Lisa Henson

I do love a good English cozy! Clare Chase delivers with Mystery at Southwood School. Here we find Eve and her friend Viv hired to assist with catering for Founders Day at the prestigious Southwood School. Eve can't wait to see the school for herself, as it has quite the reputation. But she finds that all isn't pomp and circumstance in the halls of academia. Former student Natalie Somerson is also there for Founders Day, and while she may be well-known, she is definitely not well-liked. In fact, she seems to delight in stirring up trouble.

When Natalie is found dead, suspicion falls on Robin, Eve's clandestine love and a former police detective in deep cover to avoid men who would do him harm. He was seen with Natalie, and as a fill-in gardener at the school, he's a convenient scapegoat for the (rather inept) detective in charge. Eve knows that she has to figure out the truth before Robin's cover is blown.

I really enjoy this series! Eve is a wonderful character. As an obituary writer, she has the opportunity to interview potential suspects legitimately, and she can often unearth details that people might not mention to the police. This usually leads to her coming up with some idea to find out more by putting herself into precarious situations, which leads to some tense moments and a whole lot of mystery fun.

We learn a bit more about Robin here, and the potential threat to his identity and possibly his life (and Eve's!) is an interesting story arc. I really like Eve and Robin, and I was holding my breath to see how this thread would play out.

Chase kept me guessing as to who the guilty party really was. There were several people cast as the potential killer – the headmaster's wife, possibly jealous of Natalie's interest in her husband; the head girl, whose feelings for Natalie seemed to run hot and cold; Natalie's current husband, who may or may not have accused her of an affair. But each time I thought I'd figured it out, the story shifted, and the murderer was not who I expected it would be!

Murder at Southwood School is a lot of fun to read. It does what a good cozy should – it entertains, it lets you step outside your normal life for a bit, and it keeps you guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more in this series, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a British cozy.

Here we find Lady Eleanor and Clifford venturing to Ireland to get in touch with Ellie's roots. Her inheritance included not only Henley Hall, but also another estate, Hennelly Towers in the west of Ireland, and the title of Baronetess Derry of Ross. Uncle Byron had never actually gone there, but had maintained the staff and sent funds for them to keep up the estate. When Ellie receives an invitation to celebrate Christmas with the small village of Derrydee, not far from this newly realized portion of her inheritance, she jumps at the chance.

The mystery begins before they even reach the castle when they find a man clinging to life in the middle of the road. They seek help at a nearby abbey, and the Mother Superior reluctantly takes them in and phones for assistance. Sadly, the man dies, and no one – the Mother Superior, the priest, the police, the doctor – seems particularly concerned about the man's identity, nor do they seem to mourn his passing. Constable Doyle, in fact, seems almost to hold Lady Eleanor and Clifford responsible for the man's death, since they're the only folks around with a car and must have run him over.

There may be no love lost between the Irish and the English as a whole, but the villagers seem to be generally welcoming to Ellie. It probably helps that she's a most unconventional noblewoman! Still, though, no one wants to talk about the dead man, and indeed, they almost seem afraid to do so. And more curious, the school headmistress who supposedly extended the holiday invitation vehemently denies having done so. Something isn't right, and Ellie and Clifford start nosing around, placing themselves in danger in the process.

This story takes place entirely in the west of Ireland, so events unfold without the usual presence of DCI Hugh Seldon, Eleanor's beau, and the ladies of Henley Hall. There are still plenty of characters to love, though! Murphy, the keeper of the local pub, his daughter Kathleen, Doctor Sullivan O'Sullivan, Headmistress Breen, and so many more. And let's not forget Tompkins, the cat at Hennelly Towers – he and Gladstone the bulldog soon become fast friends, and I do love a story with a cat!

Clifford has always been most concerned for his mistress's propriety and a stickler for doing things by the book. Here, though, we see him loosen up just a little more. I think Clifford is one of my favorite characters. He's Ellie's butler, sure. But he's so much more than that to her. Differences in status aside, I think she sees him as a friend and an honorary uncle standing in her Uncle Byron's stead. I think she is much more than an employer to him, too, and it's fun seeing their relationship grow.

The setting is charming, if impoverished, and Bright does a good job of giving the reader a sense of place and time. I'm not a big student of history, but it seems that they've done their research. I really loved the descriptions of the food. I might not fix much of it myself, but I think I'd try making some farls.

Murder in an Irish Castle is a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas-themed cozy. There is action and suspense. There is humor and affection. There is plenty of Irish charm, and a satisfactory resolution when the killer is brought to justice. (I cheered when we finally learned what had kept the villagers quiet and that situation was resolved!) I missed seeing Hugh and Ellie together, but the descriptions of the Christmas celebrations in Derrydee were delightful just about made up for Hugh's absence. I hope we'll see a bit more progress on the relationship front for them in the next book!

It's another five-star read from Verity Bright for me!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

Sundown closes out Susan May Warren's Sky King Ranch trilogy in fine fashion. Sunrise told us Dodge Kingston's story, Sunburst Ranger's. (You can read my reviews for those two books here and here.) Sundown gives us the scoop on the third Kingston brother, Colt.

Tae, the mysterious woman who helped nurse Colt back to health when he returned home from Nigeria seriously injured, is regaining her memories and her voice. The book opens with a bang, as they place themselves in harm's way to try to salvage Tae's backpack from the wrecked plane that brought her to Alaska. She's insistent that it has her research, and she's also looking to prove to the Kingston clan that yes, she did break free from a Russian who kidnapped her, by finding the plane, and hopefully, a body. Colt doesn't know the details of what she's involved with, but he is determined to protect her.

The tension ratchets up when we learn that Tae is a medical researcher, working on a vaccine to protect against an ancient strain of smallpox that the Russians are getting ready to unleash on the world. Where will they strike? When? Can Tae recreate her vaccine research in time to protect people if the virus gets loose?

The use of a virus that's going to cause a lot of trouble if it gets loose is a timely background. There are plenty of opportunities for heroics from the Kingston brothers, and plenty of bad guys who need a good butt-kickin'. But the story isn't all shoot-em-up action. Tae and Colt are both wrestling with their faith and their feelings, wondering whether the other would be better if they just disappeared back into their old lives. Colt is the kind of man who runs toward the trouble when it starts, always in the thick of things. He isn't convinced that God is really looking out for him, and isn't sure he can find purpose if he isn't actively defending against evil.

