Be Our Ghost: A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery by Kate Kingsbury

Poor Doug.  He's a shop owner just a couple of doors down (her grandmother has a crush on him) and he's been accused of killing the real estate developer.  Sure he talks big, but he'd never actually kill anybody, would he?

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 19th.

Melanie and Liza are told to mind their own business and let the police investigate.  They seem to be making no progress and Liza wants to prove it wasn't Doug, so they talk to folks.  And then they find the brake line on the car was cut and they almost careen off a cliff.  But they don't stop their questions.

Soon they find themselves on the wrong end of a gun.  Maybe their days of asking questions is over...

Body Swap by Sylvia McNicoll

Hallie is fifteen and plotting how to get a kiss from the guy she has a crush on when she's hit by a car and dies.  So does the driver.  

Dundurn and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 9th.

As they travel to the afterlife they complain and refuse to take final steps to death.  They want to live.  Their wish is granted but the bad news is that they end up in the wrong bodies.  Susan is thrilled.  She has this glorious new body that doesn't hurt and boys are flirting with her.  Hallie is less enthused.  She's got the body with aches and pains and Susan's son is trying to put her in a nursing home.  An ugly nursing home at that.  She tells him no...

While Susan learns how to talk current teen talk and how to text, Hallie's learning about Susan's routines and friends.  They're both trying to find some proof Susan's car is defective.  Sometimes it runs away on her and won't stop.  No one believes them.

This story is amusing and full of warmth because of Hallie and Susan's growing friendship.  It has a good ending with Ron (the son) finding out his mother wasn't crazy.  He deserved that comeuppance.

Read it.  It's a fun read.

Little Pierrot Vol. 3 by Alberto Varanda

Little Pierrot has a crush on one of his classmates...

Lion Forge and Net Galley let me read this story for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th.

While Mr. Snail helps him with harder school concepts, he sometimes daydreams about the lovely girl in class.  He learns though.

My favorite part of this series are the illustrations.  They're just lovely and Pierrot always looks like he's staring in wonder.

Pierrot's girlfriend is cute, too.  This was another fun read.

The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths

Max and his daughter are the main draw at the theater but their run is coming to a close.  Max is still not sure about the act that has almost nude girls re-enacting historical moments.  He knows the men attending are not interested in history...

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 9th.

When one of the young girls is found dead in her room, no one knows why.  She had no boyfriends, was friendly with the girls and was a nice quiet girl.  The next one to die was Max's new girlfriend and this devastates him.  It's hard to look for a murderer when your heart has been broken.

The murderers are right under their noses.  As it is, Max will be moving on due to his lost love, his daughter has broken her engagement because he loves another.  They solve the crime but their lives are all up in the air.  I wonder where the next story will go...

The Devil's Wind by Steve Goble

Spider is hoping to get out of port safely and begin his trip back home to his woman and their son.  He never meant to be a pirate but it was either that or die.  He's been gone for years and now he wants to go home.

Seventh Street Books sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th and you can preorder now.

They are trying to hide themselves on board, too.  There's another pirate on there that could give them away.  But that danger goes by the wayside when they find the captain dead in his locked room.  They say it was suicide but Spider doesn't think so..

The rest of the story is made up of different scenarios where different people have been the killer.  He does end up with the right solution but it isn't helping him home.  Another word for the wise:  The women on board are deadly, too. 

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

He's a journalist trying to get good bylines and ensuring his job.  When he sees two boys offered for sale, it haunts him.  He tells his editor about and he sends him back for a replacement picture.  The fist family is gone but there's one across the street and he arranges to take their picture with the sign from the other house.  He has no idea how much impact that picture will have on his life...

Sourcebooks Landmark and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It is being published today.

Ellis goes back to check on the family and finds them gone.  It seems someone bought the children and the mother went in a tuberculosis sanitarium.  He worries if they got a good family and begins tracking them down.  The newspaper secretary sympathizes because she has a young son and she joins in his search.  They were told the mother died, but she's alive.  They find that the children are  not together anymore.  They also find the woman who has the daughter is mentally unstable.

Ellis and Lily work hard to reunite the family and it's a dangerous undertaking.  The depression made many people do things they didn't want to but this story turns out well. This is based on history and it feels like it as you read.  There's sorrow and joy and you're not sure how it's going to turn out, so you keep reading to see...

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

She knows he didn't kill his wife, but how to prove it...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on October 2nd.

