Saturday, November 30, 2019

Ghoulia and the Mysterious Visitor by Barbara Cantini

Ghoulia is in for a surprise.  Her aunt has invited her friends and even an unknown cousin to come for a party.  She didn't know about it and her aunt is nowhere to be found.

Amulet Books let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Her cousin is a bit weird.  He's not happy about anything.  Then one of her friends goes missing.  What's going on? 

While Dilbert isn't the best guest, he turns out to be useful.  While he grumbles at the overgrowing ivy her aunt was cultivating, it starts to recede and die.  And, surprise, she's found her aunt and her friend.

Make sure you know all about a plant before you grow it...

With lots of illustrations and odd characters this is just right for the intermediate readers in your life.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Christmas Is Coming!: Celebrate the Holiday with Art, Stories, Poems, Songs, and Recipes by The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a beautiful collection of all things Christmassy.  The songs remind me of choir days.  The recipes will make you drool.  The art work and illustrations are luscious.

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

My favorite of the stories was The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle.  Sherlock Holmes is always fun.

Even if you aren't in the Christmas mood, this book will get you that way.  It is full of good cheer and fun to read.  You might even find a new recipe for the Christmas dinner desert!

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Stars and Poppy Seeds by Romana Romanyshyn, Andriy Lesiv

Here is a girl who loves math and enjoys counting things.  She counts types of animals, grains of sand on the beach and more...

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

She can count most anything but she runs into trouble trying to count the stars in the sky.  There could be trillions of stars in the sky.  Her mother tells her to approach it one step at a time until she reaches her goal.

As far as I know, she could still be counting stars...

Famous Mathematicians are covered at the back of the book.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

What Will These Hands Make? by Nikki McClure

This is a very interesting look at how much you can accomplish with your hands.  Things for you and things for others...

Abrams Books for Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published February 25th 2020.

You can make a bicycle to ride, make a sidewalk safe, create a haven for others or a bench to rest on.  I type a lot and use my hands for cooking, too.  What do you do with your hands?  All kinds of things, I bet!

Reading this book will offer suggestions.  You might even find things you do that they didn't include...

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Hundred and One Dalmations by Dodie Smith,adapted by Peter Bently

This has always been a favorite story of mine.  I love dogs and when I was small having all those dogs sounded wondrous.  It all started with fifteen but Cruella de Vil wants to buy them.  They say no before they find out she wants to make coats out of their hides!

Abrams for Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When the adult dogs find the puppies missing, they know who took them.  Now they have to find a way to steal them back.  With the help of some friends they succeed but they bring home more than was stolen...

Monday, November 25, 2019

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley, Amy Nathan

Set back in the days of segregation, Floyd Cooper's illustrations take you back there.  Here's a look at history.  It's something that shouldn't have happened but did.  This little black girl lives next to a park and wants to ride the carousel.  The owner uses her color as a reason to say no.  But not everyone is happy with that.

Abrams Books For Young Readers sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It will be published in January of 2020.

In 1963, people began protesting and it wasn't just black people.  This gives you the highlights of their efforts to end segregation.  It was a spirited battle but a peaceful one.  Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at this time.

What was most impressive was that the little black girl was the first to get ride the carousel.  Her father rode with her and helped any little one that needed it, not noticing color.  This is a sweet story, even if it is about racism.  It's just sad that all these years later racism still exists.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Magic Hour by Ian Beck

This one touched my imagination and was great fun to read.  Two sisters are always on the go.  When one climbs a tree she thinks she sees a fairy in her neighbor's garden.  Unfortunately that's when her mother calls her in to eat.

Tate books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When the younger sister tells her older sister about it, they decide to sneak at at night and investigate.  Instead of fairies, they find their neighbors carrying lanterns.  When they ask the girls why they are there, the little one says she thought she saw fairies.  They agree it's a magic time of night and tell them they are painting.  They learn to see how colors change with dusk and they can feel the magic, too.

Do the colors and shadows outdoors seem like magic to you?  Try visiting a wooded area, it's easy to feel it there..

