Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases of books we are eagerly awaiting.

From Laura's website: As Charleston’s Food and Wine Festival gets underway, Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop gang introduce the hottest new culinary trend – tea and cheese. But with a shocking murder, raft of suspects, and a bungled investigation, something smells funny. And it’s not just the Gorgonzola!

Bones and Scones is the 12th in the teashop series set in Charleston, South Carolina.

Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-425-23896-7
Pub date: March 1st, 2011

Winners of Beautiful Disaster

Hooray! We have 2 winners for Beautiful Disaster and without further ado and in no particular order  . . . . . . .

Congrats to :

Karen B

Rachel

Winners have been notified and have 48 hours to respond.

Mailbox Monday

 Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted this month by Rose City Reader. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your MM at the hosting blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world.

Caveat: participation in MM can cause your tbr list to grow exponentially. *Penguin at mailbox, a copyrighted image, is used with permission from Club Penguin.*

Two books showed up this week, both from Berkley for review and a giveaway in February.
What exciting books showed up at your house this week?

From Goodreads:

Things start to boil over at the annual Lobster Stew Cook-Off when an award-winning recipe is stolen and a seven-time contest champion mysteriously disappears-leaving Candy no choice but to find out who in Cape Willington, Maine, would get steamed enough to break the law.

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: February 1st 2011 by Berkley

 From Goodreads:

Maggie Singer owns The Seven Year Stitch, an embroidery specialty shop in the small town of Tallulah Falls, Oregon. Trouble strikes when an elderly woman brings an antique piece of embroidery into the shop-and promptly dies of unnatural causes. Now Marcy has to stitch together clues to catch a crafty killer.

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: February 1st 2011 by Signet Book

Winner of Buttercream Bumpoff by Jenn McKinlay

The drawing for one copy of Buttercream Bumpoff  by Jenn McKinlay is now closed and the winner, selected by Random.org  is . . . . . . .


 Rhapsody in Books. 

 Thanks to all the entrants and congrats to Jill. A big thank you to Berkley for generously allowing me to host the giveaway. The next two cozy giveaways will be at the beginning of February for one copy of Town in a Lobster Stew by B.B. Haywood and one copy of Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee. Stay tuned!

Review & Giveaway: Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella

For college student, Mia Montgomery, it's just another day hanging out with friends until she lays eyes on Flynn; a scruffy looking, coarse mouthed,  motorcycling drifter with a past full of secrets and a future full of nothing but uncertainty. When they meet later on in a bar, it's as if the two of them just knew they were soul mates.

"Silence settled between them as Flynn searched the busy bar for a place to hide his vulnerability. He rubbed his palms over his denim-covered thighs, realizing his hands were sweaty. The attraction, like the tide to the moon, kept pulling the two of them toward each other. "

 Mia's youth, freshness and naivete crumbled Flynn's defenses and brought out his vulnerabilities. Flynn was like no one Mia had ever known before. Despite their obvious differences and against all advice from Mia's best friend, Roxanne, Mia and Flynn began an intense love affair that would change both their destinies almost destroying them in the process. On the other hand, it might just be their salvation.

Flynn was the kind of man that could not be pinned down; it would be like trying  to chain a rainbow or a breeze to earth. Even though Flynn could not promise her any future, Mia had complete faith in him knowing that he would never hurt her. The best he could promise was that he would not leave her. That's why it was so devastating when suddenly he was just gone without a word of explanation leaving Mia to agonize over her lost love and wondering how she would take her next breath never mind getting on with her life.

Now he is back; but not the way Mia would have wanted. Roxanne, now a doctor in the local hospital, has called Mia to let her know that Flynn had been in a motorcycle crash and is now in a coma in the ER. Mia leaves a life changing business meeting to rush to Flynn's side. Oh, yeah, there is a slight complication. In the twelve years Flynn has been gone, Mia married Michael Wells after waiting for years for some word or news  from Flynn.

