Read 2018

January .

1. Heavenfield by L.J,Ross  (kindle unlim) 4****
2. Arrvials  and Arrests by Diana Xarissa (kindle unlim) 3***
3. From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon  (kindle unlim) 3***
4. The Lighthouse Keeper by Cynthia Ellingsen  (kindle unlim) 4****
5. Angel by L.J. Ross (kindle unlim) 4****
6. An Amish Christmas: the Bakery by Samantha Bayarr (kindle unlim) 3***
7. Murder in Cottage #6 by Dianne Harmon (kindle unlim) 2**
8. The Diplomat's Daughter by Karin Tanabe (nccls/pb) 3***
9. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (nccls/audio) 3.5***
10. High Force  by L.J,Ross  (kindle unlim) 4****
11. The Silver Music Box by Mina Baites  (kindle unlim) 3***
12. The Bishop's Disgrace by Samantha Bayarr (kindle unlim) 3***
13. The Amish Girl and her Garden by  Samantha Bayarr (kindle unlim) 2.5**
14. Cragside by L.J,Ross  (kindle unlim) 4****
15. Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis ( kindle unlim) 3***
16. Aunt Bessie Provides (jan 19th release) (kindle unlim) 3***
17. Hearts of Resistance by Soraya M. Lane  (kindle unlim) 3***
18. A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey (kindle unlim) 2**
19. Dark Skies by  L.J,Ross  (kindle unlim) 4****
20. Wives of War by Soraya Lane  (kindle unlim) 3***
21. Shadow over  the Fens by Joy Ellis  (kindle unlim) 4****
22. Her Sister's Shoes by Ashley Farley  (kindle unlim) 4****

February

1. Hunted on the Fens by Joy Ellis  (kindle unlim) 3***
2. Irish Lady by Jeannette Baker  (kindle unlim) 2**
3. Sweet Tea Tuesdays by Ashley Farley (kindle unlim) 4****
4. Lost Lives by Malcolm Richards  (kindle unlim) 2**
5. Lowcountry Stranger by Ashley Farley (kindle unlim) 3***
6. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier (nccls/digital) 2.5**
7. Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin  (kindle unlim) 4****
8. Killer on the Fens by Joy Ellis (kindle unlim) 3***
9. An Amish Wedding: The English Groom by Samantha Bayaar  (kindle unlim) 2.5**
10. Magnolia Nights by Ashley Farley (kindle unlim) 3.5***
11. Murder at the University by Faith Martin (kindle unlim) 4****
12. Murder of the Bride by Faith Martin (kindle unlim) 4****
13. Saturdays at Sweeney's by Ashley Farley  (kindle unlim) 3.5***
14. Murder in the VIllage by Faith Martin  (kindle unlim) 4****
15. Murder in the Family by Faith Martin  (kindle unlim) 3***
16. Murder st Home by Faith Martin (kindle unlim) 3***  
17. Murder in the Meadowby Faith Martin  (kindle unlim) 4****
18. Murder in the Mansion by Faith Martin  (kindle unlim) 4****
19. Stalker on the Fens  by Joy Ellis (kindle unlim) 3***
20. Deadly Lies by Chris Colette (kindle unlim) 3.5***
21. Murder in the Garden by Faith Martin (kindle unlim) 4****
22. Special Circumstances by Sheldon Siegel (kindle unlim) 2.5**
    

March

1. The Women in the Castle  by Jessica Shattuck (nccls/digital) 4****
2. Behind Closed Doors by J.J. Marsh (kindle) 2**  $3.33
3. A Time to Kill by Stephen Puleston (kindle) 4****  $3.99
4. Murder Strikes Pink by Josephine Pullein-Thompson (kindle) 2**
5. The Mysterious Package by Christa Nardi (kindle) 2**
6. Pleading Guilty by Scott Turow (pb) 2**
7. Plum Tea Crazy by Laura Childs (nccls/hc) 3***
8. Aleutian Grave by William Donovan (kindle) 1*
9. Saint Maizie by  Jami Attenberg (nccls/hc) 1*
10. Ashes to Autumn by Maria Grazia Swan (kindle) 2**
11. Live and Let Diet by Morgana Best (kindle) 214 pgs Australia 2**
12. Murder by Fire by Faith Martin (kindle) 4****  $.99
13. Nine Lives: Death and Life in Orleans by Dan Baum (arc) 2.5*
14. Summer People by Aaron Stander (kindle) 3***
15. Bitter End by Christine Kling (kindle) 3***

April

1. A Crushing Blow by Penny Kline (kindle) 3***
2. Beyond the Sand Creek Bridge by ? Wyatt (kindle) 3***
3. The Ancient Ones by Lorri Hines (kindle) 1*
4. Buzz Off by Deb Baker & Hannah Reed (kindle) 3***
5. Love, Alice by Barbara Davis (kindle) SA book club selection  4**** $9.99
6. Deadfall in Berlin by R.D. Zimmerman (kindle) 3***
7. Summer at Hideaway Key by Barbara Davis  (nccls/pb ) 4****
8. Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock  (hc) 4****
9. Exposed by Lisa Scottoline (hc) 4****
10. Poison Ivy by by Cynthia Riggs  (nccls/hc ) 3***
11. Bloodroot by Cynthia Riggs  (nccls/hc ) 3***
12. A Canterbury Crime by Brian Kavanagh (kindle) 3***
13. A Nantucket Wedding by Nancy Thayer (nccls/hc) 4****
14. Buyout by Roy Green (kindle) 3***
15. Too Much to Lose by Trisha Fuentes  (nook) 1*
16. Alert by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge (hc) 4****

May

1. Raw Material by J.J. Marsh (kindle) $3.33
2. Tread Softly by  J.J. Marsh (kindle) $3.33
3. The Blitz Business by D. A. Spruzen (kindle) 4****  $.99 
4. Tuxedo Park by Laura Furman (hc) 3.5***
5. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stout  (nccls/hc) 1*
6. Murder at the Mystery Bay Hotel by Marcia Spillers (kindle) 2**
7. Murder at Work by Faith Martin (kindle) 3.5*** $.99
8. A Life for a Life by Lynda McDaniel (kindle ) 4****
9. Murder in Thrall by Ann Cleeland (nccls/hc)  3***
10. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes ( pb) 4****
11. Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky (pb) 3***
12. Murder Never Retires by Faith Martin (kindle) 4**** $3.99
13. Crime of privliege by Walter Walker (pb) 3***

June

1. Claws for Alarm by Karen MacInerney (kindle) 3*** $4.99
2. After You by Jojo Moyes (nccls) 4****
3. By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank  (nccls/hc) 4****
4. Ice Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge by Emma Jameson (kindle ) 3***
5. Iced Under by Barbara Ross (nccls/pb) 3.5***
6. (The) Ghost of Robert Brown: a Mystery Novel by P. Wish (kindle) 2.5**
7. Stowed Away by Barbara Ross (nccls/pb) 3.5***
8. Nosy Neighbors by Lori Copeland  (kindle) 3***
9. Rum Cake Murder by Carol Durand  (kindle) 2**
10. Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes (nccls/pb) 3.5***
11. Last Messages to Berlin by Philippe van Rjndt 3.5***
12. The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes (nccls/digital) 3***
13. Murder of a Lover by Faith Martin (kindle) 3*** $2.99   
14. Seven Bridges by L.J. Ross (kindle) 4****   $2.99   
15. Shadow Play by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 3***
16. Only You by Jojo Moyes (nccls/hc) 4****
17. Eula May and the Clowns of Doom by Amy Mull Fremgen (kindle) 3***
18. The Ghost Walker by Margaret Coel (nccls/pb) 4****

