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!

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

 

What a group of women! I couldn't keep up with them in real life, the boozing and carousing. It's all just fun and games until someone get's murdered. Who did it? Wait a minute, it wasn't me! 

Treading into dangerous territory with a lust that can't be denied. She didn't plan to let her obsession take her to jail but that may be where she ends up. Who can be trusted? Who's cheating who? Yes, a lot of unanswered questions that do get answered at the finale but up until the end,  It wasn't what I expected! I do love to be surprised. 

The clothes, the jewelry, the lavish lifestyle for a group of women with time and money on their hands. It might take her down but she can't resist. A just for the record, who's bi, who's lesbian and who's straight?

A fun read.

A Joy Filled Life by Mo Anderson

 Momentum Builders are built into the book as each chapter closes. The book is formatted to allow the reader to understand the lessons that Mo learned and how they evolved into success in her life. The Momentum Builders ask several questions and/or ask for the reader to consider these values in their own lives and help you build them if you haven't built them into your life yet. 

From very humble beginnings to the hugely successful life Mo lived, she validates the lessons she learned from her parents. This book is truly inspirational and I plan to implement some of the momentum builders she's included. 

The ending was a nice icing on the cake, realizing the power of her belief in God and the power of her dreams, she achieved her dreams - not at 20, some but not all. Her third dream came true in her 70's. This in itself is very inspirational for those who haven't yet achieved their dream or their 70's.

Liar by Rob Roberge

I'm sorry but this was one of the most, maybe the most, depressing book I have ever read. I kept reading, thinking eventually there would be a sense of continuity and recovery. Alas, not to be found in this book. 

In aa meetings, I think this is called a drunkalogue. I would have gotten up and left if he hadn't found recovery in the first half of his talk. I frankly cannot find the value in this book unless someone was a drunk, addict and failure and just wanted to find someone else was as depressed as he is.

Murder on Location by Cathy Pegau

Brr, I got so cold hearing about the Alaskan Glaciers that I had to keep the heating pad on my feet as I devoured this book. I do enjoy hearing about Charlotte's adventures. She's become quite the mystery finder. So, knowing her, if there's a murder in this small town of our coldest state, she's probably close by.

There were a few too many characters in this story for my personal comfort. I considered keeping a score card so I could remember everybody's sage and secret, but I survived without one. Too bad for the director of the controversial film. He didn't survive. Was it a possible midnight stroll in the dark
or no accident?

At a time when we're all on the forefront of considering whether some lives are more important than others, Native Alaskans have their protests and attorneys too. It's 1920 and a hundred years later we're still facing the same issues. 

It was interesting hearing about the film industry in those olden days. However, most fascinating is Charlotte's burgeoning love affair with the handsome Deputy. It's timeless.

Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau

An appropriate title, I was most interested in exploring Alaska in the early years of the 1900's. I visited Alaska a few years ago to work for the summer. Ms. Pegau's tale took me right back there and I could imagine myself visiting in that timeline. I had an additional interest in the time and place as my great-aunt had traveled to Wyoming from Michigan in 1905 to live near her brother who was the Picture Man of Cody Wyoming. Our heroine in the story fled the lower 48 to live near her Doctor brother. She was also hoping to leave behind her secret trauma from the recent past. 

It turns out her brother has a few secrets too and with his concerns about his sister's safety he tries to be as overbearing as his father was. No such luck. with Charlotte. This woman has a mind of her own and nerves of steel to go with it. She's not too meek to inform her sibling that there will be no such acceptance of his dominance over her, she's not as naive as he thinks she is. 

A beginning romance with the town Deputy alleviates some of the gloom that surrounds the murder of a 'lady of the night'.  Charlotte also is offered employment twice, once by the madam of the house of ill-repute and the other by the local newspaper. An easy choice for her as she's been writing for Modern Woman and sending her articles via mail - by ship and train. 

A thoroughly modern woman in a historic era answers the question I sometimes ask myself, what would I have done if I'd been born a hundred years earlier? I probably would have followed Charlotte's path.

Tightening the Threads by Lea Wait

 

Who starts reading a mystery series with the 5th book? I just did and was not disappointed in the least. I got a clear understanding of who, what and where with the exception of Patrick's burns on his hands - I guess I'll have to go back and start with book one to find out. However, this doesn't seem like a burdensome task since I enjoyed living in Maine seaside for the past two days. Yes, I did read it that fast, difficult to set down without wondering what was going to happen next. 

I do love lobster and last night I almost had to go to the freezer and dig a tail out. Fatigue won and I'll thaw it today. I felt like I was living in this little village and was able to tag along for the Clam Bake. Unfortunately, they didn't set a place for me. I would also have been quite upset to find that one of the main characters, the aging Dad who had called his children home for his 75th birthday party, was poisoned at the bake before his will was changed. 

The story evolved around the will. His three known children were biting at the bit to get their share and could care less about any newly found niece. They would have been more upset to find there was another sibling. I didn't guess who-done-it until it was revealed. Quite a surprise. 

Oh, and most delightful, I can't leave out the chapter headings featuring verse from samplers made by young girls during the late 1700's and early to mid 1800's. Embroidery is a lost art but one I still enjoy practicing.