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper

A Grandfather explains to his grandson how to treat people.  He says to follow the Golden Rule and he explains how it works.

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

The illustrations by Gabi Swiatkowska are old fashioned and pleasant to see. 

The Grandfather shares the Golden Rule common here in the states and then shares more from other countries.  They all mean the same thing.  Treat other people like you would like to be treated.  The bottom line is to be kind.  The bottom line is to be kind.

The Grandfather uses good suggestions for his grandson.  Maybe it will give you some additional ideas of how to apply this rule.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Whom Am I? by Tim Flatch

This is an educational book that is great fun to read.  You look at part of their body, read the hints, and then turn the page to see if you guessed right.  I usually got the animal type right but not the exact species that is going extinct.

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

The back of the book gives you more info on these animals.  It's so sad to lose an entire species...

With lovely photos this is a great book to read.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Come Homicide or High Water by Denise Swanson

Skye is a school psychologist married to the police chief.  She's working part-time right now because she just had twins but she'll be going back to work shortly.  She teaching a younger woman how to do the same work to cover while she's off.  Then there's going to be a conference with one of the parents.  She goes in and finds the worst principal will be in on the meeting, the other is in the hospital.  The parent wants her child moved to a different teacher.  She thinks she's gifted and should be in advanced classes.  The principal shuts her down rudely and tells her no, so the lady says she'll sue him for how he treated her...

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 31st.

Then she gets a call from a rough family that has their own section of town.  He needs her help.  When she gets there she finds him upset and worried.  He is afraid of being accused of murder and he just found her dead.  The woman with the lawsuit against the principal is dead.

Not only do they have the murder case, there's a missing woman, too.  They have drug the lake, talked to all the neighbors and the only clue they get is when they see something on the surveillance tapes from the dollar store.  When they do find her it's a surprise.

They think the principal might be the killer but he checks out.  He's the one that got the other man involved.  It's about time for him to resign.

It's also a surprise to find who the killer really is.  Poor Skye is almost another victim...

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Shockoe Slip Gang: A Mystery by Patricia Cecil Hass

Sally and Andrew are going into a hot summer, the first one since their father's death a year ago.  Sally just wants to read but Andrew is doing all kinds of little jobs to help with the household income.  He does yard work, feeds and walks animals and anything else he can find that he can handle.

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

Their mother works at the local museum and is in charge of the antique wooden toys display.  When the museum is robbed and many of the toys are missing, the children decide to try to find the thief.

This is a good mystery.  They join up with another boy in a near neighborhood.  He says he saw a wooden toy on a professor's back porch.  When they go to look the toys are gone.  However when they try to talk to the professor, they find him laid out  on the floor.  It seems someone has taken the toys from him and knocked him out when he got too close to them.

It gets more and more dangerous as they get closer to the answer but they don't give up.

This was an enjoyable read with an historical note and a helpful horse.  It has a good ending, too. 


Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Risk It All by Katie Ruggle

Cara has always been a researcher in the agency.  Her sisters are the bounty hunters.  But they're busy and the agency needs money.  She goes out after a big ticket man and thinks she can nail him down and sic one of sisters on him.  Unfortunately, he notices her surveillance.

Sourcebooks Casablanca and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 31st.

When she tries to get away, she almost got hit by a car.  Whoever it may have been, it was no accident.  He grabbed her and moved her out of the way and then asked her why she was watching him.  She said he must be mistaken but he knows their agency and knows why.  He said he wasn't guilty and for some reason, she believes him.

Then she picks another man and starts looking for him.  Henry asks her why and says he's dangerous even if it didn't seem that way.  The second man is after Henry and she ends up along for the ride.  There are grenades, Henry almost drowns in the river, and lots more action trying to stay alive.  In between all the attempts on their lives, they manage to fall in love.

They turn in the man who was trying to kill them and Henry turns himself in.  She knows he didn't do it so she keeps investigating.  Then she finds herself in an alley looking down the barrel of a gun.  She could sure use Henry now...