July

1. Antiques Disposal by Barbara Allan (nccls/hc) 3***
2. Uncatalogued by Julie Kaewert (nccls/pb) 3***
3. An Unmentionable Murder by Kate Kingsbury ( nccls/hc)  3***
4. The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan (nccls/) 4****
5. Mind Your Own Beeswax by Hannah Reed  (kindle) 2**
6. Moving Can Be Murder by Susan Santangelo (kindle) 3***
7. Walking on my Grave by Carolyn Hart (nccls/hc) 4****
8. The Dream Stalker by Margaret Coel (nccls/hc) 3.5***
9. Miss Zukas and the Library Murders by Jo Dereske (ncclspb) 3***
10. The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey  (nccls/pb) 3***

August

1. Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan (nccls/hc) 4****
2. The Mask Carver's Son by Alyson Richman (nccls/pb) 3***
3.  Blind Overlook by J.C. Simmons  (kindle) 3***
4. Black Bottom Murder by Carol Durand (kindle) 3***
5. Baking is Murder by Kathy Cranston (kindle) 3***
6. Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths (nccls/hc) 4****
7. Christmas under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin (kindle)  2** $.99  
8. Raw Justice by Diane Capri (kindle) 3***
9. Rest in Pieces  by Katie Graykowski ( kindle ) 2**
10. (A) Crabby Killer by Leighann Dobbs (kindle) 3***
11. A Zen for Murder by Leighann Dobbs (kindle) 3*** $2.99
12. The Chilbury Ladie's Choir by Jennifer Ryan (nccls/hc)  4****
13. Antiques Chop by Barbara Allan (nccls/hc)  3***
14. Murder in Merino  by Sally Goldenbaum  (nccls/hc) 
15. Murder Never Misses by Faith Martin ( kindle )  $2.99
16.  Closure by Randall Wood ( nook) 3.5***
17. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (nccls/hc) 2**
18. A Family Affair by Mary Campisi (nook) 3***

September 

1. Antiques Swap by Barbara Allan (nccls/digital) 3***
2. Ghost on the Case by Carolyn Hart (nccls/hc) 3***
3. Murder at Midnight by Faith Martin (kindle) 3*** $2.99
4. Fatal Obsession by Faith Martin (kindle)  3*** $.99
5. The Story Teller by Margaret Coel  (nccls/ pb)  3***
6. Antiques Con by Barbara Allen (nccls/hc) 3***
7. Buried Lies by Chris Collette (kindle) 3*** $.99
8. Protecctor by Lauren Dewey (nook) 3.5***
9. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves (nccls/hc) 4****
10. The Nest by Cynthia D 'Aprix  Sweeney (pb) 4****
11. Britt Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman (nccls/hc) 3.5***
12. Child's Play by Kevin P. Hill (nook) 1*
13. Caroline's Secret by Amy Lilliard (kindle) 3*** $1.99
14. Accomplished in Murder by Dara England  (kindle ) 3***
15. Scorched Eggs by Laura Child (nccls/hc) 3***
16. Waiter, There's a Clue in my Soup by Camille LaGuire (nook) 1*
17. A Sinister Slice of Murder by Constance Barker (kindle) 2**
18. The Girls in the Garden  by Lisa Jewell (nccls/hc) 3***

October

1. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (nccls/hc ) 3.5***
2. Desolation Mountain by William Kent Kreuger (nccls/hc) 4****
3. Written in Blood by Stephen Puleston (kindle)  4**** need to review
4. Kelly's Koffee Shop  by Dianne Harman (kindle) 2.5**
5. (A) Thyme to Live and a Thyme for Murder by Phoebe Eggle (kindle) 2**
6. A Hair Raising Blowout by Constance Barker (kindle) 2**
7. Overdue for Murder  by Teresa Trent  (kindle) 3***
8. Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton (nccls/hc) 2.5**
9. Murder in Mind by Faith Martin ( kindle ) 4****
10. .Sugar and Iced  by Jenn MacKinlay (nccls/pb) 3***
11. Pushing up Daisies by M.C. Beaton (nccls/hc) 
12. Her Sister's Shadow by Katharine Britton (book club book)
13. 
    
14.  Dark Chcolate Demise by Jenn MacKinlay (nccls/pb)
15. Assignment Prague by Helen Haught Fanick (kindle) 
16. Murder with a View by Veena Hudson (kindle) 
17. Buttercream Murder by Carol Durand (kindle)
18. Accomplished in Murder by Dara England
19. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (nccls/  on hold 8/11
20. Twisted Perception by Bob Avery (kindle) Autumn chall

November

1. Not Quite Dead by Lyla Payne (kindle) Autumn chall
2. When Winter Comes by Celestia Whitehead  (kindle)
3. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (nccls)  (nccls)  on hold 8/11  56 on 1 
4. Death Wore Brown Shorts by Audrey Claire (kindle)
5. Dead on Demand by Sean and Daniel  Campbell (DCI Morton bk 1 kindle)) Brit 
6. Dangerous Shadows by Stella Whitelaw (Brit kindle) 
7. Engineered Murder by Virginia Benson (kindle)
8. Diamonds Aren't Forever by Connie Shelton  (kindle) Heist ladies bk 1) $.99
9. Three Bullets to Queensland by Rick Mofina (nook) 
10. arriage Carol by Chris Fabry, Gary Chapman (kindle)
11. An Appalachian Christmas by Irene Brand (kindle) $.99 (part of Love Finds you under the Mistletoe
12. What Would Nancy Do by Maureen Mullis  (kindle)
13. Zoned for Murder by Evelyn David (kindle)
14. Writing can be Murder by Marilyn Rausch & Mary Donlon (kindle)
15. Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coonts (kindle)
16. The Gate Keeper
17. Wedding Bells and a Body by Holly Plum (kindle) Winter chall
18. 
    

