Lisa's Cubby

Julie Carrick Dalton’s first novel Waiting for the Night Song has so many incredibly profound layers it makes it difficult to know where to begin a review of this truly deep and haunting story.

Years ago two best friends Cadie Kessler and Daniela Garcia, both very young spent a summer picking blueberries and writing down promises they made to each other. But something happened to them during that season which both traumatized them and ended their friendship.

But all that is about to change. A body has been discovered, dead for many years near their New Hampshire homes and Daniela’s father is being questioned as a possible suspect.

So when Cadie, now an entomologist forest researcher looking into the correlation of certain beetles and imminent forest fires receives a phone call from Daniela whom she has not seen since that summer, imploring her to come home because what they know is about to be become common knowledge, Cadie goes back because she knows both their worlds will explode if their involvement ever comes out.

But what Daniela is unaware of is that Cadie knows much more than she had ever shared. She knows everything and has bared the brunt of that understanding her whole life trying to protect her best friend. Or so she thought. Within the secrets and promises they had shared with each other are some no one can ever knew.

Now Cadie must make the toughest decision of her life. She must either tell the truth of what she knows or betray her best friend who she feels she is befriending again. And now Daniela has a young daughter that Cadie must consider as well.

This is not just a murder mystery. Within the novel there are threads which are resonating in our lives today. The novel delves into climate control and what that could possibly mean for our forests. It touches on collegiate schools not wanting to rock the boat by going all in when it comes to the problem for fear of losing funding. And that is not all. The book also probes the issues of the rights of immigrants, some who are illegal but have been here for decades.

Waiting for the Night Song seemingly has it all. From a fast paced mystery thriller to compelling thought provoking issues tackled beautifully, this is a story which forces the reader to think outside the box.

Thank you #NetGalley #ForgeBooks #WaitingfortheNightSong #JulieCarrickDalton for the advanced copy.

The Lost Manuscript is a beautiful uplifting story about a manuscript accidently misplaced and all the people whose lives were changed or inspired after reading it, including its own authors.

Told in letters, the story begins when Anne-Lise Briard finds a manuscript tucked away in a drawer in the hotel room she is staying in France. She finds a name and address within its pages and sends off a letter. She immediately falls in love with the story in the manuscript. She soon gets her reply by mail from the author who tells her he lost the manuscript over 30 years ago, but never completed the story so is unsure as to who or when the manuscript was completed.

Anne-Lise intrigued by the mystery makes it her mission to track down who finished the manuscript and how it ended up in the drawer. With few clues and a little help from old and new friends she begins a journey which will take her all over France, London and beyond.

During her investigation she will learn the manuscript has changed hands many times. How the power of the story and the way each person found the manuscript and how reading it affected them, giving them the strength they needed to endure lost love, heartaches and heartbreaks, new love and past love.

Along the way she too gains strength from their stories, some which were never suppose to be told, while learning how sometimes true love never dies, but is capable of finding its way back to where it always belonged.

The conclusion to this cleverly written book will both satisfy you and will certainly bring you to tears as the long journey of the lost manuscript falls into the hands of its rightful owners and finds its way home.

The latest installment in the Hannah Swensen series finds Lake Eden Mayor Bascomb, a notorious cheater and scammer, dead in his office after having a very heated exchange with Hannah’s sister Andrea. Unfortunately this makes her the prime suspect.

Andrea says she did go back to the Mayor’s office but to apologize and give him a piece of Hannah’s Triple Chocolate Cheesecake where she found him dead. With husband Bill unable to help with the murder investigation, it is up to Hannah to try and clear her sister’s name.

Hannah goes into case solving mode to try and find out what really happened. But with so many residents who live in town and others who have left who the Mayor has offended throughout the years, (including his wife), Hannah must begin the long process of eliminating suspects.

And while this investigation is going on, Hannah herself is very busy preparing for the Easter season at her cookie shop, The Cookie Jar. She has been experimenting with not only new cookie ideas, but cupcakes as well.