Along with the main plot line, there is a bit of a mysterious sub-plot going on. College girls have been murdered from the midwest all the way to Alabama and Roxanne, is convinced Flynn was somehow involved. This suspicion on Roxanne's part almost ended her long friendship with Mia.

For a debut novel, this was beautifully written and very enjoyable. In fact, other than one scene in the middle, I had a hard time putting this one down. I was so captivated by the characterizations, southern setting, depth of emotions and plot line that I couldn't wait to see what happened next; I just kept turning the pages almost non-stop. Laura Spinella has dug deep to flesh out her characters' feelings and thoughts. It's as if I had been a close friend of  Mia, Flynn and Roxanne for years and had been through all the heartache right along with them. Highly recommended. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Penguin Group at no charge to me in exchange for my honest opinion.

To celebrate the release of Beautiful Disaster Penguin group is allowing me to giveaway 2 copies of the book. US & Canada only. Deadline to enter is January 25th at 5 PM (est). Please be sure to include an e mail address for your comment to qualify. 

 As always, bonus entries can be earned by:

+ 2 for following - just remind me how and under what name you follow
+3 for posting or tweeting about contest with a link included - Be sure to leave me the link.

Good luck!

Weekend cooking: What's for dinner?

Well, it was one of those nights - what to cook for dinner to go with leftover rice pilaf and sliced beets. Let's say my enthusiam was not at the highest levels nor was TBG's. I mentioned steak - he gave me a shrug. Feel like a pork chop? Eh - not really. Hmmmm .... I knew there were a couple of Perdue perfect portion chicken breasts in the freezer so I hauled them out and let them defrost in the fridge. A little after 5 PM I figured I better be making some sort of culinary attempt - here's how it went down.

Trolling through the cabinet, there staring me in the face was a lone can of Cheddar Cheese soup. Okay, I thought, maybe I'm onto something. I got out a corningware dish big enough for the two piece of chicken and sprayed it with Pam. I then put some of the cheddar cheese soup in the bottom, slapped the two pieces of chicken on top of it and seasoned with some salt, Mrs. Dash (original) and a quick grind of McCormick's Garlic Pepper Blend. I then put some more of the soup on top of that followed by some leftover shredded mozzarella; probably about 1/3 cup. Remember, I'm winging it here and trying to use what's on hand. I then found some garlic and cheese croutons with not too many left in the bag. I gave them a few runovers with a rolling pin and put that on top of the dish. It looked a little skimpy so I filled in a few spots with a sprinkling of panko bread crumbs. A little bit of celery flakes were added last which in retrospect should have been somewhere under the crumb mix. They tended to look burnt on the top. Popped it into a preheated 400 degree oven and gave it about 30 minutes.

Result : it was so darned good, I got a piece of paper and wrote it down quickly before I forgot what I did. TBG was all happy with this recipe and proclaimed it a definite keeper. He didn't even mind the left overs we had with it. Now off to the store to stock up on some more Campbell's cheddar cheese soup!

This is my contribution to Weekend Cooking, a meme hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs.

For more information, see the Welcome Post on Beth Fish Reads.

Winner of Buffalo West Wing

The winner of Buffalo West Wing  by Julie Hyzy has been chosen by Random.org.   . . . . . .  a person  who did not leave an e mail address in their comment and when I went to their blog - there was NO contact info. 

 So, to be fair to the people who complied with  "da rules", I ran the numbers again and Ta Da . . . . .

Ryan at Wordsmithonia is the winner and he has been notified. Congrats, Ryan and thank you for being a follower.

Review & Giveaway: Buttercream Bumpoff by Jenn McKinlay

It's another busy day at Fairy Cupcakes bakery and the two owners, Angie DeLaura and Melanie Cooper are gearing up for Valentine's day. During a baking class, Mel's mom, Joyce, bursts through the door to tell her that she has a date. This is big news since she has been widowed for ten years and has not had a date since.

When Mel gets a frantic call fom her mom the night of the big date with Baxter Malloy, Mel can't believe what Joyce tells her; someone has murdered Baxter and Joyce never saw or heard a thing. Baxter may have seemed like a hot catch but apparently someone wants him stone cold dead.

