Christmas Sweets by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier

Started: 11/9/19
Finished: 1/24/20
Year: 2019 (compilation)
Pages: 310
Genre: mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from back cover): "The Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke: It's the perfect mix of naughty and nice when two lovestruck boarding school teachers watch six kids over Christmas break. but when someone wants the cozy couple's romance to burn out faster than a scorched fruitcake, it's Hannah Swensen to the rescue, armed with her sleuthing skills-and twelve deliciously festive recipes...
"Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine: Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa's elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she's teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he's found murdered on the job-and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer...
"The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier: Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker's Cover, Maine-until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor's jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth's mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. 'Tis the season for a little investigating...."
Opinion: Fluke's story was cute and not very mysterious. The reader is aware of what is going on the whole time. It's more about the Christmas season and the love between the teachers. Levine's story was amusing and mysterious-who really killed the Santa from Hell? Readers aren't aware until it is given away. I couldn't even finish Meier's story. The relationship between Elizabeth and the mystery guest was obnoxious, unrealistic and all I did was shake my head and stop reading.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Started: 7/23/19
Finished: 1/17/20
Year: 2019
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from book jacket): "These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most glamorous and secretive buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plan broke, Jules is captivated by the splendor of her surrounding and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.
"As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of her sister who vanished eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and that the dark history hidden beneath its flaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story...until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.
"Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's sordid past and the mysteries kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden secrets and escape a dream apartment that has quickly turned into a nightmare."
Opinion: An interesting premise-apartment sitter in one of Manhattan's magnificent apartment buildings. The rules are slightly strange but nothing that can't be followed. But then it just takes a very odd turn. A turn that I felt was ridiculous and turned the book into what could have been a B or an A book into a C.

Layover by David Bell

Started: 7/26/19
Finished: 1/14/20
Year: 2019
Pages: 399
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway book
Blurb (from back cover): "Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work, his life a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, he meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it's time for their respective flights, Morgan kisses Joshua passionately, lamenting that they'll never see each other again.
"As soon as Morgan disappears in the crowd, Joshua is shocked to see her face on a nearby TV. The reason: Morgan is a missing person.
"What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets as Joshua tries to discover why Morgan has vanished from her own life. Every time he thinks one mystery is solved, another rears its head-and his worst enemy might be his assumptions about those around him."
Opinion: This plot went to far out there and wasn't enjoyable. Sure....people in airports wonder about what others are doing, where they're going, etc but for it to go this far....ugh

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

Started: 10/20/19
Finished: 1/7/20
Year: 1996
Pages: 325
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: reread, booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie's bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso-a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend-the stakes are higher than ever. that Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli-who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch-only makes the hunt more thrilling...
"Taking points from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Grandma Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark, But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind enemy has made his first move...and his next move might be Stephanie's last."
Opinion: I have always enjoyed these and luckily it has been long enough between reads that I don't quite remember the full story. I'm rereading them to catch up on the series.

Where Serpents Lie by T. Jefferson Parker

Started: 5/13/19
Finished: 12/29/19
Year: 1998
Pages: 557
Genre: suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Terry Naughton has come up against his share of heinous criminals in his years on the force-but nothing has prepared him for the Horridus, the brilliant madman who is terrorizing the children of Orange County.
"As he races to stop the Horridus before his crimes escalate, Naughton learns the that the Horridus many not be the only enemy. When shocking accusations put his career on the line, he is forced to confront his own dark and violent past in his search for the truth. Who is behind the setup? And even if he can clear his name, can he do the same for his conscience?
Opinion: Even though it took me several months to read this, it was an enjoyable suspenseful book with 2 plot lines that are intertwined. I've always enjoyed T. Jefferson Parker's books and this one does not disappoint.

Clobbered to Death by Rosemarie Ross

Started: 11/30/19
Finished: 12/29/19
Year: 2019
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Pages: 312
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway book
Blurb (from back cover): "Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter...despite the fact that she's actually a pediatrician's daughter. Now she's signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle. On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself-and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn't part of the Baking Battle script. But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes...
"During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove. Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her fake farm-girl story. Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leaves it out to cool, But the next morning, it's Mick's body that's cooling-right next to Courtney's pan, now classified as a murder weapon."
Opinion: If you're a fan of the The Great American or British Baking Show then you will probably get a kick of this murderous take on them. Definitely a lot of suspects with different motives to want Mick dead. For the first in a new cozy mysteries series, I'm looking forward to future ones.