More importantly though, Hannah is still trying to come to grips with her husband’s murder and all that entailed while still unable to live at her condo where the murder took place. She is like a nomad moving from her mother’s apartment to her friend Norman’s house. Her life seems to be in quite a turmoil and now with the pressure to help her sister she feels as if she is in a fog.

Hopefully her head will clear long enough to solve this murder or she could be the killer’s next victim.

Once again, Joanne Fluke has written a wonderful cozy murder mystery with characters we all love and look forward to reading about to find out where they are headed next. And this book comes just in time for bakers everywhere looking for some new recipes! Sometimes it’s just nice to read a good old fashion who done it which features mouth watering recipes we can try once we catch the killer!

Thank you #NetGalley #Kensington #JoanneFluke #TripleChocolateCheesecakeMurder for the advanced copy.

This really is not a ghost story, but…it is as creepy and close to one as you can possibly get! This is not a love story, but…it is as heartbreaking as any story can possibly be.

This is a story of a young girl, looking to put the past behind her to hopefully evolve into a better future.

The story is told to the reader by Daffodil Franklin, a young woman who will be attending college this coming fall. As other seniors take their summer before college to enjoy friends and relax, Daffodil finds a job working in order to support herself in school. But something happened to Daffodil which she will not tell us. She calls it the thing that cannot be said.

She finds an incredible job babysitting a huge house for the summer for a professor who needs to be out of town. There is construction going on and he would like someone to house sit and make sure all goes well. And the pay is incredible.

But from the moment she steps into the house she feels like something is off. From strange workers, to a friend of the professor’s who seems to pop in anytime she likes, everything seems a bit unsettling. Perhaps she doesn’t belong there. Why did she take this job? But the bottom line, she needs the money and can’t leave.

Then things go missing and missing things show up. Perhaps the house is angry at her for some reason. When these strange occurrences begin to happen Daffodil shrugs them off as old house syndrome. This house does have quite the story behind it. But when these unusual irregularities begin to creep into her dreams, she tries to explain them away as still being upset about the thing she will not tell us.

The longer her stay in the house, the more bitter the house becomes, and Daffodil begins to not know what is reality and what is hallucination. Perhaps in anger the house wants to swallow her up. But why?

And with the astonishing conclusion when we finally, finally discover what the thing is she will not say, we come to many realizations about Daffodil, the workmen, her life and the house.

An incredible page turner.

But…this is not a ghost story, I promise…

In the second book by the author of The Tenant, we find Detective Jeppe Korner now divorced and living with his anxiety ridden, overbearing mother. His partner Anette Werner is out on maternity leave after a very surprising pregnancy.

When a paperboy finds the dead body of a naked woman in a fountain with slits all over her body and all the blood drained out of her Korner and replacement partner Falck, a bumbling sort of detective, begin to try and put the pieces of this murder together.

Werner, who is having a difficult time adjusting to motherhood and the whole bonding experience recognizes the name of the murdered victim from the maternity ward where she has just given birth. She decides to investigate the murder on her own, behind her husband’s back and against Korner’s wishes.

Then a second body is discovered with the exact same marks on its body, and once again all the blood drained. As in the first killing, no one saw anything and there is no forensic evidence that could link anyone to either murder. But they do get a significant break in the case. Both victims had previously worked in a private hospital called The Butterfly House. It was a place for children with eating disorders, anxiety and psychological problems. It was a private pay facility and medications were recommended as well as counseling. But The Butterfly House had been shut down a few years ago after after one of its counselors was found drowned and one of the residence, a young woman killed herself. The parents of the dead girl sued the care facility and it shut down soon after.

Could it be possible that someone who use to work or live there had a grudge against the remaining staff and was slowly killing them all? As Korner and Falck begin to interrogate former staff and family from The Butterfly House, unbeknownst to Korner, Werner has come to the somewhat same conclusion and begins her own investigation by trying to find the teens who were at the facility at the time of the suicide. What she uncovers is alarming.

