Friday Memes: Dead Tired by Kat Ailes

 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:

There used to be an advert for Boursin herby cheese that showed a couple enjoying a picture-perfect picnic in a meadow--only to zoom out and reveal a combine harvester heading straight for them. Picnicking with babies--and my dog--is very much the scene of devastation after the combine harvester has passed through.

Friday 56:

"Maybe," said Hen non-committedly. "But it's fine--Arora always comes back from yours in a good mood."

This made me feel disproportionately proud. A one-year-old enjoyed my company!

This week I'm spotlighting Dead Tired by Kat Ailes. This is from my review stack and is the second in the Expectant Detectives Mystery series. Here's the description from Amazon:

The second in a charming and hilarious mystery series by Kat Ailes, Dead Tired follows a group of new moms who didn’t think their maternity leave would involve so much murder.

"Full of charming characters, including Alice’s goofy dog, this fast-paced, original cozy is great fun."―Publishers Weekly

Being a new mom is murder.

Alice didn’t think her maternity leave would involve so much, well, murder. Before becoming proud new moms, she and her friends bonded more than members of a prenatal group usually would, as they became accidental amateur sleuths and solved a crime together. Now, with all this behind them and Alice’s son Jack somehow already a year old, Alice is keen to finally catch up on some sleep. So when an opportunity presents itself in the unlikely form of an eco-protest, Alice and her friends willingly chain themselves to trees and settle in as an excuse to get some overdue rest. Not the most comfortable arrangement ever, but at this point, they’ll take what they can get.

However, the next morning one of their fellow protesters is found strangled, and any hope of a peaceful interlude is suddenly swept away. Soon Alice and her friends become entangled in a plot involving rogue artists, an enigmatic local entrepreneur, and nude (optional) protesting, offering an unexpected―but not necessarily unwelcome―break from changing diapers and wrestling baby toys away from Helen the dog.

Alice, whose success rate in solving countryside murder is at an all-time high (one out of one), cannot resist the chance to demonstrate her detective skills once more, and assembles her gang of new moms to investigate this latest mystery in their not-so-sleepy English countryside village.

Audiobook Review: The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro

The Jigsaw Assassin
Author: Catherine Asaro
Narrator: Morgan Hallett
Series: Major Bhaajan (Book 4)
Publication: Recorded Books (August 9, 2022)
Length: 16 hours and 22 minutes

Description: Selei City is the capital of the Imerialte and one of the most desired locales in all of the Skolian Empire. But its thin veneer of civilization is cracked when a series of brutal crimes implicates those in political power in a vast conspiracy. Three prominent scientists have lost their lives to a serial killer—and notes at the scenes of the crimes lead to a connection to the Royalist political party.

Major Bhaajan, former military officer turned private detective, is called back to Selei City to solve the crime. Bhaaj and her crew of Undercity Dust Knights plunge into the Byzantine world of imperial politics—a jigsaw world where none of the pieces seem to fit. As the assassination plot becomes more and more convoluted, Bhaaj is kidnapped, threatened with death, and must fight for her life against the growing number of people threatened by her investigation. Bhaaj has faced all this and more, but now she must deal with something far deadlier—interstellar politics.

My Thoughts: Major Bhaajan's next case takes her to Selei City. She's called in by the Majdas for whom she works on retainer when there are three mysterious deaths. Notes at the scenes seem to implicate the Royalist Party but Bhaaj doesn't believe that. She feels that it could be any of the five major political parties involved. 

With clues leading nowhere and threats to her own life, Bhaaj calls in a couple of her Dust Knights from the Undercity to help with her investigation. Ruzik and Angel are both empaths and members of the Dust Knights. Their trip to Selei City with be their first trip off Raylicon and will be a revelation to them since the world and culture are so different than what they have known. 

Her Dust Knights are invaluable when her apartment building is blown up and also when Bhaaj is kidnapped. Their fresh takes on things Bhaaj takes for granted provides a lot of insight for her in her investigation. And the investigation is a complex one... A baby EI and threats from the Traders soon make her case bigger than she could have imagined. 

I really enjoy the worldbuilding in this series. Bhaaj is a complex character. 

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

ARC Review: A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets
Author: Kate Khavari
Series: A Saffron Everleigh Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 4, 2024)

Description: Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh is ready for her next thrilling adventure in the newest installment of Kate Khavari’s mesmerizing historical mystery series.

“A cleverly plotted puzzle” (Ashley Weaver) in the vein of Opium and Absinthe, this is perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Sujata Massey.

London, 1923. Returning from Paris, botanical researcher Saffron Everleigh finds that her former love interest Alexander Ashton’s brother, Adrian, is being investigated for murder. A Russian scientist working for the English government has been poisoned, and expired in Adrian’s train compartment. Alexander asks Saffron to put in a good word for Adrian with Inspector Green. Despite her unresolved feelings for Alexander, Saffron begins to unravel mysteries surrounding the dead scientist.

