riddle―and victim―is meant just for her.

For Dani, stopping a killer―and learning what really happened to her father―becomes more personal and more dangerous with each new twist. As secrets of the past are unearthed, the truth could forever change Dani’s life…and the lives of everyone she loves.

My Thoughts: FBI Agent Dani Vega is on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation into her previous case when she gets a call from the doctors at Bellevue: her mother is showing signs of lucidity. Catatonic since the gruesome murder of her husband and Dani's father when Dani was seventeen, she is believed to be the one who killed him. Dani walked in on the murder and was instrumental in the case that led to her mother's incarceration.

When her mother says that she didn't murder her husband, Dani decides to look into the case again. She goes to the NYC Police Detective who investigated. He agrees to give her the files on her father's case if she will look at some of his open cases to see if he has a serial killer. Dani is a former Army Ranger who was trained to analyze patterns. She determines, rather quickly, that not only are the cases related, but that they are only part of a long string of murders all perpetrated by the same serial killer. 

This discovery leads to the formation of a task force between the FBI and the various police forces of the places in NYC where the killer has operated. The investigation is tense and uses lots of new tools to link the 31 murders. But the killer has caught wind of the investigation and doesn't want Dani and the task force to succeed in stopping him. 

This was an excellent and fast-paced thriller. Depending on how you feel about characters who are ultra-competent, the characters are interesting. Dani, herself, is a former Army Ranger with well-honed physical skills and with an almost preternatural ability to solve puzzles. But she is also a grieving daughter who lost her father to murder and was taken in by an aunt who was emotionally abusive to her because of her resemblance to her mother whom the aunt feels stole her baby brother from her. She feels guilt that her eyewitness testimony resulted in her mother's commitment to Bellevue. 

I enjoyed this story and couldn't put it down until I reached the conclusion. 

Favorite Quote:

"You're saying he's compulsive." Flint's expression darkened. "Something drives him."

She gave voice to the unspoken implication hanging in the air between them. "Which means he'll never stop."

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? (March 18, 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 another nice, quiet week filled with reading and listening. Some of the listening included Spring Training baseball with my Atlanta Braves. 

I spent most of Friday waiting for Baen Books to release the eARC for Ribbon Dance 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 Ribbon Dance. 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

Read Last Week

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Mine since 2/8/2024) -- First in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. My review will be posted on March 22,
• Obsession in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Mine since 11/24/2023) -- Sweet cozy fantasy. My review will be posted on March 30.

• A Relative Murder 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.
• Devoted in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)

• Nosy Neighbors 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.
• Ribbon Dance 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.
• The Poison Pen 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.

Currently

• Apprentice in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen (Review; April 9)

Next Week

• A Body at the Dance Hall by Marty Wingate (Review; April 8)
• The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay (Mine since 12/18/2009)
• Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (Mine since 11/2/2022)

• We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews (Mine since 12/8/23)
• Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (Review; April 16)
• Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding (Mine since 12/4/2009)

Reviews Posted

• Bastion by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)
• Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh (Review copy)
• The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (Review copy)

• A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian (Review Copy)
• The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs (Review copy)
• The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer (Mine)

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

Review:

• Archangel's Lineage by Nalini Singh (Review; April 23)
• Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Review, June 4)

Bought:

• Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston (BookBub, $1.99) - Reread
• Identity by Nora Roberts (BookBub, $1.99) - Reread
• Kris Longknife Boot Recruit by Mike Shepherd

• The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley (Kindle)
• A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (Kindle)

• I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (Kindle)
• Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (Kindle)

What was your week like?