During the same time all this is going on the Coronary Hospital seems to be experiencing a more than usual sudden death count. One of the former Butterfly House nurses just happens to work there. And she is still friends with the psychiatrist from her prior job.

Korner is given an ultimatum by his superior. Find out who is doing all these killings or you will have consequences. Now, not only is he in a race to hopefully prevent more murders, but now his job is in jeopardy. Meanwhile Werner seems to be getting closer to the truth. Flying solo she suddenly becomes the obsession of the killer. With no one knowing where or what she is up to could this possibly be the end of her partnership with Korner forever?

But while suspects are eliminated there seems to be many more questions than answers as to what was really happening at The Butterfly House years ago and why so many people who worked there are dead.

As in The Tenant, Engberg’s explosive twisted ending impeccably ties up all the unanswered questions. Characters from the first story are once again given their own storyline which was a special treat. Overall The Butterfly House is a suspenseful, enjoyable read with characters we all can relate.

Thank you #NetGalley #Gallery/ScoutPress #KatrineEngberg #TheButterflyHouse for the advanced copy.

Ree Drummond also known as The Pioneer Woman, cook show host, author and entrepreneur’s latest book Frontier Follies is an uplifting book of essays about her life on the Drummond ranch with her in-laws, children, cowboys and husband. Now, if you are not a fan of Ree, (I personally feel like she is a friend in my head), this book may not be for you. But if you enjoy witty stories about life, love and skunks you will enjoy this book of well written, heartwarming themes.

In Frontier Follies, Drummond gives the reader an inside seat at her and husband Ladd’s table where she shares some very funny, sometimes crude table talk on life on a ranch. Whether it’s how she seems to wash dishes as she and Ladd have arguments, (I Do Dishes When I Argue), or how no one comes between Ladd and a meal, (Ladd and the Gala) or what their trials and tribulations were during their first year of marriage with Ree being pregnant and trying to adjust to life on a ranch where her closest neighbor is almost an hour away, there is a certain flair and sarcasm she uses to make even the direst of situations make you smile.

As she chronicles her families lives on the ranch, attempting homeschooling, or planting sunflowers only to have them destroyed, or telling the tale of a family of skunks who moved in under their house on the ranch, each essay exudes her charm.

There is a section on losing Ladd’s mother Nan a few years ago as well as a naughty essay about Nan which made me laugh out loud. Also included is the story of how they became foster parents to their “bonus kid” Jamar and what the adjustment was like for everybody in their family. Oh, and there are stories about the cowboys on the ranch!

Frontier Follies is an enjoyable, easy read with a tender and lighthearted look into how someone’s track in life of becoming a lawyer took a deep turn when she fell in love with a cowboy.

Emma Lord, author of the adorable bestselling young adult novel, Tweet Cute has struck gold with her latest novel, another heartfelt, empowering, riveting and intriguing story in You Have A Match.

When Abby and her best friends Leo and Connie send out their DNA as part of a school science project, Abby is mildly curious for herself, but more so for Leo who is adopted and who although is her best friend is also her secret crush. But the results that come back are more startling than anyone could ever imagine. Abby finds out she has an older sister who just happens to be a social media phenomenon named Savannah Tully (Savvy). Her parents have never once mentioned anything about having another child and when Abby agrees to meet Savvy they realize they are practically clones of each other. They don’t understand why they would have given Savvy up for adoption. And then they discover that their parents knew each other at the time of the adoption.

So Abby is extremely confused. Since her grandfather passed she has been lost. He was everything a young awkward teenager needed in a friend. A photographer, he encouraged her love for taking pictures of people and urged her to branch other into other areas. Her grades have been sliding and she feels uncomfortable with herself and feels unable to explain to her parents what she really wants out of life as she feels they already have her life planned out for her. She is self conscience around Leo after Connie’s admission that he does not feel the same way about her.

