It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 19, 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 still another quiet week. The weather remains unseasonable though we did go through a bit of a cold snap this week with temperatures in the single digits in the morning. Next week should see a return to warmer temperatures. There is still no snow in the forecast which I am finding enjoyable. Without snow, I have been taking my car out for little drives which is very unusual for me. I usually don't drive at all from December through February since the roads are so often snow covered. 

I am looking forward to the next season of The Voice which starts next Monday and Spring Training baseball which also starts this week. I got an email informing me of my auto-renewal of MLB.TV which means baseball isn't too far away. The first game I can watch is on February 22 on ESPN featuring the Dodgers and Padres. I can listen to the Braves vs Phillies via MLB.TV on the 27th. The first Braves game I can watch will be on February 28 also with the Phillies. I haven't looked far enough ahead to see when I can watch a game with the new Braves announcers. 

I'm continuing my rereadathon of the In Death series. I have listened to the first 30 of the stories. Next up is Indulgence in Death which is book 31. I also have another audiobook in my plans this week. Since I have the fifth Medlar mystery by Jude Deveraux on my review stack, I need to catch up. I've read the first two in the series and the third is on TBR mountain as an audiobook which I will listen to this week. I have the fourth in the series on my Kindle but may use one of my Audible credits to get the audiobook.

My brother and I have been working diligently to eat the leftovers in the refrigerator, so I haven't tried any new recipes this week. He's off on Monday and Tuesday which means he'll be cooking. This is good because the rest the week he'll be working through the dinner hour which leaves me on my own for dinners. I have no idea what he'll be in the mood to cook but anything is better than having to do the cooking myself. 

Read Last Week

• Speculations in Sin by Jennifer Ashley (Review; March 5) -- Kat Halloway has to find out who is embezzling and who killed a clerk at a bank if she wants to save her friend's husband from taking the fall for the crime. My review will be posted on February 27.
• Salvation in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams (Review; March 5) -- Socialite Edie Shippen and Doctor Gil Lawless need to track down a serial killer in 1921 Philadelphia. My review will be posted on February 29.

• Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler (Review; March 5) -- This mystery was filled with quirky LGBTQ+ characters and was very entertaining. My review will be posted on February 28.
• Promises in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)

• The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (Audiobook Reread) -- This epic fantasy won a Newbery Honor Award in 1983. I loved it then and still loved it as I heard the story for the first time this week. My review will be posted on March 5.
• Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread) 
• Black Wolf by Juan Gomez-Jurado (Review; March 12) -- Second in the Antonia Scott thriller series. This one has Jon and Antonia trying to find the widow of a mafia don who is also being searched for by her husband's boss and a mysterious assassin. My review will be posted on March 5.

Currently

• A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux (Audiobook; mine since 11/24/21)
• A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn (Review; March 12)

Next Week

• Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh (Review; March 19)
• The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (Review; March 19)
• The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs (Review; March 19)

• A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian (Review; March 19)
• The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer (Mine since January 28)
• A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado (Review; March 26)

Reviews Posted

• Foundation by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook reread)
• Murder by Lamplight by Patrice McDonough (Review copy)
• The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong (Review copy)

• Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters (Review copy)
• The Last Word by Gerri Lewis (Review copy)
• A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander (Review copy)

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

Review:

• Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson (Review; April 2)
• Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle (Review; June 4)
• Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt (Review; July 2)

• Strange Folk by Alli Dyer (Review; August 6)
• Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose (Review; August 13)
• I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell (Review; August 13)

Bought:

• My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh ($1.99 after using Kindle Rewards)
• The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King (Kindle; Keeper copy)

What was your week like?

ARC Review: A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexanderrev

A Smoking Bun
Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: A Bakeshop Mystery (Book 18)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 20, 2024)

Description: Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

The mountains are calling in Ashland, Oregon, where pastry chef turned amateur sleuth, Jules Capshaw, is baking up a bevy of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour. Ramiro’s family is visiting from Spain and Jules can’t wait to take them up to her beloved Mount A with its charming and rustic lodge, backcountry trails, and star-filled skies that stretch for miles. Their winter wonderland adventure is nothing short of magical and the merry party opts to return to the slope the next day for the Downhill Dummy.

The annual competition is a favorite amongst snow lovers. Contestants strap makeshift dummies to skis and send them hurling down a death-defying ski jump in hopes of catching big air. The team at Torte is in the mix this year with their own replica of a tiered cake and a baker who closely resembles their fearless leader. It’s a fun and festive atmosphere as dummies sail past the crowd to huge cheers and applause. Until one of the dummies takes a deadly detour and lands atop Fitz Baskin.