Warren focuses not only on the action and suspense, but also the importance of family and faith. The Kingston brothers have had their problems, some bigger than others. But when it comes down to it, they've got each other's backs. Their faith isn't something taken out for show on a Sunday morning. It's down in the nitty gritty, dealing with questions of God's love, relationships, God's purpose for their lives – real issues that any of us may struggle with. Colt and his brothers are a little bit larger than life, and a regular day at my house doesn't look much like some of the situations they find themselves in. But it's nice to be reminded that the God who cares about Colt Kingston, Delta Force tough guy laying it on the line for his country, also cares about me, fighting my way through traffic to go to a job I'm not crazy about.

If you like a story that's chock-full of action, with clean romance and characters that are easy to relate to, and one that brings a touch of “happily ever after” into your everyday routine, you'll love Sundown. Read the whole trilogy (heck, scroll on down and enter to win it!). Susan May Warren may just become one of your new favorite authors. She's certainly one of mine!

I was a fan of Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series back in the day. So when I got the chance to read The Killing God, I jumped at it. (No, I hadn't read the first two in the trilogy. Y'all know how I am sometimes.)

Here we see two countries, Belleger and Amika, historical enemies united by the marriage of Bifalt and Estie, preparing for war against the Great God Rile. Rile and his forces are coming for the Last Repository and all the knowledge it holds. While Bifalt prepares for war, Estie rides for the Last Repository, hoping to learn more about the power she holds and how she might use it to defend her people.

The relationship between Bifalt and Estie is strained. They parted on less than loving terms. Bifalt hates magic and it pains him to know that his wife could become a Magister. Estie longs to reconcile with her husband, but is driven to know more about this power of hers. What power is it? What can it do? What price will it exact from her?

We've got some good fantasy elements here: good versus evil, a conflicted hero (and heroine), a seemingly insurmountable quest. Donaldson uses them to good advantage and writes a story that, once it sucks you in, is hard to put down.

The Magisters' powers were fascinating, and the price that each seemed to require the wielder to pay wasn't always what you'd expect. Rile's forces were also not the standard slash-and-burn soldiers. It was never a given that the good guys would win this one!

There wasn't a lot of character development on the side of evil – they were just the Big Bad and had to be stopped. But the Magisters, Bifalt's soldiers, Bifalt and Estie themselves, were all nicely written and made me care about what happened to them. Okay, some more than others. Some of the Magisters were just jerks and not terribly likeable, but I suppose wielding great power (and in some instances, carrying a very heavy burden for others) could make you that way.

The story does take a while to get rolling, and Rile's motivation for wanting to wipe out the Last Repository wasn't terribly clear to me. But that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I will go back and read the first two in the series, to see if Rile's actions make more sense to me after reading the story as a whole.

Four stars, and I recommend The Killing God and The Great God's War series to anyone who's a fan of high fantasy, with main characters that make you care about how things turn out for them. Stephen R. Donaldson doesn't give us a quick read, but he does give us a damn fine story here.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Berkley and Netgalley. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

If y'all have read along with my blog or my reviews here for a hot minute, you know I love love love Lisa Regan's Josie Quinn books. (You can see all the posts where I run my mouth about Josie here.) That trend continues with The Innocent Wife, the sixteenth in the series.

Beau and Claudia Collins are well-known in Denton as the marriage advice gurus. They've got a popular TV show, they run a counseling practice, they've written books, and the face they present to the public is that of an adoring couple. Beau arrives home expecting that he and his wife will be celebrating their anniversary for the camera and for their adoring fans. Instead, he finds Claudia dead, the murder scene artfully staged, a puzzle box like the one Beau uses with clients in her hand.

Josie, Noah, and the team have their hands full with this one! The killer always seems to be one jump ahead, anticipating their efforts to trap him (or her?). The body count is rising, and everything they think of to pin down the killer, he easily sidesteps. That contributes significantly to the tension in the story.

Every story gives us a little insight into Josie's past. In this one, we get to meet Luke, her ex. He and his dog are able to help with the investigation, and even though Josie is a little uncomfortable with it, she knows his skills are needed. I'm interested to find out if we see more of Luke in future books.

As with all of Regan's books, there are suspects aplenty. Beau and Claudia's marriage wasn't as picture-perfect as the image they presented, and Beau wasn't exactly a faithful husband. (Kind of makes you wonder why he wasn't the one who ended up dead, with Claudia the prime suspect!) Were the murders motivated by jealousy? Greed? Trying to keep a secret safe? Regan does a fantastic job of keepingi the reader guessing and then unraveling the knot she's created to reveal the killer's identity and motive.

My one gripe is with the police questioning Beau when he was obviously drunk as Cooter Brown. In a former life, I was a prosecutor. If I'd gone to court with the testimony of a witness who may or may not have had full command of his mental faculties, the defense would have had a field day with it. Josie and Noah are experienced enough that they should know better. So, half a star off for that. Still four and a half, and that rounds up to five!

All in all, The Innocent Wife is another gripping suspense tale from the pen of Lisa Regan, and she remains firmly on my list of must-read authors. Go back to the start of the series and get to know Josie. You'll be glad you did!

Doctor Cynthia Myers has found new passion and purpose serving on mission in a war-torn African country, providing medical care to villagers who would otherwise go without. Her hard-won peace is shattered when she is unable to save a local warlord's mortally wounded son, and her life and the lives of those she has workd with and served are now in danger.

Captain Rick Norton and his team seek out Doctor Myers when one of the team is seriously injured. They are able to permanently neutralize the threat the warlord's men pose. Thus begins the slow burn between pacifist doctor and committed soldier. Cynthia is very much opposed to guns and violence, and she isn't shy about telling Rick what she thinks of his career choice. He doesn't think much of her opposition and tells her so. But they both soon realize that they have feelings that go beyond dislike, or even just friendship. How can they – or can they – reconcile their opposing viewpoints?

