The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

Started: 5/26/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2024

Pages: 491

Genre: history/Civil War

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter.

"Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter—a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.”

"At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans."

Opinion: Is history repeating itself? I didn't finish it because you get a jist of what happens. Like with other Larson books, you can tell that he did extensive research on the topic.

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt

Started: 5/22/2025

Finished: 5/26/2025

Year: 2010

Pages: 360

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "A German Shepherd police dog witnesses a murder and if his owner--an Iraq war vet and former cop-turned-thief--is convicted of the crime, the dog could be put down. Few rival Andy Carpenter's affection for dogs, and he decides to represent the poor canine. As Andy struggles to convince a judge that this dog should be set free, he discovers that the dog and his owner have become involved unwittingly in a case of much greater proportions than the one they've been charged with. Andy will have to call upon the unique abilities of this ex-police dog to help solve the crime and prevent a catastrophic event from taking place."

Opinion: Slightly different format than the previous books. Another pup was saved but was his owner?

Seam of the Crime by Jan Fields

Started: 5/21/2025

Finished: 5/22/2025

Year: 2014

Pages: 202

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR pile, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Emma Cotton is sure in her heart that the trail to the killer of her friend, Rose Peterson, is nearing an end. Chase Meyer has to be the murderer. And Emma and her aunt, Dottie Faye Sinclair, intend to prove it once they find him. It seems Meyer has recently gone missing from his Upstate New York home. Joining Emma and Dottie Faye in the hunt for Meyer is private investigator Alex Manning. Emma isn't sure if she is extremely impressed with Alex's abilities or downright irritated at his macho attitude. But his prowess may come in handy as the trio navigates the dangerous world in which Meyer has become embroiled. The hunt proves difficult among the tight-lipped community, but it becomes even more complicated when death by cherry pie derails the trio. Emma and Kelly must decide whether the suspect of a fifteen-year-old murder case has struck again, or if the killing is purely a coincidence. Emma is certain that Meyer holds the key to Rose's murder, and she won't rest until justice is finally served."

Opinion: Decent continuation of the series. Not sure why Kelly was left behind.

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn

Started: 5/21/2025

Finished: 5/21/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 354

Genre: mystery/action

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book, continuation of series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

"Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

"Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive."

Opinion: Decent action scenes. Decent mystery.

A Page Marked for Murder by Lauren Elliott

Started: 5/19/2025

Finished: 5/20/2025

Year: 2020

Pages: 299

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "January isn't the season for the seaside, but the big Fire and Ice festival is keeping bookstore owner Addie busy. Amid the plans for a fireworks display and an ice-carving competition, she's also dog sitting for a friend in the hospital. When Addie goes to her friend's house to gather supplies, she notices an interesting item on the nightstand which belongs to her shop assistant, Paige: a very valuable copy of the beloved children's book The Secret Garden.

"But Addie's blood runs cold when she finds something else: a dead body behind the bakery next door to her shop. Martha, the bakery owner, has no alibi--and has been seen in a heated argument with the victim. And the next thing Addie knows, that first edition has gone missing. Is there a connection between the body and the treasured tome? If there is, it's up to Addie to find a killer with a motive as hidden as Frances Hodgson Burnett's famous garden . . ."

Opinion: Murderer was not as clear cut as in other murder mysteries. Twisted protective family.

The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert

Started: 5/19/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2004

Pages: 269

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The author of Peter Rabbit and other tales, Beatrix Potter is still, after a century, beloved by children and adults worldwide. In this first Cottage Tale, Albert introduces Beatrix, an animal lover and Good Samaritan with a knack for solving mysteries. With help from her entourage of talking animal friends, Beatrix sets out to win over the human hearts of Sawrey, where she's just bought an old farm--and plans to stay."

Opinion: I just could not get into it. Too many animals to keep track of even with the italicized font.

The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller

Started: 5/16/2025

Finished: 5/19/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 306

Genre: mystery

Grade: C+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Hazel wants a new life.

"She's thirty years old, single, and her private investigation business is months away from folding.

