Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano and Hannah Morrisey

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Oh what fun it was to read Home for the Homicides! Laugh out loud with arguably the funniest cast of characters (and names) ever assembled while delivering an adorable love story and an intriguing murder mystery.

When SBI (not FBI!!) Special Agents Holly Frost and Mark Shepherd are told they have been chosen to solve a murder in a small town named…Christmas with less than two weeks until…Christmas one would think that would be doable.

Fortunately/unfortunately for the two agents they have a bit of history. Meaning at last year’s Holiday Party Agent Frost ate too many “special” brownies and needless to say a good time was had by both!

Now they are up for the same promotion and still licking their wounds from a night they still remember. They must put their feelings aside and try this one time to work together. You’ll see how that goes….

But back to the present. A dead young woman’s body was discovered with an icicle ornament sticking out of her neck next to the Nativity scene in the center of downtown Christmas. Murder has never been on the menu in Christmas and the townspeople as well as the tourists who come from everywhere to visit this town are not happy.

What Holly and Mark have been able to discover is that the murdered woman seemed to be trolling Christmas for a husband no less. And needless to say, Christmas has a few bachelors! Some, suspects.

There are also many surprise friends and family in the town and with the deadline of solving this before the annual Jingle Bell Jubilee, Holly and Mark must stop flirting…I mean fighting and resolve this before some Grinch decides one of them must die!

Home for the Homicides is so amusing, and extremely creative! You will fall in love with the characters, well most of them anyway and will certainly get into the holiday spirit. I am going to ask Santa for another Holly and Mark adventure!

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #ElleCosimano #HannahMorrissey #HomefortheHomicides for the advanced copy.

Home for the Homicides: A Holly & Mark Mystery (The Holly & Mark Mystery Series, 1): Cosimano, Elle, Morrissey, Hannah: 9781250413352: Amazon.com: Books

Edit Review: Home for the Homicides | Goodreads

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer

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Villa Coco is a beautiful, funny, touching story about a naive college graduate who somehow lands a job in Italy not speaking Italian as a curator for an extremely eccentric elderly Baroness who lives at in a small Italian villa, Villa Coco. What he learns, sees and hears will change his life forever. You see, the Baroness has a few agendas in mind for her new innocent worker. The story is fun, heartbreaking yet powerful in its lessons.

Geoffrey has just graduated from college and after a terrible break-up has sworn off men. Now he must find a job, preferably where no one knows him. So, he can’t believe his luck when he finds an ad searching for a curator at a villa in Italy. And is shocked when he gets the job.

But right from the start, as he heads to the villa through the beautiful Italian countryside, he begins to question his choice. There are well, oddities he begins to notice along the drive which in itself leaves a great deal to be desired as the car bucks the whole way to its destination. Then, there seems to be a very old lady who sits on a road near the Villa who screams in Italian at anyone who passes. And the staff at the villa are a cast of characters in their own right.

But the real character is the Baroness herself, dressed impeccably and at the age of 92 doesn’t quite care what she says or does. She is a mystery. And as Geoffrey will discover so is the job he was supposed to be there to do. Because the Baroness tells him until he learns other jobs, and Italian, that curating will come later. So, it seems he becomes the Baroness’s’ personal assistant, television companion as she watches old mystery series as well as her accomplice as they trapse around Italy so she can do curiously mysterious tasks.

As he begins to hear her stories, her past, her loves and as he begins to meet not only her excentric friends and some of her family he thinks he starts to understand her. Unfortunately, he does not!

But she teaches and he learns and his fear of her begins to soften. Until there seems to be one final story the Baroness needs to play out, and she now feels he is ready to help. But as he will discover is he up for the task?

Villa Coco is filled with humorous stories, heartbreaking lessons to be learned and curious decisions which need to be made. But love. So much love. The Baroness will make sure she is remembered forever.

Published by Doubleday

Villa Coco: A Novel: Greer, Andrew Sean: 9780385551977: Amazon.com: Books

The Paris Files by Eva Jurczyk

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If you are looking for a unique, different type of thriller, The Paris Files is the way to go! Told through police notes, you become familiar with the cast of characters who are a witness to…something. Your curiosity will be piqued, and the story will immediately grab you! The plot itself is the mystery of which we don’t truly discover until later because the story continuously reveals itself.

