Tag: fiction

Murder Takes A Vacation by Laura Lippman

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Murder Takes A Vacation is a wonderful combination of Agatha Christie and Jessica Fletcher from the Murder She Wrote series. It’s an enjoyable who-done-it with wonderful locations and tempting cuisine. But there is so much more to this mystery as our heroine, an older woman who is a widow now at a crossroads in her life with some regrets to come to terms with. Yet who would ever imagine that a murder could be so much fun!

Muriel Blossom is a senior whose husband passed away a decade ago. She lives for her daughter and grandchildren. But, through no luck of her own she won the lottery! Which should be great news but unfortunately, she has just found out her daughter and her family are moving to Japan! And she was not invited to go with them.

So, Muriel and her best friend Elinor decide to go on a European cruise! This should take her mind off of her sorrows…or so she thinks. Muriel used to work for a detective agency many years ago and looks at life and the world a bit differently than others. So, when she meets a charming man, Allan at the airport well, she is suddenly smitten, yet a bit reserved. Why on earth would he be interested in a frumpy old woman?

But she begins to see him differently and as they make their way to Paris where they will separate, Muriel decides to take a risk. Something she has never done since her husband’s untimely death years ago. And she finds she’s enjoying the attention. But as luck would have it once they arrive in Paris and go their separate ways Muriel discovers Allan has died. Muriel’s radar begins to see something is not right, but alas she will be leaving on the cruise in a few days.

Suddenly she meets another stranger named Danny who decides Muriel needs a makeover and talks her into buying herself a new wardrobe. But again, Muriel feels in her gut something is not right. When she discovers Danny is on the same cruise, well she firmly believes something is going on. But what?

What she discovers is there is a missing statue, a Pakastani jewel encrusted one. And now she believes Allan had something to do with its high jacking! So, Muriel begins to investigate onboard the ship and discovers no one is who they say they are, except for her best friend Elinor of course!

Was Allan killed? But why? And who is Danny? Why won’t he leave her alone?

Murder Takes A Vacation is an exciting mysterious read, with clues galore. You will fall in love with Mrs. Blossom for not only her way of thinking, but all the lessens she will learn as well as secrets she’s been holding on to for years which will change her life forever!

Thank you #NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #LauraLippman #MurderTakesAVacation for the advanced copy.

The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose

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I know I say this every time, but once again, get your box of tissues out because you are certainly going to need them reading the final installment of the wonderfully heartwarming saga of our dear Molly Gray, the most loving, caring and real character who has ever existed in the character world. This story will fill your heart full as we finally get answers to Molly and her late Gran’s life and legacy. And my goodness, what an ending!

Molly Gray is preparing to marry the love of her life Juan Manuel. With very little money they are trying to keep the wedding simple. But a glitch in their plan has them beside themselves. Their landlord is selling the building and now on top of all the other stress they must now find another place they are able to afford to live.

Both are still working at their jobs at The Regency Grand Hotel, Molly as head maid and also manager of Special Events. Juan Manuel is still working on his desserts in the kitchen. And yes, even though they are stressed and struggling, their love always finds a way to keep them going.

When a television antiques appraisal show decides they want to do a live broadcast from The Regency, and with Molly in charge, Juan Manuel convinces her to take a couple of her grandmother’s trinkets to be appraised. One of course is her grandmother’s special teacup which Molly now uses, and the other an egg ornament which had been her Grans.

No one could imagine that live on television, Molly would discover one the items is worth a great deal of money, perhaps millions! How on earth did Gran get it and why did she not tell Molly about it? So many questions but without Gran here no answers. Molly and Juan Manuel decide, with a little pushing from the television hosts to sell the item to the highest bidder live on another broadcast. Who on earth would steal the item?

But when they go live to sell the item, after the final bid, and they go to get it, the item is missing. It was stolen right before their eyes! Confusion abounds, and Molly is heartbroken, but when a key is found which leads to a diary her Gran had been writing before her death well suddenly Molly’s story becomes Grans.

