Death Comes to Durham by Jeanne M. Dams

Dorothy and Alan are visiting a castle with a cop friend when disaster strikes.  A man at the nursing home has been killed and his aunt is the one accused of murder.  Suddenly, they are working on a case but they only have a week to do it...

Severn House and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 2nd.

David's aunt has dementia so she can't even defend herself from the accusations.  Dorothy resolves to help.  She asks questions of everyone.  Her husband is a retired cop so he's against some of her theories because there is no evidence.  She realizes that and continues to try to find evidence.

Then an old woman at the nursing home was attacked with the aunt's decorative pillow.  David's aunt is being evicted.  Dorothy and Alan's investigations steps up a notch or two.  What they do find doesn't impress the cops.  But Dorothy is not giving up.

Then Dorothy is attacked by the killer and it takes four men to save her.  At least they have a  suspect but will they be able to charge him?

Scarecrow's Big Bad Secret by Peta Lemon and Maria Dasic Todoric

The farmer has too many birds around and his crops will be devastated by their feeding.  So he builds himself a scarecrow!

Ms. Lemon sent me a copy of this book for my review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

In the morning there are no more birds around.  The farmer is ecstatic.  Now he can plant his crops and get a good harvest.  The scarecrow doesn't share how he got ride of the birds.  (He ate them.)

He's the eating-est scarecrow I've ever seen.  He steals food from the other animals.  He'll even take it out of their mouths!

The farmer gets new cars, a new house, goes dancing with important people and enjoys himself.  He decides to have a big party for the animals with an all you can eat buffet at the end.

All goes well until the scarecrow shows up.  He eats everything!  But he's going to be sorry.

The ending is the best part of this book.  Read it and see...

How Lulu Lost Her Mind by Rachel Gibson

Lulu has created her own business on the internet.  She gives love advice and tells tales of romance she never had.  She doesn't have time for a man in her life.  Then her mother's Alheimers is getting out of hand and she needs her.  She takes a leave of absence to care for her mother.

Gallery Books allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 21st.

Her mother remembers things from the past but not much of current events.  She watches a lot of TV, game shows and the like and she answers all the questions.  They are wrong but she doesn't notice.  She's been married multiple times.  Now she wants to go home where she grew up. 

Her daughter tries to talk her out of it but no.  So home they go to a big house that has seen better days.  She hires a maintenance man and the labor is expensive and there's lots to fix.  The worst part is her mother flirting with him.  He is good looking but he's not a match for her.  Lulu talks to her but it makes no difference to her.

There are ups and downs throughout the story.  Lulu learns what's most important to her.  The ending is part sad and part with a bit of hope.  Lulu will keep going and she may not have to make her way alone...

Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria (The Elandrian Chronicles #2) by J.M. Bergen

Thomas has some magical powers but he needs to learn to strengthen them.  He wants to get his father back.  First though, he has another quest.

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

Thomas is learning judo. learning that the different noises you make can give your magic more power, and he's learning to control it better.  Then they find a strange message on their computers.  Someone has hacked their way in and they refer to a staff.  The staff has power and the Sumerian Wizard is trying to find it.  They stopped him from stealing the crystals, can they find the staff first?

While searching for a missing friend of theirs, they find their enemies almost all drained of life force.  The enemies say if they can save them, they'll work with them to take the wizard down.  Thomas isn't sure if he trusts them but they do save them.

When they get close to the staff, they run into the wizard again.  He's not such a stranger as they thought.  Can Thomas fight him off and get the staff?

This is a very exciting story with lots of action and lots of secrets.  You can tell there will be another in the series because Thomas hasn't found his father yet.  This is a very enjoyable series.

While the Music Played by Nathaniel Lande

Max had a lot of friends.  They were Jewish but he didn't care.  They lived a good life and shared love between them.  No one ever imagined the evil of Hitler would get to them...