Being the only person with Baxter at the time, the investigation turns their focus to Joyce. Mel  knows her mom couldn't possibly be a murderer so she cooks up a few schemes to try and find the real perpetrator. The more she delves, the more people she finds who had a motive to see Baxter permanently iced.

Can Mel continue to beat out her cupcake competitor, cope with a stalled love life and at the same time help her mom beat a murder rap?

Jenn McKinlay has cooked up a truly fun cozy in Buttercream Bumpoff . Jenn has a wonderful sense of humor and it clearly shows in her writing. There were some scenes where I just had to laugh out loud. I could easily picture the entire book in my head as I was reading. Not too many authors can consistently pull that off! I just love the characters in this series and the deep friendship they share. The rival bakery owner, Olivia Puckett, cracks me up with the crazy antics she goes through to get attention. Jenn has left her characters with some decisions to make and a few unresolved issues. Dang, now I just can't wait for the next one in the series, Death by the Dozen, due out this year.

If you're looking for more info on Jenn and her books, try her website. The first book in the Cupcake Bakery mystery series is Sprinkle with Murder. Once I read that I was hooked. If you like cozy mysteries with a culinary flavor and yummy sounding recipes included, you'll love this one! 5*****

For another opinion, visit with Kay of My Random Acts of Reading.

Disclosure: A Review copy of the book was provided by Berkley at no charge to me for my honest opinion.

Now for the giveaway details: To celebrate last week's release of the book, Berkley is allowing me to give away 1 copy of Buttercream Bumpoff . US only. Deadline to enter is January 21st at 5 PM (est) Please be sure to include an e mail address.

As always bonus points are available by:

+ 2 being a follower, Tell me under what name you follow
+3 tweeting  or posting about and linking to contest (sidebar is ok) Just be sure to give me the link in a comment. Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy

s

Paperback: 320 pages

• Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (January 4,2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425239233
• ISBN-13: 978-0425239230

Well, Julie has done it again! She has come up with a new culinary thriller adventure featuring Ollie Paras, the White House executive chef, that not only grabbed my attention from the beginning but held it throughout the entire book.
It's inaguration day at the White House and Ollie and her staff, not to mention the secret service, are run off their feet. It's a big production when the new president and his family move into the White House. This time it's a little different as the new family, the Hydens, have two young children.
When a box of chicken wings from a popular chain shows up with a note saying they are for the new first kids, Josh and Abby, Ollie follows protocol and does not allow them to have the treat until she finds out where they came from.When they turn out to be poisoned, Ollie and the secret service wonder if the wings were part of a plot against the incoming president. The big question is how did they come to be in the kitchen and how did they get past security. Could it be someone with a hidden agenda? Has there been a security breach?
Not only does Ollie have to worry about security threats and  preparing for a big state dinner but now she is worried about her job. The new first lady has brought in her own personal chef. Unfortunately, he is a kitchen diva who likes to throw hissy fits which really throws everyone off their game. What will Ollie do?
This is the fourth book in the White House Chef series. It's not necessary to have read the preceding three but I would recommend starting with State of the Onion, the first in the series and winner of the Anthony and Barry awards for 2009. With the addition of some new characters, Julie has kept this series fresh and exciting. It's obvious how much research Julie has put into this series. I really enjoyed seeing how the White House staff operates on a day to day basis and how much is involved in putting on a big state dinner.
The twist at the end, which I never saw coming, led to a heart thumping thrill ride of an ending. Great job, Julie!  If you are a fan of cozies or culinary thrillers, this one will definite suit your taste. Recipes are included at the end of the book. I can't wait for the next adventure for Ollie and her friends in the White House kitchen. Such wonderful characters!
If you would like to know more about Julie, you can find her at her website, at Mystery Lovers Kitchen  or at Killer Characters where Julie and several other culinary cozy writers discuss their books, their characters and post some really terrific recipes. There's always something fun going on at all three sites!
Disclosure:  A review copy of Buffalo West Wing was provided by Berkley at no charge for my honest opinion.
To celebrate today's release of Buffalo West Wing, Berkley is allowing me to give away a copy of the book.  To enter: leave me a comment telling me why you would like to read this book.
Be sure to include an e mail address in your comment. Open to US only. Deadline to enter is Jan 14th  at 5 PM (est)  As always, bonus entries can be earned by:
+ 2 being a follower, Tell me under what name you follow
+3 tweeting  or posting about and linking to contest (sidebar is ok) Just be sure to give me the link in a comment. Good luck!