December 

1. Impact for Murder by Cherri Galbiati (Tx hurricane ) 243 pgs Winter chall
2. Edited for Death by Michele Drier (kindle) winter chall
3. Running of the Bulls by Christopher Smith (kindle) winter chall
4. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton (nccls/hc) On hold  #49
5. McNally's Last Case by John Barber (nook) Winter chall
6. Cake Icing, Butt Budder, and Tea Lids by Renee Andrews (kindle)
7.  Child of Silence by Abigail Padgett (kindle)
8. Deadfall in Berlin by Robert Alexander (kindle)
9. Death at Penrose Hill by Rebecca Moisio (kindle)
10. Daughters of the Mill by Terri DuLong  (bk 2 lost souls series)  $.99

Read 2017

January

1. Browsing for Trouble by Amy Lilly  (kindle) 3*** $1.99
2. Hushaby by Celina Grace (kindle) 3***
3. Imago by Celina Grace  (kindle) 3***
4. Invitation to Murder by Elizabeth Bright/Tim Meyers (kindle) 3***
5. Eula Mae and the Flim Flam Nun by Amy Mull Fremgen (kindle) 2.5**
6. Worse than Dead by Stephen Puleston  (kindle) 3*** $3.49
7. Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr (pb)  4**** $.20
8. Dreaming Southern by Linda Bruckheimer 2** $.20
9. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan  4****  $.20
10. A Rather Lovely Inheritance by C.A. Belmond 4****  $.20
11. The Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy 4****  $.20
12. True Blue by Luanne Rice  4**** $.20
13. My One and Only by Kristen Higgins 4****  $.20
14. Picked to Death (Pickers in Paradise bk 1) by Maggie West 2**  (kindle)
15. Peanut Butter Crumble Murder by Deany Ray  (kindle) 2**

February

1. The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (pb) 4**** $.20
2. Broken Highway by Brian Springer  (nook) 1*
3. Crimes for Profit by Tom Raley (kindle ) 1*
4. The Fargenstropple Case by Lia London (kindle)2.5**
5. Fatal Frost by Karen MacInerney (kindle) 4****  $2.00
6. Chasing Tinsel by Ellie Ashe (kindle) 3***
7. Death Visits the Hair Salon by Amy Anderson (bk 1) (kindle) 2**
8. Dead Man's Diamonds by A.R. Winters (kindle) 2**
9. Sage Advice to Cover Up a Murder by Phoebe Eggli  (kindle) 2**,
10. X is for Xmas by Troy Dennison (nook)  1*
11. Welcome to Midnight by Natalie Potts (nook) 1*
12. Cat's Cradle by Shannon Donnelly (nook) 2.5**
13. The Last Days of a Rake by Donna Lea Simpson (nook) 3***
14. Under the Lake by Stuart Woods  (pb) 3***
15. Together Alone by Barbara Delinsky ( pb ) 4****
16. The Whistler by John Grisham ( nccls/digital) 4****
17. Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain (pb) 3.5***

March 

1. One Shot by Lee Child  (pb) 4****
2. A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling (nook) 3***
3. No Sin in the House of Death by T.M. Raymond (kindle) 1*
4. Enduring Passions by David Wiltshire (nccls/hc) 4****
5. (The) Bird House by Kelly Simmons  (nccls/pb) 4****
6. Angora Alibi by Sally Goldenbaum  (nccls/pb) 3***
7. No Distance too Far  By Lauraine Snelling (Blessing #2) (nccls/hc) 3***
8. (A) Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton (nccls/pb) 4****
9. Murder at Merisham Lodge by Celine Grace (kindle) 3***
10. Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs (nccls/hc)  3***
11. Pictures of the Past by Deby Eisenberg (kindle) 4**** $7.99
12. The Bookseller by Mark Pryor (1st Hugo Marston (nccls/hc) 4****
13. The Fashion Police by Sibyl Hodge (nook) 2**
14. The Devil's Kitchen by Stephen Puleston (kindle) 4****
15. Curiosity Killed Dolly Kendall by Gillian Larkin (kindle) 1.5*

April

1. Grave Music by Cynthia Harrod- Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
2. Against the Tide by Stephen Puleston (kindle) 4****  $3.99
3. Death in the English Countryside by Sara Rosett   (kindle) 3.5*** $.33
4. Death in an English Cottage by Sara Rosett  (kindle) 3.5*** $.33
5. Death in Stately Home by by Sara Rosett   (kindle) 3.5***    $.33
6. Cometh the Hour by Jeffrey Archer  (nccls/hc) 4****
7.  Jams, Jellies, and Bodies by Donna Walo Clancy (kindle) 3***
8. A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner (nccls/pb) 3***
9. Clam Wake by Mary Daheim (ccls/digital) 2.5**
10. Holidays Can Be Murder by Connie Shelton (kindle) 2.5**
11. The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel (nccls/pb)  4****
12. In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen (nccls/hc) 4****
13. Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie (ccls/digital) 3.5***
14. Killing Time by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
15. The Fortunate Ones by Ellen Umansky (ncclc/hc) 4****
16. Meet me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan (nccls/digital) 4.5****
17. Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves (nccls/hc) 4****
18. A Body at Book Club by Elizabeth Spann Craig (kindle) $.99

May

1. Agatha's First Case by M.C. Beaton (kindle)3***
2. Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry (nccls/digital) 2**
3. Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo (nccls) 2**
4. Murder in Another Inn by Barbara Fox (kindle) 2**
5. Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore  (ccls/digital) 3***
6. Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas (nccls) 3.5***
7. The Japanese Lover by Isabelle Allende (nccls/hc) 4****
8. A Village Murder by Carola Goodman (pb) 3***
9. The Lavender Lane Lothario by David Handler (nccls/hc) 3.5***
10. Murder on the Tor by Frances Evesham (kindle) 3***
11. Mrs. Thistlethwaite and the Magpie by J.B. Hawker  (kindle) 3.5***
12. The Girls of Summer by Mary Alice Monroe  (nccls/pb) 3.5***
13. Small Town Christmas by Isse Brooke (kindle) 3***
14. A Country Road, a Tree by Jo Baker (nccls/hc) 2**
15. Tin God by Stacy Green (nook) 2**
16. Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer  (nccls/hc) 4****
17. Absolute Liability by J.W. Becton  (kindle) 2**
18. Beware the Orchids by Cynthia Hickey (kindle) 3***

June

1. Dead on Your Feet by Stephen Pulestan (kindle)  4**** $2.99
2. Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank  3.5*** (nccls/hc)
3. Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse  by Nancy Atherton  (nccls/hc) 3***
4. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths  (nccls/hc) 4****
5. Artless by Kathy Hammad  (kindle ) 3***
6. Angels in the Snow by Melody Carlson  (kindle) 4****
7. Shallow Grave by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
8. Gone Tomorrow by  Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
9. Shadow of Power by Steve Martini (hc) 3***
10. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (pb) (SA book club) 4****
11. Blood Sinister by  Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 3.5***
12. ROTTEN EGGs by Terrie Curran (kindle) 2**
13.  Too Close for Comfort by Adam Croft  (nook) 1*
14. Blue Monday by Nicci French (pb) 4**
15. Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller 3*** ( nook)
16. Kiss Carlo by Adrianea Trigiani (nccls/hc) 3.5***
17. The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson (pb) 4****
18. Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan (nccls/digital) 4****
19. Rewriting Monday by Jodie Thomas (pb) 3***