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

Max and his father, Poppy, were an inseparable duo.  They both loved music.  Poppy was a conductor and could play instruments, too.  Max began as a piano turner but moved into a hurdy gurdy player as he matured.  He was in love with Sophie who was his age.  He was best friends with David and Hans.  He thought his life would always be that way.

First his father was drafted into the German army.  He didn't get to see him regularly anymore.  Then people started going missing.  When there was talk of a nice town being set aside for all the Jews, they all took their most cherished belongs and got on the train to go there.  Max was placed with a couple outside the fenced area for the jews because he was German.  When he finally got to visit his friends, he saw the town was not at all nice.  He smuggled some things in and asked his father to send some, too.  Then they began gassing people.  Even the children.

Max sees his father killed.  He and David make their escape and tell Sophie and Hans they will be back for them...

This is a heartrending book to read.  The more you learn, the more sad it is.  This is based on history and it's a good demonstration of why war is so bad...

Belladonna By Anbara Salam

Belladonna is the tale of two girls who grow into woman in the 1950's.  They have a special relationship and when they are sent to college away from home, it suddenly turns intimate.

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

Bridget is Isabella's best friend.  But as the college days go on, she's less available than she'd been before.  Bridget has other friends and does things with them, but she misses Isabella.  When she has a chance to invite her back to her room,Isabella says no.  What's going on?

Bridget begins following Isabella but sees nothing odd.  Then she goes down to the old spa that isn't used anymore and she hears voices.  When she looks through a keyhole at what's going on, she's shocked.  Poor Bridget is going to have to grow up fast...

Island Investigation (Caribbean Cruise Cozy #6) by Susan Harper

Hope, Dae-un and Felix all decide to go snorkeling on their day off.  After all, it's the Bahamas and their tickets are free.

Fairfield Publishing shared this book with me for review (thank you).  It has beeen published and you can get a copy now.

As they finish up snorkeling, they find the generous man with them has also arranged a trip to a very small island where they can snoop around.

As the weather picks up, they realize they should get ready to leave.  It looks like it might be bad.  But the boat that brought them in is gone.  And one of the men in the group is dead.  There are three  people around him and they all say they didn't hit him with that rock.  Someone killed him...

They are the only people on the island.  So they break into one building to get out of the wind.  They store the dead body in there.  They are hungry so they raid the snack machine.  No one cell phones work out here.  They go to bed in whatever chair seems comfortable.

In the morning, they have more snacks and attempt to use the phone to call for help.  When the cops show up everyone is a suspect.

Hope knows it could have been any of the three.  She tries to figure it out.  The cops aren't doing any better.

This is a good mystery with a surprising ending.  I enjoyed it.

The Flash: Supergirl's Sacrifice (Crossover Crisis #2) by Barry Lyga

Those with super powers are working on saving the world but it's not easy.  They've already lost a couple.

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

Cisco and Curtis are still lost in time.  They don't know whether they went forward or back but finding a pile of bison heads gives them a clue.

They are still harboring a few thousand speedster refugees, there is a mad bomber in town, and the Anti-Matter man has just shown up. 

With the forces all working to stop tragedy, there aren't many left to fight new dangers.  Supergirl takes on the Anti-Matter man and stops him, but he's stopped her, too.  She saved Superman earlier in the story, can he save her now?

There's lots of action, lots of plot, and plenty of excitement.  And it's not over yet!

The Geometry of Holding Hands : An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (13) by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a novel about a family that's full of love but not without problems that crop up.  Even the cat has some...

Pantheon and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 28th.

Isabel uses her moral philosophers attributes to deal with the problems in her life.  She's heard some rumors about town but doesn't know if she believes them or not.  Her children bring her all their difficulties and she has to figure out what a good, fair solution would be.  Soon she's caught up in the rumors in town.   Trying to solve them is a trial and her husband observes more than helps.  Then the cat has new romantic involvement that creates some problems, too. 

Will Isabel manage to calm them all down and solve the problems?  Read it and see.

Quintessence by Jess Redman

Alma's parents moved her to a new town.  She knows no one, no one seems to want to know her and she has panic attacks.  She doesn't like living there.  Then she finds an odd little shop and meets a strange old man.  He gives her an odd telescope...

Macmillan Children's Publishing group and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 28th.

She's checking the stars when she sees one explode and a falling fragment looks just like a girl.  She needs the telescope to see that.  She lands in her back yard but when Alma goes out to find her, she runs...

As she begins to search out things, she's suddenly making friends.  They are from astronomy club and they have info and tools to help return the star to the sky.

This is a magical story where Alma keeps working on helping the star even though her parents are watching her.  Her friends are true friends and it takes all four for the magic to happen.

This is a fun read for middle graders.  I enjoyed it.

The Book of Fatal Errors by Dashka Slater

Rufus makes mistakes and he thinks of them as being fatal errors.  He tries hard not to but he has no luck.  Then he gets a unique train from his Grandfather and when he rings the bell he suddenly finds himself seeing fairies!

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 7th.

He soon finds out not all faeries are nice.  Some are, some hate humans.  They pester his grandfather.  Something living under the barn floor bursts through the floorboards after humans.  That's how Grandpa broke his arm.  Now his dad is talking about selling the place.  Rufus can't let that happen, what would happen to the fairies who live there?

As he tries to find all the train parts, a goblin is trying to steal it from him.  He tries hiding it but that doesn't work.  Can he stop the goblins from invading the fairy world?

This is a good fantasy with lots of characters and lots of excitement.  Young ones should enjoy this fantasy!

Lineage Most Lethal : An Ancestry Detective Mystery by S. C. Perkins, Series: Ancestry Detective (#2)

Lucy works with genealogy and she's creating a list of Pippa's relatives and videotaping the living ones.  It's going well.  When she's standing outside the hotel, a man approaches.  He falls and she goes to help him.  He hands her a pen and says keep them safe and dies.

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 21st.

Lucy knows the pen is a Montblanc and her Grandfather collects them, so she asks him to come look at it.  She has no idea it will lead to him telling her about his days during the war.  He was a spy and so was the dead man.

Then a woman dies on her walk and she was a spy, too.  They need to figure the killer out before they are all killed.

The killer was someone I didn't suspect.  The reason was because they killed her Grandfather for being a traitor.  But Lucy found out he was no traitor, he was a undercover agent and was killed by the enemy.  The killer is sure she's lying.  The killer has a gun and intends to kill Lucy and Pippa.  Can they stop the killer?

Little Bear's Treasures by Stella Dreis

Everything Little Bear finds is a treasure to him.  He has high adventures playing with his treasures but when he tries to show his treasures to other animals, they tell him it's junk...

Greystone Kids and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

While he's feeling bad he hears a little voice asking him why his nose was so low.  He finds a little bird who believes in treasures, too.  Soon they have a friendship and they both look for treasures.

Not everyone will have the vision you do but all it takes is one good friend who sees what you do and life is good again...

Cozy Case Files, A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Volume 9 by Donna Andrews, et al

This is a collection of excerpts from novels designed to hook you into reading the book.  They are all interesting and make you drool over what the rest of the story will be like.

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

This is a great way to get a taste of the book.  Is the writing style one you like?  Do the authors raise your interest on the murders being done?  I love cozy mysteries so all of them appealed to me.  I've even read the books for two of them being featured.

This is a good way to find out what you like and then get the book.  You shouldn't be disappointed with your choices.  There's enough of the story revealed you'll know what you are getting into.

Violence On Vacation (Caribbean Cruise Cozy #5) by Susan Harper

Hope is going out again but this time she's taking her sister and some friends with her.  It will be good to see her sister again...

Fairfield Publishing Let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

She's working hard, doing her job, when she visits her sister's table and finds them drinking when they are under aged.  Th.y have fake ID's.  She confiscated them and their drinks.  Devon, Monica's boyfriend, is old enough to drink so she leaves him his drink but wonders if he might not be too old for her sister.