Genie St. Onge is from Canada traveling in the Philippines, alone and single once again. She really can’t understand why she has such terrible luck in picking a boyfriend. But she has not given up on love.

She meets Jacob, a tourist in the Philippines as well. He is rich, handsome and single and seems to have become smitten with her. They hit it off immediately and begin to spend all their time with each other. Unfortunately, Genie’s next stop is Paris, France and Jacob has decided to stay and surf here. He tells her he just can’t let her go so they pick a day when Jacob will come to Paris and they will rent an apartment for a bit. He promises her he will be there.

But he is not there when the day comes. Once again, she feels like she has made another bad choice. Until he really does show up and they begin a romance like no other. Going everywhere together, visiting bakeries and bread shops and walking all over Paris. They even begin to plan for a future together.

Then one day Genie wakes up one morning to find Jacob and his backpack gone. She begins to wait. One day goes by and then a second. She starts to trace their steps to see if she can find any clues as to what happened to him. She seems to know something terrible has happened. Unfortunately, she only knows his first name and nothing else.

She goes to the police, she tells their neighbors, she calls hospitals, but not only is there no sign of Jacob, but nobody seems to believe her. Even her best friend back home seems to doubt her story.

She takes it upon herself to somehow track him down. She becomes obsessive in her thinking and paranoid that it is someone she knows who has done something bad to him. She must prove she is right no matter what it takes.

The Paris Files will hook you from the first page. The more you read the more invested you become in this mystery. And the dramatic ending is one for the books!

Thank you #NetGalley #PamelaDormanBooks #TheParisFiles #EvaJurczyk for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: The Paris Files: A Novel: 9798217060641: Jurczyk, Eva: Books

Edit Review: The Paris Files: A Novel | Goodreads

The Twelve Loves of Christmas by Various Authors

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The Twelve Loves of Christmas is a delightful compilation of twelve short, delicious holiday love stories. The book is uplifting, will tug at your heart and make you laugh!

The first story is Merry Little Christmas in which two childhood best friends who drifted apart are suddenly years later reconnected over the Christmas holiday. Now, they must face each other, their past and figure out not only what went wrong years ago, but what if anything a future could hold.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas is about a couple who were madly in love when they were young. One wanted to follow his dreams of becoming a singer. She felt because of her choices he would let his dream go so she breaks up with him. Now, they are reunited at an airport and stranded due to a blizzard. This was my favorite story!

The Twelve Loves of Christmas is a delightful compilation of twelve short, delicious holiday love stories. The book is uplifting, will tug at your heart and make you laugh!

The first story is Merry Little Christmas in which two childhood best friends who drifted apart are suddenly years later reconnected over the Christmas holiday. Now, they must face each other, their past and figure out not only what went wrong years ago, but what if anything a future could hold.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas is about a couple who were madly in love when they were young. One wanted to follow his dreams of becoming a singer. She felt because of her choices he would let his dream go so she breaks up with him. Now, they are reunited at an airport and stranded due to a blizzard. This was my favorite story!

Ho, Ho, Ho No is a very funny story about two men who have worked together for a few years. One an optimist in every sense of the word. One a curmudgeon pessimist also in every sense of the word! When the pessimist agrees to help the optimist by playing Santa no less to a group of children, then becomes stranded at said optimists house, well hilarity ensures!

I could go on but I will leave the rest of the love advent calendar of stories for you to delve into with all the surprises and love and warmth (pun intended) as you get in the mood for the upcoming holiday season!

Thank you #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #TheTwelveLovesofChristmas for the advanced copy.

Ho, Ho, Ho No is a very funny story about two men who have worked together for a few years. One an optimist in every sense of the word. One a curmudgeon pessimist also in every sense of the word! When the pessimist agrees to help the optimist by playing Santa no less to a group of children, then becomes stranded at said optimists house, well hilarity ensures!

I could go on but I will leave the rest of the love advent calendar of stories for you to delve into with all the surprises and love and warmth (pun intended) as you get in the mood for the upcoming holiday season!