I do love a good suspense novel, and Hallee Bridgeman delivers! The action is pretty intense in places. There are some nail-biting moments when Cynthia has to provide emergency medical care, finding a way to address injuries that are beyond the scope of her experience. Hostile forces are trying to keep our heroes from getting out of the jungle, and the team has to fight fire with fire. Their maneuvers to get to the landing zone for extraction are hair-raising! And getting back to civilization is no guarantee of safety, as the warlord and his men come after Cynthia and her father, now the Vice President of the United States, at a state dinner in Africa.

Cynthia and Rick are both strong characters with deeply held convictions. Bridgeman does a good job showing their thought processes as each works through their feelings for the other. I appreciated that both of the characters had a strong Christian faith, and that faith played a prominent role in their decisions and actions. Rick faces danger with courage – actual, weapon-wielding, potentially life-threatening danger. But Cynthia shows courage, too, in breaking free of what's expected of her to walk into God's plan for her life.

The soldiers on Rick's team are fascinating characters in their own right. Two of those soldiers, Bill “Drumstick” Sanders and Phil “Oz” Osbourne, get their own books in the series. I can't wait to see how their stories unfold!

An enemies to lovers clean romance, action aplenty, and characters that are easy to root for make this a five-star read for me. Highly recommended for people who enjoy a good Chris>tian fiction story that doesn't skimp on the suspense and that gives you that happily ever after.

Trigger warning: This book depicts women held captive by sex traffickers. While there are no graphic sex scenes, there is some physical mistreatment of the women.

Holy heck, what a book! Avanti Centrae has a fascinating premise – that Cleopatra, knowing her death was imminent, took control of the time she had left and engineered her demise rather than waiting on Octavian to do her in. She didn't really die by the bite of an asp, and she left behind hidden information in a secret location, hidden information that would be vital in taking down an ancient group with a long-held grudge against women.

Jump forward to modern day. Timothy and Angie Stryker lost their infant son, and it's taken a toll on their marriage. Angie has been trying to keep her pain at bay with alcohol. Stryker hopes they can restore their strained relationship with a family vacation to Italy. But before that happens, Angie and their four-year-old daughter, Harper, are kidnapped by a group eventually identified as the Sons of Adam.

Stryker, a Special Ops commander, is able to get help from his team to start the search. They soon realize that the kidnapping may have some connection to the assassin (or assassins) taking out world leaders that they've been trying to get a line on. It may also be connected to Cleopatra and her missing journal.

This book took off right out of the gate and didn't let up. Avanti Centrae lays the foundation with a look at Cleopatra's last hours, and then really ramps up with Stryker and the team chasing assassins and Angie and Harper being taken. There were no slow moments. I know you hear books described as “unputdownable,” but this one really was. I was up way later than I should have been on a work night reading.

What I know of Cleopatra is limited to the generally accepted view of her as a seductress and as having died by suicide by snake. But she was also a powerful ruler in her own right, and Centrae creates a believable possibility of how things really went down for the dethroned queen. I enjoyed the historical tidbits woven in and the centuries-long battle of good versus evil.

The characters were all well written, to my reading. Even the relatively minor characters had back story. Zola, the cook on the island where Angie, Harper, and the other captives were held, was one of my favorites. Though it seemed that she had no power, no way to impact her situation, in the end she played a vital role and was an absolute badass.

Sam, Angie's sister and one of Stryker's teammates, was another fantastic character. Her interest in and knowledge of Cleopatra was vital to the team as they tried to track down the lost journal, and she was as tough as any of the men on the team.

Fast-paced, gripping, and worth staying up late to read. Five big stars for Cleopatra's Vendetta, and I can't wait to read more from Avanti Centrae!

Kylie Briscoe is in a situation no teenager should be in. She's trying to muddle her way through high school while doing her best to take care of her four-year-old sister, Aliza. Her mother is present, but embroiled in a life of drugs and criminal activity, so her care for her children is negligent at best. Then a thug shows up demanding payment for drugs, and there's no money to be had, so he plans to collect by other means. Kylie's mother points to her daughter and says, “Her first,” and Kylie knows things can't continue as they are. She takes Aliza and runs.
She and Aliza both make it to safety, but they soon find themselves separated – Aliza to her biological father, Kylie to the grandparents she doesn't remember. Kylie struggles with the loss of Aliza's presence, the only person who's meant anything to her. Taking care of her sister is all she's known, and now she can't even do that.

The moon has always been Kylie's source of solace. Through that, she finds a connection with her grandfather, who also has a passion for astronomy and who taught Kylie to look for the moon when she was very young. Bit by bit, new relationships start to take root in Kylie's heart. A new family starts to grow, and she begins to heal.

Beth Fehlbaum tells the story from Kylie's first-person perspective, and she has the voice of a surly, emotionally wrecked teenager just about down pat. Kylie's hurt, her difficulty accepting love from people who, at first, mean nothing to her, her challenges adjusting to a new normal – all those emotions come through clearly. At some points, Kylie is downright rude to her grandparents, who knew her as a very young child and who are trying their best to be the family she needs. But she isn't being rude just to be ugly. She's a child, facing the loss of the only family she's ever known, flawed though it might have been.

The diffculties Fehlbaum describes with the child protective system and the criminal justice system are realistically portrayed, and sometimes difficult to read. If you're sensitive to these topics, be mindful before you pick up the book. The system did let Kylie and Aliza down. Systems do that, no matter how well-intentioned they are. But there are people trying their best to help the girls, trying to work within the structure available to them. That's realistic, too. Just because a system fails doesn't mean the people within it don't care.

Ultimately, the story ends on a hopeful note, and that's what this is all about. Life happens, sometimes in painful and nasty ways. But a broken family doesn't have to lead to a broken life. With love and time, patience and people who care, healing can come. It's a solid four-star read for me.

The Thread Collectors is an amazing testimony to what we'll do for love and freedom.

The story unfolds from the perspectives of Stella, a Black slave whose love, William, has escaped from slavery, and Lily, a Jewish woman from New York whose husband, Jacob, has enlisted for the Union.

