State of the Stack #155 (July 31, 2024)

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

Read This Month 

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

1. Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor (July 30)
2. Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara (July 30)
3. A Poisonous Palate by Lucy Burdette (August 1)
4. Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews (August 1)
5. The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassel (August 3)
6. I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell (August 7)
7. Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose (August 8)
8. In the Event of Murder by Cynthia Kuhn (August 13)
9. City of Secrets by P. J. Tracy (August 13)
10. The Jig Is Up by Lisa Q. Mathews (August 14)
11. How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Bateman (August 15)
12. A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman (August 15)
13. Shock and Paw by Cate Conte (August 17)

DNF

1. Red River Road by Anna Downes (August 27)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. The Burning by Linda Castillo (July 3)
2. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (July 9)
3. Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos (July 9)
4. Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts (July 10)
5. The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (July 11)
6. There's No Murder Like Show Murder by M. S. Greene (July 16)
7. Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh (July 16)
8. The Last Line by Scott Lyerly (July 18)
9. Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (July 23)
10. Havoc by Deborah J Ledford (July 24)
11. Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair (July 25)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron (September 3)
2. The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber (September 24)
3. Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux (October 22)
4. Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley (October 22)
5. The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig & Kate White (November 5)
6. Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh (January 14)
7. A Death in Diamonds by SJ Bennett (January 21)
8. Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan (February 11)
9. The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman (February 11)
10. The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (March 11)

All TBR Review Books

September

• Passions in Death by J. D. Robb (September 3)
• The Reaping by Jess Lourey (September 3)
• French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron (September 3)

• The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling (September 17)
• The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber (September 24)
• Death by Misadventure by Tasha Alexander (September 24)

• Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg (September 24)
• A Killer Clue by Victoria Gilbert (September 24)
• The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard (September 24)

October

• Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly (October 1)
• Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne (October 1)
• I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong (October 1)

• The Night Woods by Paula Munier (October 8)
• Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima (October 8)
• The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt (October 15)

• Buried Lies by Steven Tingle (October 15)
• Long Time Gone by Hannah Martian (October 15)
• Death at a Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connelly (October 15)

• Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley (October 22)
• Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux (October 22)
• Fondue or Die by Korina Moss (October 22)

• Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni (October 22)
• A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke (October 29)

November

• Pike Island by Tony Wirt (November 1)
• The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, & Karen White (November 5)
• The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (November 5)

• Misery Hates Company by Elizabeth Hobbs (November 5)
• Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch (November 5)
• All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally (November 12)

• Burn This Night by Alex Kenna (November 12)
• The Mirror by Nora Roberts (November 19)
• A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley (November 19)

December

• The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong (December 3)
• The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot (December 10)
• Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson (December 10)

January

• Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert (January 7)
• Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh (January 14)

• The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany (January 14)
• A Death in Diamonds by S. J. Bennett (January 21)
• She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (January 21)

• Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove (January 21)
• Dead Money by Jakob Kerr (January 28)

February

• The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman (February 11)
• Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan (February 11)

March

• The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (March 11)

ARC Review: Strange Folk by Alli Dyer

Strange Folk
Author: Alli Dyer
Publication: Atria Books (August 6, 2024)

Description: A woman returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia, where a conjuring meant to protect the community may have summoned something sinister in this lush, shimmering, and wildly imaginative debut novel, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Deborah Harkness, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her new life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva.

Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother’s spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva’s magic may have conjured something far more sinister.

As she and her family search for answers, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power in order to protect her family and the town she couldn’t leave behind.

My Thoughts: After her marriage implodes, Lee brings her children with her to the one place she thought she'd never go back to: home. Craw Valley is in Appalachia. Lee fled at eighteen to get away from a bad home situation and to get away from her magical heritage. 

She is staying with her grandmother Belva who is the local healer until she decides what to do with her life. She still isn't interested in the magic that runs through her family but her fifteen-year-old daughter Meredith is. When her mother refuses to let her great-grandmother teach her about the family magic, she goes to the grandmother her mother doesn't talk about. Redbud says she'll teach Meredith but has her own agenda.

Meanwhile, Lee is getting to know her childhood friends again. Dreama has turned into a yuppie pod person and Kimmie is still the wild child she always was only the wildness is more frantic. She also reconnects with Otis who might have been her boyfriend if she hadn't already decided in school to leave the place behind. 

When Lee's favorite high school teacher is found dead, Belva is blamed. He was the local pedophile and Belva's group had cast a spell on him. Then the local drug dealer is found dead with more ties linking him to Belva. 

Lee has to investigate if she wants to free her grandmother from suspicions. The investigation will not only need to be about current events but will also require looking into the past and into family secrets.

This was an engaging debut novel filled with real people with real people problems in an environment where magic is real. I enjoyed the storytelling. 

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

ARC Review: Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Atonement
Author: Michelle Sagara
Series: Chronicles of Elantra (Book 19)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (August 6, 2024)

Description: In the City of Elantra, only one holds the key to peace—or eternal darkness.