Fitz is a guide on the mountain and his icy dealings have made for frosty relationships with everyone he encounters. Suddenly there are more suspects than snowdrifts as Jules dives into the investigation. She unearths a web of secrets and motives that threaten to shake the rustic mountain lodge to its core. Can she catch the killer before they strike again, or will the truth be buried forever under fluffy layers of fresh snow?

My Thoughts: This is the eighteenth Bakeshop Mystery, but the first I have read. In this episode, Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain over the New Year. Jules is busy with her bakeshop and planning things for them to do and see. 

Events at Mount A, the local ski resort, will feature prominently. But during a midnight snowshoe trek, they see a guide lead two people off the trail and see the ski patrol come to rescue them. The next day is a much anticipated event called the Downhill Dummy. Local groups and businesses create dummies to send down the ski jump in anticipation of spectacular crashes. But things go immediately wrong when the same guide who led his group off trail is hit by one of the dummies and killed. 

Now Jules Capshaw needs to fit a murder investigation into her already packed schedule. She quickly learns that the resort is in financial trouble and plans a fundraiser to help the owner make payroll. But is the owner on the up and up? Or does she have a hidden agenda? And what about the woman wandering around with a clipboard? And the environmentalist willing to do anything to stop the resort from selling off some land for clear cutting?

This was an entertaining mystery with interesting characters. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. Newcomers, like me, will want to read other books in the series to learn more about these intriguing characters. 

Favorite Quote:

"Baking is my escape from grief. I can't quite put words to it, but the kitchen is where I seek solace. I thought that might change with time, but it hasn't. You know how they say that time heals all wounds? Don't believe that lie -- it doesn't." He ran his finger around his wedding ring, his voice cracking softly as he continues. "Time changes us. Time morphs us. But for those who have loved and lost, grief comes with us. So whenever I find myself overcome with sadness or flooded with memories, this is where I come too."

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

Friday Memes: A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander

 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:

They say you should embrace the seasons of life.

Friday 56:

"He hasn't been in good health for years, and his stress level must be off the charts," Janet said with concern. "I'll finish this order and wander over there to check in with him. Thanks for letting me know."

This week I am spotlighting A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander. This is from my review stack. It is also the 18th in a series I haven't read. Here's the description from Amazon:

Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

The mountains are calling in Ashland, Oregon, where pastry chef turned amateur sleuth, Jules Capshaw, is baking up a bevy of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour. Ramiro’s family is visiting from Spain and Jules can’t wait to take them up to her beloved Mount A with its charming and rustic lodge, backcountry trails, and star-filled skies that stretch for miles. Their winter wonderland adventure is nothing short of magical and the merry party opts to return to the slope the next day for the Downhill Dummy.

The annual competition is a favorite amongst snow lovers. Contestants strap makeshift dummies to skis and send them hurling down a death-defying ski jump in hopes of catching big air. The team at Torte is in the mix this year with their own replica of a tiered cake and a baker who closely resembles their fearless leader. It’s a fun and festive atmosphere as dummies sail past the crowd to huge cheers and applause. Until one of the dummies takes a deadly detour and lands atop Fitz Baskin.

Fitz is a guide on the mountain and his icy dealings have made for frosty relationships with everyone he encounters. Suddenly there are more suspects than snowdrifts as Jules dives into the investigation. She unearths a web of secrets and motives that threaten to shake the rustic mountain lodge to its core. Can she catch the killer before they strike again, or will the truth be buried forever under fluffy layers of fresh snow?

Audiobook Review: Foundation by Mercedes Lackey

Foundation
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Nick Podehl
Series: Collegium Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (October 7, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 8 minutes

Description: The long-awaited brand new novel in the best-selling Valdemar series.

In this chronicle of the early history of Valdemar, Mercedes Lackey's best-selling world, a 13-year-old orphan named Magpie escapes a life of slavery in the gem mines when he is chosen by one of the magical Companion horses of Valdemar to be trained as a Herald. Thrust into the center of a legend in the making, Magpie discovers talents he never knew he had - and witnesses the founding of the great Heralds' Collegium.

My Thoughts: This coming-of-age tale from the early days of Valdemar introduces Mags. Mags is an orphan who works in a gem mine far from Haven. When he is Chosen by Dallen his whole life changes. 

Mags is taken to Haven where things are changing for the Heralds. A new collegium is being built in the capitol to sit alongside the collegiums for the Bards and the Healers. There are some Heralds who are not in favor of the changes. But an influx of new Herald candidates makes the old system of apprenticeships to Herald impractical. 

Barely literate and totally ignorant of any life outside the mine where he was enslaved, Mags loves the new collegium with its regular meals, comfortable rooms, and clothing that aren't rags. But he is still wary and spends most of his time observing others. He does manage to make friends with a couple of other loners - Lena from the Bards and Bear from the Healers. 

He makes other friends too among the upper classes when he saves a man from overpaying for a ring. This leads him into spying to protect his home under the tutelage of the King's Own Herald Nikolas whose daughter Amily also becomes his friend.

I enjoyed this story about a young orphan boy who finds a home and a found family to make his own. I like the worldbuilding in the Valdemar novels and enjoyed seeing things in this time period when the collegiums are just being built. Nick Podehl does an excellent job of bringing the story to life. 

I bought this one from Chirp November 9, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Last Word by Gerri Lewis

The Last Word
Author: Gerri Lewis
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (February 20, 2024)

Description: An obituary writer finds one of her neighbors dead before her time in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Eva Gates.

Obituary writer Winter Snow is no stranger to grief, and writing obituaries for the citizens of Ridgefield, Connecticut, is her way of providing comfort to those who have been in her shoes. But funerals and eulogies are meant for the dead, so when the very much alive Leocadia Arlington requests her own obituary by the end of the week, Winter’s curiosity is piqued. Even more so when she finds Mrs. Arlington dead soon after. Officer Kip Michaels and his relentless partner Tom Bellini make it clear that Winter is under suspicion for the death.

Drafting an obituary for someone who hadn’t died yet certainly looks bad, but Winter knows that it wasn’t her, and she becomes obsessed with trying to figure out the real killer. She dives headfirst into the investigation to give Mrs. Arlington and herself some peace. When Winter realizes Mrs. Arlington was working on a revealing memoir that has now gone missing, Winter begins to wonder if the death wasn’t exactly random–accident or otherwise.

With the help of her foodie Uncle Richard, her wise octogenarian neighbor Horace, her best friend Scoop, and Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy she inherited from Mrs. Arlington, Winter must uncover the killer before the next obituary written is her own.

My Thoughts: Winter Snow is trying to build her career as an obituary writer when she receives a call from the very much alive Leocadia Arlington, local philanthropist, asking her to write her obituary before the week ends. Winter is willing and curious and goes to visit her despite stormy weather brewing. 

She invites Leocadia and her puppy Diva, a Great Pyrenes, to go home with her to weather the storm since she has a generator at her lakeside home. Mrs. Arlington declines. However, when Winter gets home, she phones to try to convince her, but Mrs. Arlington doesn't answer. 

Winter ventures up the next day to find a locked house, an upset caretaker, and a barking puppy. After managing to get inside, she finds Mrs. Arlington sprawled at the base of a flight of stairs but still breathing. Calling 911 brings not only an ambulance but the police who check out the house. For some reason, one of the police officers suspects Winter of having something to do with Mrs. Arlington's fall. 

When Mrs. Arlington dies, Winter decides to find out what happened and begins to look into more of her life than she had given Winter when she wanted an obituary written. Meanwhile, another local luminary contacts Winter to write an obituary for her very recently deceased husband and seems to know a lot she shouldn't know about Mrs. Arlington's death. Her husband and Mrs. Arlington were friends. 

This was a nice cozy mystery that introduces a main character with an unusual profession. I liked Winter's determination to find out what really happened to one of her clients. I also like her budding romance with the rookie policeman Kip. And Diva is a great character too and holds a substantial clue to the events Winter is trying to understand. 

Favorite Quote:

Diva thumped her tail, an indication that it was time for her pet. I sighed, reached down, and gave her a cuddle. When I looked up again, Kip was staring from me to Diva.

"What can I say?" I said. "She's a needy, claustrophobic, aquaphobic, willful dog."

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

ARC Review: The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong

The Boy Who Cried Bear
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: A Haven's Rock Novel (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 20, 2024)

Description: In The Boy Who Cried Bear, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong keeps readers on the edge of their seats while detective Casey Duncan tries to locate the threat before it’s too late. . .

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren't allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident―taught to track animals by Eric―fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Haven's Rock series has two focuses. 