Monday, November 18, 2019

Cowboy Fever by Joanne Kennedy

She was the Rodeo Queen.  When her dad died, she left town.  She had a cowboy she cared for but he was the local bad boy so she left him, too.  Now she's coming back to make amends with her mom and take over the ranch.  She stops in at the drug store and her bad boy finds her there...

Sourcebooks Casablanca and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 31st.

She can't believe what he's wearing or driving.  He's gussied up and looking good.  What happened?

She's come back to run a school where disabled children can learn to tide horses and learn how to be more independent and develop more muscles.  They have to be on old patient horses and must be attended to all the time.  The school goes well.

She finds that being around Teague makes it hard for her to be good.  He's too tempting.  Plus he has a girl after him that considers herself his girlfriend.  He says no, they are just friends but she doesn't want to leave it at that.

Then her father tries to blame a barn fire on his brother.  His brother might be mentally challenged but he works well and is afraid of fire.  Teague goes to talk to him, shoves him and he goes down but when he comes back up, he has a gun.  He shoots at Teague who leaves rapidly.  Then the father is shot and found dead.  Teague didn't do it but he was the last person to see him.

The killer was closer than anyone thought...

At least Teague and Jodi get back together again.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao

She has a secret, a big secret.  She has a dangerous Affinite.  So her father has kept her hidden in behind the castle walls.  But when someone poisons him, they accuse her of murder and she must run...

Delacorte sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 19th.

This is the first in a new series and the story is full of danger and action.

She goes to find the king of the cons.  He's jailed but she intends to get him out.  The route they take for escape includes jumping into a fast flowing river.  She's afraid she will drown.  He bumps her in the water and follows.  He has to aid her to the shore.

He agrees to help her find her father's killer.  She agrees to his terms but doesn't realize he's planning to betray her.  As they make their way back to the castle, they run into other Affinites who are dangerous to them.  They fight, they take turns saving each other, and they survive.

He begins to wonder if he could change.  He knows he took the wrong road earlier in his life.  The longer he's with her, the fonder he gets.

When she finds out who killed her mother and father, she intends to tell the kingdom the truth.  It backfires on her and they are on the run again.  But she's not giving up.  She'll be back.

I want to read the next book in this series!

The Little White Wolf by Lee Allen

He's the only odd colored wolf in their litter.  He's white and he's a runt.  The other wolves want to abandon him because he's so small and won't survive.  They don't even if it means they must hunt for him.  His white fur doesn't camouflage him from the animals...

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

He stays through summer but when winter is setting in there is less food.  He decides to go off by himself instead of being a hardship on his family.  Imagine his surprise when he attempts to catch a rabbit and does!  It seems his fur hides well in snow...

He goes down to get a drink out of the creek and finds his sister drowning.  He's lightweight enough he can save her.  And now he can hunt for his family and help them out, so he goes home.  He's not a burden anymore...

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Today We Go Home by Kelli Estes

Larkin is home after being in Afghanistan for the war.  She's been medically discharged for PTSD.  She goes to a storage facility and picks up Sarah's goods she's willed to her, and then stops at home before she goes on to her Gram's.  She has no desire to talk about the war and when her mother presses, she leaves.

Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

As she goes through boxes, she finds an old diary written by a young girl.  Her mother had died, her Pa and the oldest son went into the Civil War.  She and her younger brother stayed on the farm with her aunt and uncle.  The uncle is mean and never satisfied by how much they do.  When she finds her father has been killed, she and her brother head out to find her older brother.

Reading about Emily's troubles settles down Larkin a bit.  Larkin is still living in a war zone mentally and can't cope.  She takes to drink.  It makes her forget but it gives her other problems.  It's a good thing she has a patient Grandmother.

Emily's brother dies from an illness acquired on the road.  So Emily cuts her hair, binds her breasts and joins the Army with her remaining brother.

Neither of ladies had a good ending to their war days.  It's sad, affects them mentally, and they have to work hard to come back to a normal life.  This is a good look at what the men must be going through, too.