Thank you #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #TheTwelveLovesofChristmas for the advanced copy.

The Twelve Loves of Christmas: An Advent Romance Collection: Bellefleur, Alexandria, Bryant, Elise, Dade, Olivia, Daria, Alexis, Hogle, Sarah, Jamal, Zakiya N., Jenshak, Rebecca, Joyce, Jessica, Lee, Susan, Richard, Joss, Wardell, M. A., Weatherspoon, Rebekah: 9781668250419: Amazon.com: Books

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Do You See What I See? by Peter Swanson

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I did see what you see and did Mr. Swanson, and it was dark and so enjoyable all at the same time! Do You See What I See is a mysterious, eerie novella. The story takes a group of people, puts them in a lavish house on Cape Cod and dismantles their characters one by one. Yet even though you may think you know what is going to happen, trust me you won’t. Of course there may be a murder as well…

Author Nicholas Child has been asked by his agent to go and assist one of her clients, a popular author by the name of Marco Tavares who seems to be having a difficult time with writing his latest book. She is so desperate she is willing to pay him because he will have to spend the Christmas holiday there, but Nicholas has nowhere else to be and decides this will be perfect for him. A beautiful house working on the Cape with one of the premiere authors and he’s getting paid!

But his arrival is a bit strange. He is met by Marco’s wife Mauve, his sister and grandmother. He soon discovers Marco has also invited a few friends for the holiday as well. This was not exactly how he thought a writing session with Marco would go. He also finds out Marco seems to enjoy imbibing more than writing and spends most days at bars in town. There seems to be a great deal of tension, arguing (and drinking) by all and as he tries to convince Marco to work with him it seems to be a losing battle.

Then after a pretty bad night of drinking Marco is found dead and another body floating in the ocean. Murder is suspected. What could have possibly happened after everybody went to bed? It feels to Nicholas that everybody had a good reason to kill Marco.

So, Nicholas composes a list for the police with clues for them (and us).

What is discovered is no one is really who they seemed to be.

Did You See What I See is suspenseful, startling and the ending a complete surprise!

Thank you #NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #PeterSwanson #DidYouSeeWhatISee for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Do You See What I See?: A Novella – A Chilling Holiday Mystery Novella of a Celebrity Writer’s Christmas Party Gone Wrong: 9780063433670: Swanson, Peter: Books

Edit Review: Do You See What I See? | Goodreads

A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard

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A Map to Murder, although the third book in The Serial Killer Guide to San Fransico Mysteries which FYI I had not read any of the previous books was exciting, enjoyable and extremely thrilling. The story revolves around a popular serial killer tour guide in San Fransico who ends up agreeing to help a young girl whose mother is missing after she pleads for help when the tour is over. But the story evolves into a more complex murder mystery which encapsulates a cold case murder from the 1970’s and now the missing aunt of the victim who came to solve the murder.

The story which travels between the 1970’s-time frame where free love and communes were popular and where we meet the young girl who was killed who came to the area to get away from a bad home situation to try and become a writer. She is there to make money so she can bring her sister there. Unfortunately, she ends up living in a commune where drugs were made. But when she was found dead, she just becomes another statistic of the times.

Present day finds Capri Sanzio who owns a serial killer tour company is shocked when a young girl comes to her after a tour and pleads with her to help find her mother who came to San Fransico a few weeks ago to investigate the cold case of her sister, the young girl’s aunt. But no one in the family has heard from her in days and they all fear the worst. Capri reluctantly agrees and with the help of her police officer boyfriend they begin the task of attempting to follow the mother’s footsteps as well as look into the unsolved murder from years ago.

What follows are a series of clues, many witnesses from years ago no longer alive, some who seem to be hiding information and an abundance of possible suspects. And suddenly Capri finds herself being threatened. And so is her daughter. Clearly not everybody wants her to figure this out! But she seems to be getting close to something. Capris learns in order to solve this case she must figure out the crossover of what happened in the 1970’s with the latest missing person.

A Map to Murder is a wonderfully engrossing can’t put down story with an incredible surprising ending you won’t see coming!

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #MichelleChouinard #AMapToMurder for the advanced copy.

