Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke

Started: 4/6/2025

Finished: 4/11/2025

Year: 2002

Pages: 307

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival--and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac--a half-baked idea, in Hannah's opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show--sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

"Hannah's suspicions are confirmed when Connie Mac's limo rolls into town. Turns out America's "Cooking Sweetheart" is bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp--and Connie Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah's famous blueberry muffins.

"Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar's kitchen crime scene off-limits. She's a baker without an oven--and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah's only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business--by finding the killer herself. . ."

Opinion: Decent mystery. Good continuation of the series. Good sounding cookies.

Stray by A.N. Wilson

Started: 4/6/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 1987

Pages: 174

Genre: literature

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "A proud old alley cat tells his life story to his grandson, including his adventures in a convent, in a feline commune, and with his hearer's grandmother."

Opinion: Couldn't barely make it through the first few pages. Didn't like the writing.

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

Started: 4/2/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 192

Genre: dark humor

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess―she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But long, listless days spent within the estate’s dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family―Mr. Pounds can’t keep his eyes off Winifred’s chest, and Mrs. Pounds takes a sickly pleasure in punishing Winifred for her husband’s wandering gaze. Compounded with her disdain for the entitled Pounds children, Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. French tutoring and needlework are one way to pass the time, as is admiring the ugly portraits in the gallery . . . and creeping across the moonlit lawns. . . .

"Patience. Winifred must have patience, for Christmas is coming, and she has very special gifts planned for the dear souls of Ensor House. Brimming with sardonic wit and culminating in a shocking conclusion, Victorian Psycho plunges readers into the chilling mind of an iconic new literary psychopath."

Opinion: Guess my humor isn't dark enough since I did not enjoy this book. The writing was good but the storyline not so much

Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor

Started: 3/27/2025

Finished: 4/2/2025

Year: 2016

Pages: 334

Genre: mystery

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi’s Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors, enjoy some brown bread and tea, and get the local gossip. Nowadays twenty-two-year-old Siobhán O’Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago.

"It’s been a rough year for the O’Sullivans, but it’s about to get rougher. One morning, as they’re opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table, dressed in a suit as if for his own funeral, a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest.

"With the local garda suspecting the O’Sullivans, and their business in danger of being shunned—murder tends to spoil the appetite—it’s up to feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood."

Opinion: The middle kinda dragged. Definitely enough suspects. Decent murder mystery

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt

Started: 3/22/2025

Finished: 3/27/2025

Year: 2007

Pages: 358

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR pile, continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Few can rival attorney Andy Carpenter's affection for golden retrievers, especially his own beloved Tara.

"After he astonishes a New Jersey courtroom by successfully appealing another retriever's death sentence, Andy discovers that this gentle dog is a key witness to a murder that took place five years earlier.

"It will take all the tricks Andy's fertile mind can conceive to get to the bottom of a remarkable chain of impersonations and murder -- and hopefully save not only a dog's life but also his own in the process."

Opinion: One of the better books in the series, probably because a found golden retriever was the star of starting a complex murder investigation.

The Crime Brulee Bake Off by Rebecca Connolly

Started: 3/19/2025

Finished: 3/21/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 309

Genre: mystery mixed with romane

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Claire Walker is selected to be a contestant on the immensely popular cooking show, Britian’s Battle of the Bakers, she is thrilled. She can’t wait to spend eight enchanting weeks baking at the picturesque estate of Blackfirth Park. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air as she and her fellow contestants use historical equipment to bring pre-1900s recipes to life. If she can win the fifty thousand pounds, she’ll be able to ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.

"The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. With his family’s income dwindling, he reluctantly agrees to host the entire production team, but he refuses to participate since he’s had enough of single women who see him as nothing more than a potential conquest. But when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker’s death is eerily similar to the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier, which sends rumors racing through the estate.

"Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to the Blackfirth Park ghost."

Opinion: If you like the British baking show and mysteries, you'll probably enjoy this. The mystery was decent. The romance was average. Some timeline jumps needed some work.