The trip turns into a nightmare when her sister is jailed for murder.  They found her roommate in the closet dead...

She knows Monica didn't do it but the security officer won't listen to her.  She's going to have to find the real murderer before they hit land.  Felix is willing to help her.  Can she find the murderer in a couple of days?

Mike Stone Texas Ranger by Patrick Lindsay

Mike Stone has gone to Texas to get away from his emerging gunfighter status.  He killed a crook who meant to kill him but his quickness was noted and talked about.  He's going to find a cattle drive in Texas and hide from his reputation...

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

Mike suddenly finds himself the owner of a piece of land.  He's thinking of running a few head of cattle.  This cattle drive allowed him to add some of his own cows to it so he will have funds.  But his life is going to get more complicated. The land he inherited is attractive to bank robbers, too.  It's a nice place to hide.

In town, an attractive lady grabs his arm and asks him to take her to the train station.  She has a man following her and wants to discourage him.  She tells Mike her name, thanks him, and boards the train.  Only later does he find out from the lawyer she owns the property next to him.

The outlaws are ready to kill them both to get the land.  But these folks aren't greenhorns...

This was a good western with a bit of romance.  I enjoyed this read.

The Day God Made You by Rory Feek

This is a sweet book that would make a good bedtime story.  Parents tell their children they were made by God.

Thomas Nelson's Children's Books and Net Galley shared this book with me for review (thank you),  It is being published today.

They explain that God knows everything about you.  He knows what you like and what you don't, He knows how you will grow up and what profession you will choose.  He knows everything and He loves you.

This is a heartwarming story that will make your child feel more secured and more loved.  The simple illustrations show off the story and even show a child in a wheelchair.  God loves everyone...

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

Chloe had a lot of responsibilities.  She has a father with Alzheimer's, she has no help and must respond when the home calls.  At least her boss is understanding and let's her go.  Then her best friend writes a script that is a lot like the coffee house she works in with characters like her and her boss.  Chloe and Nick are not happy about it.

Berkley and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this boook for review (thank you).  It will be published July 7th.

Then the movie comes out and it's a hit.  How embarrassing.  The worst part is that Chloe has a crush on Nick.  She can't date him because he's her boss but she'd sure like to.

As time goes on, her brother returns and he's supposed to be helping with dad but he slept through an emergency.  She deals with it even though it was during the movie.  Then she goes and tells her brother off.  It makes her feel a bit better but it doesn't solve anything.

Then Nick starts going with her on visits to her father.  Holding his hand makes her stronger.  She's still got the "leave him alone, he's the boss" thing going.  Then he asks her if she'd like to be partners in his business.

It's too bad he hasn't got the same policy.  He did but it went by the wayside...  Romance is coming for Chloe and it's just what she wanted!

Death on Lily Pond Lane by Carrie Doyle

Antonio owns an inn and is the chef.  She loves putting new recipes together.  She's also taking care of a couple of houses for folks who only spend part-time in the community.  When she goes to one of the houses, she senses something wrong.  She's right.  There's a dead body waiting for her...

Sourcebooks and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 25th.

The body was of a young reporter who was trying to make a name for himself.  He was going to expose the sins of the rich and famous in town.  Someone didn't like that but which one was it?  And the film is missing...

Since Antonio found him, she starts asking questions.  She feels the cops aren't doing enough.  It doesn't take long for her to get in trouble.  The rich don't like questions.

Then an elderly lady dies.  And an ex-wife of a moneyed man is found dead.  She increases her snooping trying to stop the deaths.  But she gets too close to the truth.  Soon she has a knife to her throat with a killer on the other end. Will she be able to stop him?

Excursions to Die For (Caribbean Cruise Cozy #4) by Susan Harper

Hope is happy to see how this cruise is working out.  Everyone is having a good time and the man who took her promotion because his daddy owns the cruise line is finally being decent to her.  Her favorite customers are an old couple who need help getting around but want to see everything, and a young couple on their seventh anniversary.

