Andrea Ward

I love Aki. She really grows into a stronger more confident person throughout the story. She is dedicated to finding out the truth and has more strength than she knows. I like the way that her courage and drive for truth helped those around her try again and make better choices.
There were several things I learned in this book as well. I had no clue about the resettlement agencies or about the military exclusion line. The process of resettlement and the types of people Aki interacts with seemed realistic. There were some people willing to admit their ideas might be wrong, some that were just awful, and some who just wanted to get rich off the situation. The Nisei were not a monolith. There were all kinds of Nisei and Issei throughout the book. So one of the largest cities in the United States felt full of different kids of people.
The mystery had several twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there would be a new clue that sent me in another direction. The way that justice was achieved seemed realistic and felt good too.
As with Hirahara's other books, this was filled with characters that were compelling and flawed design with hard situations and not giving up on friendship and family.

This book was a little light on mystery and heavy on the action. I liked the twist at the end and it helped me lean into some of the more outlandish parts of this plot. I Ike the story it sets up for the next book. I like the way the characters were developed in this one.
If you are looking for a traditional cozy mystery, you should pass on this one. If you are in the mood for a wild ride, then read this one.

The village feeling of this is very strong. The mystery of what happened to several little girls is written well and the mysteries are revealed at a good pace. I am impressed the various solutions to these mysteries.
The best part of the book is the way we grow to care about all the people in this town. They feel like individuals with happiness and tragedies who are trying to support each other.
If you want to read about a cozy village supporting each other through tragedies, you will like this book.

I loved visiting Hattie again even if we didn't see her store that often. She did have good reasons to be out and about though because she was catering part of the events at the model railroad convention and then she was trying to convince them to come try her stuff again because we all know she didn't do it. So that could bother some, but it most of it felt like business trips.
I love learning about the model railroad community. We get a bit of history, a bit of cryptids, and a bit of crafting. While I am not very crafty, I did enjoy reading about people who are.
There were lots of suspects and still the ending surprised me. There were clues along the way and I even picked up some of the clues, but I didn't trace the clues back to the murderer. So it was just the right level of mystery for me.
The romance between Hattie and Marlon progressed nicely. I like a slow burn romance, so this was perfect for me.
Read this if you like a mystery with lots of suspects and some fun crafty elements.

There was more supernatural in here than I was expecting. It reminded me of The Haunting of Maddie Clare.
Beth was a great character! She did everything for a reason. It was not quite selfish, but it wasn't quite selfless. I liked the character growth in Shea throughout the book. We get hints as to why she is so hesitant about the world and get the story in a couple different chunks. I liked the way that was done. The detective and private detective were good characters as well.
The Lady Killer Murders was much more complicated than I expected. Even when we got the big hint/ answer, there was still so much more to it.
Good mystery, intriguing characters, and string ending.

We are visiting Peach Coast, Georgia and the library again. Marvy is working on fundraising and I was so excited to see the characters that helped her. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say who or how, but it was a highlight of the book.
I was sure I knew what the giveaway clue was and who it was, but I was wrong. I missed the two giveaway clues and so guessed the murderer wrong. I liked the way Marvy got into the investigation without finding a dead body. The mystery and investigation were good.
The romance is progressing slowly, but I found the pieces we were given were satisfying. And it made me want to see what happens in the next book.
I listened to the audiobook. It was well done and I really appreciated it when there were Southern phrases that people said. It was good to hear them and I think it made them stand out more.
This was a great follow up to Murder by Page One.

The ending really brought this all together. There were a lot of good details from when she was a kid. I also liked hearing what it was that pushed people to leave. But the ending is the most compelling part.

I loved Trinidad and the shop. I loved the side characters, Papa Luis, the exes, Quinn and his brother, and Carlos and Diego. The solution was unique and it confirmed that I had picked up on some clues. I liked that there were some consequences to deal with and that Trinidad had some people to help her. This was a wonderful start to the series!

I like the way Hadley stumbled on to the mystery. The investigation is pretty straightforward, but there were still a few red herrings. I liked that the solution had two parts, so when you think you know what happened, there is still more to find out.
The romance is done well also. Hadley and Zander talked to each other and shared what they were thinking, so they were able to move at a pace that they were both comfortable with.
And it was nice to see Devil's Bech from a new perspective.

I liked the science fiction parts of this book, drifting and its consequences. I liked the history with Tesla. The hard boiled detective feel where Rasl is outside the law, but for good reasons was enjoyable.
I did not like the hard boiled detective romance becasue the women mostly just seemed to be there just waiting for Rasl. It could be argued that they didn't end their part of the story that way, but that last moment didn't redeem the rest of their story.

This is a fresh new look at cozy mysteries! The dual perspectives is done well, so that both Jay and Cindy feel like main characters. They have known each other since middle school, so it is believable that they would know how the other will react and also that they can challenge the other to do better. This made their realtionship a strong foundation of this book, their new business, and their investigation.
I LOVE reading about a Hollywood memorabila store. I love hearing about the actors and movies of days gone by. I have a few new to me movies that I want to watch. I also loved the tips in the back to start collecting.
The mystery is twisty and the red herrings all look guilty. I like the way the solution comes about to explain all of the misdirection and guilty looking actions. I did not see the answer coming, but it all made sense when it was explained. I also liked what happened after the big reveal.
The romance was a nice slow start. It did a good job of recognizing the relationship between Jay and Cindy. There were a few places when I had to remind myself to suspend disbelief, but that is a very minor complaint in the scope of the whole book.
I listened to the audiobook. I liked the dual narrators for the dual perspectives. It wasn't hard to follow the twists and turns of the story. And listening to the book on audio made the characters seem more real. I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent listening to them tell me their story.
Thank you to NetGally and Dreamscape Media.