To help Lord Ingram prove his innocence, she dons a disguise and become a male Holmes.  Only one cop realizes what she's done and he holds his tongue.  The detective from Scotland Yard is more than happy to haul the Lord in, so she and Mrs. Watson have their work cut out for them.  She keeps adding up odd circumstances, to no avail.  It's a good thing she has one more card to turn over.  Even the Superintendent has to pay attention to that one.

Lord Ingram is safe for now...

The Mystery of the Hidden Cabin by M. E. Hembroff

Bess has moved with her family and now goes to a one room schoolhouse.  She thought that was going to be her biggest challenge but then she finds out about a hidden one room cabin at her cousin's house.

Plaisted Publishing House Ltd and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 21st.

Bess wants to find out more about who lived there and who they are related to.  She reads the old diaries, researches old newspapers and even sees the woman who used to live there.  No one else does.

She eventually traces down the right name and the right family and finds out what happened to them.  Would you do all that research?  I would, I love finding facts.

Mystery at Washte by Kathleen Martin

When her next door neighbor's wife goes missing, nobody can imagine where she went.  Local gossip has her dead and buried but Alice doesn't think that's true.

The author graciously shared a copy of this book with me for a review (thank you).  It has been published and you can purchase a copy now. 

This story is more about personal relationships than it is a mystery.  Alice gets mouthy at work and loses her job.  she also finds out it's hard to maintain a friendship when you no longer work together.  She and her daughter have their differences.  And then the missing woman stops to say hi at the park and to assure her she's OK.  That's debatable as you will see at the end of the story.

This is a short tale about one woman's life and what she learns after losing her job.  Her life isn't over, it's just changed...

The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

They live in the city in an apartment but Lowden reads about a town that is selling run down houses for a dollar.  You have to have three children to help with the sports teams and you have to bring the houses up to safety standards.  They apply, and they get picked...

Candlewick Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now.

His mother sets up a Cornish Pastry shop and is doing fairly well at sales.  Then they drop off.  The restaurant next door is competing with them and changes their hours to match the pastry shop.  The income she thought she could contribute to house repair is gone.

Not only that, all the children that came in are referred to as dollar kids and are not included with in other kid's groups.

As they continue to live there, they enjoy living in the small town.  They might not have many friends, but they have each other.  And the kids work on the house with their parents.

It looks like they will lose their home because they can't get the repairs done in time, but they help an old man whose house is facing foreclosure.  And miracles do happen...

Talon on the Wing by Gigi Sedlmayer

She wants to fly on Talon but her mom isn't sure that's a good idea.  She begs, her father says she'll be fine and mom finally says OK.

The author sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Imagine flying on the back of a condor?  Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?  The only problem she has is he doesn't realize her weight holds him down or wearson him.  They have some near collisions with cliffs and experience at least one crash landing.  But she's not going to give up!

She's also helping a boy who had a brother with her deformity.  His parents left him out to die and he doesn't want to forgive them.  It was all they knew, he shouldn't hate them.

Talon is still hanging around, waiting for his next ride.  I wonder what their next adventure will be...

The Story Collector: A New York Public Library Book by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

Everyone in her family tells stories.  Tall tales about pirates, ghosts, cannibals, and encounters in the past.  She loves the tales and makes some of her own.  But the new girl calls her liar...

Henry Holt Books for Young Readers and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

They have an expensive collection of stamps on display at the library.  When the girl who called her a liar comes to visit, she brings her camera.  If she sees this ghost she's been told about, she'll take his picture.  She sees no ghost, just the girl's older brother dressed up.  She goes home early and calls her a liar again.

Then they find out the stamps have been stolen.  The management threatens her father's job. But the photos give them a clue about the robber...

I enjoyed the storytelling and especially liked how she handled Mr. Green.  This is based on fact so it makes it even more fun to read. 

A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley

Lena's boyfriend has has had his share of troubles.First he was accused of his ex-wife's murder until she showed up alive.  Now the local mailman is dead and one of the weapons used came from Sam's desk...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

There is another man who wants the ex-wife and he has taken her daughter from her.  He's a dangerous man.

There are surprises in this story.  The more Lena researches into families, the more dangerous it gets.  Hang in there, Sam.  Lena is not giving up on you!

The Petulant Owl and Even More NonSuch Poems by Florence Remmer

Ms. Remmer writes fun poetry.  It's a bit nonsensical but it pulls at your imagination and makes you think creatively.  It makes me happy to read her work.