Although a surprising yet hard life, Gran lived with hope, understanding and of course a love for her granddaughter Molly which was unmatched except for one man. As Molly reads, she sees a side of Gran she never imagined and of course loves her even more than she ever imagined she could.

The Maid’s Secret is perfect. Yes, there is a mystery to solve, but more importantly we get to see why Molly and Gran’s love story was so important to each of them and those who loved both of them. Although I certainly did not want to say goodbye, I feel the wonderful circle of love was closed and know Molly and Juan Manuel will have their well-deserved happy ending.

Thank you #NetGalley #BallantineBooks #NitaProse #TheMaid’sSecret for the advanced copy.

Last Dance Before Dawn by Katharine Schellman

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Last Dance Before Dawn is the riveting finale in the Nightingale Club mystery series. The stories take place during the 1920’s where speakeasys were popular and dangerous. A time in which cops could be easily paid to look the other way, and women were second class citizens no matter what job they had. Even when a woman was a nightclub owner. More importantly it’s about the way women were treated, and what they had to hide in order to exist. But there was one woman, Vivian Kelly who was street smart, had a day job as a seamstress, and a secret night job at the Nightingale where she danced with male customers. some of whom were very shady.

Over the years Vivian saw a number of dead bodies. She tried to hide her second job from her beloved hardworking sister Florence. But now, Florence is settled and it’s time for Vivian to make some hard choices in her life.

Once again there is trouble brewing at the Nightingale Club. A mystery man from Chicago shows up and begins looking for people. Vivian is frightened as she knows who he is looking for and doesn’t know why. One thing is for sure; he has killing on the brain!

So, Vivian goes to her boss and friend Honor, the extremely bright and savvy owner of The Nightingale. She is also intrigued but warns Vivien to stay out of the situation. Vivian thinks Honor knows more than she is saying, but Vivian must think about her sister and niece and keeping them safe.

But of course, she begins to quietly investigate and discovers a shocking story which unfolded a few years ago in Chicago in which people were killed and money was stolen and never recovered. It also has hints of a love story. On top of all that, questions about her parents especially about her father will come to light and be scandalous to both her and her sister.

Last Dance Before Dawn is truly a heart palpitating conclusion to a wonderfully written series about the jazz era and what it was like to live back then as women, some of whom were on the good side of the law and others not so much. It will satisfy the reader with all the unanswered questions, and prove that even back then, women could be strong, smart and cunning.

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #KatharineSchellman #LastDanceBeforeDawn for the advanced copy.

The Language of Birds by K.A. Merson

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The Language of Birds is a unique, very exciting thriller incorporating mysterious puzzles into the twisty plot which serves as clues as to who could be the villain and what they are looking for. We will follow the quest of a teenage girl who has recently lost her father and now must deal with another shattering loss…her mother’s kidnapping. Never sure as to where the clues will take her (and us) this ingenious story will have you on the edge of your seat!

Arizona, yes, that’s her name, is a seventeen-year-old who has recently lost her father to a horrible motorcycle accident. Her mother decides they need to get away and regroup so they decide to take a trip in their camper and visit some of the places they as a family had been. Along with their dog Mojo, they begin the journey. Arizona is a brilliant girl, but extremely awkward in social situations. So much so she has been home schooled. She is well read and amazing at puzzle solving thanks to her father.

But, as soon as they reach their first destination in which they decided to split up and meet back later in the day, something goes terribly wrong. Her mother is not there to meet her. Suddenly she gets a call in which a mystery man informs her they have kidnapped her mother and need for Arizona to solve a group of puzzles which will lead to an unknown which they refuse to tell her. Only then will they release her mother.

The reader then goes along for the ride with Arizona and Mojo as they are given different types of clues in which she must try and decipher only to have to go from location to location and keep solving puzzles.

But Arizona is not stupid. She sees a pattern. A pattern she keeps to herself. Will she be able to solve the final puzzle in order to get her mother released but also solve the true mystery before the bad men can.