Stella was a slave, purchased by a white man as his mistress, to be used for his pleasure. She had very little to call her own. Lily was the daughter of a wealthy businessman in New York, with all the advantages the world had to offer. They seem as different as two people could possibly be. But Lily felt very strongly that slavery had to end, and she became involved with the abolitionist movement. These women's lives and their fights for freedom intersected when the men who were important to them met up at a Union encampment in Louisiana.

Thread ties the lives of Stella and Lily together. Stella sewed a map to the Union camp for William before he left, using what cloth and thread she could come up with, both so that he'd have a guide as he fled his bondage and so that he'd have a piece of her to carry with him. She then continued to stitch maps for other slaves to find their way to freedom as well. Lily helped the war effort by rolling bandages and stitching quilts for the soldiers, with her first quilt made especially for Jacob, a tangible representation of her love for him.

Likewise, music is a unifying force for William and Jacob. William is a good musician, and that earned him a little bit better treatment than many slaves received. His master always wanted him to perform. Jacob is also musically inclined, and when he realizes William's talent, he does his best to ensure that William has a chance to put his skills to use in the military.

This book is simply amazing. The research the authors put into it is apparent, and the events they convey are often heartbreaking. It's loosely based on their own family histories, and quite a compelling tale. And this book really stands out because its viewpoint is different. I've read a fair bit of historical fiction, and I can't say that I recall reading another story told from Black and Jewish viewpoints. That made this a story that really caught my attention and didn't let go.

If you want a story that's well researched, well written, and emotionally gripping, set in the latter days of the Civil War, you'll love The Thread Collectors.

Christy Bailey is glad to answer her Aunt Betty's call for assistance at her bookshop. Her now ex-boyfriend has left her broke and given her no reason to stay, so she packs up her cat, Milton and Pearl, and leaves the big city behind for small-town Indiana. To her shock, when she arrives at the bookstore, she finds a woman dead inside – and her aunt unconscious on the floor with blood on her hands. Literally. And when she comes to, Aunt Betty has no memory of what happened. Local law enforcement doesn't seem too keen on looking far for other suspects, since Aunt Betty and the deceased had a bit of history. But Christy and her cats are on the case.

What an adorable start to a new series! I love the way life imitates art in the story. Christy writes children's books about the crime-solving kitties, Milton and Pearl. In her real life, Christy's actual cats seem to communicate with each other and with her to help track down clues and unravel the mystery. They aren't just pets. They have purr-sonality! Milton and Pearl are the stars of the story in my opinion.

Hartman gives us other likable characters as well. Aunt Betty is a treat! I'm not sure how old she's supposed to be, whether she's middle-aged like me or closer to the elderly end of the spectrum. But she is full of sass and wants to be involved in sorting out what happened. Christy's childhood friend, Janie, is also a lot of fun. Prone to being a little more huggy/touchy than I would be, but she's very sweet and a good friend to Christy.

I also liked the spark of potential romance between Christy and hunky ER doctor Micah. He seems like a genuinely good guy, with a personality that likely makes him a really good doctor. I hope to see their relationship develop in future stories.

The one thing that didn't hit quite right for me was the sheer number of curmudgeonly and outright unpleasant characters in the story. Small towns have characters, sure. I grew up in a small town. I live in one now. You've always got those people that everybody knows, and just accepts how they are. But to have so many unlikable characters in one small town? Maybe they didn't have to all be QUITE so disagreeable. Although that did make it a challenge to figure out which one of them was the killer, so perhaps there's some logic to that after all!

Clever cats, likable characters, a bookshop, and a well-written mystery all add up to a five-star read for me!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Gemma Halliday Publishing. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

There's just something about a cozy mystery set in the 1920s that I find delightfully appealing. Verity Bright, Ann Sutton, Fliss Chester, I love them all. This, the second in Chester's Cressida Fawcett series, carries on in fine fashion.

Here we find Cressida off to a country house on the Cornish coast for a fancy-dress ball, along with her friend Dotty and her pug Ruby. The lady of the house, Lady Trevelyan, has asked Cressida to lend some decorating expertise while she's there, so Cressy is expecting nothing more than drinks and dancing, and maybe some time spent discussing design ideas and color schemes. What she doesn't expect is that Randolph, who once proposed marriage to Cressy and whose engagement to Selina Trevelyan is cause for celebration, won't survive the weekend.

Fliss Chester does a wonderful job of creating a setting I'd love to just step into! I've never been to Cornwall, but her descriptions of it certainly make me want to visit. And I do love her characters. Cressida may be an independent young woman, but she's got a good heart. She cares more for her friends and doing the right thing than abiding by what social niceties might expect of her.

Ruby the pug is a treat. I love stories with animal sidekicks, and Ruby snuffles around in adorable pug fashion. Here she has a couple of run-ins with the Trevelyans' Siamese cat, and she literally pokes her nose into things that give Cressida some insights into the crime she's investigating.

DCI Andrews and his sergeant from Scotland Yard are on the scene, so Cressy isn't fending for herself against an unknown killer. I appreciate that Andrews is conducting a proper police investigation, while acknowledging that Cressida may have access to conversations that people wouldn't have with the police. He doesn't just hand the investigation over to a civilian, but he does allow for some assistance to come from someone outside the force.

And there's no shortage of suspects for Cressida to investigate. From Trevelyan cousin Jago Trengrouse, to Roscoe the gardener, to maid (and another Trevelyan cousin) Morwenna, to someone else looking to make a name in the antiquities trade, to Selina Trevelyan herself, everyone seems to have had a spat with Randolph on the day he died. Cressida is kept busy chasing down one lead after another.

There's a bit of romance here, too. In the first book, Dotty's relationship with Basil ended badly, and her heart was broken. Here there's a glimmer that perhaps all hope on the romance front is not lost. And Dotty's brother Alfred knows that Cressida values her independence, but he may carry a bit of a torch for her anyway. Will a romance blossom for Cressida and Alfred in later books? We'll see!

So we've got Bright Young Things, a fancy-dress ball, an unexpected death involving the upper crust of society. Is it maybe a tiny bit formulaic? Sure. Does that matter? Not at all. Cressida Fawcett is a charming heroine, her friendship with Dotty is true, and the mystery is engaging. It's a lovely, light, escapist read that transports me to a time and place outside of my daily life, and that's what a good story does! Five stars for pure, unadulterated fun.