Murder in the First Edition by Lauren Elliott

Started: 3/17/2025

Finished: 3/19/2025

Year: 2019

Pages: 315

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Addie’s getting into the spirit for the upcoming Charity Auction—especially since she’s got an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol to donate. Her former colleagues at the Boston Public Library have confirmed that its worth runs toward the high five figures, which should help with the new pediatric wing. Her mood darkens, though, when a visitor from the past appears—Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her late fiancé. His presence stirs up sad memories for Addie, but also has her fuming when Jonathan, true to his womanizing ways, runs off for a lunchtime liaison with Teresa Lang, who’s in charge of the auction.

"Soon after, Addie heads to Teresa’s office at the hospital—and finds the poor woman’s dead body. What she doesn’t find is her valuable first edition. What sort of Scrooge would steal from sick children and commit murder in the process? As a Nor’easter bears down and a mystery emerges about Jonathan’s past, Addie must find out if she can appraise people’s motives and characters as well as she can appraise rare books . . ."

Opinion: Halfway predictable but interesting little twists and turns

Chakras, Food, and You by Cyndi Dale and Dana Childs

Started: 3/17/2025

Finished: 3/17/2025

Year: 2021

Pages: 290

Genre: Dietary self guide

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: Goodsreads.com giveaway

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Chakras, Food, and You is a revolutionary approach that customizes health assessments based on the chakras―the ancient system that modern-day yogis exalt and the ancients across all cultures and periods embraced as the secret to enlightenment. After first taking the Chakra Type Quiz within the pages, you will learn which foods and supplements, exercises, and movements mesh to enable your individual body's peak performance. Then, you'll be equipped to make eating and lifestyle choices that synchronize with your real self.

"If you’re a First Chakra Manifestor, you’ll boost your adrenals by eating plenty of protein and taking extra minerals; you’ll eat when you are hungry and drive down stress by moving around. If you are a Third Chakra Thinker, you have to graze at set times. All twelve chakras―Manifestor, Creator, Thinker, Relator, Communicator, Visualizer, Spiritualist, Mystic, Harmonizer, Naturalist, Commander, as well as a twelfth special chakra, unique to each individual―are thoroughly covered.

"With additional tips and thoughts on meditation and spiritual practices, sleep protocols, stress-busters and relaxation practices, and self-care rituals and activities, Cyndi Dale and Dana Childs's Chakras, Food, and You is an accessible and straightforward health-and-life changer."

Opinion: This takes a different approach to figuring out what is best for your body. It also allows you to focus on your main chakra (based on a quiz in the book) instead of reading about all 12 chakras that they list.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Started: 3/13/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 376

Genre: thriller

Grade: D

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

"Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves."

Opinion: Dragged. Took too long to get to anything interesting and some sections jumped time. 

Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 3/11/2025

Finished: 3/13/2025

Year: 2015

Pages: 298

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "No one speaks the language of suspense more brilliantly than Kathy Reichs, author of the acclaimed Temperance Brennan series. In Speaking in Bones, the forensic anthropologist finds herself drawn into a world of dark secrets and dangerous beliefs, where good and evil blur.

"Professionally, Temperance Brennan knows exactly what to do—test, analyze, identify. Her personal life is another story. She’s at a loss, wondering how to answer police detective Andrew Ryan’s marriage proposal. But the matter of matrimony takes a backseat when murder rears its head.

"Hazel “Lucky” Strike—a strident amateur detective who mines the Internet for cold cases—comes to Brennan with a tape recording of an unknown girl being held prisoner and terrorized. Strike is convinced the voice is that of eighteen-year-old Cora Teague, who went missing more than three years earlier. Strike is also certain that the teenager’s remains are gathering dust in Temperance Brennan’s lab.

"Brennan has doubts about working with a self-styled websleuth. But when the evidence seems to add up, Brennan’s next stop is the treacherous backwoods where the chilling recording (and maybe Cora Teague’s bones) were discovered. Her forensic field trip only turns up more disturbing questions—along with gruesome proof of more untimely deaths.