A Map to Murder (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco Mysteries, 3): Chouinard, Michelle: 9781250432063: Amazon.com: Books

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/244967585-a-map-to-murder

Book Club Confidential by Julie Hatcher

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Book Club Confidential is an uplifting and inspiring story about three best friends who have been in a book club together since college. Now, older and not as wiser, they are the only ones left. All three are at a crossroad in their lives whether it be job, romance or fame. At their last book club meeting which was at a new restaurant books were not the only item on the menu. They come up with a fascinating idea as to how to jump start themselves and uplift each other. It sounded good at the time. But what may you ask could possibly go wrong? Well, everything!

Tessa, Kate and Hallie have been best friends since college. As they mull over their lives at their latest book club meeting, they come up with a brilliant idea as to how to make more of their lives and force themselves to do things they never could imagine. The premise? When faced with an issue, they are to ask themselves what would one of their favorite heroines do? And just do that. They eagerly agree.

Tess is a corporate marketer at a firm she has worked for since college. Unfortunately, her boss dismisses her and never seems to see how she holds the company together. Her clients love her, her coworkers adore her and she is exhausted from trying to please everybody. Now she is up for a promotion she is sure she will finally receive. Or so she thought…

Kate is a social fashion media influencer. What she truly would loves to post on social media is all the books she enjoys as well as what her real style of clothes she would really love to wear. She dresses for millions and yet feels so uncomfortable. Kate decides to change her brand.

Hallie is a foodie who loves to create and cook meals. She is a barista at a coffee shop whose boss is constantly berating her. Preparing to marry her boyfriend from college and his very wealthy uppity family whom she knows does not like her, she continues to procrastinate the wedding plans. Tessa and Kate try to help her make a few life changing decisions. Can she though?

Book Club Confidential is a wonderful, thoughtful, funny read about three women who are at turning points in their lives. Do they have the courage to challenge themselves and each other as they move into unknown territory and as they realize the power of change.

Thank you #NewGalley #LakeUnionPublishibng #BookClubConfidential #JulieHatcher for the advanced copy.

Book Club Confidential: A Novel: Hatcher, Julie: 9781662539718: Amazon.com: Books

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Rough Cuts by Glenn R. Miller

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Lights! Cameras! Censors? Rough Cuts is a fascinating, funny story about what happened in the 1920’s when the silent movies went silent and the talkies took over… and so did State censors. Particularly one Reverend on the board in a tiny town in Ohio who almost brought down the movie industry single handedly. Filled with behind-the-scenes drama, secrets which needed to be well, kept secret and one director shooting his last and probably best work who must now deal with one person who could possibly ruin his masterpiece and destroy all his hard artistic work!

Patrick J. Shepard is topping off a long-distinguished career as a movie director with one last motion picture called The Mating Seas-On. He sees great potential in the casting, and all the workers involved. Yes, two of the stars went through a nasty divorce (to each other) and the only young actress has a stage mother to rival any he has ever seen, but as they work through the problems, he sees a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Until…

Revered Harold Dawdry, a minister has been appointed to the Ohio Film Review Censorship Board after the death of the previous minister. who is young and trying to make the parish warm up to him in some way. He decides to not only take this new job seriously, but act as someone who can see moral and ethical issues in just about any movie scene. So much so, he decides to show his parishioners through having them reenact said scenes during the Masses rather than give a sermon. Needless to say, he becomes quite popular with the church goers. But…

Unfortunately, the movie studios whose movies are being cut into pieces and now need to be reedited begin taking a beating. Enter Shepard who for some reason Dawdry has become obsessed with his career and not only wants to take apart his swan song, but make the story lose its heart and soul.

What happens when said director is forced to meet said censor is nothing but genius. Rough Cuts will not only give the reader a lesson in what it took to make some of the first talking movies, but will also have them appreciate the humor, deception but heart that went into the actors and the new motion pictures industry.