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze

Started: 10/5/19
Finished: 12/8/19
Year: 1997
Pages: 304
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Bobby Kent was a bully-a steroid-pumped 20-year-old who dominated his peers in their comfortable, middle-class Ft. Lauderdale beach community through psychological, physical and sexual abuse. But on a summer night in 1993, Bobby was lured to the edge of the Florida everglades with a promise of sex and drugs...and was never seen alive again. The tormentor had become the victim in a bizarre and brutal act of vengeance carried out with ruthless efficiency and cold-blooded premeditation by seven of his high school acquaintances-including his lifelong best friend-and instigated by one overweight, underloved teenager who believed her life would be perfect...if only Bobby Kent were dead."
Opinion: This was one of the strangest murder stories that I've read. Hard to believe that with as many people that were told that a small group of people wanted Bobby Kent dead that this even happened. I'm not at all surprised about how quickly the suspects were arrested.  Bullying is definitely frowned up and in a way he did deserve what happened due to the severity of the bullying but murdering him and thinking that they could get away with it is ridiculous.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

Started: 8/3/19
Finished: 11/28/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 344
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Goodreads book giveaway
Blurb (from back cover): "Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint southern town of Dove Pond, North Carolina, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl name Grace Wheeler.
"If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents-Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book."
Opinion: This was a sweet book about a small Southern town and its newest resident. Friendship and family are the focus and addressed in a charming way. Will be checking out more Dove Pond books.

Our Dogs, Ourselves by Alexandra Horowitz

Started: 9/22/19
Finished: did not finish
Year: 2019
Pages: 266
Genre: animal
Grade: F
Reason for reading: won from GoodReads.com
Blurb (from back cover): "We keep dogs and are kept by them. We love dogs and (we assume) are loved by them. We buy them sweaters, toys, shoes; we are concerned with their social lives, their food, and their health. The story of humans and dogs is thousands of years old but is far from understood. In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz explores all aspects of this unique and complete interspecies pairing.
"As Horowitz considers the current culture of dogdom, she reveals the odd, surprising, and contradictory ways we live with dogs. We celebrate their individuality but breed them for sameness Despite our deep emotional relationships with dogs, legally they are property to be bought, sold, abandoned, or euthanized as we wish. Even the way we speak to our dogs is at once perplexing and delightful.
"In thirteen thoughtful and charming chapters, Our Dogs, Ourselves affirms our profound affection for this most charismatic of animals-and opens our eyes to the companions at our sides as never before."
Opinion: This just wasn't what I was wanting/expecting this to be. Definitely no fault of the author and I'm sure that several fellow dog lovers/owners would get something out of this book.

My Life on the Line by Ryan O'Callaghan and Cyd Zeigler

Started: 8/7/19
Finished: 10/19/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 233
Genre: Sports/Memoir/LGBTQ
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): Ryan O'Callaghan's plan was always to play football and then, when his career was over, kill himself. Growing in a red-state corner of California, the not-so-subtle messages he heard as a young man from his family and from TV and film routinely equated being gay with disease and death. Letting people in on the darkest secret he kept buried inside was not an option: better death with a secret than life as a gay man. As a young man, Ryan never envisioned just how far his football career would take him. He was recruited by the University of California, Berkeley, where he spent five seasons, playing alongside his friend Aaron Rodgers. Then it was on to the NFL for stings with the almost-undefeated New England Patriots and the often-defeated Kansas City Chiefs.
"Bubbling under the surface of Ryan's entire NFL career was a collision course between his secret sexuality and his hidden drug use. When the NFL caught him smoking pot, he turned to NFL-sanctioned prescription pain kills that quickly sent his life into a tailspin. As injuries mounted and his daily intake of opioids reached a near-lethal level, he wrote his suicide note to his parents and plotted his death. Yet someone had been watching. A member of the Chiefs organization stepped in, recognizing the signs of drug addiction. Ryan reluctantly sought psychological help. and it was there that he revealed his lifelong secret for the very first time: he's gay. Now in his late twenties, Ryan faced a fork in the road of his life: end it, or find out if his family and football friends could ever accept a gay man in their lives."
Opinion: As I was reading this, I just felt bad for Ryan who believed that people were not going to support him just because of his sexuality. I'm just glad that he got to realize that people will support him no matter what. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the upcoming months.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Started: 7/22/19
Finished: 10/8/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 310
Genre: Literature/Romance
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Book of the Month read
Blurb (from book jacket): "Cassie Hanwell was born to handle emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's a total pro at managing other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.
"The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a 'lady' on the crew-even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it's not her thing. Ad don't forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...ant it means risking it all-the only job she's ever loved, and the hero she's worked like hell to become."
Opinion: What starts off as a woman fighting to make it in a man led job becomes so much more. It becomes more about forgiveness mixed with love.  Despite the time that I started this, this was an easy and enjoyable book and could be a quick read.

