Lisa's Cubby

Lovers of the Hannah Swenson murder/recipe series will certainly be in for a real treat with Joanne Fluke’s lasted release in the series, Christmas Cake Murder.

This book veers from Fluke’s usual mystery as it opens with our heroine Hannah Swenson still in college, her sister Michelle and her friend Lisa in High School, her sister Andrea pregnant with her first child and sadly with Hanna’s dad’s recent passing. During the story we learn how Hannah moved from a college student to a bakery owner. A great backstory idea I might add!

Intertwined is a story about a Lake Eden elderly resident, Essie Granger. She has fallen on hard times and the whole community comes together to create a fundraiser called the Christmas Ball which is a party she had attended years ago. They also try to duplicate a Christmas Cake Parade in which there are multiple cakes with candles walked around the room….see all the yummy recipes which are gathered in the book for holiday baking ideas.

Essie had dabbled in writing years ago and Hannah finds her notebooks and begins to read them and hence begins the Christmas Cake Murder.

As with all of Fluke’s books recipes are attached to many of the chapters, a few I will be trying for sure. Oh, and reader beware! DO NOT READ THIS WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY!

The Christmas Cake Murder is a fast-paced enjoyable cozy mystery waiting to be read with a cup of hot chocolate and some yummy cookies. The book will be out September 25, 2018.

Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler by C.M. Wendeboe is a Bitter Wind Mystery,  This thriller begins with the murder of a young woman witnessed by an unknown sheep stealer.  And that’s only the first chapter.
Arn Anderson, a former homicide detective who has retired to Wyoming and his roommate Anna Maria Villarreal, a TV reporter soon find themselves involved in a case which has dead bodies piling up and many suspects.

With so many clues, one thinks they have it finally figured out and then something else happens.  This book was definitely a page turner with an exciting and satisfying ending.  The characters are quirky and enjoyable, especially the three house mates Arn, Danny and Anna Maria who you would not expect to ever belong together.

This book is a mystery, thriller I could not put down.  Please look for Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler in October of 2018.

Ellie Kemper is an actress who was on the TV sitcom The Office and who now stars in the Netflix hit show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  In her first book of very funny essays titled My Squirrel Days, Kemper who is from the Midwest, writes about her upbringing in a small town and her decision to try and break into showbusiness.  Along the way she fell in love and had a child. She also has had interactions with many celebrities.

If you are a fan of Kemper, as I am, the book reads as she sounds and speaks, meaning she writes in quirky fun language while always keeping  the reader in the loop.

The first essay titled “Hero” in which she tries to make her reader understand why she tried very hard to emulate and impress an assistant teacher back in grammar school who left such an impression on her she still do this day has a stuffed animal she received from her is adorable. The book’s title comes from another essay in which Kemper tries to outfox a squirrel.  One of my favorite essays is “Daughter” in which she decides to impress her parents by washing their car with brillo pads. And the reason is brilliant.

My Squirrel Days is a very fun read about the life so far of a very funny woman/comedian/TV personality/wife/mother.  I highly recommend this book.

Look for My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper this October.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Other Woman by debut novelist Sandie Jones is an AMAZING. Twisted. Can’t put it down, don’t want it to ever end book.  Run to your local bookstore or preorder this psychological thriller which will  have you thinking about it days after you have finished reading.

The book begins with your typical girl meeting boy (Emily and Adam), falling in love and meeting boys mother, (Pammie) who it seems is Satan in  a dress.  Adam appears to be Pammie’s favorite child and will do anything and everything in her power to stop their relationship.  Emily does not understand Pammie’s hate for her which she begins to realize during her first meeting with Pammie. Adam, and her other son James on Christmas day.  Tension builds as Adam does not appreciate Emily’s unkindness towards his mother while Pammie increases her torture of Emily.

This is a true page turner with an I did not see that coming ending.

This book should be made into a movie!

The Other Woman comes out August 21.

Restoration Heights: A Novel by Wil Medearis is a complex look into racial inequality and tensions between the have and have nots, as well as your rank in society and who you know or think you know.  It is a thought provoking book which has similarities of the times we are living in today. Thrown into the mix is a missing person mystery which adds another layer of intrigue to an already multi layered story.

Reddick is a struggling white artist living in Brooklyn who has a memorable encounter with a beautiful affluent blonde girl named Hannah.  Reddick’s primary job is working for a company which moves artwork.  He ironically overhears a conversation between their latest client and her son about the son’s fiancé going missing. Riddick sees her picture and realizes this is Hannah.

He tells them he has seen her and is suddenly hired to look into what happened to her.  Hence begins a story of race, money, greed and class status.  It also shows what some will do in order to survive both emotionally as well as financially.

Reddick, who for his own personal reasons, begins a crusade to find the missing girl.  During his journey he begins to see the complexities of race and its unfairness in inner city life and what it takes to survive in a neighborhood where new people are moving in and trying to change the lifestyle many who have lived there all their lives are use to.

Restoration Heights is a thought-provoking mystery which makes you think and feel until the last page.
Thank you netgalley.com and Harlequin for the advanced copy.  The book will be out in January, 2019.

The Waiter by Matias Balbbakken is a story, perhaps even a tale of the lives of workers and customers at an upscale century old restaurant in Oslo, Norway called The Hills.  The narrator of the story is the waiter who glides us through the ups and downs of the very dignified daily regulars all the while giving us information about himself and all the characters.

The staff of The Hills are known to the reader only as their occupation; Bar Manager, Maitre d’ and Chef, and their customers are known by their names as well as staff’s nicknames for them; Pig, Child Lady.  The waiter’s friend Edgar and his young daughter Anna are regular early bird diners as well.  All are very unusual.

Routine is very important to the waiter who has been serving there for over 10 years.  He knows his customers not really as people, but as what they eat and drink. He is proud to be able to give them what they expect even before they know. Until one day that begins to change. The waiter is thrown off balance and can’t seem to adjust to what he is being thrown into. Words.

An ending which you will wonder and think about, The Waiter was a good read. I was pleasantly surprised. Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for advanced eBook.  The Waiter will be out in October.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton