The Chronicles Of Agartha - Book 1 The Green Boy by Sherif Guiguis, Isaac Michaan

In a land below our own, there is another world.  There, skin color matters not.  You are recognized by the color of your aura.  Different colors have different personalities.  They have a home for orphans and when you turn fourteen, you are deemed an adult and sent out to make your own way.  Ethan is a Green and the last of his kind.  He goes out in search of any green survivors...

Mr. Michaan sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published February 20th.

There was an awful war before he was born that wiped out the Green.  He's hopeful that maybe there might be a few that hid well enough to survive.  So he heads out to the city.  It's a war zone.  There are big holes in the walls protecting the city.  He finds one friendly family and stays a bit with them.  He doesn't realize the Queen that destroyed the city is looking for him.

He's in grave danger.  Her men are searching for him and she's offered a reward to anyone who turns him in.  With so many after him he's going to get caught.

What she does to him is awful and his friends are going to have to help him recover.

The next story in this series should be even more exciting!

Mrs Bibi's Elephant by Reza Dalvand

Mrs Bibi has a pet elephant and takes it on a walk each day.  It's big but it stays in the house with her.  The children love to play with it but it's a traffic hazard and other people think she should get rid of it.  People don't need pets.

Flying Eye Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 7th.

When she's told she must get rid of the elephant, they find neither her or her elephant around.  They also find there are no more smiles or laughter.  People begin bringing home pets.  Some even bring home elephants.  Life begins to seem like normal again.  But will Mrs Bibi and her elephant ever return home?

Gamayun Tales I by Alexander Utkin

This is a graphic novel of Russian fairy tales.  There are several and they are all great fun to read in this form.

Nobrow and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 10th.

With talking animals and water spirits, the humans are at a disadvantage.  Surprisingly the humans act in good faith when bargaining, but things backfire on them. 

There's the King of the birds, the Water Spirit and Tyna of the lake along with more tales.  There's the golden chest that turns into a palace.  That's pretty cool, but he opened it at the wrong time and now he can't close it back to a chest...

These tales draw you in and keep you reading.  They are different from other fairy tales I've read.  Having them in graphic form really adds to the story.  I enjoyed this one.

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd-Stanton

Marcy's father tells her tales of all his great adventures.  She listens and enjoys the tales even if they do sort of scare her at night.  She wonders if he's not too old and too fat to do such brave things anymore.  But when he tries to take her in a cave, she refuses to follow him into the dark.

Flying Eye Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 3rd.

When her father goes away on another adventure, she remembers the feathers in his hat will call a big bird.  She climbs on him for a ride and goes to Egypt to visit the Sphinx to get her father back.  On the way she meets another god who knows the Sphinx wants his moon eye.  He gives her his sun eye to use to get her father back.  A big snake is after her father.  Can she save him?

She saves him and herself more than once.  Now she's the adventurer in the family...

With a touch of mythology, the author has created a great story.

A Star is Dead by Elaine Viets

Jessica Gray is not a nice person but she's famous and people love her.  When she comes to a small town performance she makes snarky comments in private.  She also brings in three homeless women as part of her show and embarrasses them on stage.  So when she gets sick in the limo and dies no one is overly sad.  But when it turns out to be murder, it's even messier.  Someone doctored her kale juice with nicotine...

Severn House and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will publish April 7th.

She wouldn't let anyone smoke around her, so they vaped instead.  That gives them plenty of suspects.  Then they find that she's married one of her employees.  He's moving up in suspicions. 

Angela's friend, Mario, is arrested , mostly because he's Cuban.  The cop tells her to stay out of it but she knows Mario didn't do it.

She starts asking questions and some of the answers don't make sense.  Then one evening she almost gets run down in the parking lot.  She must be getting close.  Will she figure it out before they get her?

Who Speaks for the Damned by C. S. Harris

When a disgraced British nobleman is found dead in the tea gardens, Sebastian decides to investigate.  No one cares that he's dead other than the child he brought with him.   It's hiding on the streets with no idea where to go or what to do.  He and his wife try to find the child but have no luck.  Sebastian pursues the case.  What he learns is disturbing.

Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you.  It will be published April 7th.

He finds that the man has been treated badly his whole life.  When he and his love eloped, he was accused of kidnapping to save her from scandal.  When she had his baby, her father farmed it out to a wet nurse who used opium to keep the babies quiet and she killed it.

Then his brother commits suicide because the lady he loves was just using him.  He goes to confront her, gets in a fight with her husband, and she ends up dead.  Nicholas is charged for her murder even though he tries to tell them he didn't do it.  They send him away to a prison, where he gets beat and barely survives.  When the ship he's on goes down, he and a jailer end up on an island together.  He leaves the jailer's body after he's disfigured his face and heads to China.  After he's regained his health, he comes back home.

Sebastien thinks one of the men who betrayed him killed him.  Then the four suspects start to die.  Who's killing them?

Long Range by C. J. Box

Joe is heading out with others to check out a grizzly bear attack on a human.  That's unusual unless you get between a sow and her cubs but they need to check it out.  He's suddenly called back in because a woman has been shot.  He flies back to get there sooner, leaving his vehicle parked at the head of the trail.  The judge's wife has been shot...

G P Putnam's Sons and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 3rd.

It seems the judge knocked his silverware on the foot and bent to pick it up.  His wife came out with a dish of food and got in the bullet's way.  She's in critical condition.  Who wanted to kill the judge and where did they shoot from?

As Joe tries to figure out where the shot came from, the sheriff tells him to leave, they don't need him in the way.  He does figure out where the shooter was but the sheriff is acting on a tip he got and he arrests Joe's friend, Nate.  Nate had been a troublemaker in the past but he's married and has a new child.  He's given up being bad.  The sheriff handcuffs him and takes him in.  They find the gun and bullets on his property.  Joe is sure he's being framed.

Joe keeps following clues.  With the grizzly attack, the judge's wife dying, and someone kidnapping Nate's wife and child, there's plenty going on and no easy answers.  The killers are shocking, more people die and it's not all happily ever after at the end but it's the only outcome you could expect.  Joe gets his man, even if he gets shot up...

A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber

They are invited to a big celebration at the Duke's and they accept the invitation.  They'll soon wish they hadn't.  While playing assigned parts in an evening game. one of the Duke's boys takes them down in the cold, dark basement area that used to be the dungeons and now holds the bones of their ancestors.  Only one body is too fresh for that and it appears to be murder...

Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 7th.

The Duchess asks them to investigate.  It appears that someone at the party might be the killer.  The problem is the majority of them are family members so it may be hard to weed out the killer.

They think it might be one lady's husband.  As they try to track him down, they find other family secrets.  Then someone pushes Lady Darby down the stairs.  She doesn't fall but she dislocates her shoulder and she worries about her unborn child.  Her child is fine and her shoulder will heal but who pushed her?

Her husband and brother escort her about to keep her safe.  But it's not very safe as they get closer to the killer. 

This is a tangled web of a story where love has nothing to do with some marriages and where love can destroy others...

Secrets of the Loon Charles Dayton (Photographs by), Laura Purdie Salas

Have you ever seen a loon?  They are a beautiful bird.  This book has pictures and facts for young ones so they can see how they grow.

The Minnesota Historical Society Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 31st.

You see the baby loons being born.  The first thing they are taught is how to swim.  They ride on their parents backs when they are tired or there's danger near.  They teach them to fish.  As they grow they learn to fly.

They also teach them to be careful around snapping turtles and to dive when they see an eagle.  It's hard work being small when you're young.

Eventually their parents leave them and they go on to develop their own families.

The rear of the book has more facts about these fascinating birds.   They have done a very nice presentation that will appeal to young ones.

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Sunshine has returned home to become the new sheriff.  She was surprised to find she'd won the election because she had never entered the race.  It seems her parents entered her...

St Martin's Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 7th.

It's her first day on the job and she walks into a huge mess.  A woman claims a man has stolen her rooster, Puff Daddy.  A young girl is missing from school and believes she'll die on her fifteenth birthday, which isn't far away.  Her parents are frantic.  A young disabled boy is missing and the weather is very bad.