I enjoy a good WWII historical fiction novel, but many of them are written from the perspective of women impacted by the war. Not a bad thing, merely an observation. I was excited for the opportunity to read Dead in the Water, WWII fiction told from a perspective I hadn't yet considered: that of a police officer in WWII London, trying to solve a crime while working with the restrictions that came from dealing with foreign military in his country.

The book opens in Vienna, 1939. German soldiers have accosted the Katz family in their home and seized their valuable art collection. Fast forward to London, 1942. DCI Frank Merlin is investigating a murder, a body found in the Thames. He's also tasked with finding missing art that was to be sold, allegedly some of the same art that the Nazis stole from the Katz family several years earlier.

Ellis illustrates how wartime may make uneasy bedfellows and makes points I had never considered. The Americans and the British are allies, but here we see the Americans working to have laws put into place that effectively keep the Brits out of any criminal matters involving American soldiers. We see, painfully, how the Americans brought their prejudice against their own when a prime murder suspect is a Black American soldier. The Americans have no trouble rushing to justice with him, even as Merlin tries to convince his American counterpart that the soldier could not have been the murderer. Watching that storyline unfold is painful, with American bias clearly on display. It had never occurred to me how civilian and military forces might work together when both are from the same country, much less where you have forces from different countries in your own.

The Russians are also in the war, ostensibly as allies. But there are concerns about agents and double agents, and Merlin learns that someone related to him (although not particularly close) has been playing a dangerous game.

I knew dealing in stolen art was big business after wartime, but I didn't think about the possibility that it went on while the war was still raging. The wheeling and dealing that goes on with the efforts of two men to sell and acquire rare art is pretty mind-boggling. Interesting to consider that even those with high net worth might face some financial difficulty due to funds being tied up in other countries.

This story had several threads going at one time, and sometimes it was a bit of a challenge to keep it all straight! But Ellis keeps a good grasp on those threads, and ultimately weaves them together for a satisfying conclusion. I'm glad to make DCI Merlin's acquaintance, and I look forward to reading more from Mark Ellis.

Lyn Farrell is a new author to me, and this was a fun introduction to her work!

Billy Jo is a young lady working for Rosedale Investigations, a firm headed by her grandfather, PD Pascoe. She wants to be more involved in investigations, but feels like the senior partners keep holding her back. When a woman comes to the firm requesting that they trace the provenance of a century-old painting, Billy Jo pushes to take the case. The senior partners are resistant, but Billy Jo finally persuades them to give her two weeks to try to track down the information. Little does Billy Jo realize she'll be putting herself in danger.

The painting's provenance and efforts to document it are a primary arc in the story, but there are other threads to chase as well. A woman is missing, and her grasping, greedy relatives want to know where she is (and whether they can get their mitts on her money if she's dead). Wayne, one of the Rosedale investigators, is preparing for his upcoming wedding to Lucy, and he's trying to find her younger sister in time for their big day. We see a relationship story line that I hope will develop in later books with PD's discovery of unexpected family.

And it all adds up to a quick, enjoyable read for me. The characters are likable – I think Dory is a particular favorite. I also liked that Farrell gave her bad guys some understandable reasons for their actions, and not just malicious intent. I mean, good intentions don't justify theft and mayhem and attempted (or actual) murder, but it gives the characters some unexpected depth.

If you enjoy a clean cozy mystery that will hold your attention, you'll want to read In the Frame! I look forward to reading more of Farrell's books.

Oh, Kimberly Fish, you have done it again! You won me over with Anna and Jack in Comfort Zone, and now you have stolen my heart completely with Gloria and Mason in Sweet Comfort.

Gloria Bachman moved to Comfort, Texas, after retiring from her banking career. She lives fairly independently, and she likes it that way. Though she's a woman of a certain age, she doesn't limit herself to what's expected, and she's excited about her new business venture with her younger friend, Kali Hamilton. They're opening a chocolate shop selling Kali's handmade chocolates. Never mind that grumpy Ted Bodine insists they name the shop after him before he'll agree to lease the shop's new locale to them, Gloria can't wait to get started.

Then Mason Lassiter, a wealthy CEO (who may or may not have killed his wife if you pay any attention to the press), shows up in Comfort. Gloria can't quite figure what he's doing there. She doesn't reckon he'll stay long, and she certainly doesn't reckon she needs to do anything about this unexpected (and unwanted, she tells herself) attraction she feels for him. She doesn't need a man in her life.

When Ted turns up dead in the front yard of one of the Bunco ladies, will the chocolate shop still open? What will happen to the lease? Gloria wants to help the woman who's suspected, but she also wants to look out for her business interests. She uses her skills to start sorting things out.

I'm not sure what's more intriguing – the mystery of who killed Ted and why, or the machinations Gloria goes through to avoid letting any kind of inkling of feelings for Mason develop. She is bound and determined that she will not let herself like him. She can resist him. She thinks she can resist friendship, too. She doesn't want to get in with the Bunco ladies or the Knitters' Club. She's got trust issues, given her past. But Comfort is a little town with a big heart, and Gloria learns that she does have friends, even when she thought she'd been keeping herself closed off.

Kimberly Fish weaves a magical tale. She populates her town with characters mild and wild. The mystery is compelling, and seeing the romance blossom between Gloria and Mason is so much fun! Comfort is the kind of place I'd like to go visit. Maybe one of these days I will. (I hope there really is a chocolate shop there!)

I highly recommend Sweet Comfort for anyone who loves a good mystery, a slow-burn second-chance romance, strong female characters, and a delightful small-town setting. Five stars from me!

Anita Dickason has done it again. She's written a book that keeps me scrolling through the pages well past my bedtime.

We met Tori Winters in Deadly Keepsakes, and I fell in love with her. Tori has unexpectedly inherited a mansion and a pile of cash from the grandmother she never met. Now she's working to turn the mansion into a bed and breakfast, whose name, the Red Door Inn, is a nod to the house's history. Murder's Legacy opens with the renovations grinding to a halt when the secret tunnel collapses, revealing a long-dead body. Some items with the body may offer clues to his identity and who killed him.

