The Poe Predicament by Phil Thomas

I felt like I was visiting the early 19th century. The setting was very realistic, the research was exceptional. The attention to details of the environment were most interesting to me. The time-travel felt flawless, very believable.

I enjoyed the aspect of an alternate history of Edgar Allen Poe, funny hearing him called Eddie.

But it does have a horror feel to it, the settings and experiences, some of the people were pretty creepy. Getting close to Halloween, it's a scary story to be sure.

I did like his visit from another time-traveler at the end of the story. He met her in another time and then she visited him in this time. Nice finish.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

 

This was a beautiful story. It broke my heart and then healed it again. The sixties brought blacks and whites to the streets, and it was ugly. The historic ugliness in the book is intercepted with a tender love story that ends with a broken heart.  Women grown and still holding onto a piece of the past. But the book ends with hope.

At times I wished the telling of the story would stay in the current era, 2010. The trails down 1965 were brutal at times and I didn’t want to go back there. However, it was necessary. We shouldn’t forget the reality of our history. The story was told well without any extraneous nonsense. This was a serious work about a serious subject.

There were parts that were hard to read, parts I had to skip over. I knew what happened, I was alive in those years I know what the kkk is about. The hard part for many of us is knowing that behind those masks were our relatives, ancestors and neighbors.

Kayla brings healing to the small community many years later. She doesn’t know that’s what she’s doing, by choosing to live in the house she and her husband built. But it was necessary, and her strength was necessary.

It’s a story I won’t soon forget. I’m glad I read it.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Little Souls by Sandra Dallas

This was an interesting read. By the end, I was caught up in the drama of two sisters’ lives unfolding. I couldn’t wait to find out how it would all be resolved. I was hoping for a happy ending, and I did find it but not without a few tears along the way. 

Our protagonist reflects and accepts the values of society’s view at the time, 1918. A pandemic is raging and after two sisters contact the disease, it’s as real as our current crisis. I felt the loss personally, as one loses her battle to the virus. 

A fortunate connection between the protagonist and her fiancé’s family allows our heroine to proceed more smoothly through her difficulties than without their assistance. However, she’s not relying on it. She has gratitude and understands the family’s grief at the loss of a son as well. 

A compassionate and caring woman with presence of mind to continue through misfortune brings me to admire her inner strength. 

I hesitated to proceed with this book early on. I found that there was more telling than showing in the early chapters. I found a disconnect with time which confused me. It was all resolved by a third of the way through the book and by the end I was right on the page with the heroine. 

I recommend this book but do have to caution about topics of rape, child abuse and murder. It’s not a cozy because of these topics but does not delve too deeply into the acts to trigger more than necessary. It’s essential to understand the desperation and fear that she feels. 

I received the ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley 

A Second Look at A Taste for Poison by Neil Bradbury

 The author should have provided the first clue. It is written by Ph.D. 

I didn't initially enjoy this book as much as I expected to since I obviously did not read the description very carefully. I was expecting a mystery with poison as the killer's choice. This is not a fictional novel. 

After reading more of the reviews from others and moving along with learning more about novel-writing, I realized what a wonderful "RESEARCH' opportunity this book provides. If you're a mystery writer and you need to choose your poison, this is your book. 

Poison Choices were provided with brief descriptions of fictional stories which utilized this choice along with the chemical properties and details of death. At this point in my writing career, this is the perfect choice. 

I'm changing the starts to 5.

The Bookshop Murder, Flora Steele Mystery Book #1, by Merryn Allingham

 

I loved the ending. A surprise that filled me with joy for Flora. I knew the book was coming to a close as the murderer was found and loose ends were being tied up, but out of the blue, there it was. Flora’s a sweet young woman and deserves the best that life has to offer. She’s receiving it with this unexpected invitation, and I’ll be glad to hear how that unfolds for her.

The mystery was interesting, loads of suspects with good motives for a murder or two, three? Can’t say for sure, the third victim might be out there somewhere, fearful to return to the havoc he created.

I think I might have liked to hear more about life at the bookstore. But frankly with sales down due to the body being found, I understand why she needed to solve the murder to save Violet’s bookstore. No need to stay at an empty store, waiting for the police who weren’t going to do it.