"While local legends of eerie nocturnal phenomena and sinister satanic cults abound, it’s a zealous and secretive religious sect that has Brennan spooked and struggling to separate the saints from the sinners. But there’s nothing, including fire and brimstone, that can distract her from digging up the truth and taking down a killer—even as Brennan finds herself in a place where angels fear to tread, devils demand their due, and she may be damned no matter what."

Opinion: Interesting take on exorcisms.

A Deadly Pattern by Elizabeth Penney

Started: 3/10/2025

Finished: 3/11/2025

Year: 2014

Pages: 218

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: TBR, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Travelling to Arizona in the search of the next suspect in the death of their good friend Rose, they find Dakota Longbone, a Native American guide and interpreter from Sedona. Perhaps Dakota is also the culprit who has been trying to thwart the investigation and will stop at nothing to force Emma and Kelly off the trail. Only time will tell."

Opinion: A decent continuation of the series. Whodunit mystery continues. Native American art being stolen was a nice mystery to read about.

In the Woods by Tana French

Started: 3/7/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2007

Pages: 429

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

"Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past."

Opinion: Just couldn't get into it. Felt myself drifting off to do other things. The premise is interesting.

Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Started: 3/5/2025

Finished: 3/6/2025

Year: 2001

Pages: 307

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When the president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off, Hannah is thrilled to serve as the head judge. But when a fellow judge, Coach Boyd Watson, is found stone-cold dead, facedown in Hannah's celebrated strawberry shortcake, Lake Eden's sweet ride to fame turns very sour indeed.

"Between perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunchies, Hannah's snooping into the coach's private life and not coming up short on suspects. And could Watson's harsh criticism during the judging have given one of the contestants a license to kill? The stakes are rising faster than dough, and Hannah will have to be very careful, because somebody is cooking up a recipe for murder. . .with Hannah landing on the 'necessary ingredients' list."

Opinion: Decent continuation of the series. Murderer was too predictable.

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

Started: 3/3/2025

Finished: 3/4/205

Year: 2022

Pages: 308

Genre: thriller

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Abigail Baskin never thought she would fall in love with a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb. He’s a good guy, stable, level-headed, kind—a refreshing change from her previous relationships.

"But right before the wedding, Abigail has a drunken one-night stand on her bachelorette weekend. She puts the incident—and the sexy guy who wouldn’t give her his real name—out of her mind, and now believes she wants to be with Bruce for the rest of her life. Their honeymoon on a luxurious, secluded island will be the beginning of their blissful lives together.

"Then the mysterious stranger suddenly appears—and Abigail’s future life and happiness are turned upside down. He insists that their passionate night was the beginning of something much, much more. Something special. Something real—and he’s tracked her down to prove it.

"Does she tell Bruce and ruin their idyllic honeymoon—and possibly their marriage? Or should she handle this psychopathic stalker on her own? To make the situation worse, strange things begin to happen. She sees a terrified woman in the shadows one night, and no one at the resort seems to believe anything is amiss… including her perfect new husband."

Opinion: Interesting take on relationships and scarily fitting for today's society.

Food for Thought by Alton Brown

Started: 2/28/2025

Finished: 3/2/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 283

Genre: Memoir/essays

Grade; B

Reason for reading: fan of Alton, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "From cameraman to chef, musician to food scientist, Alton Brown has had a diverse and remarkable career. His work on the Food Network, including creating Good Eats and hosting Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, has resonated with countless viewers and home cooks. Now, he shares exactly what’s on his mind, mixing compelling anecdotes from his personal and professional life with in-depth observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime, and much more.

"With his whip-smart and engaging voice, Brown explores everything from wrestling a dumpster full of dough to culinary cultural appropriation to his ultimate quest for the perfect roast chicken. Deliciously candid and full of behind-the-scenes stories fans will love, Food for Thought is the ultimate reading experience for anyone who appreciates food and the people that prepare it."