As if a murder case weren’t enough, her best friend Elizabeth’s war-hero brother, Nick, arrives in town and takes an immediate interest in Saffron. Saffron learns Alexander has been keeping secrets from her, including a connection to Nick, who Saffron and Elizabeth begin to suspect is more than he seems.

When another scientist is found dead, Saffron agrees to go undercover at the government laboratory. Risking her career and her safety, she learns there are many more interested parties and dangerous secrets to uncover than she’d realized. But some secrets, Saffron will find, are better left undiscovered.

My Thoughts: The third Saffron Everleigh historical mystery has the botanist looking into a lab which may by turning biologicals into weapons of mass destruction. 

Alexander Ashton, former love interest who might become a love interest again, comes to Saffron to urge her to convince the police that his brother Adrian had nothing to do with the death of a man sharing his train compartment. The man was an emigre and scientist at a government sponsored research laboratory. 

Meanwhile, Saffron's roommate Elizabeth's brother Nick has come to call. This older brother has been scarce for years. He is supposedly former military and now working for the agriculture department. He makes a fuss over both is sister and Saffron. It doesn't take the young women long to become suspicious of Nick since evidence seems to indicate that he's a spy. 

Nick recruits Saffron to work in the suspicious lab playing on her patriotism, her curiosity, and her desire to make sure science isn't used for immoral purposes after a second suspicious death connected to the lab. Her involvement attracts the attention of other ruthless characters.

This was an enjoyable historical mystery set in the years following World War I. I like Saffron both for her intelligence and for idealism. 

Favorite Quote:

"People in Nick's line of work don't look at people and see individuals with lives and families. People are either tools or obstacles. The either can be manipulated to suit their purposes, or they are removed. And you won't know which you are until it's too late."

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

ARC Review: Smoke and Mirrors by M. E. Hilliard

Smoke and Mirrors
Author: M. E. Hilliard
Series: A Greer Hogan Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 4, 2024)

Description: Librarian turned sleuth Greer Hogan is back on the case and headed to the big city in this fourth installment of M. E. Hilliard’s smart, suspenseful mystery series, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Louise Penny.

Having spent months quietly investigating in the village of Raven Hill, Greer Hogan returns to New York City determined to find her husband’s murderer. She secures a temporary gig at a private library inventorying the personal collection of a deceased magician. In her free time, Greer sleuths, leaving no stone unturned–even the ones which could be hiding deadly secrets.

Four years earlier, Greer had discovered her husband Dan dead in their apartment. He’d tried to tell her about something strange going on at his office, but she hadn’t had time to listen until it was too late. Worse still, she has always suspected that the wrong man was convicted of the crime. Now, Greer has solved other murders and has a few tricks up her sleeve. She combs through belongings she packed away soon after Dan’s death and interviews his former colleagues and people who were near the scene when he died. Soon, Greer is followed and attacked, so she knows she’s struck a nerve—but whose?

When two more people are killed and Greer realizes she can’t escape the smoke and mirrors surrounding her suspects, she confides in one of her new colleagues, a magician named Grim with whom she’s bonded over similar traumas. Though she knows he’s got secrets of his own, the tricky Grim may be exactly the assistant Greer needs to pull a rabbit out of a hat and shine a spotlight on a killer before the curtains come down on her for good.

My Thoughts: Greer Hogan has been building her investigative skills and circle of friends with unique gifts in the four years since she discovered her husband Dan murdered in their apartment. The time has come for her to return to New York City and finally discover his murderer. 

Greer gets a job in a private library inventorying the personal collection of a magician who disappeared. There she meets Joseph Grimaldi, known as Grim, who has a somewhat mysterious past. He was friends with the magician and is searching the house for something the magician told him was there. 

Meanwhile, Greer is investigating New Leaf, the company Dan was working for as an accountant when he was killed. She's certain that there is a connection there. She discovers some things as she finally goes through the belongings packed up after Dan's death and stored with her parents. She also questions former co-workers and people she knew at the time of Dan's death. 

Somehow, she touches a nerve because she finds herself both followed and attacked. Luckily, the self-defense courses she's taken prove helpful. But two other people connected with the case are murdered which makes Greer more determined than ever to find Dan's murderer.

This was an engaging story with lots of information about the legalized marijuana business and all the governmental hoops around it. Greer feels that something shady in the business could have been the cause of Dan's death - and maybe her own if she gets too close.

I enjoyed this story with its mystery-loving librarian main character. The references to other books and fictional detectives were fun additions. 

Favorite Quote:

Haynes frowned. Most police officers I know disliked coincidences as much as they liked fresh baked goods. 

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

Audiobook Review: Banker by Dick Francis

Banker
Author: Dick Francis
Narrator: Simon Prebble
Publication: Recorded Books (July 11, 2011)
Length: 9 hours and 59 minutes

Description: An investment banker arranges the purchase of a champion racehorse and gets caught up in murder in this New York Times bestseller that’s “fraught with violence, conspiracy and, of course, horses” (The Boston Globe).

Tim Ekaterin raised millions of dollars to finance the purchase of Sandcastle, a champion racer, only to discover an apparent defect in the horse. Investigating further, Ekaterin learns that the business of investment banking is nothing compared to the cutthroat world of horseracing—a world where violence and murder only raise the stakes....