July

1. Under an English Heaven by Alice K. Boatwright (kindle) **** $.99 
2. Black Ice by Anne Stuart (pb) 2**
3.  Hilda Hopkins, Murder She Knit by Vivienne Fagan (kindle) 4****
4. Dear Departed by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
5. Any Port in a Storm by Elaine Orr (kindle) 2.5**
6. Murder is for Keeps by Elizabeth Duncan  (nccls/hc) 4**** 
7. Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman (pb) 3***
8. Murder on the Danube by William S. Shepard  (kindle) 1.5*
9. Egg Nog Murder by Leslie Meier (ccls/digital) 3 * * * 
10. Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford (nccls/pb)  (SA book club) 2**
11.  In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman (pb) 3***
12. Speechless by Stephen Puleston (kindle) 3*** $.99
13. Burn by James Patterson (pb) 4***
14. High Strung by Janice Peacock (kindle) 3***
15. What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman (kindle) 3*** $.79
16. Hotel Paradise by Martha Grimes (pb) 2.5**
17. (A) Bird in the Hand by Diane McCaslin (kindle) 3***p
18. Death in Devon: A Coppins Lock Myst  by Lucinda D. Davis (kindle) 3.5***
19. Just a Touch Dead by Jordaina Sidney Robinson (kindle) 1*
20. Minding Ben by Victoria Brown  (pb) 3***
21. Grammy's Secret Recipe: Strawberry top short myst by C. C. Dragon (kindle) 1.5*
22. Long Lost by Linda Castillo (nccls/digital) 3***
23. The Case of the Screaming Beauty by Alison Golden (kindle) 3***
24. Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman (pb) 3***

August

1. A Shiver at Twilight by Erica Quinn (kindle) 1*
2. Vanished by Joseph Finder ( pb) 4****
3. Exit Wounds by J.A. Jance (kindle) 3.5***
4. Death Penalty by William J. Coughlin  (pb) 4****
5. Schooled in Lies by Angela Henry (kindle) 1*
6. The English Assassin by Daniel Silva (pb) 4****
7. All Girl Filling Station Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg (ccls/ digital) 4****
8. The Case of the Midnight Burglar by Katherine Greenlee (kindle ) 3*** 
9.  Game Over by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (hc) 4****
10. Bedeviled Eggs by Laura Childs  (pb)  3***
11. The Sea Garden by Deborah Lawrenson,  (hc) 3.5***
12.  All the Little Liars by Charlaine  Harris  (hc) 3.5***
13. The Quiet Game by Greg Iles (hc) 4****
14. Fell Purpose by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (hc) 4****
15. The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay (hc) 3***
16. The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry (hc) 4****
17. The One Man by Andrew Gross (hc) 4****
18. The Russian Affair by Michael Wallner  (hc) 2.5**
19. Hidden by Vannetta Chapman (kindle) 2**
    

September

1. Body Line by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc ) 4****
2. Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves (nccls/hc) 3.5***
3. Kill My Darling by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc ) 3.5***
4. Sulfur Springs by William Kent Krueger (nccls /hc) 2.5**
5. Seagull by Ann Cleeves  (nccls/hc ) 4****
6. Stake and Eggs by Laura Childs (nccls/pb) 3.5***
7. Turning Angel by Greg Iles (nccls/hc) 2**
8. This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer (nccls/hc) 3.5***
9. The Café by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (nccls /hc) 4****
10. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (nccls/hc) 4****
11. Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay (nccls/pb) 3***
12. Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay (nccls/pb 3***)
13. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (nccls/hc) 5*****
14. Blood Never Dies by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles  (nccls/hc) 4****
    

October

1. Keep the Home Fires Burning by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles  4****
2. Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier (nccls/hc) 3***
3. The King's Deception by Steve Berry (pb) 3***
4. The Tudor Plot by Steve Berry (pb) 3***
5. The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson (kindle) 3***
6. The Old Cape House by Barbara Struna (kindle) 2**
7. Agatha Raisin and the Witches Tree by M.C. Beaton (nccls/hc) 3***
8. The Shop on Main by Kay Correll (kindle) 3***
9. Armoires and Arsenic by Cassie Page (kindle) 3***
10. Hard Going by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 3.5***
11. Ready to Die by Lisa Jackson  (pb) 4****
12. Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson (nccls/pb) 3***
13. Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton (nccls/hc) 3***
14. The Land of my Dreams by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 3.5***
15. Spider in the sink by Celestine Sibley (pb) 2.5**
16. Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford (nccls/hc) 3.5***
17. Alas, She Drowned by Monica Knightley (kindle) 2**
18. Glass Houses by Louise Penny (nccls/hc) 3.5***
19. The Chocolate Moose Motive by JoAnna Carl (nccls/hc) 3***
20. Star Fall by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
21. One Under by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls/hc) 4****
    

November

1. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva (nccls/hc) 3***
2. Unsolicited by Julie Kaewert (nccls/pb) 3***
3. Unsigned by Julie Kaewert (nccls/pb) 2**
4. Egg Drop Dead by Laura Childs  (nccls/hc) 4****
5. Old Bones by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles  (nccls/hc) 3.5***
6. Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy (nccls/hc) 2.5**
7. The Death Factory by Greg Iles (nook) 3***
8. Hot Water by Herman Weiss (pb) 2**
9. The Long Long Trail by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (nccls) 4****
10. Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo (digital/ccls) 3.5***
11. Power Play by Joseph Finder (hc) 3***
12. Turning Tide by Kate Genet (nook) 1*
13. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen (pb) 3***
14. Aunt Bessie Knows by Diane Xarissa (kindle unlim) 3***
15. Deadly Brew by Karen McInerney (kindle unlim) 3***
16. (The) Budapest House by Marcus Ferrar  (nook) 1*
    

December

1. The Divine Circle of Ladies Digging the Dirt by Dolores Stewart Riccio (kindle unlim) 3.5***
2. Aunt Bessie Likes by Diane Xarissa (kindle unlim) 3.5***
3. Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan (kindle) 4**** $1.99
4. Dig Deep for Murder by Kate Kingsbury (kindle unlim) 3.5***
5. Aunt Bessie Meets by Diane Xarissa (kindle unlim) 3***
6. The Divine Circle of Ladies Burning Their Bridges by Dolores S. Riccio (kindle unlim) 4****
7. Wedding Rows by Kate Kingsbury  (kindle unlim) 4****
8. Beach Rental by Grace Greene (kindle unlim) 3***
9. Beach Winds by Grace Greene (kindle unlim) 3***
10. Beach Wedding  by Grace Greene (kindle unlim) 2**
11. Aunt Bessie Needs by Diana Xarissa   (kindle unlim) 3***
12. Mistletoe Murder by Karen MacInerney (kindle unlim) 3.5***
13. The 13th Gift by Joanne Huist Smith (nccls/hc) 2**
14. Holy Island by L.J. Ross  (kindle unlim) 4****
15. Christmas on the Coast by Rebecca Bexall (kindle unlim) 3***
16. Sycamore Gap by L.J. Ross  (kindle unlim) 4****
17. Service for Two by Kate Kingsbury (kindle unlim) 2.5**
18. Aunt Bessie Observes by Diane Xarissa (kindle unlim) 3***
19. In the Light of the Garden by Heather Burch (kindle unlim) 3***
    

 