She manages to bring out complicated information about people and still show us reasons to love them. We also see how much her illness affected her life especially when she didn't know what it was or that it wasn't normal.
This boo doesn't follow a specific timeline, but listening to the audiobook feels like Selma just telling us various life experiences. The writing is extremely well done and makes everything feel very special.

A niche subject with a secret that could change ‘everything'? Yes, please!
So this should have been a book I loved. I could overlook that the characters were one note because it was a big cast of characters and we had to keep up with several people. There were a couple plot holes that I filled in with my own suppositions. And that didn't bother me too much.

POSSIBLE SPOILER:
One of the things that did bother me and I really couldn't get past was that the bad guy was “hunting down and destroying every last [map] - along with anyone who gets in his way.” The bad guy was hunting and destroying people, but all the characters only cared about the maps! I don't think any of them cared about the murder victims until the last few pages. However by the time they cared about Murder victims the character motivations were so wild that I stopped caring. I think I could have overlooked the heartless characters if there was a little more recognition that they were heartless in pursuit of their maps.

World War 1 books are on of my favorite historical fiction time periods. This book combines World War 1 as well as alternative history, which is another favorite. So I was excited to read this one.
This did not disappoint! Adlakha did an excellent job of creating an alternate World War 1. We feel the ravages of war straining this family. Yet in the back of our heads we know that there is still some other option out there. So as we fall in love with the people in this little family, we are wondering what if it happens another way.
I listened to this on audiobook and it really enhanced the reading experience. The narrators were excellent in differentiating the different people. Even though we hear from different people, I always knew who was talking. I could even tell when George was speaking English or French! Listening to it on audiobook really immersed me in that world.
Thank you to #NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to listen to #MidnightontheMarne

It was so nice to visit Devil's Beach again. I always enjoy hearing what fancy new coffee that Perkatory is serving. The Orange Blossom in this one is creative and fun to read about.
The mystery had me guessing almost the whole time! Even with some of the later clues, I still couldn't be sure. And as it turns out the motive was more complicated than it seemed.
The best part of this book was the character development. Several of the characters let their worst characteristics out to the point of annoying me. However, there were people around them to call them on it. Then there was a conversation that they had and they realized they were being ridiculous. Then they apologized and tried to do better. I really appreciated that their ridiculousness was not drawn out.
Noah and Lana's relationship is developing nicely as well. I think they might be my favorite cozy mystery couple. And in this one we get to see a little bit of Erica and Joey's relationship as well.
Good mystery, good romance, and good character development.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this graphic novel, but it is exactly what it says it is. A son is telling us the story of his parents' life and emigration from East Germany. It is a simple story, but the pictures with it add a lot of emotional impact. It becomes more than just a story of people who lived in East Germany. It is a story of people struggling to find the place truth and freedom holds in their lives.

This graphic novel is about the way that Satchel Paige fought back against racism, but it isn't told from his perspective. It is told from the perspective of a man who used to play baseball and got injured. Then he came home to earn a living and had to face some extreme racism. So we get see how people felt about Satchel Paige as well as the true viciousness of Jim Crow racism.

This was a funny relatable graphic novel about being a woman who doesn't always want to leave the house. I laughed out loud and related to several stories. I will read this one again. It is such a fun and funny read!

I was hoping that this was more of a mystery, but it isn't. It is more of coming of age and dealing with awful people. It starts with a mystery and then moves backward in time to see all the ways that Ray overcame horrible family members and racist people trying to keep him down. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I had known what to expect from the beginning.

I need book two right now! I love Maddy and New Bison. I love the Baker Street Irregulars. Baby is amazing and deserves to be an social media star. I also have the need to bake a bunch of yummy treats, so it's a good thing I have the recipes for it.
The main mystery is solved, but there is a secondary mystery that might not be solved. And there might be more people to prosecute also. So as I said, I need book two now!

Good characters and a good setting

There are several things I like about the book, that religion is dealt with as a serious thing, that the history of New Orleans hangs over the people and influences what they do, and that there are unique strong women characters. The crime is a little too ‘ripped from the headlines' for me to totally settle in to the story. There are parts that slow down with the amount of description. So it's okay.

This felt a lot like Agatha Christie in Poland. Zofia is mostly likable. Sometimes she sounds a little too judgmental, but then there also generally seems to be a reason. The reveal is great and the solution is plenty twisty. It is a good historical mystery.

I loved the idea of a fanciful train going across the land and kids investigating. The bad guys were scarier than I expected. The train was as fanciful as I expected. There was more to the circus than I expected. But there was all those pieces didn't quite come together.

I really loved all the information about the theatre, the superstitions, the people who work backstage, and the workings of a small town theatre. I loved the character of Teddy. I totally believe that she would keep asking questions to get answers that make sense. I figured out who committed the crime and I guessed the why as well. That didn't take away from the story though because I really wanted to see Teddy solve the mystery. I loved the out of the box romance as well. It was good to see that relationships don't have to be chocolates and roses all the time. I felt like the writing got stronger as the story went along. If you are interested in the theatre or a main character that is a little different, pick this book up. You won't regret it.

I love that Poe is part of a group that finds rare books. She has reason to travel with people to various places to get these books. That provides a great reason to go to Scotland. And she is working to buy a rare book about sea monsters. Sea monsters in Scotland? What could be better! Poe makes a fee mistakes as would be expected for someone new to this work. Having her best friend with her helps her learn to get better at her new job.
I do have a couple minor complaints. I was hoping for a little more about researching and studying the book itself. But there was a lot more travel and murder investigation in this one. Also the romance seemed a bit too perfect for people who live across an ocean from each other, so I will be curious as to how it develops.
Overall this is a good start to a series with a lot of promise.
Thank you to ACF Bookens for the chance to read this book.