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

The young couple is looking for another activity so Hope suggests doing parasailing.  They are attached to the ship and they can see for miles up in the air.  The husband is a bit skeptical but his wife is so enthused he says yes.  It's scheduled for the next morning.

The older couple takes a road trip and gets to look out from a lookout to see the beach and animals about.  They loved it.

The parasailing is ready to go the next morning and Hope goes to watch.  They launch the young couple and the cable breaks.  Soon they've flown out to sea...

Hope looks and the launch line was cut.  This was no accident.  They get search and rescue out and they recover the husband.  When they finally find her life jacket, it's shredded.    It looks like a shark got her.

Not only was the line cut, the cameras were disabled.  Who would know how to do that?  And why would anyone want to kill them?

The security guy on board is slow and not real smart, so Hope starts her own investigation with help.  Will she find the killer before they get to their destination?

Storm Dog by L. M. Elliott

She got lost in the woods, fell and hurt herself and started to cry.  Then a dog shows up and loves her to make her feel better.  Together they wander on until they come to a cabin...

Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss books allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 18th.

The woman living in the cabin is war veteran and she meets them at the door with a gun.  It doesn't take long until they are friends.  She worked with a dog in the service and she teaches the young girl how to do it.  (The dog is fearful of the doorway but gets over it with encouragement and treats,)

She learns she can teach her new dog to dance.  With the right tune, they both dance well.  So she's going to the parade and will follow along at the rear and maybe take some of her beautiful sister's glory from her.  It's not easy being her little sister.

Then her sister's boyfriend asks her to help out at the pound.  She does and it's going well until he gets a text from her sister breaking up with him.  The mother is the one who objected to him.  Since he's been cut loose, he takes six dogs from the shelter because they were close to euthanasia time and takes her home.  He leaves the dogs with her because he's going on the road.  She adds them to her show.

There are lessons to be learned here by all parties.  The dogs dancing was very popular and the six dogs were all adopted.  Mom and the older sister learn they aren't beauty queens and gods.  Dad defends the youngest daughter.  It all turns out as it should with happy dogs everywhere.  Even the people are more happy.

I Will Never Forget You by Tatsuya Miyanishi

A baby spinosaurus was looking for red berries near the ocean.  When a tyrannosaurus sees him, he looks like a pleasant little snack.  As he gets ready to eat him, there is an earthquake and they find themselves at sea...

Museyon and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 1st.

At the moment, the tyrannosaurus has lost his appetite and sets the spinosaurus down.  He's amazed at how many compliments the little gives him.  No one had done that before.  He finds out that spinosaurus' family is sick and he needs the berries to make them feel better. 

Just then, they get close enough to the spit of land that the tyrannosaurus grabs his friend and leaps over to it.  But there are no berries left, they were all on the tree on the newly made island.  The tyrannosaurus leaps back and tears the tree down.  Then he leaps again, but he doesn't make it.  He pushes the tree up on the land and tells the little one not to worry about him.  He sinks beneath the waves.

The little one was his very first friend and he wanted to help him.  He did.  The spinosaurus won't forget him.

The Invisible Bear by Cecile Metzger

He lives in the woods alone.  His days are mostly gray.  He's lonely.  He feels invisible.  Then somebody new moves in...

Tundra Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 4th.

His new neighbor brings color and noise.  He's not sure if he likes that.  Then one day he hears her being mournful because her beautiful flowers are dying.  He waters them and she gives him a hug.  Soon they are good friends.

When she leaves, she leaves him a present.  He'll never be without color again...

Dharma: A Rekha Rao Mystery by Vee Kumari

Rekha is a professor who cares for her students.  She is still driven by the thought that they have arrested the wrong man for her father's death.  She wants to prove that but she's already lost one job because it consumes her.  She has to put it on the back burner and move forward at her new school.  Then the professor who mentored her and took the place of her father is killed.  She intends to get to the bottom of that mystery!