Her background with her Aunt Violet was endearing and I enjoyed hearing about the memories of her younger life. Great friends in the village. And of course, Jack – they rescued each other.

A Perfect Bind by Dorothy St. James

Did you ever finish a book in two days, that you couldn't put down, because you had to find out who did it? That was me while enjoying this read from Dorothy St. James.

Tonight, I miss my friends from the book. It crossed my mind that I could re-read it, right from the start. Slower this time, reading every single word. I might have found my newest favorite author. I love her leading character, Trudell Becket, not Trudy, as she'll remind you. She's Assistant Librarian in the South Carolina town where she grew up. There are two good-looking men interested in dating her and she doesn't sleep with either one. I love it. How refreshing.

My previous favorite author, Sue Grafton, has gone to the great publishing house in the sky. Their protagonists are similar in character. Both Trudell and Kindsey are independent women, working in their chosen fields. They dress for comfort, not following current trends. Men find them attractive, but it doesn't rattle them, they've got other things to think about. Told in the first person, I enjoyed the ride along.

Trudell has a lot going on. There's more than one mystery, more than one secret and more than a few interesting characters. I want to visit them in their little town and have lunch at the Sunshine Diner. I'd visit the library. The fact that there's something going on in the basement makes the visit even more compelling.

Libraries have made some drastic changes in the last few years concerning the question of printed materials. Libraries are busy drawing in younger patrons with gaming and Internet usage. Older patrons are finding crafty events. People come to the library for help in finding their way around the Internet.

The town of Cypress has decided to eliminate all books in favor of an ultra-modern library. This raises the question of the value of printed materials. Has electronic media replaced the need for books? Are books of value any longer? This story hits the topic straight on.

This new concept library doesn't sit well with those who love hard covers and paperbacks so Trudell devices a plan to keep those folks happy. Does this tie in with the dead body found behind the library? Is apple pie an issue? Can her cat, Dewey Decimal, provide assistance? A few likely suspects are evident since there's more going on in the town of Cypress than meets the eye.

If you can't tell by now, I recommend this book. If any of this resonates with you, enjoy yourself.

I received this book without charge in exchange for an honest review.

Home is where the heart is by Jenny Frame

This book made me want to stop reading romance novels. I've read other comments that it was too cheesy, too disneylandish and I agree. I need a story to have more content that just this. It was too high-school-ish romance. I couldn't finish it. It bored me to the point that I kept skimming forward, hoping to find something besides the conversations and arguments between the two main characters. The book was not realistic in their creation of a utopian village. It was painful.

Yearning by Gun Brooke

I love libraries and genealogy and that was the key that opened the door to my reading this book. I wasn't disappointed. I missed the sci-fi aspect of the story until I got into it and couldn't believe the story that was unravelling. It appeared at first to be a cozy mystery in a small town. Many people yearn to return to their hometowns after a certain age and it wasn't all that surprising to me. Then it appeared there was some kind of magnetic pull for people who were born of the original settlers, I was seriously thinking of grid lines or something buried underneath the town. Yes, something was buried there and the two main characters and their group of explorers find an unearthly secret. 

I kept reading, I enjoyed the beginnings of romance between a LA Detective and a small town librarian. I've never met a librarian as sexy as Samantha and I don't think the visiting detective Darian had either. Their explorations take the reader on a thrilling ride to unearth the secrets and find their true heritage. 

A cast of interesting characters, delightful descriptions of historical homes and an otherworldly find round out this well thought out book. I had a lot going on in my life after I ordered this book, lots of interruptions but I felt the yearning to return to the book as much as the former residents felt the yearning to return to Dennamore. 

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Once Upon a Witch by Valia Lind

This was a fun read, nothing too serious, just a little murder mixed with magic. There's romance in the air but our protagonists is spurning all efforts to heal their childhood rivalry. He's tall dark and handsome now but she can't forgive him for how he treated her in elementary school. 