The wars might have been years apart but there are similarities anyway.    While this is historical fiction, it hits a little too close to home for me.  None of my family members would speak of their experiences... 

Friday, November 15, 2019

Death at Whitewater Church by Andrea Carter

She is a solicitor who is representing the sellers; he's going to mark out the boundaries and examine the building.  They knew the bodies in the crypt had been moved, so they went to examine that, too.  No one expected to find a body wrapped in blankets at the bottom of the stairs...

Oceanview Publishing and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 17th.

The immediate assumption is that it's the body of a missing bridegroom from six years before.  The pathologist says no, it's a different body.  Turns out it was dug up from the old cemetery on the property.  But who moved it and covered it in a blanket with a pillow under it's head?

Then the little brother in the family is killed.  Did he run in the ditch or did someone push him in?

The solicitor is fond of a cop but he's holding back.  But he's sure friendly with the pathologist.  That's okay, the solicitor has a secret she hasn't shared with him.

Then the missing man returns and he intends to take what he left behind...

As the truth about his disappearance comes out, secrets are revealed.  The ending is explosive and deadly. 


Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden

Elizabeth Black runs a girl's school and writes the appropriate books for a lady to write.  No one knows that she also writes the Penny Dreadful series by Mr.  King.  She's very careful to keep it that way, too.

Shadow Mountain and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This book is divided into two stories.  One is about Elizabeth and the other is a Penny Dreadful.  It's great fun to read.  Elizabeth meets a man who works on saving the homeless children.  One boy is being abused by his master so she helps him to get away.  He puts him in his school but the man who had him is trying to get him back.

Fletcher began in the same way as these children and he managed to get out of the gutter.  He wants to help the ones he finds.  Elizabeth gets the girls for her school and he puts the boys in his.  But the people who don't sympathize with the children's plight are determined to shut them down.  They begin by torching Elizabeth's school and then try to torch the other one, too.

While this is going on, the Penny Dreadfuls have a monster in the woods in one story and a vampire in the other.  I see why they sold so well!

Fletcher and Elizabeth might be from different walks of life but their goals are the same.  And it doesn't take long until they are falling in love.  Will she ever tell him who Mr. King is?

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Fire, Fog and Water by Mike Martin

Windflower goes on runs to settle him down and exercise his dog.  When he slips and slides down to a boulder, his dog gets excited by what's hid behind it.  He thinks it's dead animal, but no.  It's a dead human...

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

As they work on who might have killed him, they also has have a hit and run victim and an arson fire.  For a small town in Newfoundland, they have their share of problems. 

Then they learn the burned cabin was creating pills that were illegal.  The owner of the cabin and his son both deny any knowledge of the illegal activity.  Someone didn't agree and blew the father up with a package bomb.

While all this is going on, Windflower is going through his own personal crisis.  He's been dreaming  and some of them are confusing.  His aunt interprets them and tells him to use an Indian ceremony to settle him down.  He does and it works.

He finds there were more people involved with drug smuggling.  He's a busy man in this story.  The best part of the story is his relationship with his wife and child.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How The Dead Speak by Val McDermid

Tony is in jail, Carol is no longer a cop.  But the dead still speak to them.  The police unit they left behind has some problems but they are working hard on their cases.  And they have several cases.

Atlantic Monthly and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on December 3rd.

He's trying to establish prison programs to enable the inmates to move on when they have served their time.  Trying to give them reading lessons, teaching them to meditate, and other world skills they've missed out on.  Carol is working with a group of lawyers who are trying to get innocent people out of prison.  They are finding new directions but they miss each other.  Tony has told her not to come for visits.  He thinks it will make him feel worse but it hurts Carol.  She'd like to see him and talk to him.

Carol talks to a prisoner and decides he's telling the truth:  he didn't kill the missing  man.  Now she has to see if she can find the missing man.