My Thoughts: Written in 1982, this was an excellent thriller. Tim Ekaterin is an investment banker in the firm begun by his grandfather. He was raised by parents more interested in partying than banking. After his father's death, his mother's gambling habit drove the family into bankruptcy. His uncle agrees to bail his mother out if Tim works for the bank.

Not expecting much more than to fulfill his agreement with his uncle, Tim finds that he has the talent to be an excellent merchant banker. He is happy learning under his mentor Gordon and being quietly in love with Gordon's wife. 

When Gordon goes through a medication issue in his treatment for Parkinson's Disease, Tim takes over for him until he is ready to come back. During his time as head, he convinces his firm to lend money to a young cartoonist that several other banks have turned down. The cartoonist's quick and major success not only gives Tim confidence in his judgment but gives him the reputation as a lucky man.

An outing with the Chairman and Gordon and his wife Juliet to the horse races brings a new opportunity to Tim and the bank. Tim sees Sandcastle win a stunning victory and also meets and saves the life of a faith healer whose patients are horses. 

When a trainer comes to Tim to ask for financing to purchase Sandcastle to put him to stud, Tim convinces the bank to come up with the eight million that are needed. Tim spends time at the breeding farm and meets the owner's young daughter. He becomes friends during his frequent visits. 

When the owner calls some time later, he has a problem. It seems that Sandcastle's foals are showing a much higher than average number of birth defects. Sandcastle's problems as a stud threaten to not only bankrupt the trainer but cause a substantial loss for the bank too. 

Tim has only a short period of time to figure out if the problem is with Sandcastle or if someone is manipulating things for their own purposes. And when the trainer's young daughter is murdered the stakes go even higher. 

This was an excellent story. Tim is a wonderful main character who is both smart and honorable. The prose isn't flowery, but the emotional intensity is there. Simon Prebble did a wonderful job of bringing Tim Ekaterin to life. 

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

ARC Review: Don't Ask, Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa

Don't Ask, Don't Follow
Author: Mary Keliikoa
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (June 4, 2024)

Description: Murder, dark family secrets, and the unwavering bond of sisterhood—regardless of the cost

Beth Ralston, a paralegal in Portland, Oregon, would rather be racking up billable hours than mingling at an office party—especially when her sister Lindsay, aka her plus one, is a no-show.

After making her obligatory rounds, Beth returns to her office to find that her boss, who she’d talked with moments before, has been murdered. She sees a woman fleeing the scene. Wait—was that Lindsay? Unable to catch up to her in time, Beth waits for the police to arrive and notices that Lindsay has left her phone behind with an unsent text message to Beth displayed on the screen: “Don’t ask. Don’t follow.”

Lindsay is unreachable for days, and when Beth starts to come under suspicion for the crime, she decides that waiting is impossible. While retracing Lindsay’s steps, determined to bring her home, Beth uncovers what her sister, an investigative reporter bent on changing the world, was trying to expose—corruption, secrets, and betrayal on an unimaginable level. Revealing the truth might bring back the one person she’s desperate to find—but it could also destroy the only life and family Beth’s ever known.

My Thoughts: Beth Ralston finds her life spiraling out of control when she discovers her boss murdered and her sister Lindsay, apparently, fleeing the scene. Beth is a paralegal working in her father's firm and her sister is an investigative journalist. When her sister disappears after the murder, leaving only her cell phone with a message saying "Don't ask. Don't follow," Beth is determined to ignore her sister's message and find her.

As Beth tries to track down her sister, she learns that her sister was investigating a possible black market baby selling scheme. Poor women were told that their babies died after they gave birth at a special clinic. A DNA report seems to indicate that Lindsay's genetics don't match their parents which makes Beth wonder just how long this baby stealing racket has been going on. 

As she checks out the adoption agency and some of the women she could track down, she's sure that she's being followed. Her father, who is busy running for mayor, tells her to back off and let Lindsay get out of her own mess. He tells her to avoid the police detective who is investigating the murder claiming they had run-ins at a trial that prejudices him against her father. 

Not sure who to trust, Beth finds herself discovering all sorts of things about her family and learning who she can really trust.

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller.

Favorite Quote:

My whole world had been surrounded by justice and books and law. Because of my father, sure, but I'd become enamored by it early on. A desire to have things orderly and in place--for things to make sense and have a reason for being--had long been inside me. 

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? (May 27, 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...

It's Memorial Day weekend here in the USA which is the official kick-off to summer. Our weather has been mostly cooperating since the temperatures are warming up. Of course, we also had a few rainy days this past week adding about 2 inches of rain to our yearly total. High temperature for the week was 72. But then we did hit a low of 33 one day this week too. Mostly the lows are in the 40s with a couple of 50s too. 

I enjoyed my usual reading and listening and baseball watching. My Braves could be doing better since they seem to be on a losing streak. 

I also had some problems with Audible this week. I listen to my audiobooks on my laptop from the Audible website. Saturday, Audible was having problems. My stories either kept starting over or would not start at all. That means that I listened to half of one audiobook and finished the story by reading my Kindle copy. And I read my Kindle copies of another two instead of listening to the audiobooks. I had really hoped to listen to Beauty by Robin McKinley so that I could appreciate the lush vocabulary. Maybe I'll slot in the audiobook for listening later on this summer. Today things seem to be fine. My next audiobook listen is a title I bought at Chirp anyway so I can avoid any problems at Audible should they develop again. 

My brother is in a stretch of 51 scheduled hours over two pay periods. His next day off is Wednesday. We haven't been doing a lot of cooking since he hasn't been home for dinner. He did try a recipe for Meatball Stroganoff before he went to work one day this past week. It was quick to make since it was a one-pan recipe and used frozen meatballs which we had in our freezer already. It was good which was lucky since we had enough leftovers for another meal or two. 

Today he is using his May pizza coupon and bringing home a Sammy's pizza for our dinner. I gave him a gift certificate for one Sammy's pizza a month last Christmas which turns out to be a gift he is actually using. Sammy's is our favorite local pizza joint. 

There is nothing on the schedule for this week that will take me out of the house beyond trips to the grocery store. I'll have some end-of-the-month posts to prepare. I'll also be filling in the blanks on my July reading calendar. There aren't many blanks to fill since I have a bunch of July review books already slotted in. However, I did write in a couple of books that I preordered but don't have yet. The main blanks to fill are for the audiobooks I want to read. I may wait until closer to the time I need something for my calendar and let my mood choose. I do have 172 possibilities between Audible and Chirp already in my collection.

BTW, for those who asked, my new Kindle is an 11th generation Paperwhite. According to Amazon, it's my sixth Kindle. 

Read Last Week

• A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber (Review; June 18) -- The twelfth Lady Darby historical mystery takes them to Cornwall to look into Lord Gage's estranged family. My review will be posted on June 12.
• Sweetwater & the Witch by Jayne Castle (Audiobook Reread) -- Entertaining paranormal romance set on the world Harmony. The witty banter really shines in the audiobook version of this story. My review will be posted on June 13.
• The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Review; June 18) -- The heroine takes off into the wilderness with an old boyfriend to rescue a friend. Lots of angst and adventure. My review will be posted on June 13.

• Untraceable by Laura Griffin (Mine since 1/5/2024 when it was a BookBub deal) -- First in the Tracers of series of romantic suspense titles. My review will be posted on June 15.
• Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron (Review; June 25) -- 15th Mike Bowditch mystery set in the wilderness of Maine. Engaging story of a man on the hunt for a killer. My review will be posted on June 18.
• Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop (Audiobook Reread) -- Third in The Others series.

• A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas (Review; June 25) -- Lots of plots and schemes in this episode of the Lady Sherlock series. Entertaining. My review will be posted on June 19.
• Beauty by Robin McKinley (Reread) -- This lyrical and expanded retelling of Beauty and the Beast was as engaging as it was when I first read it years ago. My review will be posted on June 20.
• The Third to Die by Allison Brennan (Mine since 1/20/2024) -- This thriller is the first in the Quinn & Costa series and introduces the characters as they try to track down a serial killer. My review will be posted on June 18. I started with the audiobook and finished with the Kindle copy. 

• Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett (Mine since 12/25/2023) -- Third in the series of mysteries wherein Queen Elizabeth II is an undercover detective. My review will be posted on June 20.
• Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni (Mine since 9/13/2023) -- First Keera Duggan legal thriller. Entertaining with lots of plot twists and surprises. My review will be posted on June 22.

Currently

• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (Mine since 11/24/2023)
• In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Chirp Audiobook; mine since 1/1/2024)

Next Week

• Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt (Review; July 2)
• Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie Holmberg (Mine since 8/22/2023; Kindle and audiobook)
• Thornyhold by Mary Stewart (Chirp Audiobook; mine since 9/29/2023)

• Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst (Mine since 8/3/2023)
• Dragon Shadow by Elle Katherine White (Mine since 9/7/2022)
• The Burning by Linda Castillo (Review; July 9)

Reviews Posted

• A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (Audiobook reread)
• Original Twin by Paula Gleeson (Review copy)

• The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread)
• If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (Review copy)
• All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath (Review copy)

• Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst (gift from author)
• May Day by Jess Lourey (Mine; TBR pile)

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

Review:

Bought:

• Twisted by Laura Griffin (Kindle) -- Tracers Book 5
• The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst (Kindle Daily Deal)

• Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan (Kindle) -- Quinn & Costa Book 2
• The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan (Kindle) -- Quinn & Costa Book 3

What was your week like?

Book Review: May Day by Jess Lourey

May Day
Author: Jess Lourey
Series: Murder by Month Mysteries (Book 1)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (April 30, 2024)

Description: A waitress turned librarian just wants a new life. What she ends up with is a killer change of pace in a funny, snappy, and suspenseful mystery by Edgar Award–nominated author Jess Lourey.