"Her luck takes a turn when Madeline Hemsley, a mysterious socialite, pays Hazel a visit with an offer too enticing to resist. An orphan girl has disappeared from a children's home―The Orphanage By The Lake, as the locals call it―and Madeline wants Hazel to find her.

"At first glance, it appears to be a standard runaway case, but as Hazel plunges into the investigation, she finds signs of something more: unexplained blood stains, cryptic symbols, sinister figures shadowing her every move. The more she digs, the more she realizes that The Orphanage By The Lake holds terrifying secrets, and even worse…

"…so does Madeline."

Opinion: Interesting twist near the end. Obession is real.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

Started: 5/15/2025

Finished: 5/16/2025

Year: 2012

Pages: 351

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "On the way to hurricane-ravaged Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, Tempe receives a call from the Charleston coroner. The storm has tossed ashore a medical waste container. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic and bound with electrical wire. Tempe recognizes many of the details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she travels to Montreal to gather evidence.

"Meanwhile, health authorities in South Carolina become increasingly alarmed as a human flesh-eating contagion spreads. So focused is Tempe on identifying the container victims that, initially, she doesn’t register how their murders and the pestilence may be related. But she does recognize one unsettling fact. Someone is protecting a dark secret—and willing to do anything to keep it hidden."

Opinion: Interesting how cases from both Charleston and Montreal were connected. Lots of vaccine information-fitting for when this written-during COVID.

Silent Prey by John Sandford

Started: 5/12/2025

Finished: 5/15/2025

Year: 1992

Pages: 388

Genre: thriller/mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: TBR pile, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Dr. Mike Bekker, a psychotic pathologist, is back on the streets, doing what he does best—murdering one helpless victim after another. Lucas Davenport knows he should have killed Bekker when he had the chance. Now he has a second opportunity—and the time to hesitate is through."

Opinion: Interesting twists. Gruesome murders 

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Started: 5/10/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2009

Pages: 322

Genre: psychology/business

Grade: C

Reason for reading: fan of the show Irrational which this is the basis for, library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

"When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

"In this newly revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational."

Opinion: The show made these concepts a lot easier to immediately see and understand. Too bad the show has been cancelled. Even though I didn't finish it, I did find some of the experiments described interesting and I would not have fallen through the predictable irrational thinking which I found interesting.

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Started: 5/8/2025

Finished: 5/10/2025

Year: 2003

Pages: 320

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: continue with series, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "While scouring her boyfriend's new house for antiques, occasional sleuth and bake shop owner Hannah Swenson and her mother stumble upon the dead body of Rhonda Scarf, the house's former owner, as well as one of Hannah's legendary lemon meringue pies, plunging Hannah into her latest mystery."

Opinion: Predictable but still enjoyable. Glad to see that Hannah's mom found the body instead of Hannah for once.

Beauty Killers by Kathy Braidhill

Started: 5/7/2025

Finished: 5/8/2025

Year: 2010

Pages: 229

Genre: true crime

Grade: C

Reason for reading: TBR pile

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Janeen Snyder was only fourteen when she moved in with Michael Thornton, his wife, and teenage daughter. Michael was a successful entrepreneur and family man with eight beauty salons and a six-figure income-but two years later, he gave it all up to run away with Janeen. At last, on the road with his new young lover, Michael could indulge his darkest, wildest obsessions ...

"They worked together as a team, luring girls into their twisted world of violence, and depravity. They drugged them, trained them, bound them, abused them. And for many years, Michael and Janeen were never caught...until police uncovered the body of a Las Vegas teen in a horse trailer. One by one, detectives found other victims-the lucky ones who survived, but had been too terrified to come forward. Soon, the world would learn just how sick and deranged these lovers really were.

"Beauty Killers is a terrifying true story of sex, torture and murder--an illicit affair between two people who discovered a desire to kill..."

Opinion: Most of the book flips between the crimes and when Thornton was in prison awaiting trial. Not a lot of time was spent on the trial-just mostly the horrific crimes.

Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Started: 5/6/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 329

Genre: mystery

Grade: D-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

"Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

"As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!"

Opinion: Took too long to get to the mystery. Way too much dealing with the wedding plans. If you remember the show The Golden Girls, the characterization of each lady is pretty much on the mark.

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt

Started: 5/5/2025

Finished: 5/6/2025

Year: 2009

Pages: 309

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Andy Carpenter gains possession of an adorable Bernese puppy whose owner was brutally murdered. Few can rival Andy's affection for dogs, and he will do whatever it takes to insure that this little pup doesn't fall into the wrong hands. However, his playful new friend is valued by several people, many of whom are willing to resort to violence to get what they want. It will take more than Andy's usual courtroom theatrics to save this dog, including a little help from his beloved golden retriever, Tara. Andy soon discovers that anyone around him is in danger, including his long-time girlfriend Laurie, and he will have to muster all of his wits to save those he holds most dear."

Opinion: Interesting twists involving mafia/mob killings, synthetic DNA and of course puppies.

Unsavory Notions by Amy Lillard

Started: 5/4/2025

Finished: 5/5/2025

Year: 2014

Pages: 219

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Emma Cotton and Kelly Grace have followed many strange trails in their search for the murderer of their good friend, Rose Peterson. But they never expected one of those trails to lead them to Amish country in upstate New York. Now they and Emma’s flamboyant aunt, Dottie Faye Sinclair are knee-deep in buggies and bonnets as they search for an elusive suspect in the unwelcoming folds of the Amish community."

Opinion: A decent continuation of the series...not to solve an Amish mystery

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

Started: 5/2/2025

Finished: 5/4/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 324

Genre: thriller

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

"Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband - doting father, eternal optimist - is the gunman.

"What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says..."

Opinion: Not everything is what it seems. Interesting twist to a what appears to be a typical hostage/escape situation.

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott

Started: 4/30/2025

Finished: 5/2/2025

Year: 2020

Pages: 216

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor is home to many grand estates, including the Queen Anne Victorian Addie inherited from her great aunt. Now one of those mansions is holding an estate sale, which is just what the bookshop owner needs to replenish her supply of rare editions--even if the house is rumored to be haunted. Assisting an overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, which she estimates to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

"But when Addie later finds the appraiser dead in the estate's private library, with the door bolted from the inside, and the priceless edition missing, it's a mystery worthy of the Great Detective himself. She's certain the death and the robbery are connected--but who, other than a ghost who can walk through walls, could have gotten in to do the deed? It's up to Addie to find the key to the crime--before she's the next one cornered by a killer..."

Opinion: Probably my favorite in the series so far. Classic mystery tied in with current cozy style.

It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

Started: 4/29/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2000

Pages: 289

Genre: autobiography

Grade: D

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The inspiring journey of world-class hero Lance Armstrong, from the dark night of advanced cancer through his dramatic victory in the 1999 Tour de France, and beyond. In 1996, twenty-four-year-old Lance Armstrong was ranked the number-one cyclist in the world. But that October, "The Golden Boy of American Cycling" was sidelined by excruciating pain. Tests revealed advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. His chance for recovery was as low as twenty percent. Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available and underwent surgery to remove cancer that the treatments couldn't reach. Five months after his diagnosis, he resumed training under a cloud of uncertainty, and the path back to competition wasn't smooth. It took a ride with friends through the mountains of North Carolina for Armstrong to rediscover his genuine love of the sport, and to rededicate himself to its pursuit. Scarred physically and emotionally, Lance Armstrong considered his cancer "a special wake-up call," one that crystallized for him the blessings of good health, family, friends, and marriage. In October 1999, just months after his astonishing triumph in the Tour, his wife, Kristin, gave birth to their son, Luke David Armstrong. Filled with the nutritional, physical, emotional, and spiritual details of his recovery, It's Not About the Bike traces the wondrous journey of one of America's greatest athletes to a singularly inspiring appreciation of life lived to the fullest."