If that wasn't bad enough she sees her old boyfriend in town and he looks better than ever.  Then the US Marshalls come to help look for the girl and one of them is a hunk, too.  She's got too much to do to worry about romance.

Her daughter is having trouble at school and the bullies find out her mother's secret and play it on the school's television.  The sheriff's secret is out but almost everyone knew the truth anyway.

This is a hell of a beginning for the new sheriff but she has a way with dealing it all.  She's a refreshing character and I look forward to reading more about her adventures.

Hid from Our Eyes : A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery by Julia Spencer-Fleming

A woman in a party dress is found in the middle of the road.  She's dead.  She's not wearing any shoes and has no purse.  There's no sign of what killed her.  The case was never closed.

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 7th.

In 1972, twenty years later, there's another young woman left in the same way.  One of the suspects was a young man back from Vietnam but this case was also left open.

Russ is the current police chief .  He's called out on another case the same as the last two.  He wants to solve the case and do it before they pass legislation to go with the sheriff's department and shut down their own police department. It gets worse when they realize that he was the suspect in 1972...

They have brought in another war veteran as a suspect but he doesn't believe he did it.

They search for any clues and find none.  The state police are no help.  But the medical examiner says he can't see why she died but he's sent for a full toxicology report and it will be slow to come.

When they get the report, they begin a new search and find an old storage building.  They get a warrant and head out there.  That's where they find their shoes and purses.  More than one family member was involved.

The murderer is unexpected and the deaths were needless.  It causes so much turmoil, Russ resigns from his job as chief.

The next book will let us know how it all worked out for Russ and his family.

Diver's Paradise by Davin Goodwin

Roscoe has retired from being a cop and now lives in the sun in the Caribbean.  He remembers his old partner fondly and they had been talking about visiting.  Then he gets a call from his old precinct telling him that his partner and his wife have been gunned down in their home.  He asks for details but he's not part of them anymore.  It was just a courtesy call.

Oceanview Publishing and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 7th.

Roscoe assumes it has to be tied to an old case they filed.  As he tries to figure it out, more people die.  The killer doesn't care how many he kills.  Anyone associated with the case is being picked off.  When his Wrangler is borrowed by his girlfriend and she ends up in the hospital, he knows the killer is after him.  Will he be able determine who the killer is before he's dead, too?

The final confrontation is very explosive and you aren't sure who is going to win...

The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha, Irene Latham, Yuko Shimizu (Illustrated by)

Alaa loves Aleppo but war destroys the city.  Most residents flee but he stays behind.  It's not long until he earns the nickname "Cat Man".  He gathers up the pets left behind and takes them home.

G. P. Putman's Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  This book will be published April 14th.

Soon, he has to move to a bigger space.  As people find out about him, they help him set up an account to receive donations to buy animal food.  He moves one more time to get further away from the bombing and he takes in all kinds of animals.  He loves them and cares for them.  In a way, he's like the St. Francis of Aleppo.

This is a true story about the war in Syria.  I admire the bravery of this man.

The Moon Is Following Me by JQ Sirls

Everywhere he goes, every window he looks out, the moon is looking back at him.  But no one in his family believes him when he says it's following him..

Fantoria and Edelweiss allowed  me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 1st.

He begins making up stories about the moon and him.  He pretends he's a superhero but that didn't turn out so well.  After a couple more fantasies, he decides the moon is the superhero and he doesn't mind a superhero following him around...

The Lazy Rabbit Startling New Grim Modern Fable About Laziness With A Rabbit, Vole And Fox by Wilkie J. Martin; Illustrated by Tanja Russita

The rabbit and the vole are traveling together through a barren land.  The rabbit wants to stop for the night but the vole says they need wood for a fire to keep them safe from bandits at night.  The vole ends up carrying most of the sticks because the rabbit is lazy.  They start the fire and then the vole starts discussing taking turns sitting up to refresh the fire.  He also suggests they need more wood.  The rabbit says they don't need more wood, they have plenty and he's going to bed.

