Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 9/26/2024

Finished: 9/29/2024

Year: 2010

Pages: 302

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

"Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery’s grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the U.S. military’s Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how “ex” is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery’s dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

"And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu’s flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?"

Opinion: Interesting twists with dead bodies

The Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score

Started: 9/20/2024

Finished: 9/25/2024

Year: 2021

Pages: 367

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "First, her disapproving grandmother arrives determined to make Riley take her powers seriously or face the wrath of "the Guild." Then there's the homicide detective who needs her help figuring out who murdered the well-dressed corpse in the walk-in closet.

"Nick's got his own hands full with a tricky missing person case and his parents who want to know why he didn't tell them about his live-in girlfriend. Then there's the fact that he's still the tiniest bit stressed about Riley almost getting murdered earlier that summer. The last thing he wants is her getting involved in another investigation.

"Things go from bad to worse when the body count starts stacking up, the meet-the-parents dinner goes horribly wrong, and their elderly roommate is up to no good…dressed like a mime.

"To top it off, Riley is forced to return to Channel 50 on official police business to question her spray-tanned news anchor ex-husband and his new weather girl fiancée.

"The trouble comes to a head when Riley receives a warning from the killer: Back off or she's next. Someone has to solve these murders before she becomes the next corpse."

Opinion: Interesting motive for murder. The grandmother just needs to go away.

Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson

Started: 9/18/2024

Finished: 9/20/2024

Year: 2017

Pages: 336

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with Scumble River series, library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "For school psychologist Skye Denison, there's certainly no place like home. When a violent tornado shakes up the small river town, she can't see how the community will ever recover―especially since town councilman Zeke Lyons appears to have perished in the twister.

"But things get even worse for Skye when her police chief husband, Wally, disappears in the midst of investigating Zeke's death. Did Zeke really die in the storm, or was he the victim of an un-welcome murder? And could Wally be next on the criminal's hit list? As evidence arises pointing to foul play, Skye will have to jump into this seemingly dead-end investigation to save her husband and her town."

Opinion: This mystery had more meat to it than the previous Scumble River books. Happy that Skye and Wally have continued.

Broderie Curse by Jan Fields

Started: 9/16/2024

Finished: 9/17/2024

Year: 2014

Pages: 203

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Annie's Fiction): "The quest to unlock the mystery of who killed their best friend Rose Peterson takes Emma Cotton and Kelly Grace to England and a spooky manor owned by the Dudley family. Colin Dudley, a former student in Rose's textile class and one of the last to see her alive, has converted the castlelike manor into a bed-and-breakfast. 

"Rumor has it that the manor is haunted, something at which Emma and Kelly scoff. But when they start hearing and seeing things that go bump in the night, their doubt in the paranormal is shaken. And the story of a curse placed upon the forebears of the family estate seems to be playing out, pulling the women into its folds.

"Emma and Kelly begin their unofficial investigation of Colin and find themselves in the crosshairs of someone -- or something -- desperately wanting them to cut short their trip to merry old England. But their loyalty to the memory of Rose pushes them forward as the warnings become less ephemeral and more dangerous. 

"Will the crazy quilt of a trail lead them closer to the person responsible for Rose's death, or will Emma or Kelly themselves fall victim to this curse, whether real or fabricated?"

Opinion: Predictable mystery but enjoyable "haunted" manor.

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

Started: 9/12/2024

Finished: 9/16/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 369

Genre: Literature

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother.

"Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a shelter magazine. Strangely, Genevieve is convinced that the house is haunted—perhaps the product of something troubling Genevieve herself has done. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers—of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artifacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism—is even older than Maine itself."

Opinion: Too much on the alcoholism. This book could have touched on Jane and her family's history with alcohol and all of the problems that came with it instead of having chapters about it.

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Started: 9/11/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2009

Pages: 483

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Looking solemn, Michael Sutton arrives in Kinsey Millhone's office with a story to tell. When he was six, he says, he wandered into the woods and saw two men digging a hole. They claimed they were pirates, looking for buried treasure. Now, all these years later, the long-forgotten events have come back to him—and he has pieced them together with news reports from the time, becoming convinced that he witnesses the burial of a kidnapped child.

"Kinsey has nearly nothing to go on. Sutton doesn't even know where he was that day—and, she soon discovers, he has a history of what might generously be called an active imagination. Despite her doubts, Kinsey sets out to track down the so-called burial site. And what's found there pulls her into a hidden current of deceit stretching back more than twenty years..."

Opinion: Blah. Definitely not one of her better ones in the series. Not a fan of how the back and forth in the timeline went.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan

Started: 9/10/2024

Finished: 9/11/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 245

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Normally, spooky season is Bailey Briggs’ favorite time of year, and her Halloween-themed small town’s time to shine. But between managing Lazy Bones Books, working on her graphic novel-in-progress, and running the Spooky Season Literary Festival, Bailey hardly has a moment to enjoy Elyan Hollow’s spot-on seasonal vibes. Not to mention, at every turn she seems to be tripping over the contentious crew of Gone Ghouls, a ghost-hunting reality TV show currently filming around town. Bailey tries to stay focused on the Lit Festival, which is supposed to kick off Elyan Hollow’s annual Halloween Fair; instead, this year’s festival begins with a murder . . .