Publishing Push and the author shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can grab a copy now.

I enjoyed all of these poems.  Some made me laugh out loud.

Suppose you were invited to a sale of MAGIC THINGS?  What if your cat talked back to you?  Do you know what the tooth fairy does with your tooth?

Read this book and you'll get the answers to these questions, and a whole lot more!

Blood and Wisdom by Verlin Darrow

At first it's threatening phone calls, then they find a body in the well.  It's missing its head as well as its hands but it's still identified.  Who is harassing this spiritual guru and why?  She hires Karl to investigate the case.

Long and Short reviews and the author shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now. 

He gives her a bodyguard and starts checking out what he can.  The more he snoops, the more dirt he digs up.

With drugs, gangs, and death around the edges, it's hard to tell who will live and who will die before the end of the story. There's one after her money, even the cops aren't clean, who can you trust?  Almost nobody..

This author writes a very busy story with layers of secrets that must be uncovered to find the truth.  It's well-written, keeps your attention, and you're not sure how it's going to turn out until the end.  That's what makes a good mystery.

Monsters Go Night-Night by Aaron Zenz

Monsters are contrary creatures.  If they wish to bathe before bedtime, you know what they bathe in?  Chocolate pudding.  Really?!?  Really.

Abrams Books for Young Readers shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Despite their odd choices in the first half of the book, they turn a bit more traditional at the end.  After all, everyone wants a good night-night...

Tangled Up in Tinsel by Tonya Kappes

She's the local sheriff and she's looking forward to meeting her boyfriend's family.  Her mother is all stressed that she could leave her family traditions behind to do that.  Then there is a murder that just might keep her at home...

Henery Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 25th.

The girl and her boyfriend had a fight at the community event and the next time they see her, she's in her vehicle, in the water, and dead.  Who could have wanted her dead?

She finds her father was abusive.Her parents didn't like her boyfriend.  His parents didn't like her.  Did they not like her enough to kill her?

As the investigation goes on, the date of departure is coming closer.  So is the possibility of a snowstorm.  Can she solve the crime in time?

The Swooning Moon Saga: Wing Walker by M T Finnberg

Her best friend has died and she has gone to another world to find a dragon she can heal and get an oath she can use to bring her friend back to life.  This world has been bombed and it's filled with old theme parks, dragons and poachers...

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can buy a copy now.

Besides getting dirty and seeing black wispy things to scare her, she's not having much luck.  She finally sings hoping to draw one out.  She finds one, but the poachers come and grab it.  They cut off the wings so it will be subdued on the ride back to the compound.  She's upset to see that but she can do nothing about it.  Then another dragon shows up and starts attacking.  One of the poachers tells her to come inside the ship for safety.  She does.  She also finds she likes him.

She meets Wingwalkers that use old songs and lore and make friends with some of the dragons.  She hangs with them for a while but moves on.  

She and Jay (the poacher) get closer the more they see of each other.  He helps her search for dragons.  As she searches she meets other beings who tell her to let her friend live in her memories, she's never really gone.

This was very good read.  It is a well-drawn out space opera that was fun to read.  I'd read the next book in this series.  I see her and Jay becoming a couple...

Coming Home to the Comfort Food Café by Debbie Johnson

She thinks moving away from the city may settle down the child she's raising for her dead friend.  She's hanging out with the wrong crowd, coming home drunk, and she wants to get her away from that.  Of course, the child is not impressed but she has no choice.

Harper Impulse and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 9th.

They have a nice cottage to stay in and find that the locals adopt you before too much time has passed.  You can share your woes, ask advice, and you are expected to join in their celebrations, too.  It's a nice comforting place to be and she and her daughter are enjoying living there.  And then, out of nowhere, Martha's father shows up.  He's never seen her before so there is a period of adjustment to go through.

The story gets even more interesting from this point on and I liked the ending.  Give it a try, I bet you'll like it.

An Accidental Corpse by Helen A. Harrison

They are on vacation, but after witnessing an accident, they find themselves drawn into the case.

Dunemere Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now.

It's an awful car crash that kills the driver, one of his passengers and injures the other badly.  The only problem is that the dead passenger was already dead.  Someone had strangled her to death.  There's no end to who might have killed her.  Most of the men in the community knew her.  The only clue that might help is that she scratched the killer.  They don't find any scratches on those they question.