Before Tori has a chance to figure out what happened, she's getting hit with cancellations of permits, surprise inspections, and talk from the city that they may condemn the property. (That escalated quickly.) And the local newspaper publishes articles that seem almost prescient, like maybe the reporter has some inside information (where are they getting that, hmm?). Tori knows her property isn't a hazard. She's got the engineering analyses to prove it. And she knows she's got to get to the bottom of this, and fast, or she stands to lose her home and the new business that she and her four friends are working hard to launch.

This is a non-stop thrill ride of a book. Every step Tori takes to unravel the mystery, the killer has the jump on her. Not only is she in harm's way, but the killer won't hesitate to hurt others if it serves their purpose. This really ramps up the tension of the story.

We see Tori tee it up with her nemesis, social queen bee wannabe Myra Swanson. I LOVE that Tori gets the chance to put Myra in her place! You'll have to read the book to find out how and why, but man, I cheered. Myra is a pill and richly deserved the smackdown.

And once again, we see how Tori has surrounded herself with good people. Mia, Cammie, Tina, and Heidi aren't just employees. They're Tori's Girl Gang. Her friends. They have her back, all the time. Mia in particular seems to have a sixth sense about when Tori is chasing herself in mental circles and can help get her back on track. I want a group of friends like them!

There's a hint of potential romance between Tori and David. Will we see their relationship blossom in future books? I hope so!

The historical information at the end of the book is a delight. I learn so much from Dickason's notes. I thought poker chips were poker chips were poker chips. I had no idea they were a whole area of research! Now I want to learn more about them and more about the history that inspired the Tori Winters series.

Anita Dickason has taken the cozy mystery genre and put her own unique spin on it. Murder's Legacy is a fantastic second book in what I hope is a long-running series. Tori and the people in her life already feel like folks I've known a while, and I'm rather fond of them! Action, suspense, legal maneuvering, the power of friendship, a little romance, a little Texas history, this book has it all.

If you're a mystery lover, start with Deadly Keepsakes and then jump right on in to Murder's Legacy. You'll be glad you did!

Muskets & Masquerades is the second book of a planned trilogy. I haven't yet read the first, but after reading this one, I'll go back and catch up!

As the story opens, Jack, newly married to Annalisa, is summoned to France by the Committee of Secret Correspondence. He tries to persuade Annalisa to stay home, but she'll have none of that. They both set sail for France, but they're separated when the ship capsizes.

Annalisa awakes with no memory of the events that brought her to the luxurious residence where she finds herself. She is nursed back to health and starts to build a life there, with no idea whether her memories will ever return. Jack is captured by the British and held on the same ship where his brother, who fights for the British, is serving. You'd think his brother might have some compassion on him, but no. Oliver is rather a jerk to Jack.

Through trials and travails, Annalisa and Jack both make their way back to America. Each thought the other dead, and Jack has allowed himself to be persuaded into a position that threatens his marriage to Annalisa. She assumes her alter ego, Benjamin Cavendish, and joins the Continental Army.

Lindsey Fera writes a mighty good story! I loved Annalisa from the start. She is an unconventional woman, not allowing herself to be strictly limited by the expectations of her time period. She faces danger and difficulty with the emotions you'd expect, but she doesn't let challenges derail her. She perseveres.

And Jack. My heart just hurt for him and the choices he made. As the reader, I had the advantage of figuring out before he did just how much those choices would come back to bite him. He tries to do the right thing in his situation, he just doesn't have all the information that would let him know for sure what the right thing is.

I've seen a review or two mention the difficulty they had believing that the people who know Annalisa wouldn't recognize her even in men's clothing. I thought about that. I think we see what we expect to see a lot of the time, and no one in the Continental Army would have expected to see her in the thick of battle. (And she didn't fool everyone entirely!)

Ms. Fera has clearly done her research. The language her characters use is fitting of the time in which the story is set, and the events are depicted very well. The glossary of terms that she includes is very helpful, too, if there's a word the reader can't interpret from context.

If you enjoy an engaging, well-researched story that lets you imagine events as if you were there, with characters you may want to hug or shake (or maybe kick in the shins, depending), I highly recommend Muskets & Masquerades. Just start with the first story, Muskets & Minuets, and keep reading!

My thanks to the author for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

With A River of Crows, Shanessa Gluhm crafts a masterpiece of lies, betrayal, secrets, and madness. The story sucked me in with the opening drowning scene. Who drowned? Who killed them? I had to know. So I had to keep reading.Sloan's brother Ridge died when they were both young. Their father was charged with and convicted of killing Ridge in a PTSD flashback. Sloan is left to deal with her own grief and anger as well as manage her mother, Caroline, whose mental stability is becoming more and more shaky.
As an adult, Sloan returns to her hometown when she gets word that Caroline has left the mental institution where she'd been for several years. She's dealing with the fallout from her divorce, and Caroline makes caring for her a real challenge. When Caroline insists that Ridge is still alive, Sloan doesn't know what to think, other than that her mother's grip on reality really is slipping. Then she encounters a crow by the river where Ridge's life ended that speaks his name, and everything changes.

Y'all. This book. It is one of my favorite kinds of books – the kind that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next. How is the author going to untangle this knot? What waits on the next page?

Shanessa Gluhm has twists and turns in this tale like the Titan at Six Flags. The story is compelling, and it feels like with every page, some looming, as-yet-unknown danger draws nearer. There are plots within plots, secrets hidden, memories repressed. And then it all comes together in an absolute banger of a conclusion that had me picking my jaw up off the floor.

The crow imagery is used to good effect in the story, and I like the facts that Gluhm weaves throughout the tale. I knew crows were smart. But I didn't know that they hold grudges, or that they hold funerals when one of their own dies, or any of the other tidbits scattered throughout the book.

A River of Crows is a mystery, a family drama, and a nail-biter of a suspenseful story all wrapped up into one. It may be on my list of best books for 2023. It's that good. Shanessa Gluhm has firmly established herself as a must-read author for me. Five stars all the way.