Great Life Press and PR by the Book gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Her mother has invited her for dinner again.  That means she's found a new man to introduce her to.  She's unwilling to marry without love, but this man is nice enough.  They even go on another date.  However she's very attracted to the white cop on the case.  How to choose?  That has to be set aside so she can work on the case.

She finds that the weapon used to kill him is a statue that is very old and worth a lot of money.  Where did that come from?  She finds that it was stolen and there must be at least a partner in the area that had it.  She has several subjects in mind but the actual killer is still hidden.  She's shocked when she figures out who did it and the killer comes after her...

It Came from the Sky by Chelsea Sedoti

He was going to do a small explosion and see if his equipment he created would read it.  He didn't anticipate his brother adding more fuel.  It was no small explosion, it was huge! 

Sourcebooks Fire and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 1st.

At first the brothers created a story that a meteorite hit.  Then the older brother got inventive and said he'd seen aliens.  It took no time at all for that story to spread and for more people to say they had encounters with them, too.  Soon the small town was inundated with tourists.

Then the head of a franchise came to town.  He claimed to have been visited by the aliens and had a new product they told him to make that would make people live forever.  The brothers knew it was not true, but how to stop him?

Then there was the cow one of the brothers stole that got away.  This book is filled with silly things and young love.

As for the ending, the truth will come out.  The fake franchise will end, the boys will be doing community service for a while, and life will go back normal.  For a while anyway...

Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison

Evie's husband died of a heart attack.  It wasn't until she visited her lawyer that she found out he had no money.  However, he did leave her a hotel on a little island.  She and her sister go to visit, at her sister's insistence.

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you.  It will publish on August 18th.

They go.  It's decorated in art deco and has maintenance problems but there are gorgeous views.  Just when they think it might be doable, Evie finds the first body.  He's the man that believes he owns the hotel.  He didn't die from the fall, he was murdered.  He had insisted he paid the money back.  Dennis who worked the reception counter told her he'd delivered it to this woman.  She thinks it might be her husband's ex-wife but when more description is given, she knows it wasn't.

She sneaks into the old lady's room next door because she had a lot of medicine in her cabinet and her sister is sick.  She finds the medicine and also finds the old lady dead.  She was murdered, too.  Who can the killer be?

She finds out and then he wants to get rid of her...

Duncan Versus the Googleys by Kate Milner

The scary part of this story is it could come true.  Children are so taken with internet games and the toys that go with them, that while this all fiction and fantasy, there is a small nag at the back of my mind that says "Watch out!

Pushkin's Children's books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 18th.

Duncan wants to stay home and play games on his phone this summer.  His parents are going on a trip so they take him over and drop him off at his aunt's apartment house.  There's no one there to greet him.  His parents leave assuring him he'll find his aunt.  He goes in and his aunt finds him.  She orders him out of the building!  When he explains why he's there, she shoves him in an unoccupied apartment and leaves him.  There are all kinds of boxes in the apartment.  They have Googleys in them.  He thinks about taking one for him but he wants his own back.  His aunt confiscated it.

This is the strangest situation he's ever been.  His aunt hates him.  There's a young girl about his age who lives in the walls so she can't be found.  She's the daughter of the maintenance man.  Then they find a monster in the walls.  He keeps growing.

His aunt is creating a big con.  The Googleys she has are spies.  She invites a bunch of criminals in.  She wants them to do the dirty work.

Can Duncan stop her?  Can Duncan survive the monster?  Read it and see.

Ragweed and Poppy Avi, Brian Floca (Illustrated by)

Avi writes the best children's books.  How could I not read about a cute mouse and his adventures?

Ragweed went out on his own and visited the city.  It was exciting and he met a female mouse he liked but she was in love with another.  He liked them both but he decided to visit the country.  He's riding in a boxcar when a two month old raccoon joins him.  The raccoon wants to be friends.  Ragweed doesn't.  But the poor raccoon has lost his mother, so what's Ragweed to do?