Opinion: I've seen Alton live and will be seeing him again soon. Only recognized one of his stories from his live show. A fun and interesting look at some small aspects of his life.

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott

Started: 2/26/2025

Finished: 2/28/2025

Year: 2019

Pages: 318

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Gossip columnists love a bold-faced name—but “Miss Newsy” at Greyborne Harbor’s local paper seems to specialize in bald-faced lies. She’s pointed a finger of suspicion at Addie after librarian June Winslow never makes it home from a book club meeting. And when June’s found at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs, Addie’s not only dealing with a busybody, but a dead body.

"It’s a good thing the guy she’s dating is the police chief. But both the case and her love life get more complicated when a lanky blonde reporter from Los Angeles shows up. She’s trying her hardest to drive a wedge between the couple . . . as if Addie doesn’t have enough problems dealing with angry townspeople. Despite all the rumors, Addie doesn’t know a thing about the murder—but she plans to find out. And the key may lie in a book about pirate legends that June published. Now she just has to hunt down the clues before she becomes a buried treasure herself . . ."

Opinion: A good continuation of this series. Addie finds herself caught in the middle.

X by Sue Grafton

Started: 2/19/2025

Finished: 2/26/2025

Year: 2015

Pages: 492

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Perhaps Sue Grafton’s darkest and most chilling novel, X features a remorseless serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes. Once again breaking the rules and establishing new paths, Grafton wastes little time identifying this deadly sociopath. The test is whether private investigator Kinsey Millhone can prove her case against him—before she becomes his next victim."

Opinion: Some decent snarkiness. A few mysteries in one.

Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan

Started: 2/15/2025

Finished: 2/18/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 306

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "An ice fisherman is savagely mauled to death in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and an eyewitness claims the man was attacked by a hodag. There's just one problem with that: it's well known that the creature is not real and was created by a local hoaxer. So how could an imaginary creature be chomping on local sportsmen? 

"The suggestion that a hodag killed someone isn’t well received by the townsfolk because of its beloved ties to the town and the money it generates from tourist dollars. Due to this, people begin to suspect the witness is the real killer, especially when it’s discovered he has a tangled past with the victim. 

"The witness to the attack happens to be the nephew of Morgan Carter’s bookstore employee, Rita Bosworth, who convinces the professional cryptozoologist to travel to Wisconsin to prove that a hodag not only exists but killed the victim. 

"Clues may be hard to come by, but one thing's for sure: something killed that man, and that something now has its eyes focused on Morgan."

Opinion: A decent murder mystery. Good continuation of the series.

Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs

Started: 2/12/2025

Finished: 2/14/2025

Year: 2014

Pages: 323

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "The gripping new Temperance Brennan novel from the world-class forensic anthropologist and Number 1 bestselling author Kathy Reichs. Tempe is faced with the horrifying possibility that the killer who got away in Monday Mourning is back...For a decade, Temperance Brennan has been haunted by the one who got away.The killer of young women. The monster.And the one who has now come back.Feeding on fear, grief and rage.Killing again. Killing girls.Getting closer.Coming for Tempe."

Opinion: An interesting case that spans states and countries.

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

Started: 2/11/2025

Finished: 2/12/2025

Year: 2024

Pages: 359

Genre: mystery/thriller

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She's seen it all: men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

"Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

"Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them. 

"Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can't shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn't get to the truth, she'll be the killer's next victim..."

Opinion: A decent mystery with an interesting twist.

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann

Started: 2/11/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2005

Pages: 341

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George’s killer. 

"The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the “bad-boy” black ram; Mopple the Whale, a merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime and wild metaphysical speculations, and they embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher; Rebecca, a village newcomer with a secret and a scheme; Gabriel, the shady shepherd of a very odd flock; and Father Will, a sinister priest. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love. 

"With sheer wit and spunk, this international bestseller has become a darling to two- and four-legged fans alike. Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful breed of detectives to American readers."