The dead artist had a lot of enemies to check out but none had scratches.  I didn't figure out who the killer was until they revealed it.

I didn't feel much sympathy for the artist but I did for the silly women so infatuated with him.  I'm glad they finally found the killer.
 

A Double Life by Flynn Berry

This book is unusual and a bit boring but it picked up at the end.  She's trying to find her father...

Viking and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now.

Her father came back to their home and killed the young woman downstairs and attacked his wife, too.  His friends tell her mother she must be mistaken, he wouldn't do a thing like that.  They also help him escape.  No one can find him.  But his daughter won't give up...

When she finally manages to find his location (through blackmail), she heads out to find him.  Find him she does and this where it gets interesting. The ending is unexpected but appropriate.

There is a lot of detail in the book but the climax makes up for it.  Try it and see what you think.
 

The Princess and the Absolutely Not a Princess (Miranda and Maude #1) By Emma Wunsch and Illustrator Jessika von Innerebner

Miranda is a very spoiled princess whose teacher has retired.  She wasn't the best teacher to start with but Miranda really, really doesn't want to go to school.  The kids will be noisy, the school smells bad, and she's behind the other students...

Amulet Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Maude sits next to Miranda and looks her over.  She's wearing a pink dress and fancy shoes.  She and Maude couldn't be more different.  Especially since Maude likes to eat hardboiled eggs and Miranda hates how they smell...

This is a fun book to read with all kinds of conflict that eventually resolves itself into friendship.  They might not like each other in the beginning but they resolve their differences before the end!

A Brush with Death: A Susie Mahl Mystery by Ali Carter

When the Earl is found dead in the churchyard, it was assumed it was a natural death.  After all, he was 75.  But it wasn't.  Someone helped him along.

Oneworld Publications and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The Earl had come out to use nature as his lavatory, so he had  no company.  The young people (Susie included) who found him confirmed his death but didn't happen upon him until he was down.  Who could have hit him and ended his life?

With no real suspects and no clues this was a hard case to crack.  The cause happened years ago and it was a case of being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of it.

This was a good cozy, give it a read.

The Dress and the Girl By Camille Andros and Illustrator Julie Morstad

Her mother made her a dress and she wore it everyday.  She wished for something a bit more extraordinary but she loved her dress.  Then her parents decide to migrate to America.  Everything gets packed up, including her dress.  But some how they leave that trunk behind...

Abrams sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can grab a coy now.

Since the girl has gone, the dress goes to look for her.  It travels all around the world and years later ends up in the states.  It's now in a second hand shop.  Will the grown-up girl recognize it?

Fear on Four Paws by Clea Simon

The call is about a trapped bear.  When Pru gets there, the animal control officer is snoring louder than the bear...

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now.

This is one that Pru has trouble getting a handle on.  Not only are they trying to capture a bear, they've killed a man.  She's sure her friend didn't do it, but how to prove it? 

She's getting advice from the animals around her but she doesn't get what they are trying to tell her.  That's almost a fatal mistake.

I had no idea who was doing it and was surprised when she figured it out.  Read it and see if you are smarter than I am.

Apollo's Raven: New Edition by Linnea Tanner

While the Kings fight for power, Catrin is learning what it means to be the Raven.  She's been trained as a warrior and she's always had a relationship with ravens but it's turning into some thing more...

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

When Catrin falls in love with a Roman hostage, her mother is enraged.  She accuses him of rape.  Then she gives her daughter to the care of the druid they have.  Not a good move; the druid is working with the banished son.

With war looming over them, the banished son playing political games, various hostages held by both sides, and Catrin trying to keep her love alive, there's plenty to keep you reading.

Just keep in mind that the druid and the banished son are evil...

Burning Ridge: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery by Margaret Mizushima

Mattie is looking forward to seeing her brother again after so many years apart.  They share bad memories and she'd rather not relive them but seeing him would be good.  She never imagined he'd be dead when she saw him next.

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this for review (thank you).  It will be published September 21st.

When Cole and his girls go for a horseback ride in the high country, he's horrified when his dog brings them a boot with a remainder of a foot in it.  That sets off a search.  Not only do they find that victim, they find three more in other graves.

Mattie can't figure out why someone would want to murder her brother.  She better figure it out quick because she's the next on the list.  And there are more surprises yet to come.
 

Creature vs. Teacher: A Book of Rhyme By T. Fuller Illustrator Alex Eben Meyer

The creature is huge, the teacher is small.  Will they get along?