With a cheating boyfriend, a thankless career in waitressing, and her BA in English going to waste, Mira James jumps at the chance for a fresh start in rural Battle Lake, Minnesota.

Right away she lands a job as a librarian, snags another as an on-call reporter for the weekly newspaper, and is swept off her feet by Jeff Wilson, a handsome archaeologist unearthing the town’s storied history. Moving here might be the best decision Mira’s ever made. Until she finds Jeff’s body between the library’s reference stacks. It seems Mira didn’t really know her drop-dead gorgeous new lover at all. But someone in Otter Tail County surely did.

Behind this quirky town’s polite exterior are decades-old grudges still unsettled, and murderous secrets best kept hidden. Whatever dangers are buried in Battle Lake’s past, now it’s Mira’s turn to start digging.

My Thoughts: Twenty-something Mira James jumps at a chance to leave the Twin Cities in hopes of a new start. She's in a dead-end job, has a cheating boyfriend, and doesn't know what she wants for her future. 

Moving to Battle Lake, Minnesota, may not be the exact new start she was looking for though. Yeah, she quickly finds a couple of new jobs. She's a new librarian at the Battle Lake Public Library and she's in charge since the other librarian is off on a vacation. She also gets a job writing for the local newspaper which lets her use her otherwise useless English degree. 

She's swept off her feet by an archaeologist who's in town looking for the best property for a new tourist attraction. However, things take a downturn when she finds her new love dead on the floor of her library when she opens one morning. 

As she looks into his murder, she uncovers more than the usual secrets in a town filled with quirky characters. 

I enjoyed the small-town setting and all the quirky characters. I liked Mira's desire for a new start. The writing, told from Mira's point of view, was descriptive and amusing. 

Favorite Quote:

By the time I reached the high school, it was almost five. I studied the building. The original architect must have had a bomb shelter in mind when they designed it. The whole structure cried out, "I'm sturdy, not pretty!"

I bought this one. I got the paperback March 27, 2010, and the revised Kindle copy May 2 along with the Whispersync audiobook. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: May Day by Jess Lourey

 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:

Today marked my tenth day alone at the library, and the heady thrill of being my own boss wasn't cutting it anymore.

Friday 56:

I stepped out and stretched in the temperate night air. No way could I go to sleep with all this tension in my shoulders. Some gardening would clear my mood. 

This week I am spotlighting May Day by Jess Lourey. I have had this first book in the Murder by Month series on my TBR pile since March 27, 2010. Early in May the revised Kindle edition and the audiobook were both on sale with the Kindle copy being $2.49 and the audiobook $1.99. Since I had been meaning to read this book sometime, the sale prices meant that the time had come. I was originally drawn to the book because the book is set in Minnesota. I once had a roommate who called Battle Lake her hometown. 

Here's the description from Amazon:

A waitress turned librarian just wants a new life. What she ends up with is a killer change of pace in a funny, snappy, and suspenseful mystery by Edgar Award–nominated author Jess Lourey.

With a cheating boyfriend, a thankless career in waitressing, and her BA in English going to waste, Mira James jumps at the chance for a fresh start in rural Battle Lake, Minnesota.

Right away she lands a job as a librarian, snags another as an on-call reporter for the weekly newspaper, and is swept off her feet by Jeff Wilson, a handsome archaeologist unearthing the town’s storied history. Moving here might be the best decision Mira’s ever made. Until she finds Jeff’s body between the library’s reference stacks. It seems Mira didn’t really know her drop-dead gorgeous new lover at all. But someone in Otter Tail County surely did.

Behind this quirky town’s polite exterior are decades-old grudges still unsettled, and murderous secrets best kept hidden. Whatever dangers are buried in Battle Lake’s past, now it’s Mira’s turn to start digging.

Audiobook Review: The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro

The Vanished Seas
Author: Catherine Asaro
Narrator: Morgan Hallett
Series: Major Bhaajan (Book 3)
Publication: Recorded Books (July 7, 2020)
Length: 12 hours and 37 minutes

Description: Survive the City of Cries

Bhaajan grew up in the Undercity, a community hidden in the ruins buried beneath the glittering City of Cries. Caught between the astonishing beauty and crushing poverty of that life, and caught by wanderlust, she enlisted in the military. Now retired, Major Bhaajan is a private investigator who solves cases for the House of Majda, a powerful royal family centered in Cries. The powerful elite of the City of Cries are disappearing, and only Bhaajan, who grew up in the Undercity, can find them - if she isn’t murdered first.

My Thoughts: Major Bhaajan's next case has her investigating the disappearance of a woman from a gala where she was set to announce the winning of a major and lucrative contract. Bhaaj was at the gala because her employers - the Majdas - asked her to attend to look for anything suspicious. She is immediately sympathetic toward the woman's bewildered husband and is especially so because another investigator is so certain that he is guilty.

Things heat up when someone tries to kill Bhaaj as she investigates. Bhaaj isn't at all certain that it isn't her employers. But, no matter who wants her dead, Bhaaj isn't going to rest until she figures out what happened to Mara Quida. Things get even more complicated when another woman vanishes in the same way that Mara did. Only this one was an old friend of her employer Colonel Lavinda Majda who is third in line for the Majda throne. 