Read in 2011

Here is where I plan to keep a record of books read and to be read. Once I finish the book it will be rated. If there is no rating, it means I just want to read that book in that month.

Ratings criteria or what I call the "put down, pick up factor":

• 1* put it down and leave it down, couldn't stand it, best used as a paperweight, doorstop or kindling.
• 2* meh, could take it or leave it but mostly leave it. I could put it down and not care if I picked it up again or not
• 3* okay enjoyable read, although I liked it, I could put it down easily and not rush back to continue
• 4* I really liked this one, I could put it down but reluctantly and was anxious to get back to it
• 5* Loved it! Couldn't put it down and if I absolutely had to ( if something was on fire or flooding) I couldn't wait to get back to it.

January ~ 6,867 pp

1. In Silence by Erica Spindler  461 pp 4.5 ****
2. Nemesis by Agatha Christie  229 pp 4****
3. Body Double by Tess Gerritson  339 pp 4****
4. Endless Night by Agatha Christie 199 pp 2.5 **
5. From Away by David Carkeet 288 pp 3***
6. Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee 325 pp 4****
7. The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden 324 pp 4****
8. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison H. Bartlett 258 pp 2**
9. Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella  370 pp 4****
10. Death on the Rocks by  Eric Wright 229 pp 2 **
11. Savannah by Eugenia Price 595 pp 3***
12. McNally's Luck by Lawrence Sanders 324 pp 4 ****
13. The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse 260 pp 3***
14. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny 311 pp 4****
15. Scones and Bones by Laura Childs (arc) 295 pp 3.5***
16. The End of the Road by Sue Henry 214 pp 3.5***
17. Exhaustive Enquiries by Betty Rowlands  236 pp 3**
18. The Chocolate Cupid Killings by JoAnna Carl 230  pp 4****
19. Bonjour, Miss Seeton by Hamilton Crane 265 pp 4****
20. Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit by Carole Nelson Douglas 416 pp 3***
21. The Vendetta Defense by Lisa Scottoline 362 pp 4****
22. Dead and Buried by Jean Hager (LP) 337 pp 4****

February ~ 6,164 pp

1. The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney 397 pp 3***
2. Staying at Daisy's by Jill Mansell  501 pp 3.5***
3. The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens 353 pp 4****
4. L.A. Justice by Christopher Darden 454 pp 4****
5. Sea Change by Jeremy Page  273 pp 2**
6. Brick Lane by Monica Ali 415 pp 3***
7. Town in a Lobster Stew by B.B. Haywood 374 pp 4****
8. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruis Zafon 470 pp 3***
9. Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee 290 pp 4****
10. Antiques to Die For by Jane K. Cleland 307 pp 3.5***
11. Fruit of all Evil by Paige Shelton 290 pp 3.5***
12. The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern 312 pp 4****
13. Beyond Recognition by Ridley Pearson 654 pp 4****
14. Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie 198 pp 3***
15. Night of the Living Dandelion by Kate Collins (arc) 311 pp 4****
16. The Refuge by Sue Henry 258 pp 3.5***
17. Wormwood by Susan Wittig Albert 307 pp 3***