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

The vole can't get the rabbit to stand watch so he sleeps at two-hour increments and keeps feeding the fire.  But when it starts to rain the fire starts to go out and he's got to go get more wood.  While he's gone, a fox sneaks into camp and takes the rabbit.

It doesn't pay to be lazy...

The Woodshed Mystery (The Boxcar Children: Time to Read, Level 2) by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Shane Clester

Here's another adventure for the Boxcar children.  They live with their Grandfather now and he has a friend that is redoing the old family home for some family members to move in.  They think they saw someone but they can't find him...

Albert Whitman & Company and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you)It will be published April 1st.

They snoop through the house but he's not there.  Then they look in an old woodshed and find evidence of occupation.  But when they bring an adult out, all the evidence is gone!

The woman in the house shows them a secret hideaway, but it's empty, too.  Will they ever find him?

The illustrations take you back in time.  This author's stories are always good.

All In The Same Boat Badass New Grim Modern Fable About Greed Featuring A Rat, A Mouse And A Gerbil by Wilkie J. Martin; illustrated by Tanja Russita

When the boat goes down, the only survivors are a rat, a mouse and a gerbil.  The rat is a bully.  He eats most of the food, drinks the water whenever he wants, and makes the other two sit in the pointy end of the rowboat.  As they get thin, he gets fat...

The Witcherley Book Company and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you.  It has already been published so you van grab a copy now.

He keeps chewing on the rowboat to make wood chips to keep him warm.  They ask him to stop but he doesn't listen.  Then he sneaks over and grabs the mouse for a snack while the gerbil was sleeping.  Then he starts chewing again and soon sprouts a leak.  There's an island they can head for so they start swimming.  The rat gets what he deserves but the gerbil reaches the island safely.

Don't be a bully and don't be piggy!

Blue Bay Mystery (The Boxcar Children: Time to Read, Level 2) Gertrude Chandler Warner (Created by), Shane Clester (Illustrated by)

This is an early reader that allows the younger set to read Chandler's mystery.  They are going out to stay on an island.  They will need to make their own dishes, catch their own food and so on.  Their Grandfather's friend got shipwrecked on it once and they are going to mimic him.

Albert Whitman & Company and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 1st.

They find a bird that talks to them and they are sure someone trained it.  But who?  Then they find a shipwrecked boat and realize there might be someone else on the island.  Can they find him?  If they do, will he be nice or dangerous?

Read it and see.

The Case of the Icky Ice Cream by Dosh Archer

Detective Paw and Patrol Officer Prickles are called to the ice cream parlor.  It seems someone exchanged the raspberry syrup with ketchup.   Ketchup tastes awful on ice cream!

Albert Whitman and Co. and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 1st.

They talk to all the employees and don't suspect any of them.   They also look for clues.  What they find is the raspberry syrup in the sink and a trail of ketchup going outside.  The ketchup goes to the curb and stops.  While they wonder if the person got in a car, they find the ice stand across the street was really busy.  They go to ask him if he saw anything.  He says no.  But then they see the ketchup bottle in his trash...

Was he the criminal they were looking for?

Little Pearl by Martin Widmark, Emilia Dziubak (Illustrated by)

Grace is babysitting and telling a tale before bedtime.  It's about the time she lost her brother and how she couldn't find him...

Floris Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on April 7th.

When she goes out again, she slips on the ice and slides down the hill into an icy tunnel.  Imagine her amazement when the bugs that live there are bigger than she is!  They are kind and she's enjoying her visit but she's still trying to find her brother.  First she finds a big crab, who isn't very nice.  As she escapes him, she runs in a cave and finds her brother.  They sneak out and run from the crab.  The other insects join them but the crab is getting too close.  But Grace has an idea.  Will she be able to save them?

The illustrations are well done and the story is fun to read.  This book will be a favorite of the children.   After all, this was how Grace got her pearl...

Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails by Lawrence Block

I remember Mr. Block as a crime author but he writes non-fiction, too.  He also has a great sense of humor which even comes out in these short essays.  There are book prefaces, author introductions, and a constant hunt for places with the name Buffalo on them.