I love the world building in this story which takes place on Raylicon - a dying world with a lack of fresh water and only two cities. The City of Cries is where all the wealthy, powerful, and beautiful live. The Undercity is where Bhaaj is from. The people there have their own culture and language and have little to do with the people from Cries who look down on them. However, it was recently discovered that the people in the Undercity have a much larger percentage of psychic gifts than the general population and those gifts are need to keep the galactic civilization working. 

Bhaaj left the Undercity to join the army and then retired back home when her enlistment period was up. She came back with a galactic education, many physical enhancements, and a desire to help the citizens of Undercity survive and flourish in the greater galactic culture. 

Her investigation takes her from Cries to the Undercity and out into the desert to the three ships that brought the original settlers from Earth to Raylicon thousands of years in the past and are now a scientific treasure guarded by the army.

An Appendix at the end of the book lets the reader see some of the ways this story and its science grew. Asaro has a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics which means that reading it seemed like magic to this math-challenged reader. The real math and science was no less magical than the science and math in the story. Luckily, readers can enjoy the wonderful, detailed and engaging characters whether or not math is a language they speak.

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

ARC Review: All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

All's Fair in Love and War
Author: Virginia Heath
Series: Miss Prentice's Protegees (Book 1)
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (May 28, 2024)

Description: In the first installment of a Regency romp of a series, a governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges clashes with the children’s uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.

When Harry Kincaid’s flighty older sister decides to join her husband on an Egyptian expedition, Harry, a former naval captain, is left in the lurch, minding her three unruly children and giant, mad dog. But Harry has a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all his attention, and he has no clue how to manage the little rascals or when his sister is coming back. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire an emergency governess quick sharp to ensure everything in his formerly ordered house is run shipshape again.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgie Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything hers wasn’t―filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational approach. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely.

Georgie and Harry continue to butt heads over their differences, but with time it seems that in this case, their attraction is undeniable―and all is indeed fair in love and war.

My Thoughts: This book was an entertaining historical romance. Georgie Rowe is a governess. Well, she would be if someone would hire her. She has had 33 unsuccessful interviews so far. Her outspokenness has been her downfall.

Harry Kincaid is a busy naval officer. He is busy working for the admiralty as a problem solver. One of his biggest problems is getting the HMS Boadicea ready for sailing but there are construction delays after construction delays. 

Then Harry's sister decides to go with her husband to look for the source of the Nile and leave her three mischievous children and their monster dog in Harry's care. He loves his nephew and nieces, but they are too much for a busy man to deal with. He hires Georgie out of desperation to be their temporary governess until their parents return. 

 Harry has been in love before, and it almost cost him his career. He doesn't need to be attracted to this feisty governess who doesn't follow his precisely laid down schedule. And Georgie doesn't need to fall in love with a rigid military man who seems so like the stepfather who made her mother's life and her own life so miserable. 

These two mismatched souls fall in love. But can they ever be together?

Fun romance with well-developed characters. 

Favorite Quote:

"What!" It was a bloody miracle the top of Harry's head didn't explode with the volcanic fury of his anger. "Suddenly, after thirty-one years of possessing absolutely no common sense whatsoever, my sister has the gall to become prudent?" He began to stomp in outrage.

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

Book Review: Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst

Spy Ring
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Clarion Books (May 21, 2024)

Description: Two modern-day kids discover the truth about an American Revolutionary War–era female spy through a treasure-hunt adventure in their hometown of Setauket, New York.

With codewords and secret signals perfected, best friends Rachel and Joon are ready to spend their summer practicing spycraft—especially if they can uncover secrets like the one Joon’s parents have been keeping, that his family is about to move out of town.

When eavesdropping leads them to a ring rumored to have belonged to Anna “Nancy” Smith Strong—according to local Long Island legend, the only female member of George Washington’s famed Culper Spy Ring—they think they’ve hit the jackpot. Then they discover Nancy left a coded message in the ring!

Decoding her message leads to another cryptic clue, and then another, and soon Rachel and Joon are racing to decipher a series of puzzles that must surely lead to hidden treasure! But can they solve the final mystery before Joon’s moving day? And just what did the centuries-old spy hide away—and why?

Sarah Beth Durst’s skillful blend of Revolutionary War history and suspenseful contemporary storytelling will keep readers guessing to the last satisfying page.

My Thoughts: SPY RING was an engaging middle grade mystery with a huge helping of American History. Rachel and Joon, soon to be sixth graders, embark on a quest to discover a treasure Revolutionary Spy Anna "Nancy" Smith Strong left for those who could follow her clues. Rachel and Joon need a mystery to solve to get their minds off the fact that Joon's parents' lease is expiring and finding a new place to live will most likely mean moving away. 

When the two are playing spy in Rachel's parents' attic and she overhears that her soon-to-be stepfather has a gift for her when they couple marries and that the gift is a silver ring that has been passed down in his family from Anna Smith Strong, the perfect mystery presents itself.