This series is so much fun! I love that our protagonist, Emily Wilson, is a flutist. That's an occupation not often seen in the cozies I've read. The details B. J. Bowen includes about the symphony and its inner workings are wonderful to learn about, because that's something way out of my experience.

And the inner workings of the symphony may be what got Curtis Strange killed here. He was on the Symphony Board, where he got along with exactly no one, and he was a land developer with ethics that were questionable at best. He's shot at the climax of the symphony's Fourth of July performance, when a gunshot or two would sound like just another firework. Many people had reason to dislike him, but who wanted him dead? When part of KC's past rears its head and makes her the prime suspect, Emily knows she's got to find some way to focus the investigation away from her friend.

Bowen's writing style is smooth and easy to read, dare I say, almost lyrical. She creates a world I can easily envision and think I'd like to visit. I love the characters she creates, and I'm glad we get to know more about KC in this story. We get to see a lot more of Emily's beloved dog, Golden, too, and that's always a good thing. And Bowen certainly had me guessing as to the mystery! She set up suspects and then deftly knocked them out of the running, and kept me enthralled right up to the end.

Cozy fans, I highly recommend you pick up Fireworks on the Fourth. Just in time for summer reading!

Excellent start to a new trilogy!

Gudgion creates a world based on the medieval era, drawing from Norse mythology and the tradition of the Knights Templar to craft his characters and setting. This made it very easy for me to sink into the book and enjoy the story without having to also focus on the logistics of how things worked.

And what a story! We've got a novice nun longing for home, political machinations, religious persecution, conflict between faiths old and new, action, magic, even a touch of romance. The story is told from three points of view: Adelais; Guy, the son of the prisoner rescued from torture; and Pateras Malory, one of the king's anakritim, responsible for torturing those who don't follow what the king deems to be the true faith.

When Adelais helps rescue a former Guardian from torture by the anakritim, she finds herself fleeing with the last few of that holy order. The anakritim seek the treasure the Guardians supposedly hold, and they have no qualms about obliterating the Guardians to get their hands on it.

The characters are relatable. Adelais longs for home, for the faith of her people. She questions whether she should use the rune song she was learning from Yrsa, as she is untrained. Will she bring down ruin on her companions, or will she be their salvation? Guy wants vengeance for his father's death, and exercising patience is hard for him to do. Malory tries to do his job well, but he wrestles with the question of whether he is truly on the side of right in the matter. Malory is a refreshing foil to chief torturer Ghislain Barthram. Barthram is almost a caricature, so single-minded in pursuit and so devoted to his craft is he. It's good to see that becoming a torturer for the king doesn't relieve Malory of all his human decency.

The description compares this book to the work of Andrzej Sapkowski, author of The Witcher books. I haven't read any of his Witcher stories, but I have read The Tower of Fools. I see some of the same epic fantasy elements here, but The Tower of Fools had a satirical, comic thread that this story does not. Reynevan, the main character in that book, was an idiot, and this often led to some very humorous moments. Adelais is not (and this is a good thing! I like Adelais!). Before the story ends, there is a question of whether she is a heretic or one touched by the hand of God, whether she has practiced magic that deserves death or whether a miracle has been wrought. She is smart enough to make use of the tools she has at hand and work them to her benefit.

The story took a minute to really pull me in, but once it got going, I had a hard time putting it down. I'm anxious to read the next in the series to see if Adelais makes it home!

When you turn the last page of Watermelon Tattoo and come up for air. you may shake your head. You may wonder, “Who was driving that truck that just ran me over, and did anybody get the license number?” It packs a wallop!

I'll tell you right now, this book covers some hot topics. There's a fair bit of on-screen sexual content, both male/female and female/female. Lots of drinking and drug use and the effects thereof. Violence. It is not for teenagers and it is not for the faint of heart. I've seen one review liken it to a Quentin Tarantino movie. I'll agree with that assessment. If that isn't your jam, you have my blessing and encouragement to stop reading right here.
Jaqui Benderman is a small-town Texas girl. Her father is raising her on his own, and he may be renowned for the Black Diamond watermelons he grows, but sometimes he isn't quite sure how well he's doing as a dad. Jaqui aims to break free of her little town, and winning the title of Watermelon Queen (and a good chunk of change for college) seems to be the quickest way to do that. With the help of her best friend Langley, she nurtures her previously unrealized singing talent. But a tragic accident on the farm takes the life of Jaqui's boyfriend Randy, and the judgmental eyes of the town hold her responsible. Her drunken stupor at the talent competition is her undoing, and when they find booze and drugs in her things there, she's disqualified from the contest. Gathering up her tattered dreams, Jaqui heads off for the music scene in Austin, while Langley stays behind to pursue his dream of the police academy.
Jaqui is by turns driven to achieve her goals and something of a lost little girl. She makes a name for herself on the local music scene, and in the process meets Katrine, a Romany immigrant and a performer herself. They become roommates and then more. Jaqui isn't sure how she feels about Katrine's method of supporting herself, but she comes to realize that her feelings for Katrine are very real. She continues to dive deeper into alcohol and drug use to numb emotions she isn't always sure how to handle, and I sometimes wondered if she would ever be able to find her way out of that web again.
There's also the mystery (which isn't really that mysterious) of who wants Jaqui dead. Someone is trying to get to her, to avenge Randy's death. The tension builds as the threat draws closer and closer to Jaqui and those she cares about.
While Langley is a part of the book, this really isn't a story about Jaqui's friendship with him. We see the story unfold through their alternate viewpoints, but Langley is a tangent. He is a touchstone for Jaqui, but she is the story's focus. They're both growing up and coming of age in their own way, although Langley's path is a tad more conventional. Perhaps there's a future book planned with more of Langley's story?
The story gives what I would think is a pretty accurate look at the underbelly of the musical scene in Austin, or indeed, in any big city. Jaqui is the personification of “sex, drugs, and rock & roll” (although she favors torch songs, not slammin' guitars). Tony Burnett has done his research, and he puts together a barnburner of a book. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's gonna be somebody's shot of whiskey, and what a shot it is! Slam it down and hang on.
And if you want to know more about the titular watermelon tattoo, you're just going to have to read and find out.