March ~ 7,691

1. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld 551 pp 3***
2. A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans 531 pp 3***
3.  Stand the Storm by Breena Clark 321 pp 3***
4. An Absence so Great by Jane Kirkpatrick 383 pp 3***
5. In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson 389 pp 3.5***
6. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell 489 pp 3***
7. Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier   285 pp 2.5**
8. The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice (arc) 285 pp  4.5****
9. I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg 315 pp 4****
10. Sealed with a Kill by Lucy Lawrence 230 pp 4****
11. Busy Bodies  by Joan Hess 246 pp 3.5***
12. Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West 342 pp  3***
13. Keeping Counsel by R.A. Forster 412 pp  3***
14. Zero Cool by John Lange 221 pp 2**
15. Holly Blues by Susan Wittig Albert 288 pp 3.5***
16. Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood 187 pp 3***
17. A Quilters Legacy by Jennifer Chiaverini 310 pp 3.5***
18. Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney  278 pp 3.5***
19. Death of a Chimney Sweep by M.C. Beaton  247 pp  3***
20. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin  345 pp 4.5****
21. Mourning Gloria by Susan Wittig Albert 292 pp 4****
22. The Peach Keeper by  Sarah Addison Allen 273 pp  5*****
23. Murders on Elderberry Road by Sally Goldenbaum 221 pp 3***
24. No Mardi Gras for the Dead by D.J. Donaldson 250 pp 3***

April ~ 4,839 pp

1. How Sweet it is by Sophie Gunn 387 pp 3***
2. Suspicion of Guilt by Barbara Parker  428 pp 4****
3. The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark  357 pp 4****
4. Night Road by Kristen Hannah 385 pp 4****
5. Split Second by Alex Kava 408 pp 3.5***
6. White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson  214 pp 2.5**
7. Dead by Midnight by Carolyn Hart  282 pp 3.5***
8. Just One Look by Harlan Coben 370 pp 4****
9. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See 349 pp 4****
10. Going Wrong by Ruth Rendell 260 pp 2.5**
11. The Gem Collector by P.G. Wodehouse  124 pp 2.5**
12. Hot Mahogany by Stuart Woods 372 pp 3***
13. The Wedding Shawl by Sally Goldenbaum 307 pp 4****
14. Pumped for Murder by Elaine Viets 292 pp 3***
15. Black Swan by Chris Knopf  304 pp 3***

May ~ 5,375 pp

1. Almost Home by Mariah Stewart 391 pp 3.5***
2. Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley 884 pp 4****
3. The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey 306 pp 4****
4. Run for Your Life by James Patterson/Michael Ledwidge 395 pp 3.5***
5. Sheltering Hearts by Robyn Carr (Nook novella) 75 pp 3***
6. Blood Trust by Eric van Lustbader 411 pp 3.5***
7.  Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames 311 pp 3.5***
8. Capture the Night by Geralyn Dawson 372 pp 2.5**
9. Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani 254 pp 3***
10. A Pug's Tale by Alison Pace 289 pp 4****
11. Gracelynn by M.B. Forester-Smythe ( Nook novella) 63 pp 3***
12. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke  307 pp  3***
13. Mothers and Daughters by Rae Meadows 272 pp 4****
14. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny 322 pp 4****
15. A Parfait Murder by Wendy Lyn Watson 280 pp 4****
16. The Freaks of Mayfair by E. F. Benson (Nook ) 103 pp 3***
17. Summer in the South by Cathy Holton  340 pp 5*****

June ~ 8,427 pp

1. One Lucky Cowboy by Carolyn Brown 352 pp 3.5***
2. Her Sister's Shadow by Katharine Britton 341 pp 4****
3. The Jeeves Collection by P.G. Wodehouse (Nook)  285 pp 5*****
4. Cool Beans by Erynn Magnum (Nook) 205 pp 3***
5. The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen 290 pp 2.5**
6. Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax 404 pp 4****
7. The Heartbreaker by Susan Howatch 484 pp 2**
8. The Worst Thing by Aaron Elkins 296 pp 3***
9. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy  392 pp 4****
10. Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell (Nook) 429 pp 4****
11. Invisible by Lorena McCourtney (Nook) 275 pp 3***
12. At the Corner of Love and Heartache by Curtiss Ann Matlock 441 pp 2.5**
13. Unraveled by Maggie Sefton 292 pp 3***
14.  Live to Tell by Wendi Corsi Staub (Nook) 400 pp 4****   
15. The Orchid Memorandum by Tony Attanasio 201 pp 4****
16. Foul Play at the PTA by Laura Alden (ARC) 312 pp 4****
17. One Deadly Sister by Rod Hoisington  (Nook)  619 pp  3.5***
18. Pie a la Murder by Melinda Wells  308 pp 4****
19. Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay 291 pp 4****
20. The Blackheath Poisonings by Julian Symons 301 pp 2.5**
21. Murder, My Deer by Jacqueline Girdner 275 pp 3***
22. The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto (Nook ) 192 pp 2.5**
23. Missing Persons by Stephen White 312 pp 3***
24. At home in Mitford by Jan Karon  446 pp 3***