You Throw Like a Girl by Don McPherson

Started: 8/10/19
Finished: 10/1/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 231
Genre: Sports/Gender Studies
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "In You Throw Like a Girl, former Syracuse University quarterback and NFL veteran Don McPherson examines how the narrow definition of masculinity adversely impacts women and creates many 'blind spots' that hinder the healthy development of men. Dissecting the strict set of beliefs and behaviors that underpin our understanding of masculinity, he contends that we don't raise boys to be men, we raise them not to be women.
"Using examples from his own life, including his storied football career, McPherson passionately argues that viewing violence against women as a 'women's issue' not just ignores men's culpability but conflates the toxicity of men's violence with being male. In You Throw Like a Girl, McPherson leads us beyond the bling spots and toward solutions, analyzing how we can engage men in a sustained dialogue, with a new set of terms that are aspirational and more accuretely representative of the emotional wholeness of men."
Opinion: I remember McPherson when he was QB for SU. With him playing football, an aggressive "manly" game, he has a unique look at masculinity. Overall, this book handles a subject that is important to today's society and could be useful in the right hands. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the future.

In At the Deep End by Kate Davies

Started: 5/19/19
Finished: 9/23/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 320
Genre: Literature
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from Amazon): "Julia has had enough. Enough of the sex noises her roommate makes. Enough of her dead-end government job. Enough of the one-night stand who accused her of breaking his penis. The only thing she hasn’t had enough of is orgasms; she hasn’t had proper sex in three years."
Opinion: So....the main character examines who she is-lesbian, heterosexual, etc. Lots of over the top sex scenes-some realistic, many not. Bottomline is that the character goes through hell to find out who she truly is like many people in real life. The underlining message I like. The bullshit sex and abuse I could have done without.

The Disappearance by Bentley Little

Started: 6/6/19
Finished: 9/12/19
Year: 2010
Pages: 391
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "The festival was intended as a getaway from UCLA for Gary, his girlfriend, Joan, and their friends. But soon after they arrive, Joan vanishes. Calls to her parents' home yield only dead air. Her school records are gone. And there's no evidence that Joan, or even her roommate, ever existed. Most disturbing of all is what they do find.
"Among Joan's belongings is a prayer written on a small school. It's a safeguard-and a warning-from something called the Outsiders. For Gary and his friends, it's the only blue. Now, if they want to find out exactly what happened to Joan, they must follow it.
"But they may not like where it leads..."
Opinion: I haven't read a Little book in a few years and I have always enjoyed them...this one being no different. The suspense is well developed. The ending is kharmatic. It isn't the best Little book but still well worth the read.

Someone to Love Us by Terence O'Neill

Started: 7/5/19
Finished: 9/7/19
Year: 2010
Pages: 311
Genre: Biography
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booklender.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Terry was only five years old when he was taken info foster care along with his brothers, and just nine when he and his brother Dennis arrived at their new foster parents, the Goughs. They worked as hard as they could and they tried to be good, but the beatings got worse and they were so hungry-until the terrible morning when Terry couldn't wake Dennis."
Opinion: A touching and horrific story of what one kid went through that help spark a foster care reform. Amazing how adults could treat kids as punching bags to the point of murder....all for a paycheck.

Cornelius Sky by Timothy Brandoff

Started: 7/6/19
Finished: 8/12/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 214
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Cornelius Sky is a doorman in a posh Fifth Avenue apartment building that houses New York City's elite, including a former First Lady whose husband was assassinated while in office. It is 1974 and New York City is heading toward a financial crisis. At work, Connie prides himself on his ability to buff a marble floor better than anyone, a talent that so far has kept him from being fired for his drinking. He pushes the boundaries of his duties, partying and playing boards games with the former First lady's lonely thirteen-year-old son in the service stairwell-the only place where the boy is not spied upon mercilessly by the tabloid press and his Secret Service detail.
Connie believes he is the only nine who can offer true solace and companionship to this fatherless boy, but his constant neglect of his own sons and their mother reaches a boiling point. His wife changes the locks on his down door, and he finds himself wandering the mean streets of the city in his uniform, where unlikely angels offer him a path towards redemption."
Opinion: An average read about a drunk who suffers in all aspects of his life.

Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima

Started: 8/12/19
Finished: 8/12/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 282
Genre: mystery
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "An explosion outside a community dance sends Mattie Cobb and Cole Walker reeling into the night, where they discover a burning van and beside it the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. but the explosion didn't kill Nate-it was two gunshots to the heart.
"The investigation leads them to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate's widow and the object of one of their suspect's affection. But before they can make an arrest, they receive an emergency call from a man who's been shot in the mountains. Mattie and Robo rush to the scene, only to be confronted by the ominous growl of a wild predator.
"As new players emerge on the scene, Mattie begins to understand the true danger that's enveloping Timber Creek. They journey into the cold, misty mountains to track the animal-but discover something even more deadly."
Opinion: I really enjoy this K-9 series and this one is right on line with the rest of the series. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the near future.

"Whiskers in the Dark" by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

Started: 6/23/19
Finished: 7/31/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 261
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from book jacket)" A massive nor'easter has hit northern Virginia, where Mary Minor 'Harry' Harristeen joins groundskeeping efforts at the national Beagle Club at Aldie as the date for its springtime Hounds for Heroes veterans' benefit approaches. Harry's fellow volunteers, including her oldest friend, Susan Tucker, comprise a spirited group of hunting enthusiasts, one former service members themselves. But things take a sinister turn when, after a routine tree cleanup along the Club's hunting rails, retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect is found dead, throat slit from ear to ear. Soon enough, another murder in their midst jolts the preparations, convincing Harry that the killer is familiar with the Club-and must be close by, masked in plain sight.
"The intrigue extends to the grounds of Harry's beloved local church, where the identity  of an eighteenth-century skeleton wearing precious pearls remains a mystery. The anonymous woman's neck had been snapped, and marks on the grave where her body was secreted indicate that someone recently tried to remove it, leading Harry to question how well she really knows those around her.
"As always, Harry's crime-solving cats, Mrs, Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the Corgi share her determination to sniff out the foes among friends, even those long buried, Harry will need her four-legged companions' help more than ever: a ghostly beagle only they can see may hold the key to the culprit."
Opinion: The main mystery wasn't well developed and had a nobody as the culprit. The older story that was intertwined was not needed and added nothing to the story. Not one of the better stories in this series.

Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin

Started: 5/23/19
Finished: 7/30/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 339
Genre: B
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from back cover): "When website columnist Robin Diamond is contacted by true-crime podcast produce Quentin Garrison, she assumes it's a business matter. It's not. Quentin's podcast, Closure, focuses on a series of murders in the 1970s committed by teen couple April Copper and Gabriel LeRoy. It seems that Quentin has reason to believe Robins' own mother may be intimately connected with the killings.
"Robin thinks Quentin's claim is absolutely absurd. But is it? The more she researches the Cooper/LeRoy murders herself, the more disturbed she becomes by what she finds. Living just a few blocks from her, Robin's beloved parents are the one absolute she's always been able to trust in, especially now amid rising doubts about her husband ad frequent threats from Internet trolls. She knows her mother better than anyone-or so she believes. But all that changes after a brutal home invasion destroys everything Robin once relied on.
Opinion: A strong idea but there are some minor plotlines that are unnecessary and took away from the main story. Interesting twist at the end and some things were never well explained.

A Perfect Husband by Aphrodite Jones

Started: 5/11/19
Finished: 7/20/19
Year: 2004
Pages: 347
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "On December 9, 2001, in a wealthy suburb of Durham, North Carolina, police were called to investigate the death of Kathleen Peterson, 48, who lay in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase. Husband Michael Peterson, 58, said that she'd accidentally fallen down the stairs. but forensic experts concluded that she'd been beaten to death.
"Kathleen Peterson had been a high-earning corporate executive and dedicated wife and mother. Michael was an equally outstanding achiever; decorated Vietnam veteran, bestselling novelist, newspaper columnist, and onetime mayoral candidate. Theirs had looked like the ideal marriage. So why was Michael Peterson now the prime suspect in the death of his wife?
"Prosecutors pointed to a $1.4 million life insurance policy and material recovered from Michael's computer, which revealed evidence of a secret sex life. Strangely, another death lay buried in his past, that of Elizabeth Ratliff, which in 1985 had also been found dead at the bottom of staircase. however, it was the trial for Kathleen's murder that would split a family and hold a nation riveted."
Opinion: I remember hearing about this case and how pompous he appeared to be. It was interesting to see read more of the backstory of what happened and the trial.