Opinion: Written well before the performance enhancing drug controversary and his settlement. Arrogance oozed from the pages. I am sorry that he had to go through the cancer treatment.

The Crash by Freida McFadden

Started: 4/27/2025

Finished: 4/29/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 364

Genre: suspense/thriller

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn't realize she's heading straight into a blizzard.

"She never arrives at her destination.

"Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she's made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs: she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

"But something isn't right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn't what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.  

"And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself―and her unborn child."

Opinion: An interesting twist at the end. Similar storyline to other movies/books but without the little twist.

A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 4/23/2025

Finished: 4/25/2025

Year: 2020

Pages: 336

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing of series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her.

"An identified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions.

"To win answers to the others, including the man’s identity, she must go rogue, working mostly outside the system. That’s because Tempe’s new boss holds a fierce grudge against her and is determined to keep her out of the case. Tempe bulls forward anyway, even as she begins questioning her instincts. But the clues she discovers are disturbing and confusing. Was the faceless man a spy? A trafficker? A target for assassination by the government? And why was he carrying the name of a child missing for almost a decade?

"With help from a number of law enforcement associates including her Montreal beau Andrew Ryan and the always-ready-with-a-smart-quip, ex-homicide investigator Skinny Slidell, and utilizing new cutting-edge forensic methods, Tempe draws closer to the astonishing truth.

"But the more she uncovers, the darker and more twisted the picture becomes..."

Opinion: Different take on solving the mystery since Tempe wasn't in her usual position. Decent mystery.

Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton

Started: 4/18/2025

Finished: 4/23/2025

Year: 2017

Pages: 594

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR pile, bookcrossing.com book, finishing the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "In 1979, four teenage boys from an elite private school sexually assault a fourteen-year-old classmate—and film the attack. Not long after, the tape goes missing and the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. In the investigation that follows, one boy turns state’s evidence and two of his peers are convicted. But the ringleader escapes without a trace.

"Now, it’s 1989 and one of the perpetrators, Fritz McCabe, has been released from prison. Moody, unrepentant, and angry, he is a virtual prisoner of his ever-watchful parents—until a copy of the missing tape arrives with a ransom demand. That’s when the McCabes call Kinsey Millhone for help. As she is drawn into their family drama, she keeps a watchful eye on Fritz. But he’s not the only one being haunted by the past. A vicious sociopath with a grudge against Millhone may be leaving traces of himself for her to find..."

Opinion: Sad to see this being the last book in the series. I wonder what she had planned for Z if she hadn't passed away.

The Fifteen by William Geroux

Started: 4/13/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 291

Genre: non-fiction, WWII

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "The American government was faced with an unprecedented challenge: where to house the nearly 400,000 German prisoners of war plucked from the battlefield and shipped across the Atlantic. On orders from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Department of War hastily built hundreds of POW camps in the United States. Today, traces of those camps—which once dotted the landscape from Maine to California—have all but vanished. Forgotten, too, is the grisly series of killings that took place within them: Nazi power games playing out in the heart of the United States.

"Protected by the Geneva Convention, German POWs were well-fed and housed. Many worked on American farms, and a few would even go on to marry farmers’ daughters. Ardent Nazis in the camps, however, took a dim view of fellow Germans who befriended their captors.

"Soon, the killings began. In camp after camp, Nazis attacked fellow Germans they deemed disloyal. Fifteen were sentenced to death by secret U.S. military tribunals for acts of murder. In response, German authorities condemned fifteen American POWs to the same fate, and, in the waning days of the war, Germany proposed an audacious trade: fifteen German lives for fifteen American lives.

"Drawing on extensive research, journalist and author William Geroux shines a spotlight on this story of murder and high-stakes diplomacy, and on the fifteen American lives that hung in the balance—from a fearless P-51 Mustang fighter pilot to a hot-tempered lieutenant colonel nicknamed “King Kong.”"

Opinion: I couldn't keep my head focused on this history. If I wasn't having to work and do other things, I probably would have finished it with no problem. Definitely not something that I knew about from history classes.

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.