The squad has their hands full.  A contractor at an old school run by nuns years ago has found a skull in the front yard.  Suddenly it turns into 40 skulls in the front yard.  Some old, some newer.  Then a cadaver dog finds boys in the vegetable garden of the neighbor.  He was the school's maintenance man and he admits to burying the young girls that died at night in the front yard.  Both he and the head nun said it was because they had no one to care about them so they buried them.  The body in the garden was male, and there were eight of those.He tries to blame it on the priest but that doesn't go far.  Then he clams up.

The new boss of the squad is harassing the women.  He's giving everyone problems so they appeal to those higher in other areas to get help.

Then Tony gets hurt in jail and ends up in the hospital.

Despite all the various cases and troubles, the author brings it all together before the end of the book.  Her books are always a good read.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Worst Christmas Ever by Kathleen Long Bostrom, Guy Porfirio

He just knows it's going to be bad.  They've moved to California.  He has no friends.  Christmas is coming and they don't even have any snow...

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

When they go to look at trees for Christmas, his sister wants a pink one!  They go with the traditional green. Then his dog chases a squirrel and doesn't come back.  They post posters asking anyone who's seen him to call them.  They aren't having any luck finding him.  He thinks it'd take a miracle to make this a good Christmas.  His little sister says she believes in miracles.  He doesn't.

But when he and his family do the Christmas play as Joseph and Mary, he plays a shepherd.  And he also gets his very own miracle, making it the best Christmas ever...

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

Edgar is happily married and has been promoted to Superintendent.  He and Emma have three children.  But Emma is missing her detective time.  She was one of the best on the team but she can't be a mom and a cop, too.  Max has married and lives in America now.  He has children of his own now.  He's back in England  for a funeral.  That's where he and Edgar meet up again.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Edelweiss gave me the opporttunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 3rd.

There are missing girls in the city.  One of them belongs to an important man who thinks the police are ineffective, or maybe stupid.  Otherwise they could find his daughter.  This is in the middle of a big weekend with a lot of tourists and rowdy folk.  His daughter is not their only concern.  They also don't know if she was kidnapped.  Maybe she left on her own.  Then another girl goes missing.

It really comes to a head when they find one of the missing girls dead.  The search gets much more serious.  While Edgar is all tied up with that, Emma sets herself up as bait.  He has a brunette, a redhead, and a black haired girl.  Next he will be after a blonde.  She's a blonde.  But her trap doesn't work and Edgar is very angry about it.

Max's daughter has been taken.  Then Emma realizes that her daughter has become a victim of the same kidnapper.  She's stung with guilt and goes after her herself.  She's trying to find Edgar to tell him but he's out with others trying to keep the peace.

It gets complicated and exciting with all the various characters coming together from various areas to save the girls.  The kidnapper has a gun but Max doesn't...

I enjoy this Magic Men series.  You never know what is going to happen next.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Winter Grave by Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy (Translated by

She goes home home from school to get her outfit for the program they are putting on and doesn't return but can't be found.  She rode home with a teenage boy who is very good with cars but not with much else.  He says he dropped her off and went on his way.  Not many people believe him.

Soho Crime and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 3rd.

The entire town is searched with no results.  Then a young boy goes missing.  The locals torch the barn the boy and his father use for restoring vehicles and burn the father to death.  The teenage boy is beaten so badly he almost dies.  The cops know he's innocent but they aren't believed.  His attackers go to jail, with court coming up before them for the murder of his father.

The sad part is that both children end up dead.  When how and why comes out, it's even sadder. The one that made me feel saddest was the autistic teenager who lost his father over an unjust accusation.

Sometimes life is hard...

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

She's moving back to New Zealand to escape the life she used to lead.  She just became a widow and found out her husband wasn't true to her at the funeral.  She had no clue so she came back home enen if her Mom wasn't there anymore.  She meets her classmates from long ago and is happy to see them.  She also meets the police chief.  He's an outsider so the community doesn't really let him in.  They just tolerate him.

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 3rd.

All is going well until a pretty young girl disappears while doing her morning run.  Then she finds out three others went missing years before.  Does the community have a serial killer in its midst?