As Rachel and Joon travel all around Setauket which is on Long Island in the State of New York, they learn all about their town's history and a lot about spycraft during the Revolutionary War. They also find some adult friends who are eager to help them in their explorations. Linda who has recently retired from the historical society is also a Nancy fan and provides a lot of assistance. So does the school custodian who lets the kids into the summer quiet elementary school so that they can check out murals painted in the school's auditorium. 

This was a fun quest for the kids which leads to a happy ending for Joon as his family. The author's note at the back provides all sorts of information for young people who want to know more about history and the many unsung heroes that helped build our country. 

Favorite Quote:

"Sometimes historians make mistake," the woman said, "or more often, they don't have all the information yet. My friend Linda at the historical society likes to say that reconstructing history like piecing together a puzzle where there's no picture on the box, half the pieces have fallen on the floor, and the cat has eaten a quarter of them. You try to guess what the picture looks like as best you can with what you have."

I received this book as a gift from the author. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

If Something Happens to Me
Author: Alex Finlay
Publication: Minotaur Books (May 28, 2024)

Description: From “one of the genre’s most exciting voices” (E! News) comes one of the year’s most-anticipated thrillers.

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

My Thoughts: IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is an intriguing, braided tale. It is told in multiple viewpoints. Ryan has changed his last name and entered law school to get away from the fateful night when he and his girlfriend Ali were attacked at the local make-out spot. She disappeared and he was questioned in her disappearance.

The second point of view is that of Poppy McGee who is in her first week as a sheriff's deputy in her hometown of Leavenworth after an honorable discharge from the Army when she was harassed by a superior officer. Her first job happens after Ali's car was discovered at the bottom of a local lake by true crime podcasters. Ali's body wasn't there but the bodies of two men, shot in the head, were. 

The third point of view is that of Shane O'Leary who is a crime boss in Philadelphia who goes on a rampage when his teenage son commits suicide after bullying at his exclusive prep school. His accountant raids his accounts in a Swiss bank and goes on the run with his teenage daughter who was a part of the bullying.

As the story progresses, we learn how all three parts of the story connect. The clues are gradually revealed as the characters investigate their own parts of the mystery. This was a fast-paced and intriguing thriller. It was filled with adventure and discoveries. 

Favorite Quote:

"You think it is Alison Lane's car?" the bearded guy asks. 

The sheriff nods. "The bigger question is who are the two dead guys you found in it?"

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

Audiobook Review: A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas

A Tempest at Sea
Author: Sherry Thomas
Narrator: Kate Reading
Series: The Lady Sherlock Series (Book 7)
Publication: Penguin Audio (March 14, 2023)
Length: 13 hours and 47 minutes

Description: Charlotte Holmes’s brilliant mind and deductive skills are pulled into a dangerous investigation at sea in the new mystery in the bestselling Lady Sherlock series.

After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.

Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder takes place on the ship.

Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive.

My Thoughts: The seventh Lady Sherlock mystery takes place on the HMS Provence. Charlotte, who faked her own death to get off Moriarty's radar, has a mission from the Crown to find some missing documents. If successful, she will get protection from Moriarty. 

Disguised as an old woman with Mrs. Watson disguised as her companion, Charlotte finds herself among a select group of passengers many of whom are known to her. In fact, the man who compromised her and cost her a place in society is traveling with his wife. Lord Ingram is traveling with his children. Her sister Olivia is traveling with her cousin. And her mother shows up unexpectedly traveling with her new maid. 

There are other passengers including Charlotte's target: a German nanny traveling with two young boys. And there are the Arkwrights: a brother and sister reunited after many years. Mr. Arkwright left England for Australia where he made his fortune. His sister was forced to make her own way in England and part of making her way may have included being naked at a house party - a thoroughly scandalous event. 

When Miss Arkwright is outed by Charlotte's seducer, attention is called to her. And when her brother is murdered Charlotte needs to solve the crime while keeping her identity secret and her search for the missing documents active. 

A Scotland Yard detective who has tangled with Charlotte and Lord Ingram before and who is traveling on the same ship is put in charge of the investigation by the ship's captain. Lord Ingram has to find a way to insert himself in the investigation in order to pass information on to Charlotte. 

The story is filled with twists and turns and lots of secrets. I enjoyed the complexity of the story. 

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

ARC Review: Original Twin by Paula Gleeson

Original Twin
Author: Paula Gleeson
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (June 1, 2024)

Description: In this haunting tale about the bonds between sisters, one young woman must follow the invisible thread that connects her to her missing twin before someone else can sever it for good.

Twin sisters May and June couldn’t be more different. May is quiet, self-conscious, withdrawn; June is boisterous, beautiful, magnetic…and missing.

It’s been a year since June disappeared, a year of May waiting for her to turn up with an explanation of where she’s been and why she left. But with the discovery of an old newspaper article comes a secret: their mother once vanished, too, on the same date when she was nineteen years old.

This was no coincidence. June was investigating this buried family mystery, and she left May a series of clues to pick up where she left off. Now, if May wants to find June, she’ll have to retrace her footsteps through their mother’s past.