Abby and Savvy hatch a plan to go the summer camp where Savvy is a counselor. They decide at some point their parents will come and visit and find out the girls know they are related and hopefully tell them what happened all those years ago. But unbeknownst to Abby, Leo is there as a camp chef which then puts Abby’s emotional turmoil into high gear. How can Abby be herself with Leo here?

But when Abby and Savvy’s parents finally meet, it does not go well at all. Abby’s parents decide she needs to come home. How can Abby and Savvy try and save their own relationship if their parent won’t even communicate? And more importantly what on earth put the adults on this path years ago? Why was Savvy given away?

You Have A Match is a charming coming of age novel written with feeling and emotion. This creative story has wit, love, romance, family support and mystery.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #EmmaLord #YouHaveAMatch for the advanced copy.

The Cookbook Club chronicles the evolution of three women who accidently meet as they are all braving different heartbreaks in their lives. They not only grow stronger but they become each other’s champions and emerge with strength, resilience and lasting friendships.

It all started when Trista Walker put an ad on instagram looking for people to come to her house and try cookbook recipes. The only catch was they must come with a cooked dish from a cookbook. Two women joined Trista that first night.

Margo, whose husband recently came home and after complaining about her cooking told Margo he was taking a job in San Francisco but without her. He wanted a divorce. Although she was not totally heartbroken that he had left her, Margo became depressed at the thought that she had wasted so many years of her life catering to a man who could not appreciate her. Plus the fact she had no idea what to do next in life as her world had revolved around him for so many years. Her one claim to fame was a cooking class on YouTube she had started to help her parents and their friends who all lived in a senior housing complex cook healthier meals. She had 35 subscribers. And her soon to be ex-husband had dropped a dilapidated farmhouse on her as part of their divorce settlement. She now needed to find someone to help fix the rundown eyesore up. Margo goes to the first Cookbook club meeting more for companionship than anything else.

Aja Alexander is self sufficient and able to take care of herself. Although young, she maintains a few jobs in order to keep her independence. She is in a relationship with a man named Michael who is from old money. Not quite sure how to categorize their relationship, as they have been dating for a while and she has yet to met his mother, whom Michael has told her is very overbearing. She sometimes feels as if she is walking on eggshells around him, always afraid she will say something wrong to anger him. Aja goes to the first Cookbook club meeting because lately she has been starving and this group sounds like a great place to eat.

Trista Walker worked at a prestigious law firm. Until she didn’t. Not sure what she wanted to do with her life next, when a bar she frequented for years goes up for sale, she decides to buy it and create a different type of restaurant. With so many ideas on the type of food she wants to create, she decides she wants people to taste her creations and give honest opinions. Thus the Cookbook club. What Trista does not realize is that it takes more than cooking ideas start a restaurant. It takes a great deal of money and loyal employees. Hopefully her dream will not be popped before the restaurant ever opens. The first Cookbook club meeting is at Trista’s house.

As each of their lives begin to unfold and change they not only lean on each other for assistance, but others, some who were in their pasts, some who will be in their futures forever, and some who just happen to come into a bar one night for a drink. But the Cookbook club women know one thing. No matter what, they will always be friends.

Their stories are not very similar, but have many things in common. The love they have for others, and each other, the strength they have to make difficult decisions, and of course the delicious food of their Cookbook club.

Captain Ava Capp, pilot extraordinaire, is known for her witty comebacks, an enjoyable no strings attached love life and oh, saving the lives of all on a plane which she was not even piloting when the actual pilot became incapacitated. She enjoys her life and enjoys her job.

But Captain Ava was not always that confident. Ten years ago her best friend Danielle was savagely murdered just after Ava had left her to continue on with her day. Rocked by guilt, the murder took its toll on her and she ended up in a rehab and never looked back.

Now on the tenth anniversary of Danielle’s death a memorial is being held in their hometown in Minnesota, a memorial which she does not jump at the chance to go. But David, Danielle’s twin brother pleads with her and she agrees. After finding the memorial service trashed on day two, yes there was a day two, nobody can quite understand why anybody would want to wreck a memorial.