Read 2016

 January 

1. Watches of the Night by Sally Wright (kindle) 4****
2. The Lake House by Kate Morton (nccls) 4.5****
3. Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman (kindle) 3.5*** $1.99
4. Joy by Celina Grace (kindle)  3***
5. Death at the Manor by Celina Grace (kindle) 3***
6. In this Hospitable Land by Lynmar Brock  Jr. (kindle) 3***  $.87
7. Aunt Bessie Enjoys by Diane Xarissa (kindle) 3*** $2.99
8. Due North by Melanie Jackson ( kindle ) 2**
9. Tempest in the Tea Room by Libi Astaire (kindle) 2** 
10. Aunt Bessie Finds by Diane Xarissa (kindle)  3.5*** $2.99u
11. A Slice of Murder by Kathy Hunter ( kindle ) 1*
12. California Schemin' by Kate George ( nook) 2**
13. Starlight on Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs (ccls/digital) 4****
14. Granny Smith Investigates by G.M. Dobbs (kindle) 3***
15. Stars over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner (pb) 3***
16. Portrait of a Gossip by Melanie Jackson (kindle) 2.5**
17. Aunt Bessie Goes by Diane Xarissa ( kindle )  $2.99

February

1. The Curious Case of the Black Swan Song by Andrea Frazer (kindle) 3***
2. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (nook) 4****
3. A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett (pb) 3.5***
4. The Innocents by Francesca Segal (pb) 2**
5. East Coast Toast by  Walker Newton (kindle) 2.5**
6. Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer (nccls) 4****
7. Roselli's Gold by Michael Parker ( kindle ) 3***
8. Aunt Bessie's Holiday by Diane Xarissa (kindle) 3***  $2.99 
9. Second Honeymoon by James Patterson (nccls) 3.5 * * * 
10. Best Kept Secrets by Jeffrey Archer ( nccls ) 3.5***
11. Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown (kindle)  3.5*** $ 1.99
12. Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer (nccls) 4****
13. Not a Suspicious Death by Amanda Glenn (kindle) 2**

March

1. Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer (nccls) 4****
2. Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson (hc) 2**
3. Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs (nccls) 3***
4. A Man of Some Repute by Elizabeth Edmundson (kindle) 3.5 ***  $2.00
5. Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke (nccls/digital) 3***
6. A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmundson (kindle)  3.5*** $ 2.00
7. X by Sue Grafton (nccls) 4****
8. Christmas on Candy Cane Lane by Sheila Roberts (nccls digital) 3***
9. A Holiday Yarn by Sally Goldenbaum   (nccls) 4****
10. The Heart of Heathley House by Ruby Loren ( kindle ) 3*** $2.99
11.  All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani (ccls/digital) 2.5**
12. The Leaves of Llewellyn Keep by Ruby Loren (kindle) 2**
13. The Snow of Severley Castle by Ruby Loren ( kindle ) 2.5**
14. The Little Beach Bakery by Jenny Colgan  (ccls/digital 4****
15. The Frost of Friston Manor by Ruby Loren ( kindle ) 3***
16. The End of the Point by Elizabeth Graver (nccls/digital)  2**
17. The Irish Cream Killer by Summer Prescott (kindle) 3***
18. The Gin and Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter   (nccls)  4****
19. Strawberry  Cream Murder by Susan Gillard (kindle ) 3***
20. Murder at the Lighthouse by Frances Evesham  (kindle ) 3***
21. The English German Girl by Jake Wallis Simons   (nccls) 4****
22. A Dyeing Shame by Elizabeth Spann Craig (kindle) 3.5***
23. The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach  by Pam Jenoff  (nccls) 3***

April

1. A Date to Die For by Kathryn Long (nook)  2**
2. The First 48 by Tim Green (hc) 3***
3. Perfect Family by Pam Lewes (hc) 2**
4. Goodbye, Piccadilly by Cynthia Harrod-Eargles ( nccls ) 4****
5. Death to Go by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles ( nccls ) 3.5***
6. The Last Noel by Michael Malone ( nook ) 3***
7. Play Dirty by Sandra Brown ( pb ) 3***
8. Ghost Wanted by Carolyn Hart (ccls/digital) 3***
9. The Gauguin Connection (Genevieve Lenard bk 1) by Estelle Ryan  (nook) 2.5**
10. Photo Finished by Laura Childs (nccls/digital) 3***
11. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson  (nccls) 4****
12. The New Hope by Robyn Carr (ccls/digital) 4****

May

1. Scones and Death in the Cricket Pavilion by Phil Church (kindle) 3***
2. The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore (pb) 4****
3. Robbery, Murders and Cups of Tea by Phil Church ( kindle ) 3***
4. Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan ( nccls ) 4****
5. Christmas Crumbles by M.C. Beaton (nccls/digital) 4****
6. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths (nccls) 3***
7. Murder on the Rocks  (Boddington Bay  Bk 1) by Lucinda D. Davis (kindle) 2**
8. The Blackhouse (Lewis trilogy #1) by Peter May (nccls/digital) 3***
9. Power, Wealth and Murder by Summer Prescott (kindle) 2**
10. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal (nccls/digital) 3***
11. Scam (Stanley Hastings myst bk 12 by Parnell Hall (kindle) 2**
12. The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer (hc) 4****
13. The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan ( nccls / digital ) 4****
14. Retirement can Be Murder by Susan Santangelo ( kindle )  3***
15. Murder at the Bed and Breakfast by Diane Harman  (kindle ) 2***
16. Shallow Waters by Rebecca Bradley (kindle ) 4****
17. No Greater Sacrifice by John C. Stipe (kindle)

June

1. The Quarryman's Daughter Tracie Peterson ( pb) 2.5**
2. One Hoof in the Grave by Carolyn McSparren (kindle) 2.5**
3. Stalker by Faye Kellerman (hc) 4****
4. Ransom for a Russian Prince by Donna Nitz Muller (kindle) 3***
5. (The) Quilt Ripper by Mary Devlin Lynch and Debbie Devlin Zook (kindle ) 4****
6. Tapas,  Carrot Cake and a Corpse by Sherri Bryan  (kindle ) 2.5**
7. Dishing the Dirt by M.C. Beaton (ccls/digital) 3***
8. River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway (arc) 2**
9. The First Directive by Joseph D. McNamara (pb) 3***
10. Death Runs Adrift by Karen MacInerney (nccls) 3***
11. Aunt Bessie Invites  by Diane Xarissa (kindle) 4**** $2.99
12. A Hearse of a Different Color by Tim Cockey (nccls/hc)  3***
13. Musseled Out by Barbara Ross (nccls/pb) 3.5***
14. All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank (nccls/hc ) 4****
15. Buffalo Bill's Dead Now by Margaret Coel (nccls) (hc) 3***
16. Mary Mary by James Patterson ( hc )  3***
17. Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams (nccls/digital) 3***
18. Fogged Inn by Barbara Ross pb (nccls/pb)  3.5***
19. The Island House by Nancy Thayer  (nccls/hc) 3***
20. A Clubbable Woman by Reginald (nccls/hc)  2.5**
21. Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth Duncan  (nccls/hc)