July ~ 7,588 pp

1. The Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier  286 pp 3.5***
2. Bridleton by Becky Barker (Nook)  329 pp 3***
3. Kathleen by Brendan Gerard O'Brien (Nook novella) 81 pp 3***
4. Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon 549 pp 3***
5. Nobody Lives Forever by Edna Buchanan 399 pp 3***
6. The Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennett (Nook) 149 pp 3***
7. Edith by M.B. Forester-Smythe (Nook novella) 84 pp 2**
8. Now You Don't by Roma Greth 311 pp  1*
9. Roses are Red by James Patterson  378 pp 3***
10. Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad (Nook)  280 pp 3.5***
11. This Fine Life by Eva Marie Emerson (Nook) 301 pp 3***
12. The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff  304pp 3.5***
13. The Mistress' House by Leigh Michaels  192 pp 2.5**
14. Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon 447 pp 2**
15. The Department of Lost and Found by Alison Winn Scotch  (Nook) 343 pp 3.5***
16. You Only Die Twice by Edna Buchanan  292 pp 4****
17. 61 Hours by Lee Child  383 pp 4****
18. Worth Dying For by Lee Child  384 pp  3.5***
19. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (Nook) 163 pp 2.5**
20. Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Townsend  294 pp  3***
21. Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann  29 pp 2.5**
22. A Sheetcake Named Desire by Jacklyn Brady  296 pp 4****
23. Unplugged by Lois Greiman ( lg print) 433 pp 2.5**
24. Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle  363 pp 3***
25. Hot Wire  by  Alex Kava  291 pp  4****
26.  The Front Porch Prophet by Raymond  Atkins (Nook ) 227 pp  4****

August ~ 7,299 pp

1. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (Nook) 356 pp 3.5***
2. A Catered Affair by Sue Margolis  369 pp 3***
3. Death of a Trophy Wife by Laura Levine  (Nook)  201 pp 4****
4. Lye in Wait by Cricket McCrae  (Nook) 237 pp  3.5***
5. Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian  (Nook) 231 pp 3***
6. Whispers in the Sand by Barbara Erskine  (arc) 467 pp 4****
7. Cul-de-Sac by David Martin  340 pp 2**
8. The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans 560 pp  4****
9. The Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels 323 pp  4****
10. Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods 404 pp (lg print) 3***
11. Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer (Nook) 232 pp 3***
12. The Body in the Bonfire by Katherine Hall Page  238 pp 3***
13. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell  362 pp 1.5*
14. Charmed to Death by Shirley Damsgaard 3.5***
15. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet  232 pp 4****
16. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberley 261 pp 3***
17. Miss Match by Erynn Mangum  (Nook) 244 pp 2**
18. Thread Reckoning by Amanda Lee 322 pp 3.5***
19. The Perfect Suspect by Margaret Coel  293 pp 4.5****
20. The Craigslist Murders by Brenda Cullerton 244 pp 2.5**
21. The Light in the Window by Jan Karon 413 pp 3***
22. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman 334 pp 5*****
23. Mind Over Murder by Alison Kingsley 262 pp 4****
24. Death in a Difficult Position by Diana Killian 295 pp 3.5***
25. Vixen by Jillian Larkin  421 pp  2.5** 
26. Topper Takes a Trip (nook) by Thorne Smith 241 pp 2**

