Friday Memes: Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

I gathered myself, my bare feet gripping the floor, my thigh muscles braced for the attack. I stepped forward on the ball of my left foot, pivoting as I moved, and my right leg swung up, bent at the knee. My foot lashed out, returned instantly. The black Everlast punching bag rocked on its chain.

Friday 56:

"What has happened here?" the Reverend McCorkindale asked sternly.

"Norval got red-blooded, so I cooled him down."

That would require the least explanation, I figured. 

This week I am spotlighting a reread. I read Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris sometime before 2008 and recently got the audiobook at an Audible Sale. I chose it as an audiobook partly because it is relatively short and partly because I was curious to see if the story held up.

Here is the description from Amazon:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris’s Shakespeare's Landlord is the first book in the Lily Bard mystery series.

Welcome to Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily Bard came to the small town of Shakespeare to escape her dark and violent past. Other than the day-to-day workings of her cleaning and errand-running service, she pays little attention to the town around her. So when she spots a dead body being dumped in the town green, she's inclined to stay well away. But she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and despite her best efforts, she's dragged into the murder case.

Lily doesn't care who did it, but when the police and local community start pointing fingers in her direction, she realizes that proving her innocence will depend on finding the real killer in quiet, secretive Shakespeare.

ARC Review: Death at the Manor by Katharine Schellman

Death at the Manor
Author: Katharine Schellman
Series: A Lily Adler Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (August 9, 2022)

Description: The tortured spirits of the dead haunt a Regency-era English manor—but the true danger lies in the land of the living in the third installment in the Lily Adler mysteries, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, the Carroways, she doesn’t expect much more than a quiet country visit and the chance to spend time with her charming new acquaintance, Matthew Spencer.

But something odd is afoot in the small country village. A ghost has taken up residence in the Belleford manor, a lady in grey who wanders the halls at night, weeping and wailing. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family seems delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Intrigued by this spectral guest, Lily and her party immediately make plans to visit Belleford.

They arrive at the manor the next morning ready to be entertained—only to find that tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found killed in her bed.

The dead woman’s family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up—but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond?

My Thoughts: The Lily Adler series takes a turn to the Gothic for this episode. Lily Adler is stopping off to see her aunt on her way to a visit with friends in the country. She is travelling with the Carroways who are also on their way to their country home. 

Her aunt offers up a local ghost as a way of entertaining her guests. Unfortunately, the ghost is only the start of things. On a visit to see the ghost at Belleford manor, they find instead that the lady of the house has been killed inside her locked bedchamber. 

Unwilling to attribute the death to the grey lady supposedly haunting the place and unwilling to leave her aunt in the same location as a murderer, Lily decides to look into the case. She is assisted by her new friend Mr. Spencer whose home is in the area. She is also assisted by her friend Ofelia, Lady Carroway.

After having her confidence in her abilities as an investigator shaken by the revelation of her aunt's living situation which had slipped her notice, Lily interviews suspects from Mr. Wright who will finally inherit from his mother to the few remaining servants at the house. 

This was an engaging and entertaining historical mystery. I enjoyed the Gothic elements. I also enjoyed Lily's growth as she moves away from her grief as a widow.

Favorite Quote:

"It is not a comfortable task to take on. And there is something about that house..."

"It is an unhappy place," Mr. Spencer agreed. "And I would say it has been for a while. What?" he asked, seeing her staring at him. "Do you not agree?"

"I do," she said. "I just thought it was all in my head. I've never been one to assign the feelings of a person to inanimate things, but I can't seem to help it in this instance."

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

ARC Review: In Too Steep by Kate Kingsbury

In to Steep
Author: Kate Kingsbury
Series: Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (August 9, 2022)

Description: The peace and tranquility of the Misty Bay Tearoom is rocked by murder and a long-buried secret hidden in a most unlikely place in bestselling author Kate Kingsbury’s second charming book for fans of Cleo Coyle and Laura Childs

It seemed like a simple case: the murder of Lewis Trenton, a beachcomber who lived alone in a cabin in the Oregon hills. But the newspaper article piques the interest of Vivian Wainwright, owner of the British-style Misty Bay Tearoom. The photo accompanying the article shows Lewis’s cluttered living room, and on the shelf is a replica of Big Ben. Vivian is sure she sold the clock a week before in her shop. Who could have given the replica to Lewis?

Unable to keep from doing a bit of sleuthing, Vivian hunts down the replica in a local thrift shop, noticing that the base is missing, rendering it worthless, but just as Vivian is about to throw it in the trash, a sparkle catches her eye. It’s a diamond, hidden away in a crevice in the clock. Vivian takes the diamond to Detective Tony Messina, who identifies it as part of a jewelry heist in Portland a month earlier. Portland police think Lewis was the fence who sold the jewels, and that he was killed after double-crossing the thieves—but Messina doesn’t believe the story.