Haven's Rock provides shelter for families, couples, and individuals who need to disappear for a while because of some threat to them. The first family there consists of a mother and her two young sons. Carson and Max are the first children who have been in the program. Max is the youngest and is adjusting pretty well to the isolation and all the nature surrounding the new town. He's learning about the wilderness from Eric. 

When Max spots something odd on a hike, Eric and Casey first think it is a grizzly who has come too near the town and who might be sick. They don't find it when they go out searching. Then Max sees it again and is grabbed by someone when he goes out to look for it. Eric and Casey go out looking for him, but neither they nor their trained dog can find him. 

His disappearance causes some fractures to show up in the town with suspicions and rumors indicating the mother might have had something to do with the disappearance. Casey works on investigating in town while Eric conducts the search out of town. 

Their search has them running into the secretive mining operation going on nearby. The leader asks them to look for a missing miner while searching for the boy. They soon find the miner's body with more than 30 stab wounds on the back and indications that he has crossed tracks with Max. Questions arise about his motive for being near the boy but his death indicates that, if he was the kidnapper, he wasn't working alone. 

All the while this is going on, Casey is dealing with a possible pregnancy. She was told, after physical trauma she suffered earlier in her life, that she couldn't have children or couldn't carry a child to term. However, avoidance kept her from finding out which was true. Until Eric, she had no intention of having a child with anyone. Now, she finds herself pregnant and doesn't know what to do. She and Eric are partners as well as a married couple which means whatever happens they are in it together. She doesn't know how she feels about this untimely and unexpected pregnancy and is worried about Eric's reactions. 

This was an engaging story. I liked the parts told from Max's point of view. I like seeing how the community is building in the new Haven's Rock settlement. I thought the mystery was least successful part of the story. Casey and Eric find answers, but they don't feel satisfied with them. The whole issue of the secretive mining company is left for solving in a later story which gave this one a slightly unfinished quality. 

Favorite Quote:

"Whether we dream together or separately, we'll still dream. We can't help it. And if things go wrong, then we'll grieve for what can't be. But that's..." I look at him. "That's the chance we take with everything, isn't it? It's the chance we took when we got together. It's the chance we took when we built this town. We start to craft a dream for the future, knowing if something goes wrong, it'll hurt so damn much, but..."

I shrug. "What's the alternative? To not dream? If our relationship didn't work out, would I have regretted meeting you? Never. If Haven's Rock fails, will I regret building it: Never. We don't get to decide whether this: -- I put my hands to my stomach -- "is real. It is real, whether it lasts or not. So I say we let it be real for as long as it lasts."

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

ARC Review: Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters

Murder in Masquerade
Author: Mary Winters
Series: Lady of Letters Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (February 20, 2024)

Description: Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!

My Thoughts: This is the second book in the Lady of Letters cozy mystery series. It takes place in London in 1860. Amelia Amesbury is the widowed Countess of a man who died two years earlier of a degenerative disease. She filled the boring time of her mourning by writing an advice column in a penny paper. Each chapter begins with one of the letters and her answer. 

The problem in this episode concerns the younger sister of her friend Simon Bainbridge who is being courted by an unsuitable man. Her brother wants to break up the relationship before George Davies, a social-climbing stable master, convinces his sister Marielle to flee to Gretna Green with him. 

However, before he can convince her, someone solves the problem by stabbing Davies to death with a distinctive knife. Simon and Amelia are on the case to discover who killed Davies even though Simon thinks the death was helpful to him. 

As the two track down various clues, Amelia begins to see Simon as something more than just a man who was a friend to her when her husband died. And he seems to return her regard. 

This was just an okay historical mystery/romance for me. I didn't get any sense of the time period except for throwing in a few clothing descriptions. I had trouble believing that Amelia who is the daughter of rural innkeepers would ever have been allowed to marry a peer of the realm. And, having married him, I can't see her being accepted into high society as she seems to have done. I thought she seemed too modern in her outlook and actions for the time period. Many of the other characters were also unrealistic including an opera performer who is also a Lady and a street flower vender who is able to plan high class social events. It seems the author paid little attention to the rigid class system of the day. 

The mystery was entertaining and the motive for the crime believable if one allows for a villain who is obsessed. 

Favorite Quote:

"Thanks, friend." Kitty crossed her arms. "Didn't your mother ever teach you if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all?"

"She said, 'Speak your mind, or someone else will speak it for you.'" Amelia suggested.

"That explains so much."

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