July

1. Christmas at Rosie Hopkin's Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan (nook) $2.99
2. Vanishing Time by Katharine Britton  (kindle ) 3***  $2.99
3. Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinlay (pb) 3***
4. The Murder Road by Stephen Booth ( kindle )  4**** $2.99  
5. Pretty is as Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig (nccls/pb) 3.5***
6. Antiques Flee Market by Barbara Allan  (nccls/hc) 3***
7. Prayers for the Dead by Faye Kellerman ( pb) 3***
8. The Death of an Ambitious Woman by Barbara Ross  (nccls/hc) 3.5***
9. Killing Custer by Margaret Coel  (nccls/hc) 4****
10. The Cherry Harvest by Lucy Sanna (nccls/pb) 4****
11. Murder in the Air by Marilyn Levinson  (kindle) 3***
12. The House by the Lake by Ella Carey (kindle) 2.5** $4.99
13. Wildest Dreams by Robyn Carr  (ccls /digital) 4****
14. Aunt Bessie Joins by Diane Xarissa  (kindle) 3.5*** $2.99
15. Rosemary's Gravy by Melissa Miller (kindle) 4****
16. A Husband for Margaret by Ruth Ann Nordin (nook) 1*
17. Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George (pb) 2**
18. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich (ccls/digital) 4****
19. Murder Al Dente: A Southern Pasta Shop Mystery (bk 1) by Jennifer L. Hart $.99
20. The Marble Mask by Archie Mayer (hc) 2**
21. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (ccls/audio)

August

1. The Retribution by Val McDermid  (nook ) 2**
2. Firecrackered: An Essie Cobb mystery by Patricia Rockwell  3*** $2.99
3. The Deal by Sabin Willett (pb) 3***
4. Killer Road Trip  (sweet southern sleuths bk 5) by Hope Callaghan (kindle) **
5. Snobbery with Violence by Marion Chesney (nccls) ***
6. Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand  (ccls/audio) **
7. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson ( pb ) 3***
8. The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett (nccls) 3***
9. The Successor by Stephen W. Frey (nccls) 4****
10. Executive Privilege by Philip Margolin  (nook) 3***
11. The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow (nccls/digital) 5*****
12. Talking God by Tony Hillerman (pb) 2.5**
13. The) Unburied Dead by Douglas Lindsay (kindle) 2**
14. Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet (nccls/audio) 3.5***
15. The Girl at the Lion D'or by Sebastian Faulks (nccls/pb) 2**
16. The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee  (ccls/digital) 4****
17. The Body in the Wardrobe by Katherine Hall Page (nccls/digital) 3***
18. Memories from Cherry Harvest by Amy Wachspress (nccls/pb) 2**
    

September

1. Songbird by Laci Barry Post (kindle)  2**  $3.79
2. The Serpents Trail by Sue Henry (nccls/hc) 3***
3. Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton (nccls/hc) 2.5**
4. Miss Julia Inherits a Mess by Ann B. Ross  (ccls/digital) 2**
5. Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure by Nancy Atherton  (ccls/digital) 3***
6. The Tooth of Time by Sue Henry (nccls/hc) 4****
7. A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams ( ccls/digital) 3***
8. Death with a Cherry on Top (twisted sisters ice cream bk 1 by Molly Dox 2.5**
9. The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini (nccls/hc)3***
10. Vanilla Baked Murder by Tom Soule ( kindle ) 2**
11. Mistletoe and Murder (Presley Thurman myst bk 5 by Laina Turner (kindle) 1*
12. Peppermint Pandemonium by Constance Barker (kindle) 2.5**
13. A Death in Tuscany by Jennifer L Jennings ( kindle ) 3***
14. Straight into Darkness by Faye Kellerman (pb)  4****
15. Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguest by Sara Barton (kindle) 2.5**
16. Manitou Canyon by William Kent Kreuger (nccls/hc) 4****
17. Antiques Knock-Off by Barbara Allan (nccls/hc) 3***
18. At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen (nccls/digital) 3.5***
19. Mira's Cozy Birthday by Annette Morgan (kindle) 2**
20. Sunshine Beach by Wendy Wax (nccls/hc) 4****
21. Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield (nccls/digital)  4****
22. Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody ( nccls / digital ) 3***
23. Murder Makes a Claim by Gillian Larkin (kindle) 2**
24. Pistachio Lemon Glazed Murder (donut hole myst bk 12) by Susan Gillard 2**
25. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (nccls/hc) 5*****
26. Flight Patterns by Karen White (ccls/digital) 4****
27. Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon bt Nancy Atherton  (nccls/hc) 3***
28. Sick of Shadows by Marion Chesney  (nccls/hc) 3***

October 

1. Traveling Teas shop by Belinda Jones (nccls/pb) 3.5***
2. Naomi's Story by Melanie Schmitt ( kindle ) 2.5**
3. A Plot to Die For by C.A. Larmer 3***  $.99 
4. British Manor Murder by Leslie Meier (nccls/hc) 3***
5. Killer Christmas (Emma Wilde Holiday series bk 1) by Harper Lin (kindle) 2**
6. Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini (nccls/hc) 2.5**
7. Christmas Crazy (Zoe Donovan bk 3) by Kathi Daley (kindle) 2**
8.  Rising Sun, Falling Shadow by Daniel Kalla (nccls/hc) 4 ****
9. Bossy Cakes by K.P. Hilton (kindle) 2**
10. Appalachian Serenade by Sarah Loudin Thomas (kindle ) 3***
11. Bound to Die: Strawberry Shores myst (bk 1) by Mak K. Hans (kindle) 2**
12. Among the Wicked by Linda Castillo (nccls/hc) 4****
13. The Gingerbread Cookie Murder by JoAnne Fluke (nccls/hc) 3***
14. Winter's Child by Margaret Coel Wind River reservation series #20  (nccls/hc) 3.5***
15. The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro (nccls/hc) 4****
16. Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (nccls/hc) 4****
17. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (nccls/hc) 4****
18. A Fair Murder by Gillian Larkin (kindle) 1.5*
19. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (nccls/hc) 4****
20. Summer in a Small Town: Welcome to Icicle Falls/Treasure Beach by Sheila Roberts and Emilie Richards  (kindle) 2**  $1.99
21. Pumpkin Pied by Karen MacInerney (kindle) 3***

November

1. Jasmine Nights by Julia Gregson  (nccls/pb) 3.5***
2. Unbound by Julie Kaewert (nccls/pb) 3***
3. Taxed to Death by Debra Purdy Kong (kindle) 1*
4. Unprintable by Julie Kaewert (nccls/pb) 3***
5. Mirror Ball Man by Joel Brown (kindle) 3***
6. Eternal Murder by Matthew Ismail  1947 Istanbul (nook) 2.5**
7. (A) Shroud for Delilah by Anthea Fraser (kindle) 3.5***
8. Pall Bearers and Pepperoni by Patti Benning (kindle) 3***
9. Bacon Cheddar Murder by Patti Benning (kindle) 3***
10. The Hollow Chest by Alice Tilton (pb) 2**

December

1. Dying Room Only by Kate Kingsbury (nccls/pb) 3***
2. Paint by Murder by Kate Kingsbury (nccls/pb) 3.5***
3. The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flag (ncclshc) 2***
4. Fire When Ready by Kate Kingsbury (nccls/pb) 4****
5. Berried Alive by Kate Kingsbury (nccls/hc) 4****
6. New Math is Murder by Jo-Ann Lamon Recopper (kindle) 3***
7. Death is Long Overdue by Amy Lilly (kindle)  3*** $.99
8. Nightfall over Shanghai by Daniel Kalla  (nccls/hc) 3***
9. Summer Reading is Killing Me by Amy Lilly (kindle)  3*** $.99 ?
10. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham (hc) 3***
11. Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich  (hc) 3***
12. Permanently Deleted by Amy Lilly (kindle) 3*** $.99

Review: Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published January 30th 2006 by Headline Review (first published 2006)               

more details...