HarperCollins and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It's been published and you can get a copy now.

When Ragweed took the the little raccoon to find his mama, she misunderstood what took meant and flings him through the air.  When he gets up, he runs to get away from the little raccoon.

Then he finds a human's house.  He doesn't want to run into them.  As he sneaks around the house, he hears another voice asking for help.  He really doesn't want to but he's the only one there.  He finds a little deer mouse caught in a trap.  They can't get the trap open, so he goes to ask her family of mice to help.  Some agree and sneak out to do it.  When they get back to the house Poppy is gone.  What happened to her?  And here comes that pesky little raccoon again...

Will Ragweed be able to save Poppy?

No Room at the Morgue by Jean-Patrick Manchette, Alyson Waters (Translated by)

Eugene Tarpon is now a private investigator.  He used to be a cop but killing a demonstrator by accident is unforgivable.  Now, if only he could get some business.

New York Times Review and Edelweiss let me read this book fot review (thank you).  It will be published on August 11th.

Then Memphis Charles shows up.  Her hands are covered in blood and she tells him someone has slit the throat of her roommate.  She wants him to find the killer.

He's trying but then he gets kidnapped off the street by a group of thugs.  She thought they were friends of hers but she's decided not.  He escapes by killing one of them.

Then he's hired by the dead woman's brother.  He wants to find the roommate.  He accuses her of the murder.

As he slogs through the police, the thugs and the brother, he eventually gets the answer, but it' not nice...

Happy Halloween from The Very Busy Spider : A Lift-the-Flap Book Eric Carle, Eric Carle (Illustrated by)

This is a fun book.  There's text giving you clues.  Can you guess what's behind the flap?

Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 11th.

As you travel through the book you meet his characters that were featured in other books.  There's the very busy spider and even the hungry caterpillar.

If your children haven't met them yet, why not buy those books, too?

This book isn't scary so even the young ones can enjoy it.

This would make an excellent Halloween gift!

Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek by Walter Koenig

Can you believe Chekov is eighty-three?

Jacob Brown Press sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

This starts with Walter Koenig's childhood and then covers his acting career and his scriptwriting.  I remember him from Star Trek but he was in so many more plays, shows and other performances.  You would have thought his was a charmed life, but he had his share of disappointments.

It amazes me that many of the people he worked with weren't really friends.  Somehow I expected most of them would get along well...

This book shows his personal thoughts, his resentments, the accomplishments he had and those he was rejected for.

He has a wonderful family.  Got to visit his homeland years later and found much changed.  I think he really wouldn't have changed much in his life.  Good luck, bad luck, he is still a success.

Read this and learn about the man in that Star Trek uniform!

Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin

Oak Bluffs is a black community full of rich people.  Ama and Omar moved there and had a beautiful house.  Ama made a choice not to have children so she became a godmother to three little girls who grew into beautiful young women.

William Morrow sent me an ARE to read for review (thank you).  It will be published June 16th.

As the girls go out into the real world, they learn some of the rough knocks in life.  Not all men are true.  Jobs can separate lovers as they follow their careers.  Grief and pain take their tolls.  But Ama and the home on the bluffs are always there.

It's when Ama begins sharing secrets from the past that things start getting sticky.  They got angry at Ama and angry at Omar (who had passed by this time).  They left to deal with the pain and adjust to what they are told.  All three had secrets from the past and they weren't happy to hear them.

The last time they all got together on the bluff was the last.  The house was given to one daughter, but the others got good inheritances, too.

Even Ama gets a fairytale ending.

The Finisher by Peter Lovesey: Series: PETER DIAMOND MYSTERY, A (#19)

Peter is astonished to see someone he put in prison out running a marathon.  The cop with him points out he's probably served his time but Peter knows he's a bad one.  Then a woman doesn't finish the race and it was the one the convict was pestering.  They begin searching for her or for her body.  The convict likes one night stands.