Opinion: The concept was interesting but too many characters to try to figure out despite a glossary of who was who.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Started: 2/10/2025

Finished: 2/10/2025

Year: 2016

Pages: 400

Genre: mystery/thriller

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: TBR pile

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Travel magazine writer Lo Blacklock has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: one week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the elite guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea.

"At first, Lo’s voyage is perfect, with a plush cabin, elegant dinner parties, and plenty of relaxation. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong…"

Opinion: A decent thriller mystery. Will I watch the Netflix version? Maybe.

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin

Started: 2/7/2025

Finished: 2/10/2025

Year: 2024

Pages: 400

Genre: literature

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.

"When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.

"As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times."

Opinion: A decent novel set during WWII.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Started: 2/4/2025

Finished: 2/6/2025

Year: 2000

Pages: 310

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "No one cooks up a delectable, suspense-filled mystery quite like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke’s dessert-baking, red-haired heroine whose gingersnaps are as tart as her comebacks, and whose penchant for solving crimes—one delicious clue at a time—has made her a bestselling favorite. And it all began on these pages, with a bakery, a murder, and some suddenly scandalous chocolate-chip crunchies. Featuring a bonus short story and brand new, mouthwatering recipes, this new edition of the very first Hannah Swensen mystery is sure to have readers coming back for seconds…

"Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother’s attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden’s most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah’s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can’t get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn’t watch her back, Hannah’s sweet life may get burned to a crisp."

Opinion: I've read some of Fluke's books out of order over the years and decided to start from the beginning. Decent start of the series but gotta wonder why a cookie baker would get involved investigating a murder.

Dead Center by David Rosenfelt

Started: 2/3/2025

Finished: 2/4/2025

Year: 2006

Pages: 326

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "DEAD CENTER finds Andy Carpenter reentering the dating scene with comic results. He is surprised at what a hot ticket he seems to be, and this proves to be a mixed blessing at best. His friends are all too eager to provide advice and guidance, but of course they know just as little about the dating world as Andy. Whether the woman he is dating at the moment is terrific or far from it, the spectra of Laurie always hangs over his head. He has strong feelings of bitterness towards her for leaving, but she is, after all, the love of his life. He has had no contact with her at all, and can only assume she is back in Findlay, serving in the number two job on the local police force. Then one day he returns to the office to find Laurie waiting for him. Laurie has arrested a young man for murder and, though the evidence clearly called for his arrest, she believes he is innocent. The accused is the son of Laurie's oldest friend and she believes Andy is the best person to represent him. Andy follows Laurie back to Wisconsin where he must explore a secretive religious community that seems to hold the truth about what really happened to the deceased."

Opinion: The break-up of Andy and Laurie didn't seem to end as readers were left expecting in the last book. Decent murder mystery.

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

Started: 1/30/2025

Finished: 2/2/2025

Year: 2018

Pages: 224

Genre: Romance

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community—including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder’s famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith.

"Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she’ll be returning to reality and the career she’s worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town—not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love.

"Fate has other plans. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality, and the Christmas magic that can happen when they put their faith in love."

Opinion: A sweet romance-partial long distance. 

Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott

Started: 1/29/2025

Finished: 1/30/2025

Year: 2018

Pages: 286

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Addie left some painful memories behind in the big city, including the unsolved murder of her fiancé and her father’s fatal car accident. After an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt, she’s moved to a small New England town founded by her ancestors back in colonial times—and living in spacious Greyborne Manor, on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. Best of all, her aunt also left her countless first editions and other treasures—providing an inventory to start her own store.

But there’s trouble from day one, and not just from the grumpy woman who runs the bakery next door. A car nearly runs Addie down. Someone steals a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Then, Addie’s friend Serena, who owns a nearby tea shop, is arrested—for killing another local merchant. The police seem pretty sure they’ve got the story in hand, but Addie’s not going to let them close the book on this case without a fight …"

Opinion: A decent start to a cozy mystery series but too many people all connected and all for one thing. 