September ~ 8,352

1. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby  306 pp 4****
2. The Accidental Best Seller by Wendy Wax 419 pp 4****
3. A Small Case of Murder by Laurie Carr 356 pp 2.5**
4. The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry 436 pp 3.5 ***
5. The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry (lg print) 683 pp 4****
6. A Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C. A. Belmond 342 pp 3.5***
7. The Slug Monster of Webster County by Lewis McGhee  104 pp 2.5**
8. The Woman Who Heard Color by Kelly Jones 400 pp 4****
9. No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod 304 pp 2**
10. Deadly Masquerade by Tracey Tillis 312 pp  3***
11. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 504 pp 3.5***
12. Willow by V.C. Andrews 464 pp  2.5**
13. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan 384 pp 4****
14.  Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan (nook) 290 pp 3***
15. Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise  by Joyce Mangin (nook) 305 pp 3***
16. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (nook) 228 pp 3***
17. Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker (nook) 242 pp 3***
18. The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (nook) 247 pp 3***
19. A Time to Heal by Barbara Cameron (nook) 210 pp 3*
20. The Attorney by Steve Martini 448 pp 3.5***
21. X Dames by J. J. Henderson 213 pp 2**
22. Skeleton Letters by Laura Childs 323 pp 3.5***
23. Ghost in Trouble by Carolyn Hart 276 pp 4****
24. A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron (nook) 200 pp 3***
25. Cooking the Books by Bonnie S. Callahan 304 pp (NG) 2.5**
26. No Way to Murder a Lady by Thomas Kennedy (Nook short) 52 pp 1.5*

October ~ 8,640 pp

1. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley 432 pp 4****
2. Twice Burned by Kit Craig 343 pp 2.5**
3. The Man Who Cast Two Shadows by Carol O'Connell 322 pp 2**
4. Death by the Dozen by Jenn Mckinlay 294 pp 3.5***
5. Dakota by Martha Grimes 414 pp 3***
6. The Drowning Man by Margaret Coel 321 pp  4****
7. The Deception at Lyme by Carrie Bebris 320 pp 4****
8. Sunrise on Cedar Key  by Terri DuLong 352 pp 4****
9. No Lesser Plea by Robert Tanenbaum 366 pp 3***
10. Cemetery Girl by David Bell SA/penguin 389 pp 2.5**
11. Promissory Payback by Laurel Dewey 48 pp (nook) 3***
12. Unrevealed by Laurel Dewey (nook) 80 pp (partners in crime) ''  ''3.5***
13. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston 240 pp 5*****
14. To Catch a Leaf (arc) by Kate Collins 336 pp  4****
15. The Time In Between by Maria Duenas 609 pp 3.5***
16. Killer Sweet Tooth by Gayle Trent 240 pp 3.5***
17. Buttonholed by Kylie Logan 282 pp 4****
18. A Secret Life : Lord Hawkesbury's Players by C.J. Archer (nook) 660 pp 3.5***
19. I Shall Not Want by Debbie Viguié (nook) 204 pp 1*
20. Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer (nook) 209 pp 4****
21. A Brisket, a Casket by Delia Rosen (nook) 188 pp 3***
22. Elvis and the Dearly Departed by Peggy Webb (nook) 209 pp 2**
23. Griselda Takes Flight by Joyce Magnin (nook) 290 3.5***
24. Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels (nook) 160 pp 3***
25. Love a la Carte by Jeffrey Stepakoff  (nook short) 17 pp 3***
26. Brenin by M.B. Forster-Smythe (nook) 147 pp 3***
27. Bubba and the Dead Woman by C.L Bevill (nook) 528 pp 3.5***
28. The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer  (nook) 202 pp 4****
29. A Wee Christmas Homicide by  Kaitlyn Dunnett (nook) 224 pp  3.5***
30. Why Shoot a Butler by Georgette Heyer (nook)  213 pp 3***

