Die Me a River by Denise Swanson

Started: 10/11/2024

Finished: 10/14/2024

Year: 2018

Pages: 341

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd had hoped that her maternity leave would be at least a little relaxing, but when she and her husband, Wally, meet with the priest to discuss their newborn twins' christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley rocks the rectory. And although the business was closed at the time of the blast, there's a body inside.

"As police chief, Wally is inevitably drawn into the murder mystery, which seems to indicate that foul play is afoot again in Scumble River, and Skye can't help but do a bit of her own sleuthing. But the clues come fast and furious, ranging from an odd new stranger in town to animosity toward the gambling machines that had recently been installed at the bowling alley, and Skye finds herself wondering if this could be the puzzle that stumps her for good."

Opinion: Decent mystery. Typical small town characters and their antics like in the rest of the series.

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Started: 10/7/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2020

Pages: 347

Genre: thriller

Grade: D

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half sister.

"Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play."

Opinion: Decent writing but horrible main character...one word....therapy. Story started off strong but turned awful and predictable quickly.

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

Started: 10/3/2024

Finished: 10/7/2024

Year: 2002

Pages: 292

Genre: lawyer mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Blurb (from Amazon): "Whether dueling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defense attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan. But Andy prefers the company of his best friend, Tara, to the people he encounters in the courtroom. Tara, a golden retriever, is clearly smarter than half the lawyers who clog the courts of PassaicCounty. However, just as it seems Andy has everything figured out, his dad, New Jersey's legendary ex-D.A., drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium. The shocks pile on as he discovers his dad left him with two unexpected legacies: a fortune of $22 million that Andy never knew existed . . . and a murder case with enough racial tinder to burn down City Hall. Struggling to serve justice and bring honor to his father, Andy must dig up some explosive political skeletons--and an astonishing family secret that can close his case (and his mouth) for good."

Opinion: An obnoxious lawyer. A decent mystery and trial. Will continue with the series

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Started: 9/30/2024

Finished: 10/2/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 295

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar - notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.

"The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father's past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything."

Opinion: A decent mystery of what really happened.