Ocean Selvage by Jan Fields

Started: 1/28/2025

Finished: 1/28/2025

Year: 2014

Pages: 203

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Emma Cotton, Kelly Grace, and members of the Nimble Thimbles group decide to embark on a quilting cruise to investigate the latest suspect in their friend's murder, they don't plan on getting mixed up in a missing person's case onboard. But thanks to Dottie Faye Sinclair, Emma's wild aunt who insists on coming along, they do. Within a day of departure, Dottie Faye's antics land her under a cloud of suspicion, forcing Emma to solve a mystery she hadn't planned on. And the surprises don't stop there."

Opinion: A decent continuation of the mystery series. 

At the Scene of the Crime Edited by Dana Stabenow

Started: 1/24/2025

Finished: 1/27/2025

Year: 2008

Pages: 262

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "With the long-term success of procedural shows dominating prime-time television, the readership for a forensic anthology extends well beyond traditional mystery readers.

Collected by Martin H. Greenberg—the King of Anthologists—this volume features the following contributors:

Brendan DuBois
Edward D. Hoch
Michael A. Black
Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens
Jeremiah Healy
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Julie Hyzy, John Lutz
Maynard Thomson
Noreen Ayres"
Loren D. Estleman
Jeanne C. Stein"

Opinion: Like with any collection of short stories, some work better than others. The majority of these I enjoyed. I didn't dislike any one story which is a rarity for me.

Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs

Started: 1/21/2025

Finished: 1/24/2025

Year: 2013

Pages: 320

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Charlotte police discover the body of a teenage girl along a desolate stretch of two-lane highway, Temperance Brennan fears the worst. The girl’s body shows signs of foul play. Inside her purse police find the ID card of a prominent local businessman, John-Henry Story, who died in a horrific flea market fire months earlier. Was the girl an illegal immigrant turning tricks? Was she murdered?

"The medical examiner has also asked Tempe to examine a bundle of Peruvian dog mummies confiscated by U.S. Customs. A Desert Storm veteran named Dominick Rockett stands accused of smuggling the objects into the country. Could there be some connection between the trafficking of antiquitiesand the trafficking of humans?

"As the case deepens, Tempe must also grapple with personal turmoil. Her daughter Katy, grieving the death of her boyfriend in Afghanistan, impulsively enlists in the Army. As pressure mounts from all corners, Tempe soon finds herself at the center of a conspiracy that extends all the way from South America, to Afghanistan, and right to the center of Charlotte."

Opinion: A decent mystery of a Jane Doe. It took too long for a connection to another case to be made. This didn't seem like this type of connection was needed.

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

Stated: 1/14/2025

Finished: 1/21/2025

Year: 2013

Pages: 590

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The first victim is a local PI of suspect reputation, gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. The second is a John Doe found on the beach six weeks later with a slip of paper with private detective Kinsey Millhone’s name and number in his pocket.

"Two seemingly unrelated deaths: one man murdered, the other apparently dead of natural causes.

"But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange links begin to emerge. Not just between the two victims, but also to Kinsey’s past. And before long Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised..."

Opinion: Too almost 500 pages to connect. 

Homer and the Holiday Miracle by Gwen Cooper

Started: 1/14/2025

Finished: 1/14/2025

Year: 2018

Pages: 47

Genre: animal non fiction

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Fifteen years earlier, doctors had warned that Homer—a tiny, sightless kitten—was unlikely to survive and probably wouldn't have much of a life even if he did. Miraculously and against all the odds, however, Homer grew into a feline dynamo who scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease, saved his human mom's life when he chased a late-night burglar from their apartment, and rose to global fame—paving the way for other special-needs animals once considered "unadoptable."

"Now, only two weeks before Christmas, with doctors once again decreeing that Homer didn't have much time—that he wouldn't even make it to Christmas Eve—Homer showed everyone that he still had one more miracle left in him. The heroic blind cat proved again, once and for all, that hope and love aren't things you see with your eyes. You see them with your heart."

Opinion: A very quick read about how Homer survived to one last Christmas.