The more answers she digs up, the more questions May has. And the biggest one of all: When her sister’s trail of breadcrumbs runs out, what or who will she find?

My Thoughts: This debut novel is filled with secrets and plot twists. It is hard to say anything about the story that isn't a spoiler. It was a fast-paced, compelling read. 

The story is told from three main viewpoints. May and June are the twin daughters of Diana who recently passed away in a swimming pool accident. Then June disappears leaving May to try to find out what happened to her twin. 

May and June are quite different characters being fraternal twins. May is quiet and introspective while June is loud and boisterous. 

May's thread of the story begins one year after June's disappearance when she has come home for the empty casket funeral. She discovers a newspaper article which indicates that Diana also disappeared when she was nineteen. She was gone for three weeks and claimed ever afterward not to remember what happened to her while she was missing. One thing is certain though, she was or became pregnant during those missing three weeks. 

This article comes as a complete surprise to May detailing a family past she had known nothing about. As she tries to find out more, she learns that many people were keeping secrets. As she talks to her grandmother Pat and her Aunt Sue she learns precious little and decides to investigate - with the help of June's clues. 

As May searches, we get chapters from Diana with give us some information about her missing three weeks and about her raising May and June. We also get letters written by June to her dead mother detailing her own search for what happened to their mother nineteen years earlier. She's also trying to find out who her father was. 

I enjoyed this story and was gobsmacked by all the twists and turns in this complicated plot. I liked the growth May shows as she progresses through this story. 

Favorite Quote:

June had always liked hiding things. She held information and secrets at arm's length, dangling like a carrot. To get it, you had to earn 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? (May 20, 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 quiet week filled with reading and watching baseball. There were lots of sunny days that made propping open the patio doors acceptable and pleasant. It hasn't been quite warm enough to run the air conditioner which is nice since it is still wrapped in its winter blanket.

I did buy a new Kindle this week since mine was having battery issues. I was having to recharge it every couple of hours or read while it was tethered to my computer charging. Of course, once my new Kindle arrived and it was set up, the old one seemed to get over its battery issues and stay charged for the usual amount of time which for me is two days. I know Amazon says the battery should last for up to ten weeks but that is based on using it for twenty minutes a day instead of many hours a day as I do. 

I also spent some time this week reading the first few pages of a number of older Kindle titles in order to find a book I wanted to read and review. The second Flavia de Luce book which I had planned to read this week failed to catch my attention. 

It was air show weekend here in Duluth. Apparently, my house is in the fly zone since it was really noisy Friday afternoon as they were practicing and Saturday and Sunday as the show was going on. I did get a chance to see the Thunderbirds as they flew in a tight formation right over my house Friday afternoon. Of course, the roaring engines and sonic booms could likely have been heard over most of Duluth. 

This week should be a quiet one. I don't have any appointments to break up my reading and listening. 

Read Last Week

• Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Review; June 4) -- Direct sequel to TRADER'S LEAP follows Shan and Padi as they try to set up a trade arrangement on Colemeno. My review will be posted on June 5.
• Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle (Review; June 4) -- This was a stupid love story that spans five years of missed opportunities. My review will be posted on June 4.
• The Vampire Book Club by Nancy Warren (Mine since April 1, 2022) -- A disgraced witch is exiled to Ireland where she discovers a body in the bookstore she will be managing and a group of vampires who hold a book club upstairs. My review will be posted on June 6.

• Heartstone by Elle Katharine White (Mine; Reread) -- Historical fantasy with dragons. My review will be posted on June 8.
• A Killing in the Hills by Julia Kelly (Audiobook, Mine) -- First Bell Elkins mystery set in West Virginia. My review will be posted on June 6.
• Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread) -- Second in the Others series. 

• A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry (Review; June 18) -- The latest in the Kate Hamilton series sees Kate and Tom on their honeymoon and investigating the provenance of a blood-stained dress from 1885. My review will be posted on June 11.
• A Liaden Universe Constellation, Volume 5 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook, Mine) -- A collection of recent Liaden Universe stories including ten previously published works. My review will be posted on June 11.

Currently

• Sweetwater & the Witch by Jayne Castle (Audiobook Reread)
• A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber (Review; June 18)

Next Week

• The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Review; June 18)
• Untraceable by Laura Griffin (Mine)
• Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron (Review; June 25)

• The Third to Die by Allison Brennan (Audiobook)
• A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas (Review; June 25)
• Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett (Mine)

Reviews Posted

• Hard Rain by Samantha Jayne Allen (Mine)
• Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas (Audiobook)
• Lights, Camera, Bones by Carolyn Haines (Review copy)

• Liar's Point by Laura Griffin (Review copy)
• Mind Games by Nora Roberts (Review copy)
• Toll of Honor by David Weber (Mine)

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

Review:

• Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair (Review; July 30)
• Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne (Review; October 1)

Bought:

• Anything with Nothing edited by Mercedes Lackey (Kindle Daily Deal, $.99)
• On Her Watch by Melinda Leigh (Kindle)

What was your week like?