What was the true motive behind Lewis’s murder? How did he come upon the diamond? And what secrets can the clock tell—before the killer strikes again?

My Thoughts: This second book in the Misty Bay Tea Room cozy mystery series stars tea shop owner Vivian Wainright. Vivian is in her early 60s and a widow. She's living her dream of owning a tea shop featuring many of her mother's favorite British recipes. 

When Vivian learns of the death of beachcomber Lewis Trenton and sees a souvenir she sold a visitor to her tea shop in the photos the accompany the newspaper article, she becomes determined to find someone who knew him so that they can mourn his death.  

As Vivian and her shop assistants Jenna and Gracie try to track down the purchaser of the souvenir, they discover a number of things including a diamond that was part of a recent jewelry store robbery. As they trace the path the souvenir followed, they find a lot of suspicious people who could be the fence who brokered the jewelry store robbery. Vivian's decision to be sure which one is the prime suspect for the position of fence before informing the police, puts her in a lot of danger. 

The story also includes Vivian's new romantic relationship with Hal who owns the local pet shop and her fears that she might be showing the early signs of dementia because she keeps forgetting where she has left things. The story also includes her new rescue dog Felix who adds the pet component to this cozy mystery.

I enjoyed the story. 

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

Book & Audio Review: Royal Valentine by Jenn McKinlay

Royal Valentine
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Narrator: Sara Young
Series: A Museum of Literature Romance (Book 1)
Publication: JMO Ink (January 4, 2022); Dreamscape Media LLC (February 2, 2022)
Length: 114 p.; 3 hours and 13 minutes

Description: Molly Graham doesn't believe in love at first sight or fairy tales. She's been burned too many times before. But when she stumbles across a very handsome British professor, Albert George, seeking refuge in her office during the Museum of Literature's Valentine's Day gala for the opening of their Austen exhibit, she can't help but be drawn to the fellow introverted academic. Together, they ghost out of the event and embark upon a monthlong love affair. Just as she’s rethinking her stance on happily ever afters, he disappears.

Afraid something bad has happened, she searches for him only to discover there is no Albert George affiliated with the university. She's been played for a fool. But when she travels to England to return the Jane Austen exhibition materials on loan from the Whitmore Estate, Molly is introduced to Earl Whitmore and his grandson Lord Insley - or, as she knows him, Albert George. She is shocked and dismayed to discover she’s fallen in love with a viscount in line to be an earl.

Although he had to leave her unexpectedly, he hasn't been able to forget her, and he wants to win her back. But she refuses to be taken in twice. He’ll have to channel his inner Fitzwilliam Darcy to prove to her that love conquers all.

My Thoughts: This was a fun, contemporary romance novella. Molly Graham works at the Museum of Literature. She and her best friend Bri are constantly bemoaning the lack of suitable men in their lives. Bri challenges Molly to "aim high" in her next romantic venture.

When Molly meets Albert George hiding out at a museum gala, she's smitten. But she thinks he's a a poor, British graduate student. They spend a whirlwind month catching all the sites in New York City before he disappears on her leaving her heartbroken.

They meet again when she is tasked with returning the Jane Austen Exhibit items to Earl Whitmore in England. She discovers that her Albert George is actually Viscount Isley and heir to the earldom. Molly is heartbroken again because her one bottom line on relationships is that there by no lying. Al lied to her about who he was. Molly's own insecurity about the differences in their lives and lifestyles is also a barrier for her.

It takes some straight talking before the two of them can have their "happily ever after."

Favorite Quote:

I didn't laugh, because when Bri makes up her mind about something, she can be as stubborn as a mustard stain.

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

ARC Review: The Dark Circle by Robert J. Mrazek

The Dark Circle
Author: Robert J. Mrazek
Series: Jake Cantrell (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (August 9, 2022)

Description: From award-winning author Robert J. Mrazek, ex-army officer Jake Cantrell embarks on a harrowing journey, unraveling the conspiracy behind an opioid epidemic and strange disappearances in upstate New York.

Jake Cantrell tried to put his past behind him and settle down after suffering an unjust disgrace as an army officer. He works as a campus security officer at a small college in upstate New York. But things aren’t so placid in his leafy new environs. A mass opioid crisis threatens to devastate the campus. When two football players on the new drug attack Jake with bats, Jake is fired for the excessive force he has to use to subdue them.

Newly unemployed, Jake is retained by Lauren Kenniston, the editor of the Groton Journal, to find missing college student Deborah Chapman, a gifted young jazz vocalist who has performed at Carnegie Hall.