Thank you #JackieKarneth #KoehlerBooks #GlennR.Miller #RoughCuts for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Rough Cuts: 9798897470747: Miller, Glenn R.: Books

Edit Review: Rough Cuts | Goodreads

The Treasure House by Amy Matthews

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The Treasure House is truly an inspiring, charming, delightful well…treasure! An uplifting yet heartbreaking story set in a small town in Maine with beautiful scenic images of a seaside which feels so breathtaking as you read, you too want to live there. The plot involves two different families, their hardships and loves, their tragedies and accomplishments and wonderful quirky characters who are there to support.

All Zoe Copeland has ever dreamed of was owning a home of her own. Being able to have her own bedroom and one for her young daughter Flo. A single mother, like her own, she has desperately tried to right all the wrongs she has carried from her own childhood. She will not make those same mistakes with her daughter. She unfortunately was in and out of foster care until finally her own mother ended up in prison. But those buried memories sometimes resurface as she tries to lovingly parent the love of her life.

So, when a work friend mentioned she should look into treasure houses, she had no idea what those were. Come to find out it’s not only a house which you can buy dirt cheap and needs a great deal of love and care, but it could actually fit into her budget.

She discovers a house in a sleepy town in Maine which overlooks the ocean and yes, is filled with what she likes to think of as treasures. Completely dilapidated, the handsome hardware store/lobster shop owner Jake tries to talk her out of the purchase, but something she sees, perhaps the over twenty ceramic cats, makes her feel like she could make this their home. So, with a very hesitant daughter in tow, she uproots them to this “fixer upper”.

With the help of Jake and it seems his endless relatives, and the few full-time residents, Zoe and Flo begin to make their dream come true. But for Zoe, as she begins to look through all the “clutter” she wonders what happened to the owner she only knows as Marly. Jake seems to change the subject every time she brings up her name. Then she finds a box with old letters and begins to see the picture of a real person who loved and lost.

The treasure house holds so many secrets, but one thing is for sure, it was well-loved. But what happened?

The Treasure House is filled with warmth, mystery, life-lessons and hard choices. Most important it is packed with not only so many memories, but with so much love hopefully for generations to come.

Thank you #NetGalley #Dell #AmyMatthews #TheTreasureHouse for the advanced copy.

The Treasure House: A Novel: Matthews, Amy: 9798217375264: Amazon.com: Books

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The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett

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In the Silent Appeal, Janice Hallett has masterfully succeeded in telling a murder story without giving us a murder, victim or suspects until the end! Brilliant! To add to the delight and humor, some of the same characters return from her first book, The Appeal. Once again, the story is told via email and text and group chats.

This year’s Fairway Players theatre production is Agatha Christie’s The Hollow. It is being directed by Kevin and Sarah Jane McDonald. As the auditions begin and there are a couple of juicy women’s parts up for grabs everyone vies for the starring roles. But unfortunately, both Kevin and Sarah Jane were hoping Sarah Jane’s mother would help them out by babysitting, but she opts to audition at another playhouse leaving Sarh Jane as the babysitter in chief and Keven the director in confusion.

Sarah Jane’s sister Nicky Rose who has not been seen in these parts in years as she has been living in Barbados and who with a business partner owns an entertainment company which cruise ships hire talent from appears out of the blue. For what reason? No one knows.

She will not tell anybody why she has come back and acts very mysterious. But she has a knack for theater and Kevin immediately hires her to be his assistant. As the players receive their parts, some not very happy with the casting, one in particular drops out which unfortunately for Kevin leaves him and Sarah Jane searching for a substitute. And who they find is someone, well, the readers will know very well for stirring up trouble as well as being overly friendly. What a treat I may add!

The story takes the reader through the rehearsals, a stage accident and the very different personalities of the characters and the secrets most of them are keeping. Some, affairs, some blackmail and some obsessive. But not as shocking there are secrets, misunderstanding and a very unlikely heroine!

Until opening night when a theatre award critic is in the audience and lo and behold someone is murdered!

I truly don’t want to give anything of substance away as The Silent Appeal is so funny, enjoyable, mysterious and actually very surprising! The uniqueness of the plot and the twists and turns in the lives of the characters will keep you riveted until the last word! My one wish is this series continues.

Thank you #NetGalley #AtriaPress #TheSilentAppeal #JaniceHallett for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: The Silent Appeal: A Novel (The Appeal Series): 9781668083710: Hallett, Janice: Books

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