"It’s bad enough Bailey discovered the victim, but now, as a lead suspect with some (admittedly) damning evidence pointing her way, she’s got to clear her name! With the help of her librarian friend, Colby, and Jack Skeleton, her world-class bookshop dog (and the absolute bestest boy ever), Bailey sets out to solve a murder . . .

"As her investigation weaves through family secrets, professional rivalries, and town feuds, the list of suspects is growing fast . . . and unfortunately, so is the list of victims. If Bailey doesn’t find the killer soon, Elyan Hollow’s haunted reputation will get a little too real . . ."

Opinion: An intertwined mystery...unexpected suspect.

Murder of a Cranky Catnapper by Denise Swanson

Started: 9/9/2024

Finished: 9/10/2024

Year: 2016

Pages: 254

Genre: cozy mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "With her morning sickness finally abated, Skye Denison-Boyd is ready to pounce on the pertinent problems she faces as Scumble River Elementary School’s psychologist. After trying almost every trick in the book to aid a handful of socially awkward fourth grade boys, Skye opts for the innovative approach of pet therapy with the assistance of the local vet, a Siberian husky, and a Maine coon cat.

"Unfortunately, the first session only breeds disaster and draws the ire of cantankerous school board member Palmer Lynch. But Skye’s worry over the episode changes to dread after Lynch is found dead in his home with the therapy cat hidden in his garage. With a clowder of questions unleashed, Skye finds herself dealing with a killer who isn’t pussyfooting around..."

Opinion: Another quick read. Picks up right where the last one ended. Another decent mystery.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Started: 9/6/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 1962

Pages: 325

Genre: literature

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "In this classic novel, Ken Kesey’s hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Nurse Ratched. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Nurse Ratched, backed by the full power of authority, and McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Nurse Ratched uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the story’s shocking climax."

Opinion: Just couldn't get into the writing style

First Lie Wins by Ashely Elston

Started: 9/5/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2024

Pages: 338

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

"Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn't like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

"Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there's still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . ."

Opinion: I initially cared about Evie and her mysterious background but as it was being shown...I just didn't care.

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 9/3/2024

Finished: 9/5/2024

Year: 2009

Pages: 303

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: continuing with series, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can read in them stories of brief or long lives and use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. 206 Bones opens with Tempe regaining consciousness and discovering that she is in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space. She is bound, hands to feet. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

"Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy -- and the case. Someone made an incriminating phone call. Within hours, the one man with information about the call was dead. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third.

"Seamlessly weaving between Tempe's present-tense terror as she's held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs conveys the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab. The chemistry between Tempe and Ryan intensifies as this complex, riveting tale unfolds. Reichs is writing at the top of her game."

Opinion: Predictable with a little twist. 

A Midsummer Night's Seam by Rachael Phillips

Started: 9/3/2024

Finished: 9/3/2024

Year: 2018

Pages: 218

Genre: mystery

Grade: C

Reason for reading: TBR pile, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from book jacket): "When Emma Cotton and Kelly Grace travel to the Big Apple, little do they know the cast of characters-or the danger-they will encounter. They are pursing their next suspect, Kevin Crawford, a well known off-Broadway actor, who may have been involved in the death of their friend Rose fifteen years ago."

Opinion: Sequence was confusing at times but mystery was entertaining.

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim

Started: 8/30/2024

Finished: 9/2/2024

Year: 2010

Pages: 297

Genre: memoir

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, fan of Little House on the Prairie

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is Alison Arngrim’s comic memoir of growing up as one of television’s most memorable characters—the devious Nellie Oleson on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie. With behind-the-scenes stories from the set, as well as tales from her bohemian upbringing in West Hollywood and her headline-making advocacy work on behalf of HIV awareness and abused children, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is a must for fans of everything Little House: the classic television series and its many stars like Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert"

Opinion: Definitely did not know all that happened behind the scenes. Very insightful.

Murder of an Open Book by Denise Swanson

Started: 8/28/2024

Finished: 8/29/2024

Year: 2015

Pages: 247

Genre: cozy mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with the series, library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "A nasty faculty feud leaves one Scumble River teacher belly-up. . . .

"Her honeymoon may have been less than relaxing, but Skye Boyd née Denison is still high on marital bliss with her new husband, Wally. The fact that their family is about to get bigger is even more exciting, even if Skye is dealing with morning sickness—and trying to hide the news from her ever-meddling mother, May.