The story is a treasure quest, something her father prepared her for since she was a child. What he did not prepare her for was the fact that she cannot just rely on herself and she must try and learn to trust others and more importantly keep herself calm something she is not very good at. These skills she must learn and learn quickly in order to save her mother.

The Language of Birds is an exciting rush to the finish line not really understanding where the line is or why we are there. But be sure, the ending will shock, surprise and satisfy the reader.

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #K.A. Merson #TheLanguageofBirds for the advanced copy.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman

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In my humble opinion, The Page Turner by Viola Shipman (Wade Rouse) is not only his best work, but the closest his fans have come to just how much his grandmother (the real Viola) meant to him. The story is a true heart and soul family love story! With a bit of mystery thrown into the mix.

Emma Page has just graduated from college. She wants desperately to be a writer. No surprise there, since her family owns a publishing company called The Mighty Pages. But Emma has always felt like an outsider on the ins and outs of the publishing world. She has always left that to her parents and her sister.

She has always identified more with her grandmother, Gigi who was her mentor. Gigi, with words of wisdom had an unheard-of work ethic. She would get up before everybody and work and cook and put in almost a full day before anyone was ever awake. Thus, making a vast fortune.

But Gigi is gone and now her parents are running the show, spending it seems way too much money. When her sister Jess and her parents ask her to join the company, Emma must make a decision feeling as if no matter what she decides, she will once again disappoint.

But when suddenly an author Emma thinks is very shady and sexist agrees to an imprint at The Mighty Pages, she decides she needs to intervene only to be told by her family that he is there to bail the company out as they are bleeding money.

But Emma discovers something which changes everything. Her grandmother had kept a secret from all of them. By signing this deal with the author, they will be headed for disaster. Now Emma must try and fight not only for her family but for her grandmother. How will she be able to convince them she knows what is going on and make them believe her?

Now is the time for the Page family to put all their arguments and jealousies aside and come together not only for their own good, but for Gigi.

The Page Turner is the essence of a family love story. Your heartstrings will be pulled at and will make you truly appreciate the beautiful dynamic of Viola Shipman and Wade Rouse. Please read the afterward by Wade Rouse for even more touching stories of his life with his grandmother.

Thank you #NetGalley #GraydonHouse #ViolaShipman #ThePageTurner for the advanced copy.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

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The Ghostwriter is not only a spellbinding shocking mystery, but also a glimpse at a family whose instability and grief blow up into incomprehensible dysfunction as two of the three children in the family, both young are viciously murdered. Flash forward to the present when the only survivor’s daughter, a ghostwriter who has been estranged from her father for years, the only child not killed and decides to come back home to the place the murders occurred to help him ghostwrite the story of his life before it is all forgotten. He leads his daughter on her last treasure hunt, one of the only joys from her childhood, with hints and clues to what happened all those years ago to not only solve the mystery but heal both their souls.

In 1975 Vincent Taylor’s young sister Poppy and his brother a teenager at the time, Danny were brutally murdered in their home, leaving him an only child as well as the prime suspect. The case was never solved.

Now in the present, Taylor is an acclaimed writer who needs a ghostwriter to help him with the last book he knows he will every write. He insists on Olivia Dumont who is a ghostwriter who has had a few problems recently. Unbeknownst to all, she is actually Olivia Taylor, Vincent’s daughter whom he has not seen in decades.

When she agrees to work with him, she is confused. She discovers this is not a book of fiction, but in fact a confession. But to what? Of course, she knew her family had a tragedy well before she was ever born, but for Olivia, she was a victim as well, of the aftermath of the losses and bullying and grief they all experienced. Her childhood was unpleasant to say the least.

So as Olivia begins to sort through her father’s now flawed memory and keep the publisher unaware of not only who she really is but what is really being written, she begins to discover bits and pieces of evidence from that time period. The more she discovers the more she hunts for what really happened all those years ago, at times frightened as to what the ending may really be.

The Ghostwriter is a wonderful, suspenseful look at a tragedy and those who survived and how they became flawed, and guilt ridden. The shocking ending will haunt the reader. But even more important what happens during this process, is forgiveness and love.

Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #JulieClark #TheGhostwriter for the advanced copy.

No One Was Supposed To Die at this Wedding by Catherine Mack

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Hold on to your stomach because it will ache after laughing so hard at Catherine Mack’s (Catherine McKenzie’s) second Eleanor Dash book. With the wit, charm, mystery, (and of course the hilarious footnotes) the reader will be captured on page one as they are greeted with a dead body, (whose we have no idea) and take a journey with Eleanor who proceeds to go back in time to explain it to us.

The story picks up where Eleanor’s first adventure left off, sort of. In this book Eleanor’s novel, When In Rome is being made into a movie. The filming is taking place on Catalina Island. Although Eleanor should be pleased, she is very unhappy about the rewrite of her beloved book. But she is there with her best friend Emma, an actress who is playing her, as well as her boyfriend Oliver and her sister/assistant Harper. Oh, and of course Connor…who could forget him!

What Eleanor is surprised about is that her best friend and the male lead, Fred Winters have fallen in love and have decided to get married at the end of filming. But two other issues have arisen. One, Eleanor is not happy about the wedding as Emma has not known Fred for long and oh yes, there is a massive hurricane bearing down on them and Emma refuses to cancel the wedding. What could go wrong?

But unfortunately for her nothing is going as planned. There is a dead body, Emma is being harassed online, and Eleanor is being ignored when she makes suggestions as her characters seem to be changing in front of her eyes. And on top of all that…Oliver and Eleanor are at a crossroads in their relationship.

With so many productions crew, movie stars and an evacuation order which they must ignore in order to get Emma and Fred married, Eleanor has her hands full. Especially since the police were no fools and have already left the island.

Eleanor must put her thinking cap on to save her best friend’s wedding…see what I did there? No One Was Supposed To Die at this Wedding is a funny, quick read with dead bodies, many mysteries to solve and footnotes to die for!

Published by Minotaur Books

Saltwater by Katy Hays

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Saltwater is an eerie saga of a wealthy family whose secrets go back generations. Within the beautiful backdrop of Capris in Italy, it tells the tale of deception, greed, jealousy and death. The family, dysfunctional yet able to put on an exceptionally good act until suddenly it all falls apart when another death occurs.

In 1992, Sarah Lingate, writer and wife of wealthy Richard Lingate was discovered dead on a cliff in Capris. Was it suicide or murder? At the time, her daughter, just three years old witnessed the aftermath of the terrible situation. Suspicion immediately fell upon the family/husband of Sarah, but wealth has its privileges but only while it lasts.

Through the years, the Lingates would make a pilgrimage to Capris to go to exclusive parties and make a show that they are still there and even more powerful than ever. Now, thirty years later, with Helen an adult who unfortunately had a miserable childhood and was basically kept hidden and found no joy from her life. She has befriended the family assistant Lorna and they have decided to hatch a plan to figure out what exactly happened to her mother all those years ago.

But something goes terribly wrong, and Lorna disappears. Helen begins to see the cracks in her family…her father, uncle and aunt. She will soon discover the mystery of the Lingate family and all that it encompasses, one tragedy at a time.

The story which is told by Helen, Lorna and Sarah is mystifying and shocking. Family corruption and selfishness will erupt for what? To save a name.

Saltwater is a suspenseful story in which you can’t imagine the twists and turns coming, but when they come, they are paralyzing! Such a good ride!

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #KatyHays #Saltwater for the advanced copy.

Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero

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Cat’s People is a wonderfully, beautiful touching story about well… humans, humanity and a cat. Can a group of strangers all who are dealing with problems put their own fears aside and help a surprising friend none of them knew the other had.

Nuria is a barista who loves cats. She enjoys her job very much to her mother’s dismay. Her mother wishes she would find a career and a husband! But being a barista and helping cats are her two passions. So much so she feeds the neighborhood strays with one particular cat she has a true love for whom she named, well, Cat.