November ~ 6,869

1. The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde 370 pp 3***
2. A Trick of the Light bt Louise Penny 339 pp 4****
3. Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mixup by Emily Brightwell 265  pp  3***
4.  Home Town Girl by Mariah Stewart 352 pp  4****
5. Bitter Harvest by Sheila Connolly 291 pp  3***
6. Divine Circle of Ladies Tipping the Scales by Dolores Riccio  403 pp 4****
7. Orchestrated Murder by Rick Blechta  128 pp 2.5**
8. Katie's Way by Marta Perry  352 pp 3.5***
9. Fault Line by Sarah Andrews  307 pp 3***
10. The Temple Mount Code by Charles Brokaw  352 pp 3.5***
11. A Pinch of Love by Alicia Bessette 310 pp 3.5***
12. The Last Word by Ellery Adams  312 pp  4****
13.  A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods  285 pp 2.5**
14. Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley (nook) 205 pp  3***
15. A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer (nook) 194 pp   3***
16. Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer (nook) 249 pp  4****
17. Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry  (nook) 258 pp  4****
18. Fools Rush in by Janice Thompson (nook) 272 pp 3***
19. The Glass Case by Kristin Hannah (nook short) 39 pp 4****
20. Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes  (nook) 318 pp 4****
21. Nefertiti by Nick Drake ( nook) 314 pp  2.5**
22. A Daughter's Inheritance by Tracie Peterson, Judith McCoy Miller (nook) 384 pp   3***
23. A Very Holly Christmas by Sheila Roberts (nook short) 19 pp 1.5*
24. The Divine Circle of Ladies Painting the Town by Dolores Riccio (kindle) 300 pp 4****
25. When Christmas Comes by Debbie Macomber 251 pp 3***

December ~ 7,580

1. All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson 302 pp 2.5**
2. Threadbare by Monica Ferris  (berkley) 260 pp 4****
3. When the Wind Blows by James Patterson 416 pp 3.5***
4. Queen Hereafter by Susan Frasier King 357 pp 3***
5. The Chocolate Castle Clue by Joanne Fluke 302 pp 3.5***
6.  Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark 368 pp 3***
7. An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman  293 pp 3***
8. One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson (nook) 280 pp 4****
9. Charmed: A Sugar Maple Short Story by Barbara Bretton (nook) 87 pp 3***
10. The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin (kindle) 400 pp 3***
11. High Tide by Ann Summerville (kindle) 236 pp 3.5***
12. A Graceful Death by Ann Summerville  (kindle) 224 pp 4****
13. Buried Sins by Marta Perry (kindle)  256 pp  4****
14. Iron Lake by William Kent Kreuger  (nook) 330 pp 3.5***
15. Sweet Masterpiece by Connie Shelton  (kndle) 242 pp 4****
16. White Christmas Pansies by Linda Hall (nook short story) 20 pp 2.5**
17. Keiko's House by Hugh Ashton (nook short story) 20 pp 3***
18. The Girl in the Lighthouse by Roxane Teper Sanford (nook) 256 pp 2**
19. A Simple Amish Christmas by Vanetta Chapman (nook) 209 pp 3.5***
20. Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone (nook) 491 pp 4****
21. Untouchable by Scott O'Connor (nook) 380 pp 3.5***
22. A Christmas to Die For by Marta Perry (kindle) 256 pp 4****
23. The Abigail Affair by Tim Frost (kindle) 200 pp 3.5***
24. Christmas at Harringtons by Melody Carlson (kindle) 192 pp 4****
25. The Third Heiress by Brenda Joyce (nook) 480 pp 3.5***
26. The Christmas Bus by Melody Carlson 176 pp 3***
27. Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr 331 pp 4****
28. Damsel in Distress by P.G. Wodehouse (kindle)  216 pp 3.5***
29. A Christmas to Die For by Marta Perry (kindle)  ?pp 4****
30. Deadly Gamble by Connie Shelton (kindle) ? pp 4****
31. Gold, Frankincense and Murder by Barbara Early ? pp 2**
32. Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andreï Makine 241 pp 1.5*
33. Blame it on the Mistletoe by Joyce Magnin kindle  ? pp  3.5***