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

It's like sitting around visiting with old friends.  He's sharing pieces of his life with you.  He talks about his writing and how it went, he talks about authors he's known on the road to writing.  He mentions his father who died young and has a longer essay about his mother, who thought she was more exciting than that.

His humor shows through in his writing and so does his age.  He's no spring chicken but he puts together great books that I enjoy reading.

Keep up the good work, Mr. Block!

I Am a Promise by Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce

This a picture book for young readers.  It's the story of a young girl who loves to run.  She runs everywhere she goes but she doesn't think anything about it.  It's just fun!

Black Sheep books sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thasnk you).  It will be published on February 4th.

Her grandmother tells her she is a promise but she doesn't understand why.  As time goes on, she gets faster and begins to think of racing.  Shelly Ann was the fastest woman in the world in 2012.  She's a six-time Olympic medal winner.

She learned she was a promise for Jamaica and the people who supported her.  She also learned she was a promise to herself to do the best she can.  That's a good lesson for all of us.

Rachel Moss did the illustrations.  When you see Shelly Ann pulling away from the other racers, it was exciting and made me proud.

Do you have a runner in your family?  Maybe they are a promise, too. 

Do whatever you do to the best of your ability and it will give you pride even if you don't win medals...

Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani

These stories take you down into the dark parts of town where you get down and dirty.  You meet prejudice, racism, the moneyed and the poor.  You meet corrupt police, criminals, and the innocent.  These tales don't make you feel better but they do make you glad you live where you do...

Akashic Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published February 4th.

The authors included are:  Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Stanley Gazemba, Ngumi Kibera, Peter Kimani, Winfred Kiunga, Kinyanjui Kombani, Caroline Mose, Kevin Mwachiro, Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ, Faith Oneya, Makena Onjerika, Troy Onyango, J.E. Sibi-Okumu, and Rasna Warah.  The oldest writer is eighty-one, the youngest twenty-four.

You read tales from the past to the tales of the present.  Not much has changed.  If you see a crime, get out of the area or you might be the one beaten and arrested if not killed.

This country is not an easy one to live in.  Most of the tales are a bit sordid.  But it keeps you reading to see what is going to happen next. 

The Iron Will of Genie Lo by F C Yee

Genie has been protecting humans from the demons, but now she has a new assignment.  She has to protect the demons from the evil after them.  That might not be so bad, but the number of demons keeps increasing as they run from danger.

Amulet Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published January 21st.

Genie with all of her special powers is now working with gods.  Some are nice, some are not, and one she loves.  He's helping protect her from harm.  Even with his help, it's hard to keep her safe.

They go after the monster that is scaring the demons and find out it is the mother of the demon Genie killedi in the first book of this series.  This does not endear her to Mom.  With the gods helping her fight she gets out alive but they are short a god.  Then they discover there is more danger.

They have been trying to select a new ruler for heaven but it's not happened yet.  When they find the source of the danger on this world, they are shocked and surprised.  It was the last god/demon they would have thought would be behind the danger.

The whole story is exciting and full of fantastical fights with secret powers and indestructible weapons.  Get ready to hold onto your seat as you read Book 2 in this series.

Poems to See By by Julian Peters

Poems have always been hard to read and understand to me.  This book has them depicted graphically and that made all the difference in the world.

Plough Publishing House and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 31st.

The graphics make these poems come to life.  The words themselves are a bit dry but when visualized it's so much easier to understand and enjoy.

The book is full of famous poems from years in the past and the added graphics makes them new again.  Mr. Peters has done a great job with this collection.  If you are like me and a bit slow in poetry reading, this will open new doors for you.  Besides the graphics, there is the poem in text.  Whichever way you like to read it, this book will serve you.

Finally, a poetry book I enjoyed!

Short Stories and Flash Fiction Journey from the expected to the unexpected, the natural to the supernatural. Venture into the world of fantasy by Molly Clifford-Nixon

Flash fiction is always fun to read.  In a couple of pages they set up the story and shock you with the ending.  If you haven't read any before, this collection is a good sampling for you.