Colin, who is a bestselling author, is a true loner. Although he writes masterful books, his life is filled with insecurity, no friends and a not so pleasant mother. And now with a new book due shortly for some reason he doesn’t know where to start. Then he spots a pretty woman coming daily who leaves food for a stray cat. He feels somehow drawn to her. Being so quiet and shy and uneasy he doesn’t know how to engage her. Then he gets an idea.

Lily has just moved to Brooklyn from Georgia. She is on a mission. She is looking for someone even though when she finds her, she won’t know what to do. Right now, she’s just trying to make ends meet due to the fact she can barely afford the rent in the apartment she shares and they’re threatening to evict her.

Bong owns the local bodega and recently lost his beloved wife. Since her passing he is lost. He is depressed. He does look forward to a woman who comes in daily and buys paper plates and the mailman who comes to deliver the mail, with a stray cat following him, so he can buy treats to feed him.

Omar is a mailman whose partner Carl wants him to go to cooking school to make more of himself. This is his dilemma. Although he does want to try something different it’s not cooking school. Afraid to tell Carl what his true passion is because he doesn’t know what it really is he just let’s him believe he will apply. As he travels along his route daily, he always picks up his friend a stray cat to tell his worries.

And of course there is Cat. Who tells us this tale of his human interactions. Cat is very naive, but very wise and has always lived on the street and does not know what to make of his “friends”.

What this group of people will suddenly have in common is how one stray cat will innocently change all their lives. This animal who they all love separately while never knowing each other existed and a special cat who brings them all together.

The bond these strangers create and the love they all share for this stray animal and what they will do to help each other will bring the reader to tears. Cat’s People is warm and uplifting and more importantly a story of hope which will impact anyone who reads about Cat’s people.

Thank you #NetGalley #DelacortePress #TanyaGuerrero #Cat’sPeople for the advanced copy.

The Little Lost Library by Ellery Adams

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In Ellery Adams latest book, The Little Lost Library, she truly has outdone herself! Between the intriguing story, a mysterious book within the book you will be writing the clues down yourself on paper to try and solve the puzzle! In my opinion this is her best Secret, Book, and Scone novel to date!

It all begins when Nora arrives to drop books of at an elderly woman named Lucielle’s very dilapidated mansion in Miracle Springs. They have had an agreement for quite a while that Nora would bring her books in exchange for some Lucille had in her house. Although Nora has never stepped foot into the house, only being allowed to enter the mud room where over tea, they would chat just a bit.

But unfortunately, on this visit, Nora discovers Lucielle has passed away, at first thinking from old age. The mansion known as Wynter Mansion was involved in a terrible scandal years ago and whatever happened, Lucielle never left the house again. When Nora is able to see the inside, she discovers it is filled with books and papers with practically nowhere to move. Lucille was a hoarder. Within all the mess Nora discovers Lucille has left her a very special book, The Little Lost Library. Why? She makes the decision to take the book before anyone else shows up.

As Lucille’s children two of whom left the area as soon as they were able and one who unknowingly to Nora lived in back of the mansion, swoop in to discover the secrets the mansion holds because they truly believe something valuable is hidden inside.

While the house begins to become decluttered Nora starts to read the book and realizes it is a book of clues she must somehow solve and put the pieces of the puzzle together. But more importantly, she begins to believe Lucille’s death was no accident. That’s when she and her boyfriend who is the Sheriff of the town and her Secret, Book, and Scone Society, her valuable, loving network of friends assist in finding out just what is going on.

Unfortunately for Nora, someone does not want her looking into this mystery. She finds herself in a desperate situation as well as fearing for her life. The more clues which come to light points to not only a terrible dark secret from the past but to someone who wants to hurt her.

What mystery does this mansion hold? More important who killed Lucille.

The Little Lost Library will have you riveted! The twists and turns and clues extremely exciting! And of course, the Society of Women once again remain strong for each other! As in every book there are suggestions from Miracle Books, Nora’s bookstore so keep a look out for any you might want to read!

Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #ElleryAdams #TheLittleLostLibrary for the advanced copy.