At the end of three long wars, Bellusdeo is the last of her kind, the sole surviving female Dragon in the City of Elantra. When she appears one evening on the doorstep of her former roommate, Corporal Kaylin Neya, her demeanor is dreadful—more so than what’s expected of the Dragons’ notoriously tempestuous temperament. Kaylin’s new roommate, Mrs. Erickson, is quick to see the reason for Bellusdeo’s despair—the eight ghosts of the Dragon’s dead sisters, chained to her and unseen. Pleading for release, revenge and, above all, peace.

Now Kaylin and Mrs. Erickson must embark on a perilous journey, from the hallowed halls of the Academia to the depths of forbidden magic, to confront the very essence of mortality itself. Can Kaylin help release the untapped power within Mrs. Erickson to save Bellusdeo’s sisters…or will unlocking the past plunge the realm into an unfathomable darkness forever?

My Thoughts: The nineteenth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series has a lot to do with ghosts. Mrs. Erickson has moved into Helen at Kaylin's request. She's a shaman and likely a necromancer. She's also a kind, gentle and lonely old woman who has made friends in the Hawks. And she's a woman who can see ghosts and who as a child couldn't tell ghosts from the living apart.

For many years she lived with the ghosts of four children who became ghosts when Azoria an'Berranin, an evil Barrani, separated their souls from their bodies. Azoria had big plans for Mrs. Erickson too but couldn't manage to take over her body. Azoria is dead now, but the problems she created in her quest for power continue.

Bellusdeo has a problem or two too. The only female dragon has moved out of Helen to take control of one of the sentient towers that watch out for incursions of Shadow but she is being troubled by ghosts too. She once had eight sisters, but all died in the battles against Shadow. Only they aren't gone and aren't happy. Mrs. Erickson would really like to help her but first she has to deal the Ancient who is troubling the garden of elements Evanton where Evanton is the Keeper. 

This was an engaging episode in a long-running series. It is a complex fantasy world where questions of death and reality are often at stake. Kaylin is the Chosen of this generation even though she doesn't know what that means or what she can do with the powers she isn't at all sure she wants. She almost always finds herself in situations where she is obliged to use her instincts to save the world. This episode was no exception.

While I wouldn't recommend starting the series here, fans will be engaged with this latest episode.

Favorite Quote:

"No one who lives here is normal by the standards of their race. It's my belief," Helen added, once again gentling her voice, "that no one is normal when they are at home. You are at home here. No one here will judge you. No one here will judge your power."

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

ARC Review: Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Agony Hill
Author: Sarah Stewart Taylor

Series: Franklin Warren (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (August 6, 2024)

Description: Set in rural Vermont in the volatile 1960s, Agony Hill is the first novel in a new historical series full of vivid New England atmosphere and the deeply drawn characters that are Sarah Stewart Taylor's trademark.

In the hot summer of 1965, Bostonian Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, to take a position as a detective with the state police. Warren's new home is on the verge of monumental change; the interstates under construction will bring new people, new opportunities, and new problems to Vermont, and the Cold War and protests against the war in Vietnam have finally reached the dirt roads and rolling pastures of Bethany.

Warren has barely unpacked when he's called up to a remote farm on Agony Hill. Former New Yorker and Back-to-the-Lander Hugh Weber seems to have set fire to his barn and himself, with the door barred from the inside, but things aren’t adding up for Warren. The people of Bethany―from Weber’s enigmatic wife to Warren's neighbor, widow and amateur detective Alice Bellows ― clearly have secrets they’d like to keep, but Warren can’t tell if the truth about Weber’s death is one of them. As he gets to know his new home and grapples with the tragedy that brought him there, Warren is drawn to the people and traditions of small town Vermont, even as he finds darkness amidst the beauty.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery, set in Vermont in 1965, concerns the death of a farmer in what looks like an apparent suicide. 

Franklin Warren is on his first day on the job as an investigator for the State Police of Vermont when he is called to the scene of a fire. Arriving at Agony Hill, he discovers the burned body of Hugh Weber in his locked-from-the-inside barn. 

As Warren looks into the case, he gets to know Sylvie Weber and her four sons and he also gets to know the people who might have wanted Hugh Weber dead. Hugh was an angry man who managed to alienate most of his neighbors and the town people of Bethany, Vermont. 

Hugh had come from New York with the intention of leading a simple life as a farmer. He married a much younger woman from a farm background. He was especially irritated that the interstate highway system was coming to Vermont. He was a frequent author of letters to the editor of the local newspaper. He was also a jealous man who resented any interest shown in his wife and her writing talent. 

Warren finds himself quicky getting to know other people in the town as he investigates. He finds his new next-door-neighbor Alice Bellows to be especially helpful for her insights into other town people. She is also an amateur detective and a woman with secrets who hasn't managed to outrun them. Warren is also helped by his young police assistant Pinky who has lots of local knowledge.

This was an engaging story about the near past when the Vietnam war is looming over everything. Draft dodgers and others opposed to the war contrast with patriotic parades on the village green. And, at least in Alice's case, remnants of World War II are also lingering. 

I enjoyed this historical mystery for its intriguing characters and interesting setting. 

Favorite Quote:

"He was one of those people who woke up every morning thinking of himself as a victim of a great conspiracy by everyone around him to thwart his desires. Do you know what I mean?"