ISBN: 0755304896 (ISBN13: 9780755304899)                

edition language : English

From Goodreads:

Lottie Carlyle isn't looking for love when she meets her new boss, Tyler Klein. Living in a beautiful cottage with her two adorable - sometimes - kids in an idyllic village in the Cotswolds, on good terms with her ex-husband and with friends all around, she's happy enough with her lot. But Tyler's perfect for Lottie and quickly she falls for him - and he for her. Unfortunately, there's a problem. For reasons that are totally unfair, Lottie's children HATE Tyler. When a rival for Lottie's affections comes on the scene in the shape of charmer Seb, the children adore him, and he's certainly a distraction. But he's not Tyler - and he's not even at all what he seems. Lottie's got a problem - but thanks, in classic Jill Mansell style, to a tobogganing accident and a delicious series of mix-ups, all will be revealed and true love will find a way.

My thoughts:

Ah, another Jill Mansell book; always a fun read and  never a disappointment. Her stories consistently have light  moments along with tender moments and lots of heart. Toss in some humor and what you get is an enjoyable few hours of reading pleasure.

I think it is the characters that are so endearing and the situations they get themselves into that makes for such a fun reading experience. Mansell really gives her characters personality, so much so that they come to life on the page with plenty of scintillating verve. Mansell really knows how to show her characters' feelings and their coping mechanisms for the relationships they're in. I've yet to find one that has let me down.

Making Your Mind Up is a reprint from 2006. Even so, it is still timely and a wonderful piece of women's contemporary fiction.

 For two former reviews of Mansell's books please click on the following links:
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-c
onsequences-of-love.html

http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-consequences-of-love.htm

You can tell I really like her books! 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Netgalley/Sourcebooks Landmark  in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway

Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: April 7th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 0399170804 (ISBN13


From Goodreads:




The award-winning author of How to Be an American Housewife returns with a poignant story of estranged sisters, forced together by family tragedy, who soon learn that sisterhood knows no limits.

Rachel and Drew Snow may be sisters, but their lives have followed completely different paths.

Married to a wonderful man and a mother to two strong-minded teens, Rachel hasn’t returned to her childhood home since being kicked out by her strict father after an act of careless teenage rebellion. Drew, her younger sister, followed her passion for music but takes side jobs to make ends meet and longs for the stability that has always eluded her. Both sisters recall how close they were, but the distance between them seems more than they can bridge. When their deferential Japanese mother, Hikari, is diagnosed with dementia and gives Rachel power of attorney, Rachel’s domineering father, Killian becomes enraged.

In a rare moment of lucidity, Hikari asks Rachel for a book in her sewing room, and Rachel enlists her sister’s help in the search. The book—which tells the tale of real-life female samurai Tomoe Gozen, an epic saga of love, loss, and conflict during twelfth-century Japan—reveals truths about Drew and Rachel’s relationship that resonate across the centuries, connecting them in ways that turn their differences into assets.



My thoughts: Dilloway has done it again! She captured my attention from the cover; precursor of what was to come - hard, cold, steely image entwined with soft fragile flowers.. The  characters of both caliber found inside . Told from points of view from strong women, one of the twelfth  century Japan and sisters from present day San Diego.

Sisters of Heart and Snow is a wonderful story of family drama, sisterhood/love and motherhood. When Hikari, mother of Rachel and Drew, requested the book, the sisters are somewhat baffled as to the meaning of it all. As time goes by, the sisters begin to empathize with the characters in the book, seeing themselves as either the samurai,Tomoe Gozen or Yamabuchi, housewife and mother.

Both time frames are equally gripping as the women have to deal with life and all it's ups and downs. Not only do they learn a lot about their reticent mother but also a lot about themselves. One thing about Dilloway's books is the fact that the characters stick with me for a long time. I read How to be an American Housewife several years ago and still remember the plot, the characters and how much I liked the book. The same with The Care and Feeding of Roses. Dilloway is an extraordinary author in this respect. I've read hundreds of books since I read Dilloway's first and yet I still remember it while some books I read last week, I can't even remember a single character. This says a lot about the author's ability to capture the reader's attention and make the plot truly memorable. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published March 3rd 2015 by Random House (first published October 7th 2014)

more details...

ISBN: 0812996674 (ISBN13: 9780812996678)

edition language: English

                                

I really liked this one. By the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy fills in the blanks of Queenie's friendship with former co-worker Harold Fry. I read Harold Fry a few years ago and enjoyed that one too. It was a little quirky but I liked the characters and the premise was so unusual; that of a man who hadn't spoken to a woman in twenty years, yet he sets out to walk 600 + miles across England to see her one more time before she dies. Maybe this sounds a little morbid but actually it isn't. I got really caught up in Harold's journey, the intriguing hints at his relationship to his son and wife.

In The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, we learn a lot more about Harold's son and his relationship to Queenie through a letter she is writing to Harold while she waits for him to show up.

I think Rachel Joyce did a fantastic job with her characters and setting. I was very emotionally invested in all of them and enjoyed her writing quite a bit. I think you could read The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy alone but I would recommend reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry first.

Disclosure: A review copy of The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy was provided by Random House/Library Thing in exchange for my honest opinion.

.

Review: The Lost and the Blind by Declan Burke

Hardcover, 240 pages

Expected publication: April 1st 2015 by Severn House Publishers ore details...     

ISBN :0727884646 (ISBN13: 9780727884640)


From Goodreads: 

This gripping Irish thriller is an intriguing new departure for comic noir writer Declan Burke."
A dying man, if he is any kind of man, will live beyond the law. The elderly German, Karl Uxkull, was senile or desperate for attention. Why else would he concoct a tale of Nazi atrocity on the remote island of Delphi, off the coast of Donegal? And why now, 60 years after the event, just when Irish-American billionaire Shay Govern has tendered for a prospecting licence for gold in Lough Swilly?
Journalist Tom Noone doesn t want to know. With his young daughter Emily to provide for, and a ghost-writing commission on Shay Govern s autobiography to deliver, the timing is all wrong. Besides, can it be mere coincidence that Karl Uxkull s tale bears a strong resemblance to the first thriller published by legendary spy novelist Sebastian Devereaux, the reclusive English author who has spent the past 50 years holed up on Delphi?
But when a body is discovered drowned, Tom and Emily find themselves running for their lives, in pursuit of the truth that is their only hope of survival.

 My thoughts: For a book that is billed as a thriller, this one just did not do it for me. That's almost strange because I love books set in Ireland and I love conspiracy theories. Nazi characters involvement in a story fascinate me for some bizarre reason. So, all told, this should have been right up my alley. Wrong!