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

The first story has magic in it and it's a short story.  It was also an interesting read.  Some stories are fantasy, some are ghost stories and most are short enough you need to pay attention or you'll miss the plot.  There is enough variety in the story lines to keep your attention.  All the stories were worth reading.

If you like anthologies, give this one a try.  The author has a good imagination.

In the Red by Christopher Swiedler

Living on Mars means you have to stay in the dome until you pass tests to let you venture out in space suits.  Michael's first test went badly.  He had a panic attack.  His father has tried to take him again to show him it's not bad but he's too scared to go out.

Harper Collins and Edelweiss allowed me to read this story for review (thank you).  It will be published March 24th. 

Michael went to take another test but the beginner's class is already underway.  He joins the advanced class because the instructor told him he would give him the beginner's certification and he need not do the entire class.  He finds the class easy because he's good at math and he's studied a lot after he failed the first time.  The last test he has to do, he panics again.  He's been figuring out the course in his head when he could have used the equipment they carry.  The instructor is impressed.  Hardly anyone can figure it out in their head in the field.

When he meets his friend, Lilith, she takes him to an area he hasn't been to before and they go out in their suits.  She keeps him from panicking by asking him to solve math questions.  It works!  Then she asks him what the most daring and fun thing he'd like to do.  He says he'd like to visit his Dad at his station he works at.  It's a six hour journey with a sled but off they go.

 They have to hide from the sun and that's hard to do.  There aren't mountains or caves.  Then there's a dust storm.  Then the magnetic field dies.  Conditions are getting worse and worse.  Then Lilith gets hurt.  He thinks he knows the way to go but he has to carry her with him.  When he finally reaches the station, it's abandoned.  What now?

This is an exciting adventure on a planet that is not friendly to humans.  Michael isn't that old but he learns to be a man before the story is over...

Lone Star Ranger (The Texas Ranger Series Book 1) by Renae Brumbaugh Green

She and her brother are traveling through Texas as they decide where to settle.  She can't believe when they arrest him in one town and accuse him of murder.  He has a resemblance to the killer but he's a lawyer and a good man.  He's never killed anyone.  The Ranger thinks they are lying...

Wild Heart Books shared this book with me for review (thank you).   It has been published, so you can get a copy now.

She gets paperwork showing them he's a lawyer but they think it's fraudulent.  The worst part?  They are going to hang him in a week!

She does all she can to try to prove it with no avail.  Then she hears the man they have accused her brother of being has killed again.  She's determined to go find him herself but the Ranger won't let that happen.  He goes along to protect her.  She needs protection...

With all the stress and danger, they each save the others lives  and soon fall in love.  Will they survive the gang and make it back?  The odds aren't good...

Fly, Fly Again by Katie Jaffe and Jennifer Lawson

If your child has any interest in planes or flying, this is a great book for them!

The author graciously shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It's being published today so you can get a copy now.

Jenny has always wanted to fly.  She's not sure how but she has a pet hawk and she watches him.  She thinks she might be able to do it and builds her plane.  She flies alright but she can't steer and she crashes in the yard next door.  Her skateboarding neighbor helps her build it this time and with a bit more knowledge, they cobble the plane together again.  Then they both go for a ride.

Will they make it this time?

Buzz Aldrin does the foreword very nicely.  The illustrations are by Tammie Lyon and they are lovely.  This book shows your child you can't give up, you need to try try again.  Along the way they learn some aeronautical terms and should be able to understand them easily.  This is a well done book with some learning thrown in. 

Mrs. Mohr Goes Missing by Maryla Szymiczkowa

Zofia Turbotyńska has been working on her husband's career for years but he's where she wanted him to be now.  So she decides to organize a charity raffle.  She goes to Helcel House, where elderly aristocratic ladies are being cared for by nuns.  She's surprised to find a woman missing.  She really wasn't well enough to go anywhere, so how could she be missing?

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published March 17th.

Zofia suggests they check the attic and when the watchman finds her body up thtere, he's shocked and frightened.  The police arrest him for the murder but Zofia doesn't think he was guilty.  After all, she had to point out to the police the lady was poisoned.  So then they arrest the cook.  She wasn't the killer either.  Then another woman at the home is strangled.  The cops have no idea who did it.  Neither does Zofia but now she begins her own investigative process.