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 29, 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...

We had hot weather (for values of hot in Northern Minnesota) and I was kept busy with furniture removals and furniture deliveries this week. I'm sitting on my new couch as I'm writing this on a Sunday morning when we are supposed to have a temperature drop to a high of only 80F. 

It is hard to believe that it is already the last week in July. I have my end of the month report to write, my State of the Stack to write, a blood draw on August 1, and my birthday on August 2. My brother and I will be going out to dinner to celebrate on Wednesday since his work schedule doesn't allow a dinner out on my actual birthday. 

I have just one book remaining on my August review stack which I should have finished before writing my State of the Stack on Wednesday. I also set up posts for September on my blog and have made decisions for everything except what audiobooks I'll be reading and reviewing. My September 3 review book releases were already on my August calendar since I like to post reviews before the books are released. 

I'm really looking forward to reading Passions in Death since I'm a huge fan of that series. 

Reading and baseball should keep me busy and indoors this coming week. I might also get a chance to watch some of the Olympics too. 

Read Last Week

• Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey (Chirp Audiobook; Mine since April 23, 2022) -- Middle book in the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy has Talia on her apprenticeship journey learning to be a Herald of Valdemar and dealing with her losing control of her gift. My review will be posted on August 22.
• The Jig Is Up by Lisa Q. Mathews (Review; August 20) -- Accountant Kate returns to her hometown of Shamrock, Massachusetts, at a panicked call from her sister only to learn that her sister has been accused of murder. My review will be posted on August 14.

• A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman (Review; August 20) -- The fifth Lily Adler historical mystery pits Lily against a blackmailer and a poisoner. My review will be posted on August 15.
• Ceremony in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• Shock and Paw by Cate Conte (Review; August 20) -- 8th Cat Cafe mystery includes the murder of the island's newspaper editor, the holiday lighting contest, and missing cats. My review will be posted on August 17.

• Vengeance in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• Echo Road by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh (Mine since July 2) -- Two of my favorite authors bring their iconic characters together to solve a kidnapping and a couple of murders. My review will be posted on August 20.

Currently

• Unleashed by David Rosenfelt (Mine since November 2, 2022) -- 11th Andy Carpenter novel
• Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since April 23, 2022)

Next Week

• Red River Road by Anna Downes (Review; August 27)
• Fortune and Glory by Janet Evanovich (Mine since September 30, 2021)
• Moving Is Murder by Sara Rosett (Mine since June 10, 2021)

• Passions in Death by J. D. Robb (Review; September 3)
• The Reaping by Jess Lourey (Review; September 3)
• French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron (Review; September 3)

Reviews Posted

• The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair (Audiobook)
• Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair (Review copy)
• Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins (Audiobook)

• Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (Review copy)
• Havoc by Deborah J Ledford (Review copy)
• Always Time to Die by Elizabeth Lowell (Mine)

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

Review:

• The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber (Review; September 24)
• The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman (Review; February 11)
• The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (Review; March 11)

Bought:

• The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander (BookBub, $1.99) - 15th in Lady Emily series
• The Oldest Starfighter by Jamie McFarlane (BookBub, Free)

• When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill (BookBub, $1.99)
• Summer of the Dragon by Elizabeth Peters (BookBub, $1.99)

What was your week like?

Book Review: Always Time to Die by Elizabeth Lowell

Always Time to Die
Author: Elizabeth Lowell
Series: St. Kilda (Book 1)
Publication: Avon; Revised ed. edition (March 17, 2009)

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

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

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

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

My Thoughts: ALWAYS TIME TO DIE was an excellent romantic suspense title. Carly May is a family historian who was hired to write the story of the family of the Governor of New Mexico. His eccentric aunt hired her. She wants her to concentrate on the Castillo family - the female line. The Governor, who is soon to be running for President, is not at all encouraging. He apparently has secrets to keep about his twisted family tree.

Daniel Duran is home to recover from an injury to his leg gained on a job for St. Kilda Consulting. He is also quietly looking into drug trafficking in the area for his employer. He knows what a twisted situation Carly is going to find and develops an unexpected desire to keep her safe.

From dead rats on pillows, to vandalized cars, and bricks heaved through windows, Dan and Carly have to deal with someone who really wants to scare Carly away from her task of writing that family history. 

I really enjoyed all the interesting details about genealogy that were woven into this story. I liked that both Carly and Dan were competent adults with lots of things in common. The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I also thought the romance was realistic. 

Favorite Quote:

"Yeah. No matter how many times my nose was rubbed in it, I still acted like I was on vacation."

"You've been shot, had a brick heaved through your living room window, suffered a sneering sheriff, been drugged until you yakked up your toenails, and twice drew a gun with every intention of shooting someone. Which part of that qualifies as a vacation?"

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

Friday Memes: Always Time to Die by Elizabeth Lowell

Happy Friday!

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

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

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

Beginning:

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

Someone is. Soon.

Friday 56:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audiobook Review: Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARC Review: Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quote:

Archie got up, then helped Iris to her feet.

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

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

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

ARC Review: Havoc by Deborah J. Ledford

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quote:

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

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

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