"But Skye quickly comes crashing down from cloud nine when the body of one of her coworkers, science teacher and volleyball coach Blair Hucksford, is found in the school swimming pool. The troublesome trainer was on the bad side of almost everyone on staff and many of the girls on her team, leaving Skye to sort through a huge roster of suspects. Now she must figure out which wronged party was mad enough to kill, and quickly—before someone else in town gets bumped off. . . ."

Opinion: Decent continuation of Skye's life....decent murder mystery

The Intertidal Wilderness by Anne Wertheim

Started: 8/28/2024

Finished: 8/28/2024

Year: 1984

Pages: 142

Genre: marine biology

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR pile

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The Intertidal Wilderness is a stunning photographic exploration of the tidepools of the Pacific coast, from Baja California to as far north as southeast Alaska. These lush photographs capture in striking color the enormous variety of life and biological detail in the intertidal zone along one of the world's most spectacular coastlines. The interpretative text and captions describe telltale signs of ecological relationships and processes, helping the seashore explorer to appreciate ecological interactions and their consequences. The text delves into the roles of competition, predation, reproduction, natural variation in space and time, and color that characterize this vibrant ecosystem.

"This revised edition has been updated throughout, incorporating new scientific information, new photographs, and a new chapter discussing the recent human impact on this threatened environment. Fusing art and science, The Intertidal Wilderness conveys the fragility, complexity, and interdependence of the plants and animals living at the interface of land and sea.

"The Intertidal Wilderness vividly animates the surprisingly delicate beauty of the often violent intertidal zone, which daily withstands pounding waves at high tides as well as desiccation and exposure at low tides. With revealing photographs, engaging text, and a solid foundation in marine biology, this book will capture the imagination of the casual seashore visitor as well as the dedicated enthusiast."

Opinion: A decent introductory level book

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Started: 8/26/2024

Finished: 8/28/2024

Year: 2017

Pages: 291

Genre: True Crime

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

"Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.

"As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history."

Opinion: Greedy part of American history that is not always told in schools.

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

Started: 8/21/2024

Finished: 8/26/2024

Year: 2007

Pages: 482

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com, continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Kinsey Millhone's elderly neighbor, Gus Vronsky, may have been the original inspiration for the term “Grumpy Gus.” A miser and a hoarder, Gus is so crotchety that after he takes a bad fall, his only living relative is anxious to find someone to take care of him and get back home as soon as she can.

"To help, Kinsey runs a check on the applicant, Solana Rojas. Social security, driver's license, nursing certification: It all checks out. And it sounds like she did a good job for her former employers. So Kinsey gives her the thumbs-up, figuring Gus will be the ideal assignment for this diligent, experienced caregiver.

"And the real Solana Rojas was indeed an excellent caregiver. But the woman who has stolen her identity is not, and for her, Gus will be the ideal victim..."

Opinion: Lots of good suspense

The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart

Started: 8/20/2024

Finished: 8/21/2024

Year: 2022

Pages: 240

Genre: thriller

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Something dark is lurking in the Louisiana bayou: a methodical killer with a penchant for medical experimentation is hard at work completing his most harrowing crime yet, taunting the authorities who desperately try to catch up.

"But forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller is the best there is. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of historical crimes, and years of experience working in the Medical Examiner's office, she's never encountered a case she couldn't solve. Until now. Case after case is piling up on Wren's examination table, and soon she is sucked into an all-consuming cat-and-mouse chase with a brutal murderer getting more brazen by the day."

Opinion: Interesting take on a serial killer case.

Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 8/19/2024

Finished: 8/20/2024

Year: 2008

Pages: 304

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In a house under renovation, a plumber uncovers a cellar no one knew about, and makes a rather grisly discovery -- a decapitated chicken, animal bones, and cauldrons containing beads, feathers, and other relics of religious ceremonies. In the center of the shrine, there is the skull of a teenage girl. Meanwhile, on a nearby lakeshore, the headless body of a teenage boy is found by a man walking his dog.

"Nothing is clear -- neither when the deaths occurred, nor where. Was the skull brought to the cellar or was the girl murdered there? Why is the boy's body remarkably well preserved? Led by a preacher turned politician, citizen vigilantes blame devil worshippers and Wiccans. They begin a witch hunt, intent on seeking revenge.

"Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan -- "five-five, feisty, and forty-plus" -- is called in to investigate, and a complex and gripping tale unfolds in this, Kathy Reichs's eleventh taut, always surprising, scientifically fascinating mystery."

Opinion: Decent mystery. Good introduction to different beliefs

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

Started: 8/17/2024

Finished: 8/19/2024

Year: 1998

Pages: 226

Genre: history

Grade: C

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Masterfully researched and eloquently written, The Professor and the Madman is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary—one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the OED’s overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, was stunned to discover that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand entries. But their surprise would pale in comparison to what they were about to discover when the committee insisted on honoring him. Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane."

Opinion: Interesting history of the Oxford English Dictionary