She has lots of friends in town, more recognizing her than she them. She does find out why. She finds out a lot of things and they put her in danger. Luckily her spurned hunk isn't far behind and yes, he will rescue her. 

She's glad when she can stop seeing the ghost of the dead woman, she drives her as crazy as she did when she was alive. Just a fun little romp, no gory details or explicit sex, great read for a day at the beach.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

I loved this book. Independent women always keep me hooked. What will they do next? She's feisty and fiery and all those good things. A bit unusual in the mid-late 19th century but probably the role I would play in those times. 

I love the setting, London countryside. The unbridled younger sister of Sherlock Holmes is spirited, inquisitive, principled and creative. 

The unfortunate side of this story is the truth of the conditions women lived under. If a woman was no longer desired by her husband, too outspoken or heaven forbid, thinking for herself, being locked up in a sanitarium is the best answer. This situation is intolerable for Enola.

Right underneath Sherlock's nose (he shouldn't have been napping) she swoops in and sets to discovering the truth and rescuing the discarded married lady. Lucky for her, a twin sister knows her sibling isn't dead, wasn't cremated and is being held against her will somewhere. Enola will find her!

If you like strong female leads, good mysteries and the English Countryside in the 1800's, read this. I couldn't put it down. This is the first I've read in the series. I'm happy to see more available. My wish list is filling up.

I received this promotional Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Nantucket Beachfront Inn by Aisling Delaney

If you like Danielle Steel, you'll probably like this book. It reads like 'lifestyles of the rich and famous'. Lots of description of beautiful homes and scenery. The recipes will have you drooling for lobster with cream sauces and extravagant desserts.

I like more well-rounded characters. There were a number of significant characters, all with their own problems. It appeared that all would be wrapped up by the end of the book. They were. But at the last minute a cliff-hanger was dropped, apparently so you will read the next book.

I didn't understand the conflict between Ava's daughters and herself. The reasons seemed too simple. Everyone kept too many secrets and it was difficult to understand their reasons. I thought the daughters were unnecessarily rude and then wanted their Mother to give them more than she already had. I couldn't understand why she felt so guilty that she let them walk all over her.

Her daughter's husband decides to leave his wife. He doesn't care a hoot about their baby and then he does. It was all too simple. I thought it lacked depth.

Again, if you like Danielle Steel, this book is for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan

 Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting read. This was really two books in one. From the first half its 1986 and boys from not the best homes collude to wreak havoc on a punk rock music festival weekend. We get the back story on a number of characters who will make brief appearances in the second half of the book. This first half of the book seriously dragged for me. I've been to music festivals and remember getting drunk and rowdy but these guys took it to an extreme. I believe it was necessary to understand two characters, Jimmy, the narrator, and Tully, his best friend. This could have been reduced to a quarter of the pages utilised.

The second half of the book redeemed itself. I enjoyed reading about these two characters as adults more then as teenagers, just graduating high school. By 2017 Tully never really grew up, he got a job and a girlfriend but he remained self-centered without true caring for others. He clearly had a unique relationship with Jimmy, who became a writer. The relationship between the boys was more important to Tully than his girlfriend, who would be his wife for the duration of his illness.

Jimmy promised to assist Tully in his desire to skip the end of life stuff. The plan is to go to Switzerland for one last hurrah and take the dose that will put him out of his misery. Step one is to get married. Drinking and eating and doing all things that will bring on his end of life, Tully has one wish, to go out in style. Selfish? more than a bit.

He doesn't discuss his plans with his wife that he just married. Jimmy is still the ear for his confidences as they plan the final ending. These fellows wives are just background extras, the only females in the story with names, other than Jimmy's favorite teacher and Tully's mom. We aren't introduced to the wives until very late in the story and the teacher and mom are just old women, dying or having dementia. We do not get any kind of a well rounded character development from them.

The interesting part of the book for me was the struggle between these two men as they face death and dying, the choice to let medicine takes its course or put the old dog out of its misery. A very real debate that plays out in society today. I almost cried as Tully went into the final treatment to end his life, almost but not quite.