She works with the cop gathering information the locals will tell her but not him.  He sets up searches and the neighbors rally to fill the search parties.  They cover the ground twice but find no sign of the missing girl.

This is a good mystery.  It takes a while until they determine the killer and the poor widow almost becomes his next victim.  In the meantime, the cop doesn't think he killed the young woman so he's on the search for another killer.  This quiet little town is deadly...

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Hamelin Stoop: The Ring of Truth: Hamelin Stoop series: Book 3 by Robert B. Sloan

Hamelin thinks his friend Layla is the lost princess from the world he's visited in the past but he can't take her there unless they are summoned.  Will they be summoned?

Net Galley and Twelve Gates Publishing let me read this story for review (thank you).  It will be published in Spring,  2020.

It turns out that many of his friends are familiar with the other side.  As adults and children share tales of what they remember, the whole story starts to come together.  Some of the things they remember seem like dreams but then they find they are true.  They know there are trackers trying to find them.  They learn about watchers in their world who offer advice.

When they find they can return, they are almost late to be picked up.  In the confusion, Layla trades places with her brother and stays on earth.  As Lars and Hamelin head to tell the king his daughter is alive and well, the brother takes another road.  He's on the hunt for his older brother he never knew he had.

There is a lot of danger around them.  The more characters they add to their quest, the harder it is to hide.  This story will fit well with any young adult that likes fantasy.

The next story in this series will be even more exciting.  The two warriors will most likely meet up...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Puddin' on the Blitz by Tamar Myers

Magdalena agrees to run a restaurant that has been shut down for a bit since the owner is in jail.  She will transfer ownership to her and her daughter with Magdalena get 60% ownership and her daughter 40%.  The daughter needs the money to go to college so Magdalena agrees.

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you.  It will be published December 3rd.

It starts as an Asian/Amish restaurant and it goes real well at the start.  There are lots of customers, reservations are taken in advance and the restaurant is always full.  Then the newness and charm wear off.  She'll have to some up with a new idea.

She and her mother-in-law don't get along.  Mom thinks she stole her son and she'd like to run Magdalena's life.  She's also like to be head chef at the restaurant but Magdalena already had one picked out.  That creates more static between them.

Then a couple from a famous magazine want to come and see her new restaurant.  She cancels reservations so they are the only guests.  Her husband gets food from the restaurant and then puts it in their glassware so the guests won't know.  They eat well and enjoy the desserts (which is now the restaurants specialty).  Unfortunately, in the morning, the woman is dead.  Magdalena finds herself in jail because she was poisoned.  How did that happen?

It turns into a real mess.  She was killed by mushrooms.  They are common mushrooms and they can be used in different ways to cause death.  Then Magdalena finds out they both were frauds.  The magazine is defunct.  So who are they?  And why did she have to die?

Magdalena finally tracks the truth down but in the final stand off, the killer is threatening her two year old.  Can she figure out what to do next?

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs, Martin Edwards

There's a big flood in the small villages along the river and besides the damage to the homes, someone locates a dead body caught on a tree.  He's identified fairly quickly and then becomes the hard part.  Who was he and who killed him?

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you.  It will be published December 1st.

Jim Teasdale was dead before he was tossed in the river.  They find he had two lives.  He told his wife he was on the road all week as a salesman and just came home on the weekends.  During the week he operated a game at the fairgrounds and made what money he could.  He met a young, serious woman there and he wanted to marry her but she told him to wait.  She was content to live with him during the week and help him operate his game.  Then she got pregnant. When he went home on his weekly visit, he didn't return.

He had married into a horrible family.  His father-in-law hated him, his wife and daughters despised him but they didn't intend to let him go.  But who killed him?  It takes some effort to ferret out the truth but the inspector finds it and almost dies because he did...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Raising a Doodle: Heartwarming Stories from Dog Parents Around the World by Theresa Piasta

There are various types of doodles, not just one.  You can get a large dog or a small dog.  This book tells you all about raising them and how to make transitions easily.  Since they are mixed with a poodle, they tend to be smart.  If you are a dog person, you'd enjoy being hugged by your dog, right? These doodles do that...