She finds the ladies have come from a common background and connections no one knows about.  She also finds out one aristocrat is not who she claims to be.  As she begins tying all the loose ends together, the police tell her to get her nose out of the case.  She doesn't listen.  That's a good thing because they need her insight...  

Less Than a Moment by Steven F. Havill

When mention of the Sheriff's nephew being picked up for drunk ends up in the paper, he's lost his chance to work at the new development as a train operator.  Soon afterwards, the newspaper office got shot up and so did the two employees working late.  Did Quentin do it?

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  Publication date is March 17th.

They find out that Quentin traded twenty two's with another boy.  They know that the one he traded with has a temper.

Then there's a death.  The landowner next to the new development has fallen off a ridge and hit a rock squarely when he landed.  When they find out he was kicked off the ridge, their suspect list goes to four young men who have been training in the martial arts.

They ask to see the young man at work and find he didn't show up.  So the Sheriff and his Undersheriff go to the boy's trailer.  He gives up one twenty-two but the sheriff knows the make and serial number so he sends him to get the other one.  He comes out with the rifle loaded and begins shooting...

Mr. Havill's stories are never boring...

The Panda of Death: Gunn Zoo Series by Betty Webb

Teddy is happily married to Sheriff Joe now but she still can't keep her nose out of cases.  When a very unlikable man turns up in the in the boat dock area dead, there are a lot of suspects.  Even Teddy fought with him...

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 3rd.

When Joe's mother starts acting weird , Teddy follows her to the Granny cottage she doesn't live in anymore and finds a big surprise.  There is a young man there that looks just like Joe.  It seems a one night stand at the prom has increased their family size...

Joe can't believe it but he hugs him and welcomes him.  It's a shock to everyone when the boy is arrested for the murder.  Joe has to give up the case.  But his mother asks Teddy to investigate.  She agrees but doesn't tell Joe.  She knows what he would say.

She does background searches on the internet but the Grandma shows her a secret.  She's found a site on the dark web that tells you every thing about everybody.  She finds out not everyone is being truthful.  As she conducts interviews her search is narrowing.  Then another man in the community is found dead.  That gives her another connection to the truth.

She's going to meet her husband on her boat for a night of fun and she plans to tell him then.  But when she turns around to tell him hi, it's the killer with a weapon.  There's not much room in a boat's cabin for a fight and no where to run.  Will she overcome the killer or become the next victim?

It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr, Martin Edwards

A man is found dead in the card room of the local establishment.  They had police guards there as well as the inspector and no one saw anyone go in or out.  His head has been lobbed off.  Who could do such a horrid thing and then disappear?

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 3rd.

Bencolin is a very smart detective but this is almost beyond him.  All the doors were guarded, the window is too high for anyone to have jumped.  Being puzzled, he calls together his friends and discusses it.  The newly wed woman mourns her loss.  The reason all the polce were there was to protect the dead man.  His brides ex-husband escaped the jail he was in for attempted murder of his wife, had plastic surgery, then killed the surgeon.  No one knows what he looks like now but they assume he'll be after the new husband.  It looks like he succeeded.

Then there is another murder.  Bencolin thinks he knows who the murderer is but the others don't agree.  Can he prove it?  Can he get a confession?  Yes, he does...  

Willa and the Whale by Chad Morris, Shelly Brown

When Willa's parents divorce, she has to pick the parent she will live with.  She chooses her mother, a marine biologist.  Mom gets a job in Japan and off they go.  She learns a lot about the ocean from her Mom.  Then Mom's heart gives out and she's sent back to her Dad.  By this time, he's remarried and he has a ready made family.  She's got more siblings than she knows what to do with!

Shadow Mountain Publishing and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 3rd.

She's deeply grieving her mother and there's too much noise to even think, so she walks by the ocean and looks in the tide pools, remembering what her mother had taught her.