The Death of Jane Alexander

 Double wow, I suspected a little mystery, maybe a little goth, based on the cover. That did not prepare me for the slice of Victorian Life, where crypts, marble slabs, myths and magic converge at Lindridge Hall. Our protagonist, Jane is perfectly cast as the logical young woman seeking a marriage of convenience. She thinks the Dr is the best choice and outlines her plan. At first he informs her, marriage is out of the question. However, based on her skills with his ledgers and assistance in the surgery, he decides that it might work. With qualifications that Jane quickly disregards.

She can only blame herself when she doesn't follow those agreements and boundaries she accepted with her husband to be. The wedding night is a sham and Jane finds herself in a horrifying world of images, secrets, magic and madness. Bloody and disheveled, will she survive her evenings in this creepy, decaying residence?

Of course we all know to stay out of the cellar, do not agree to allow yourself to be pulled into magic that you don't know the extent of, but Jane's not thinking because now she is in love with the creepy doctor and can't bear that there are secrets she's not privy to. 

Augustine seems pretty pathetic to me, dishonesty seems to come naturally to him, or could his version of the truth be the real one? If he would just stop running away. 

Yes, this has all the ingredients of a proper horror tale - blood, guts, pain, decaying mansion and metaphysics.

Don't read it alone at night or plan to stay up all night. Not really my cup of tea but I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Shelter by Catherine Jinks

 I enjoyed reading Shelter, my first book by Catherine Jinks. It was scary, having been in an abusive relationship many years ago it did bring back memories that I had forgotten and were best left to rest in peace. However, I couldn't put the book down. I didn't see the extreme danger that was ahead for these two women who also had barely escaped more violence, perhaps ending in death. 

I didn't see the twist coming until near the end. At first the visiting sheltered wife was meek and scared and all our heroine wanted to do was help her. That wasn't the game plan, but I didn't guess how far she'd go. 

I would have hoped for a happier ending although i understand that small town gossip and law enforcement don't always know who to believe. Our Protagonist hadn't made nice nice with the neighbors so she didn't have a lot of back up when she needed it, sad but true, the honest one is not always the believed one. 

I recommend if you've moved past a violent abuser and don't get overwhelmed with the antics of the hostile ex-husband. I was glad to receive this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

 Wow, this kept me up reading steadily until after midnight. I had to know if the bad guy was going to get caught and stopped. Surprise twist at the end. I rarely read a book in one day, but I did it yesterday. It had me from the first page. I planned to just read the first chapter for a preview and get back to my other responsibilities and read the whole book later. I couldn't do it. After several chapters I just gave up and got comfortable on the couch and dived it. As I said, it was 12:30 when I turned the last page. 

In addition to keeping me captivated I learned a lot. I knew nothing about dirt bikes or how much of an asshole at home a cop can be. I hope that not all police officers are as much of a jerk as this cop was AND there was a good-guy cop to balance it out. 

In the end I think justice was served, unfortunately some lives were lost. The book was modeled after some real life happenings on some similar locations although they were fictionalized locations in the book.

I recommend this book if you like thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat.

I received this book pre-publication for an honest review.

Killer Content by Olivia Blacke

 

Killer Content held my interest day and night, I finished in 3 days. A Louisiana girl house sitting for her aunt in an out-of-her-price-range apartment in NYC. I recognized the culture shock as I had experienced the opposite. I was a Michigan girl transplanted to Dallas. We both recognized that people are the same, just the cover story is different. The way I saw it, people in the south sugar-coated everything. Her perspective is that NY people like it raw.

This could have been a travel journal, the descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of NYC are vivid. Yes, I wanted to visit again, as I read the tale of Odessa and the search for her co-worker’s killer, but it also reaffirmed the reasons I don’t want to live there.

This author is witty, clever, quick, all the good attributes. She doesn’t always make the choices I would have. When she let Izzy stay with her and shared keys, everything in me was crying out no, no, don’t do it. In the end, it was a good choice. Izzy will be a great roommate.

If Odessa decides to stay on the east coast, I’ll be watching for more of her cozy mysteries. I enjoy hearing about New York City and I honestly felt like I had visited there this week. Oh, and I just couldn’t resist having some avocado toast, she made my mouth water!