PR by the Book and Spark Press allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  Today is the first day of publication.

This book is filled with pictures of doodles, it makes it a real pleasure to read.  They teach you how to teach your puppy to use a crate and how to potty train him.  You learn how to know what he is telling you.  You also learn to socialize him so he can travel with you.  It also tells what not feed him.

It's mostly a love fest for doodles.  All the owners love them deeply and many have been saved from stress or despair by having a doodle that loves them and cares about them.

This an excellent book for someone thinking about getting a doodle.  You can even look at the dogs and choose the type that appeals to you.  This is a good resource for anyone owning a doodle.  Just make sure you have lots of treats...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Cutting Edge edited by Joyce Carol Oates

This an anthology of stories by many writers.  These aren't nice stories but they will stick with you.  They'll also keep you reading...

Akashic sent me an Arc of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published November 5th.

This includes brand-new stories by: Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood (poems), Valerie Martin, Aimee Bender, Edwidge Danticat, Sheila Kohler, S.A. Solomon, S.J. Rozan, Lucy Taylor, Cassandra Khaw, Bernice L. McFadden, Jennifer Morales, Elizabeth McCracken, Livia Llewellyn, Lisa Lim, and Steph Cha.

These stories discuss everything.  Some are about sex, some are more mystical, and some are murderous.  It says these are new stories of mystery and crime  by women writers.  That's true.  Most are written in different styles than I'm used to but they were all interesting reads.

If you don't mind scaring yourself a bit, you'll enjoy these.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Krista Davis

Waytail is a dog town.  Everything is is doggie named and doggie themed.  So when a famous pooch named Pippin come to town, they have events to celebrate and hope it will bring them even more business in the future.  When they arrive amidst fanfare and excitement, the first thing that happens is that they have a fight in the lobby.  The man who plays a cranky old man in the series was cranky. He's not going to stay at the hotel.  He'll find himself a quiet place.  He leaves and they get the rest of the crew settled.

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 26th.

It turns out Pippin likes to escape and go snooping by himself.  This bothers Holly because she doesn't want Pippin to get lost and because her dog, Trixie, goes with him.  To let him get some exercise and have plenty of new smells, they go for a walk up the mountain.  When Trixie runs off the path and then does her haunting howl, Holly hates to hear it.  It means she's found a dead body.  It was a lady in town who bred boxers.  She's a nice lady, who would kill her?

Then a man tells her Trixie is his dog.  She rescued her and she's had her for years now.  She won't give her up.  There's a dog snatcher in town.  Is he it?

Then the cranky old man is found dead.  Who's killing them and why?

I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be...

Friday, November 1, 2019

Ghosts of Painting Past by Sybil Johnson

Rory is getting ready for the Christmas craft sale and feeling pretty jolly herself.  They are tearing down the house across from her and the landmover is noisy.  When they shut it down and gather around something they have found, her jollies go away.  It looks like a skull...

Henery Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 19th.

Her boyfriend is on the case and he won't tell her much about it.  It turns out to be a young man everyone thought had left on a surfing trip after his graduation.  They hadn't heard from him but everyone thought he was chasing the waves and having a good time.

This is a small town where everyone knows everyone else and there are few secrets.  Rory finds out her father was a surfer, too, and that he and the victim had an argument at the graduation party.  Soon he's a suspect in the case.

She visits all the old folks and gets an idea of what life was like back then.As she gets closer to the truth, she also gets closer to danger.  One man's car is is hit and he gets a bit hurt.  Her father is hit and ends up in the hospital.  She's getting more desperate to find the killer.  It's a tangled path but she manages.

The killer surprised me.  Did you guess who it was?

Nonna Marie and the Case of the Lost Treasure by Lorenzo Carcaterra

As Nonna Maria's longtime friend and sometimes colleague, Captain Murino of the Ischian caribineri never wanted to see harm brought to t...