Her Dad takes her on a whale watch cruise and while everyone is over on one side watching the sea animals, she goes over to the other and sees a whale jumping.  She starts to talk to it, and it talks back!  Soon they arrange to see each other again at the beach she goes to.  They won't be close but they can talk.  She calls the whale Meg and even works her way up to telling her about her mother's death.

Then there's a big storm and she finds a huge beached whale.  He's a blue whale and while she tries to save him, he's dead.  The small town doesn't know how to dispose of him, so she begins working on a plan with her family.  She even does the council presentation on her own.

It's hard with two deaths in a row, but Meg helps her grieve as does her father and she begins to heal.  She's even made friends again with the boy she was best friends with when she left for Japan.  He's has sadness in his family, too, but he's rallying.  They can work on healing together...

The Sheila Stories 1935 - 2005 by Patrick Kelly

To get his girls to bed, he tells them Sheila stories.  Some are happy but some are sad.  He still tells them because they are the truth...

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

Sheila leaves home at eighteen.  She's got an inheritance so she's going to buy a farm.  She meets a lawyer on the train and when the property owner tries to make her sign the documents immediately she says no.  She wants to take the papers to her room and read them over.  Then she takes the papers to the attorney.  He writes a new contract and is with her when the property owner comes to pick up the papers.  He tells him the other contract would have given his property back in short order and he could have kept the down payment.  Now he's signing a real contract.  He doesn't want to but the lawyer mentions talking to the newspaper, so he does.

She also inherits the aborigine workers there.  They work, are diligent and soon she's part of the family.  When she decides to move again, she leaves them in charge of the farm and gives them half ownership.

She keeps adding to her property.  She also serves as an ambulance driver in WW1.She marries her love, only to lose him later in the war.

She marries again and he's a jounalist trying to get his novel published.  He does and moves to California to write a script.  He comes home occasionally but he's gone more than home.  Then she finds out he's been sleeping with a movie star.  That marriage is over.

Time goes on and meets another man and marries.  She still loves her first husband the most but she's always starting new businesses and doing well.  She's happy for the most part but she regrets those she's lost.

Never Talk to Ravens Illustrated Edition (An Xavion and Jamieson Time-Out Adventure Book 1) by M.L. Flurry

Xavion has big feet.  When his classmates tease him, he gets even by yelling a name at one of them.  He's heard by a teacher and loses his recess for a week.  Not fair...

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

While he's out sitting under the time-out tree, he's suddenly aware of a kangaroo there.  His name is Jamieson and he wants help to get back home.  They chat and then his teacher shows up, but she doesn't see the kangaroo.  Neither does he at the moment.

He gets so he's looking forward to his time under the tree.  Then it rains but Jamieson comes to see him in the room he's stuck in. The kangaroo has explained how he got to the states but now he wants to go home.  Australia is a long way away but Xavion has an idea.  Since Jamieson can jump high maybe he can win the top prize at the carnival:  Airfare to wherever you like.  Jamieson gets a ticket to Austalia and now Xavion has to find him a ride to the airport.

After all these adventures, Xavion doesn't listen to the boys that used to tease him and it's no fun anymore...

Santa Fe Noir by Ariel Gore (Edited by)

Santa Fe is an old city with many tales passed down through the years.  This anthology has several tales with parts of those tales in them.  All of the stories are on the dark side.

Akashic Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 3rd.

The stories come from:  Ana Castillo, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Byron F. Aspaas, Barbara Robidoux, Elizabeth Lee, Ana June, Israel Francisco Haros Lopez, Ariel Gore, Darryl Lorenzo Wellington, Candace Walsh, Hida Viloria, Cornelia Read, Miriam Sagan, James Reich, Kevin Atkinson, Katie Johnson, and Tomas Moniz.

Santa Fe is portrayed as a rich town with many artists.  Part of it is.  But these stories take you to places on the outskirts, where the poor live.  They also introduce you to the queer side of town.

You never can tell where the story is going to go. It might have ghosts of the past in it, brief sexual encounters, even death.  But none of them are boring.  There are horrors in these stories, some real, some not.  Don't be looking for happy endings.  You're not on the right side of town for that...