And believe it or not, this is when the story gets even funnier! Ava meets medical examiner Dr. Tom Baker, who turns out to be her match in more ways than one. He as been following the murder of Danielle for quite a while and has come to Minneapolis to solve the case. Even Ava is on his list of suspects and some other unmentionable rosters. And Dr. Baker comes with his crazy, a young niece who is a snarky genius and her grandfather. He also comes with some other baggage the reader should find out about by reading the story!

As they begin their investigation Ava begins to have some health issues and Dr. Baker feels these are not just health issues, but someone causing Ave to become ill. And then when she is suddenly sidelined from flying, it becomes all too obvious someone is trying to kill or sabotage her. But why? Do they think she knows something about Danielle’s death, or perhaps maybe it is something more sinister. Maybe she was the intended target that day years ago and not Danielle. If so, what could she have possibly done to cause someone to hate her so much?

The closer Ava and Tom get to each other and to the truth about what really happened back then, the more comedy ensues! The witty dialogue reads like a Gilmore Girl’s episode and funny scenes throughout the story make for quite the enjoyable romp, (pun intended). And remember this is a mystery!

Truth, Lies, And Second Dates is a fantastically funny mystery with wit, humor and charm. Quirky characters and a satisfying ending round off this lighthearted puzzler . I hope we have not seen the last of Ava and Tom!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sGriffin #MaryJaniceDavidson #Truth,Lies,AndSecondDates for the advanced copy.

In the follow-up to the bestseller The Magpie Murders, we find Susan Ryeland, publishing editor extraordinaire, living in Greece with her boyfriend Andreas and running a hotel. After almost being killed while solving the Magpie Murders, Susan wanted to get away from London and live somewhere she could relax and unwind. But with their hotel barely making any money and stress creeping back into her life, she begins to long for her former life.

When a couple arrive at the hotel looking for her specifically to ask for her help locating their missing daughter, Cecily, back in London, Susan at first hesitates. But they too are hotel owners, and although she has no history with them, the mystery of their missing daughter may have something to do with her past client, the infamous Alan Conway, writer and creator of the detective Atticus Pund mysteries. Oh, and they agree to pay her a fortune for her time! With Susan missing London, she agrees.

The couple is unsure if their daughter’s disappearance has anything to do with a murder at their hotel years ago. A man named Frank Parris was brutally murdered on the day of their daughter’s wedding. And although one of their employees confessed to the murder at the time, Cecily disappeared the day after calling them and telling them that after reading Conway’s novel, Atticus Pund Takes the Cake, she believed the wrong person was charged with the murder.

Susan discovers that after the Parris murder, Conway had gone to stay at the hotel while he began writing his new book. He seemed curious about the murder and began asking questions. Although he promised not to use any of the information he was given, or use anyone from the hotel as characters in his novel, when the book came out, they realized they had been duped and he had not kept his word.

Susan realizes that she had edited the infamous book now in question, and with Conway gone, she must begin the interview process from the past murder all over. Is it possible that this long ago murder could have anything to do with Cecily’s disappearance? And what did she read that would have lead her to draw the conclusion that the wrong person has been jailed this whole time?

She decides she needs to reread the book not only to refresh her memory, but to see if she can find any clues as to if Conway knew the real killer of Frank Parris. If he did know, why did he not tell anyone at the time? So within the the novel Moonflower Murders, we all get to read, along with Susan, Atticus Pund Takes the Cake. She begins to realize Conway really did know who the killer was and perhaps there really were clues to this mystery within the story. What did Cecily read?

As she begins to sort out the clues between the book and the information she receives from all the interviews, it seems someone begins to feel she is getting too close to the truth. Now in danger, Susan must expediently solve this mystery. But with so many suspects, will she be able to find the real murderer before she becomes one of their victims?

Moonflower Murders is as brilliant as The Magpie Murders. There are clues everywhere, and you may find yourself going back to the book within the novel to see if you can find them. The ending, which fits all the pieces of the puzzle together is masterful. There is only one word to describe this novel…genius!