Along with Bug, the eighteen-year-old wolf hound he saved in Afghanistan, Jake sets out on the search. Battling street gangs, nefarious secrets, and an enigmatic group called the Knights, Jake is set for a brutal showdown that could mean Deborah's rescue--or Jake's demise.

Fans of Robert J. Mrazek's award-winning thrillers are in for a non-stop ride into the abyss with the second installment in his critically acclaimed series.

My Thoughts: Jake Cantrell has just lost his job as campus security for a small college in upstate New York when he is approached by local reporter Lauren Kenniston to look into the disappearance a Deborah Chapman. Deborah is a college student and a gifted jazz singer. 

Since Jake doesn't have anything to do, and Lauren is offering $200 a day, he decides to try even though he has no experience as a private investigator. He's soon deeply involved with the opioid crisis that is flourishing in the area. He finds Deborah in a crib for drug-addicted prostitutes and then has to discover how this bright, talented virgin ended up there.

He and Lauren, who lost a brother to opioids, begin to look into things and discover that Deborah was apparently targeted by a sex cult and she wasn't tie first victim. Their search leads them to a shady casino, corrupt cops, corrupt government employees, and a cabal of rich dudes.

The story has a lot of violence as both Jake and a couple of people he is working with are targeted and beaten by the villains. Jake returns the favor and leaves a trail of bodies behind him before settling for some vigilante justice.

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. I really liked the descriptions of upper New York State and the cities and small towns that are rotting from within. The characters were engaging. 

Favorite Quote:

When it comes to alcohol, my personal philosophy has always been to take it or leave it. Since Afghanistan, I haven't left it. It usually cuts down on the nightmares. In idle moments, I take comfort in the thought that I have personally stabilized the economy of Tennessee.

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

State of the Stack #131 (August 1, 2022)

 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. Links go to my reviews.

1. Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood (July 14)
2. The Wedding Plot by Paula Munier (July 19)
3. The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (July 20)
4. Storm Echo by Nalini Singh (July 21)
5. Touchstones by Stephanie Burgis (July 21)
6. Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey (July 26)
7. Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose (July 27)
8. Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews (July 28)
9. The Secret of Bow Lane by Jennifer Ashley (July 30)
10. The Dark Circle by Robert J. Mrazek (August 2)
11. In Too Steep by Kate Kingsbury (August 3)
12. Death at the Manor by Katharine Schellman (August 4)
13. Line of Darkness by Max Tomlinson (August 9)
14. In the Pines by Kendra Elliot (August 10)
15. Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (August 11)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted. Links go to my reviews.

1. What Lies Beneath by J. G. Hetherton (July 5)
2. A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe (July 6)
3. Upgrade by Blake Crouch (July 7)
4. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (July 9)
5. Iced by Felix Francis (July 13)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released. Links go to Amazon.

1. Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs (August 23)
2. It's News to Me by R. G. Belsky (October 4)
3. Line of Darkness by Max Tomlinson (October 16)
4. Archangel's Resurrection by Nalini Singh (October 25)
5. A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James (November 1)
6. Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (December 6)
7. River of Fallen Angels by Laura Joh Rowland (January 10)
8. Lie to Her by Melinda Leigh (January 17)
9. Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan (February 7)

All TBR Review Books

August

• Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews (August 23)
• Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs (August 23)
• A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber (August 30)

September

• Bound by Murder by Laura Gail Black (September 6)
• Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook (September 6)

• Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (September 6)
• Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (September 6)
• Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer (September 6)

• Sweetwater & the Witch by Jayne Castle (September 20)
• Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower (September 20)

October

• Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander (October 4)
• It's News to Me by R. G. Belsky (October 4)
• Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne (October 4)

• Blind Faith by Alicia Beckman (October 11)
• Treachery on Tenth Street by Kate Belli (October 11)
• Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp (October 11)

• The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews (October 11)
• Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden (October 11)
• A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril (October 11)

• Santa's Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt (October 11)
• Built to Last by Erin Hahn (October 18)
• Archangel's Resurrection by Nalini Singh (October 25)

November

• A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James (November 1)
• Vivianna Valentine Gets Her Man by Emily J. Edwards (November 8)

• Hands Down by Felix Francis (November 8)
• Never Name the Dead by D. M. Rowell (November 8

December

• Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (December 6)
• Death in the Margins by Victoria Gilbert (December 6)
• What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna (December 6)

January

• The Game Is a Footnote by Vicki Delany (January 10)
• River of Fallen Angels by Laura Joh Rowland (January 10)
• Lie to Her by Melinda Leigh (January 17)

February

• Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan (February 7)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 1, 2022)

 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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

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 quiet week. I mostly spent the time reading and working on my blog. I wrote my State of the Stack post which organizes my review books. It will be posted later today.