Abrams Appleseed sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can grab a copy now.

The creature is all full of action ideas, the teacher talks about what you learn in class.  Each suggestion rhymes.

This board book is colorful and fun to read.  I especially liked the ending.  Here's an easy way to teach your little one about rhyming.

In Want of a Knife: A Little Library Mystery by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

It starts with a dead body out on the road.  She's a young girl who has not been abused but died from asphyxiation.  While they are trying to find out where she was and what happened to her, another girl goes missing...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th.

The missing girl is a little handicapped and she trusts everyone.This is not a good thing when evil comes to town.  The majority of the story is about the search but you get background on some of the families and their secrets as well.

The story holds your attention to the very end.  It has an unexpected ending...

Excess Baggage: One Family's Around-the-World Search for Balance by Tracey Carisch

Why not walk away from their daily life full of duty and commitments and make that trip they were talking about in their twenties?  It sounded like a good thing to him, too.  He can still work as long as he has WIFI.  So off they go with their three children.  They learn a lot while traveling...

PR by the Book and the author sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It is being published today.

What I found most interesting were the tales of the various places they visited and the people they met.  They got to house-sit several times which surprised me.  Total strangers and they get to stay in their house for free?

The children have to get used to traveling.  In the beginning, they are bored.  As they find children to play with, it gets better.  Soon they even begin asking questions about the tourist sites.

Ms. Carisch learns several things about herself on this trip.  She comes back a different person.

Her tale is woven with funny little stories that make you laugh.

I don't read a lot of non-fiction but this one drew me in.  I'm glad I read it.  It taught me a lot about foreign countries.  Want to go on a trip with Tracy?

In Cold Chocolate: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James

They are going down to the beach to guide the new baby sea turtles to the ocean.  But none hatch.  That's not their biggest problem, though.  One of the members decides to put out the lights on a beach house with her gun and suddenly they have a dead body...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th.

Charity doesn't think the accused woman was the killer so she starts looking for other suspects.  She also finds out that the other relatives are trying to get her chocolate shop again.

She gets shot at, someone is stealing her new chocolate dessert and she's trying to maintain a low profile, not very successfully.

This is a very busy cozy with danger at the forefront and a surprise ending.  I wonder where the series will go next.

Read and Gone: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook

The last thing she needed was her father showing up after years of absence.  Not only that, but he wants her help to get his half of the gems he helped steal in his last heist.  She says no.  But it's not that easy.

Cooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th.

She loves her father but hates his thieving.  The next thing you know, the man hoarding the jewels is dead and her father is accused of murder...

With her boyfriend trying to recover the gems, her father flirting with jail, and no sign of the hidden jewels, she's got her work cut out for her.  It's a good thing she loves her job.  It's also a good thing she has a cat to help her out. 

Dark Sky Island: A Jennifer Dorey Mystery by Lara Dearman

It all starts when a bunch of bones are found in a cave.  She's sent to get a story.  She gets one, but it's not the one she went for...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th.

She decides to investigate her father's death while she's there.  She doesn't think his death was a fishing accident.  It wasn't but what it was involves the whole island and makes it a very dangerous place to snoop.  Not even the police are safe there.

Another death overshadows the bones and the investigation continues.  The island is dark and dangerous.  Will she and her friends survive?

My Nana was a Free-Range Kid by Nancy Peek Youngdahl

Her Nana was a lot like me when I was young.  I climbed trees, hung out by the creek, rode my bicycle, played in the barn and did anything I could to keep from being bored.  No one worried about me.  Life was different then.

The author shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Nana climbed trees and hung from them mimicking the trapeze artists in the circus.  When she falls and knocks all the breath out of her, her brother helps her recover.

They also pretended her brother was a lion tamer and she was a lion, but the platform collapsed.

The worst thing they did was make a small fire and cook marshmallows. They thought they put the fire out, but it restarted and burnt the woods.  Never play with fire!

Nana has even more adventures you can read about.  Do you have a free range kid in your household?

Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

Who's trying to kill Theresa?  And why?  She has no enemies.

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 11th.

A pile of library books in the car used for hit and run is one clue.  But they were checked out by the victim's soon to be step daughter.  Why would she want to kill her?  Then someone tries to suffocate her with a pillow.  They're serious about this. 

There are secrets from the past and the present.  Lies are being told, and they don't have much time to stop murder.  Can they do it?  Just watch...