Soho Crime and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be piblished August 4th.

They can't locate her and they find there are entrances to tunnels under the commons which would be a good place to hide a body.  While Peter is looking into the tunnels, he hurts his leg and has to use a cane.  (Don't slip and fall; damage will come...)  He thinks he sees a body and he can tell it was a runner.  He thinks it's her but they have to leave.  Others think he was seeing things.  But they locate another entrance and bring up a body but it's not the girl.  It's the convict!

The girl is safe, she had stayed a few nights at a hotel before coming home.  She had nothing to do with his death.

As Peter changes his focus, he's coming under fire by his boss at using so many officers in the search.  He can't say much back since he started out in the wrong direction.  His girlfriend is sympathetic.

With human traffickers and a stone cold killer. the search is a challenge. The search is long and the killer was a surprise.  It was actually an accident but it will depend on the judge...

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe

Eva is desperate to prove her magic and become a witch.  If she fails, they will remove all her magic...

Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 4th.

With her mother fighting for her, she gets a ticket on the boat and must go help a town.  She boards the boat, but after a while of sitting and helping out a man on the boat heal his hand, she falls asleep.  She wakes up at the last stop.  She goes out to find the Mayor and check in.  The Mayor is not happy with her.  She wanted an older, more experienced witch.  But she has to take what she gets.

She thinks she'll have a shop where she can help those who need it.  It's just a lump of empty ground.  Her friend gets her some cargo boxes she can use to set up her wares.  But no one comes.

She goes across the street to buy some sweet goodies.  She finds twin sisters fighting and tries to make them better but the shop reshapes, two stores become one and the two dessert goods mix.  They are horrified but folks pour in and buy their goods.

She knows a storm is coming so she sneaks out and magics the buildings to keep them standing.  But there are so many.

Then she comes up with another idea.  Will she save the town and become a witch, or will she fail and lose her magic?

The Forest of Stars by Heather Kassner

Her mother is dying.  If that's not sad enough, her father disappeared a long time ago.  Then, on her deathbed, her mother tells her the wind grabbed him and he flew away.  Louisa knows she floats above the ground, so she must be like her father.  When her mother passes, she decides to go find him.

Henry Holt and Company Books for young readers and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 4th.

As she heads out on her own, she finds a carnival.  She flies over the fence and goes in looking for her father.  A boy has seen her and he's trying to catch her.  He eventually does and she suddenly finds herself with friends she never had before.

One of the women there offers her a place to stay as long as she helps with seamstress duties.  Every thing seems to be going well.  She can fly but can't land.  The boy helps her with that.  Then everything starts going wrong.  Someone is stealing magic...

Who can it be?  Then one of the friends disappears and they go to look for her.  They find where the magic stealer stashes her victims.  As they try to free Merry, Louisa uses her scissors.  That alerts the stealer.

There's a battle that either side could win.  The ending is dramatic.  This was a good read.

Mr Campion's Seance by Mike Ripley

Albert is related to an author by virtue of both being godchildren to the same lady.  He doesn't know a lot about her but the Superintendent wants him to talk to her and find out why the latest book she wrote is the sane as a crime committed.  He doesn't think it was an accident...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 4th.

Campion is concerned.  If she didn't mastermind the murder and robbery, how could her book repeat the actions of the thief so accurately?  Then her next book has the same thing happen.

As he questions people, pestering the publishing house and the author, he still doesn't see how it happened.  Then a  woman he met at the first murder and robbery set up a meeting with him but didn't show.  Come to find out, she's dead outside...

Then the publisher gets killed in her office.  Suddenly he has a clue.  His godsibling is letting her stories out of the bag with a woman she trusts.  She shouldn't.  And he tells her why..

Mr. Campion stories don't move very fast but he gets his man.  In this book he's married and they are very much in love.  She even helps him with his investigation.