I'm still working on reading or discarding books I have had since 2008. The list is down to six books and two of them are in my reading plans for next week. Two others are the fourth and fifth in the Kris Longknife series and I thought I should read the first three books which are on my Keeper Shelf before I read them. I really loved the first of the rereads which is both a good thing and a bad thing. 

While learning more about Mike Shepherd, I discovered that the Kris Longknife series wasn't his first and that there were more stories in the same universe that took place earlier in the timeline. I decided that I wanted to read them too and ended up exploding my TBR pile. I added six books from that prequel series and one that, I think, comes at the end of the Kris Longknife 19 book series. I put the first book on this week's reading plans and will fit in more in future weeks. Maybe, I'll be able to finish the series this year. At least, I do hope to get to the ones on the Added in 2008 stack.

I am also gradually collecting the Meg Langslow series on audiobook. Luckily, these humorous cozy mysteries don't need to be read in order since I just read the 31st which was on my review stack. I've also read the 7th and 29th. My new additions this week are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the series.

This week should be quiet too. My brother and I will be going out to eat at Texas Roadhouse on Tuesday to use up some coupons and celebrate my birthday. Otherwise, baseball and reading are the only things on my schedule. 

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• A New Clan by David Wever & Jane Lindskold -- Fourth book in the Stephanie Harrington series has treecats and a potential new drug being tested on unknowing citizens of Sphinx. My review will be posted on August 13.
• Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews (Audiobook) -- Catalina Baylor becomes wedding planner for her sister Nevada's wedding but has to deal with a missing jewel and someone who wants to poison the wedding cake. I read this one to get back into the Hidden Legacy world since Ruby Fever (the final Catalina story) is on my review stack.
• Death at the Manor by Katharine Schellman (Review; August 9) -- The third Lily Adler historical mystery takes a turn to the Gothic with a murder in a locked room of a possibly haunted manor house. My review will be posted on August 4.

• Line of Darkness by Max Tomlinson (Review; August 16) -- Fourth Colleen Hayes mystery set in 1979 with flashbacks back to 1942. Ex-Con PI gets involved with Nazi hunters. My review will be posted on August 9.
• Wolf Moon by Nora Roberts (Audiobook) -- Novella stars a woman bitten by a werewolf who will do anything for a cure. My review will be posted on August 16.
• In the Pines by Kendra Elliot (Review; August 16) -- A search for a hidden treasure brings strangers to town. A young prepper boy comes asking the sheriff to help find his missing mother and baby sister. And family secrets are revealed in this 4th book in the Columbia River series. My review will be posted on August 10.

• Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (Review; August 16) -- Nice romance between a woman obsessed with serial killers and the Elementary School music teacher next door. My review will be posted on August 11.
• Luna Rising by Sara Snow (Audiobook) -- YA urban fantasy that begins a series and ends with nothing resolved. My review will be posted on August 11.
• Kris Longknife: Mutineer by Mike Shepherd (Reread) -- First book in the Kris Longknife 19 book series. Great Space Opera with an engaging main character. My review will be posted on August 16.

Currently

• Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews (Review; August 23)

Next Week

• Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs (Review; August 23)
• McKettrick's Pride by Linda Lael Miller (Owned since 2008)
• First Casualty by Mike Moscoe

• A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber (Review; August 30)
• McKettrick's Heart by Linda Lael Miller (owned since 2008)
• Death in the Sunshine by Steph Broadribb (Kindle & Audiobook)

Reviews Posted

• A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 2 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
• Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey
• The Secret of Bow Lane by Jennifer Ashley

• Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews
• Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose

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

Review:

• A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James (November 1)

Audiobooks:

I'm gradually collecting the whole series as they go on sale at Chirp:

• Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews
• Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews
• Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews

• Incriminating Evidence by Rachel Grant (Free Kindle & $1.99 Audiobook)
• A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 3 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook because I already have the Kindle)
• Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (Audiobook because I reviewed the eARC and want to read it again. Also, it was on sale for $2.99)

eBooks:

• First Casualty by Mike Moscoe
• The Price of Peace by Mike Moscoe

• They Also Serve by Mike Moscoe
• To Do or Die by Mike Shepherd
• Rita Longknife: Enemy Unknown by Mike Shepherd

• Rita Longknife: Enemy in Sight by Mike Shepherd
• Kris Longknife's Maid Goes on Strike & Other Short Stories by Mike Shepherd

• Kris Longknife: Mutineer by Mike Shepherd - Kindle copy of a book I have in print.
• Kris Longknife: Deserter by Mike Shepherd - Kindle copy of a book I have in print.
• Kris Longknife: Defiant by Mike Shepherd - Kindle copy of a book I have in print.

• Muzzled by David Rosenfelt 
• Bad Scene by Max Tomlinson

What was your week like?