See How She Dies by Lisa Jackson

Started: 1/7/2025

Finished: 1/14/2025

Year: 2004 (this edition)

Pages: 430

Genre: mystery

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "London Danvers disappeared almost twenty years ago. The youngest child of hotel tycoon Witt Danvers—and the only child with his second wife, Kat—London hasn’t been seen since. Over time, many women have claimed to be the long-lost heiress. Adria Nash is the latest. But from the moment Zachary Danvers sees her, he believes Adria is different. For one thing, Adria looks just like Zachary’s former stepmother. For another, Adria knows personal details only London could have known.

"Just four years old at the time of the kidnapping, Adria can’t be sure if what she feels in her gut, and what she’s been told, is true. She has no memory of the abduction, and confronting Zach is the only way to get answers. Yet she feels a deep sense of dread. London’s nanny also vanished that terrible night. And Kat Danvers fell to her death under suspicious circumstances soon after. If Adria really is London, she stands to inherit a fortune—but will she also become a target?

"Adria is right to be afraid. Because someone does believe her. Someone who has killed before and is watching her every move, waiting for the right moment to see how she runs . . . see how she screams . . . see how she dies . . ."

Opinion: A little bit too long but a decent mystery mixed with some questionable romance

The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown

Started: 12/23/2024

Finished: 1/7/2025

Year: 2009

Pages: 288

Genre: History

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of pioneers led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and fourteen others set out for California on snowshoes, and, over the next thirty-two days, endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors."

Opinion: Recent shows have brought new light to this horrific journey. This book goes into depth about the daily struggle that everyone faced.

Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt

Started: 1/1/2025

Finished: 1/5/2025

Year: 2005

Pages: 306

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "First at the crime scene, Andy Carpenter wishes he had never seen the folded torso with the large red stain on its back. The victim is Tony Preston, wide receiver for the New York Jets, and the suspect is Kenny Schilling, the New York Giants' star running back, whose upcoming high-profile murder case will be the benchwarming Andy's chance to get back into the legal game."

Opinion: An interesting case...an interesting twist to Andy's personal life. 

Shallow Depths by Milan Skrecek

Started: 12/31/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2024

Pages: 228

Genre: literature

Grade: F

Reason for reading: librarything.com Early Reviwers program

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Our hero is a burnt-out cruise line Shopping Guide named Christina Delgado - a mid-twenties Latina spitfire. In a desperate bid to resolve her financial woes, Christina ventures into dangerous waters by starting to offer escort services to cruise ship guests.

"Christina's antagonists are formidable and reflect the seedy underbelly of the industries tied to cruise tourism. Sebastian Baeza, known as Bas, is the Cuban-born owner of an escort agency from which Christina begins to poach her recruits. He is ruthless and sees Christina's actions as a direct threat to his dominion. Then there's Artem Hadad, the vindictive manager of the largest jewelry chain across the Caribbean islands, Caribbean Diamonds and Gems. Artem is incensed by any sales that bypass his stores and will do anything within his considerable power to ensure Christina fails.

"But at its core, this book series is about Christina's internal battle. Her relentless pursuit of debt freedom blinds her to the risks she takes and the relationships she sabotages. Her inability to accept help due to her pride and stubbornness only isolates her further, driving her deeper into her vices. By the series end, Christina faces a pivotal moment of self-realization.

"She begins to understand that true courage isn't just about facing external dangers but also about confronting and accepting her vulnerabilities.

"Throughout this novel, and the book series, the interpersonal dynamics aboard the cruise ship add layers of intrigue and drama. Christina’s relationship with Emily Baker, her unlikely ally and confidant, provides a counterpoint to her conflicts with Artem and Bas. Emily, with her polished appearance and kleptomaniac tendencies, offers a mirror to Christina’s own flawed nature but also represents a potential pathway to redemption. Their partnership, fraught with risks and reluctant trust, explores themes of loyalty and betrayal within the claustrophobic ecosystem of the ship."

Opinion: A thorough review is posted on Library Thing. The blurb from Amazon is an example of how scattered the writing seems to be.