I found the pace excruciatingly slow, the characters not well developed and the thriller bits were somewhat MIA. My attention kept wandering. This type of book should have had me spellbound and riveted to the pages. Sadly, that did not happen.

I hate to write a negative review but honesty is my primary goal This is just MY experience with the book, you however might love it. Sorry, but this one garners the "meh" 2** rating from me.

Declan Burke is a Goodreads author and can be found on his page here

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Meadowlands: A World War I Family Saga by Elizabeth Jeffrey

Hardcover, 224 pages

Expected publication: April 1st 2015 by Severn House Publishers

more details...

ISBN: 0727884697 (ISBN13: 9780727884695)
From Goodreads:

The comfortable, upper-class lives of the aristocratic Barsham family are set to change forever with the onset of World War I."
August, 1914. The silver wedding celebrations of Sir George Barsham, MP, and his wife, Lady Adelaide, are overshadowed by the declaration of war with Germany. Over the following months, as the male estate workers head for the Front and the maids disappear to work in the newly-opened munitions factory, the Barsham family s comfortable, aristocratic lifestyle is set to change forever.
Determined to do his bit for King and country, James Barsham enlists as an officer and heads for Flanders, leaving Lady Adelaide s maid Polly devastated. To Lady Adelaide s dismay, her younger daughter Millie learns to drive an ambulance: a most unladylike skill. Meanwhile Millie s sister Gina finds fulfilment in helping the local wives and children, left destitute while their husbands are away fighting.
During the course of the war, with devastating loses, the strength of character of the four Barsham siblings will be tested as never before. They will encounter hardship, danger, heartache and unexpected love.      


My Thoughts:. With the popularity of Downton Abby, a historical drama on PBS,it seems there have been quite a few books set during the same WWI timeframe all with all the same "upstairs downstairs" themes and characters seemingly from the same mold. I swear I've read about a butler ironing the newspaper over and over. I still remember Mr. Hudson from Upstairs, Downstairs, ( PBS drama from the 1970's) ironing the newspaper.  So . . . . . .

I started out thinking this was going to be one big clichéd story but then found myself engrossed in the book right away. I was anxious to see what happened with all the  characters especially Polly, James and Gina. I think the author did a credible job with the historical bits and feel of the time, especially the effects of wartime hardship on poor families. It is hard to imagine what those  injured soldiers and their families went through but Ms. Jeffrey really brought these tragic circumstances to life.

Okay, so a few bits were a tad predictable, and yes, Lady Adelaide was more than just a bit annoying, I still enjoyed the book immensely. If you're a fan of romance, family drama, historical/WWI stories or British fiction, this could be the book for you. 4****

Elizabeth Jeffrey was born and grew up in Wivenhoe, the village of her parents and grandparents. Far from being born with a quill in her hand, Elizabeth didn't start serious writing until after her children were born, beginning with short stories - on the premise that not so much paper was wasted if they were rejected! She won first prize in a short story competition run by the Daily Express, which led to an invitation to write for Mills & Boon. This was a useful stepping stone and after publishing five titles for them she moved on to writing historical novels. Her third novel, Cassie Jordan, was short-listed for Angel Prize for East Anglian writers and later The Buttercup Fields (under the title. The Chair Mender,) was short-listed for the very first Catherine Cookson prize. She has written over 15 novels. http://www.severnhouse.com/author/Elizabeth+Jeffrey/9433   Author info from Severn House Publishers website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder Tightly Knit by Vannetta Chapman

 

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published December 6th 2014 by HarperCollins Publishing

more details...

ASIN

B00IWW52H4   

From Goodreads:

"In a town where Amish and Englisch mingle every day, a grisly murder leads to mutual suspicion. Can Amber and Hannah find the killer before fear unravels the community . . . or he strikes again?

Even before she heard of Owen Esch’s death, Hannah Troyer knew something was amiss at The Cat’s Meow yarn shop. The store has been closing at odd times, the ever-dependable Mary isn’t always at her post . . . and an Englisch man h as been seen loitering around back.

Now, as leaves of brown, gold, and orange blanket Middlebury, Indiana, Owen lies dead on the Pumpkinvine Trail. The only clues to the murderer’s identity point in two very different directions—one of them leading right to The Cat’s Meow.

The police call in a federal investigator, but Hannah and Village manager Amber Bowman are in no mood to wait for them to figure out what they already know—that no one from the Amish Village could have killed Owen Esch.

Amber and Hannah will need to work quickly to solve the murder mystery and bring harmony back to the Amish community."    

My thoughts: Even though my first love in reading is a good mystery, in the last few years I have become very enamored of Amish fiction. Mix the two together and you have a winner! One of the best writers of this genre is Vannetta Chapman. She does both equally well.


One mark of a good mystery writer is the inclusion of several viable suspects and Chapman is quite adept at this. Of her six mysteries I have read, all of them have enough red herrings and suspects to keep the reader guessing. Isn't this the fun of reading a whodunit?


Murder Tightly Knit is the second book in the series. Readers do not need to have read the first, although I would recommend it as it was a solid read. Either book can stand alone. A very enjoyable read earning the 4**** rating from me.


Vannetta Chapman is the author of numerous works of Christian fiction featuring members of the Amish community. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com or blog with her at http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/. She can also be found at http://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks...

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by HarperCollins/NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell

Paperback, 432 pages

Expected publication: February 3rd 2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark

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original title: The Unexpected Consequences of Love

ISBN: 1492602086 (ISBN13: 9781492602088)

From Goodreads:

Sophie has no interest in finding love. But what happens when love finds her?

Sophie Wells is a successful photographer with a focus on putting the past firmly behind her. When Josh Strachan returns to the seaside town of Cornwall from the States to run his family's hotel, he can't understand why the fun, sexy girl has zero interest in letting him-or any man for that matter-into her life. He also can't understand how he's been duped into employing Sophie's impulsive friend Tula, whose crush on him is decidedly unrequited. Both girls remain mum about the reasons behind Sophie's indifference to love. But that doesn't mean Josh is going to quit trying...
   

My thoughts : I have never read a Jill Mansell book that I didn't care for. I think I've read just about every book she has written and I've loved them all, a few more than others, but still they are all enjoyable reads. One of Mansell's strong points is her ability to write with her heart and still inject some (okay, lots) of humor into the situations. Every story has more than just a few "laugh out loud" moments. Some of the situations her characters get into just make me chuckle as they are so easy to imagine. Mansell is extremely adroit at bringing farce to life.

In her latest, The Unexpected Consequences of Love, several of the characters find out that love endures even when you think it's not possible. The main character, Sophie, tries to shut off her emotions after a bad situation with her ex-husband but she finds this is not as easy to do as she first thought. I really liked Dot, the older character, who learns that age is not immune to love nor is it as easy to forego especially when a fluke incident puts someone's life in danger.

I really enjoyed Mansell's book and would highly recommend her to anyone who likes chick-lit, humorous British fiction or contemporary romance. There's something for everyone in her books! 4****


Jill Mansell, author of numerous books, can be found on her page.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.