Do you have a kid who's interested in all things science? Then you will absolutely want a copy of Magical Elements of the Periodic Table! This charming book by Sybrina Durant is bright, colorful, educational, and so much fun to read. It's an alphabet book that takes you on a journey through some of the magical elements of the periodic table, guided by the Metal Horn Unicorns.

Each letter represents a different element and is identified with a different unicorn. Information regarding the element itself, as well as its history and uses, is presented in clear, easy-to-understand language. The unicorn illustrations are adorable. It's learning at its best – engaging, accessible, and fun!

I read the Kindle version of the book, and so I have not availed myself of all the extras that are available. You can get a unicorn-themed periodic table, trading cards representing each of the 26 unicorns and their elements, fun lesson cards, and more as printable downloads. I think this would be a great summer activity to keep young minds active and entertained.

When my younger son was in elementary school, he was fascinated with all things science. This book would have been right up his alley. After reading it myself, I highly recommend this for any child who has an interest in science and enjoys an appealing, well-written book. And it's not just fun for kids – I learned some things, too!

Five sparkly unicorn horns up for a winner of a book!

Gwen is a normal young woman living a normal life. But when her house catches fire, she follows the ancient cat that lives in her barn through a portal. On the other side of the portal, she finds that she's in Avalon. Yes, that Avalon, the one with King Arthur. And the barn cat, who she's always called Merlin, talks. He tells her that Mordred, Arthur's nephew, now rules Avalon with an iron fist (literally), and that he managed to escape from the Crystal, where Mordred traps anyone in Avalon with magic. If Gwen wants to go home, Merlin says, she has to destroy the crystal. Then Merlin will have his magic back, and he can return Gwen from whence she came.

Mordred is convinced she'll turn on him like everyone else, and her fire magic (a complete surprise t0 Gwen) should have him sending her straight to the Crystal. But he wants to learn what she knows, to protect himself from the threat that brought her to Avalon, and, well, Gwen makes him feel things he hasn't allowed himself to feel in a very long time. And Gwen? She realizes she shouldn't trust Mordred. She certainly shouldn't fall head over heels for him.

I do love a good Arthurian fantasy, and this one was a lot of fun! Gwen is a little bit of a vanilla heroine – we don't know much about her beyond that she's a regular girl from Kansas. But Mordred more than makes up for it. Normally he's the villain in any Arthurian tale, and this is no exception. But Kingsley does a wonderful job of writing him in such a way that sometimes you can't help but empathize with him.

I liked the way Kingsley made use of the Knights of the Round Table. They still serve the ruler of Avalon, but do they follow Mordred and give him the same loyalty they gave Arthur? Read and find out.

Mordred has dogs, too. Naturally, they take to Gwen. If he's a dog person, he can't be ALL bad, can he?

And the romance bits. Let's not forget that! This is a slow burn romance, and boy, does it BURN. Most of it is teasing and innuendo and some pretty entertaining banter, but there's a bit more on-page spice toward the end of the book. Whatever. Gwen is perhaps inexperienced in the ways of love, but I suspect that if she ever really lets herself fall, the pages might burn right out of the book.

I've never read Sarah J. Maas, so I can't say how this compares to that. I can say it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks to Second Sky Books and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

Liz Adams is traveling with her dog, Duke, from her beloved Charleston to Carmel, California to settle her inheritance from her friend Peg. Peg left Liz some property, and Liz must decide what to do with it. As it turns out, this trip also lets her spend time with Brad, the CEO of an identity protection company. Peg expressed her hope that Liz and Brad might become more than friends.

The story offers us a couple of mysteries to ponder. What's up with the cult whose leader keeps trespassing on what is now Liz's property? And something strange is going on at Brad's company. Former clients who have died suddenly have memberships reactivated in their names. Who's doing that, and why? Are the two related? Brad persuades Liz to stay long enough to investigate.

Stacy Wilder gives us a wonderful heroine in Liz - intelligent, caring, and practical. The relationship between her and Brad builds slowly, because her ex really did a number on her, and it's fun to see them growing closer to each other. (I think Peg would be pleased.)

Wilder gives us excellent supporting characters, too. New sheriff Sam is glad of Liz's help, and they work well together without it ever feeling like Sam is running into any legal issues by letting Liz share in the investigation. And of course, her lie-detecting dog, Duke, is a delight! Apollo, the cult leader, is manipulative and creepy. And the mystery is twisty enough that it kept me guessing pretty much all the way through the book.

And it sounds like Liz may have to decide in some future book whether she can divide her time between Charleston and Carmel! I'm not sure she'd ever leave Charleston entirely, but I think she's got a pretty compelling reason in Brad to spend a good bit of time on the West Coast.

I can't wait to read more of the series!

Sheila is grieving the death of her husband Fred. She honors his memory by moving to Paradise Cove, to the home where they'd planned to live out their golden years. Unbeknownst to Sheila, her cat Whiskers is mourning the loss of his crime-solving partner. Fred was a detective, and he and Whiskers had worked out a code so that Whiskers could help solve cases. And his crime-solving skills are put to the test not long after they move to Paradise Cove. There's a murder in the town (the first ever), and Sheila is the prime suspect.

This is a charming read! I'm not quite Sheila's age, but I'm old enough that I can understand how hard it might be for her to start over after decades married to her husband. She's a relatable and very likable main character, and I wanted to see her build a happy life in Paradise Cove, even if Fred wasn't there with her.

And Detective Whiskers! I'm a cat person, and he has utterly won my heart. He's smart and persistent and willing to do whatever it takes to clear Sheila's name. People can't understand him (even Sheila doesn't know the code that Fred and Whiskers shared), but he can communicate with other animals in the neighborhood. Having the story unfold through the animals' eyes makes for an engaging read.

If you love a good cozy mystery and cats, you'll want to read Paw and Order. Five paws up from me!

This is a collection of works by authors, sure. Each is worth reading in its own right. But the book as a whole is an encouragement to other writers, a homage to the field, if you will. Take time to read each individual part of the book. Let it sink in for a bit. Then move on to the next. I'll be rereading this one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.