Are you all okay out in California? I worry about you whenever I see pictures on the news, although I knew you’ve been okay so far.
Let’s talk about next week’s schedule for a moment. Glen’s Favorites of 2022 will be up on Tuesday, Jan. 17. I have a guest post on the 18th. That’s because the publicist wanted it on the 19th, and I told them no. Thursdays are sacred to What Are You Reading? unless I have to push it around for a Treasures in My Closet post or something else. So, watch for Glen’s post next Tuesday!
I’m having a terrible time settling into something to read. I needed a break from mysteries. I’ve tried nonfiction, a mystery I discovered I had already read. Last weekend, I read several older historical romances. I’m about to try Simon R. Green’s latest Ishmael Jones novel, Haunted By the Past. Those usually work for me.
Here’s the brief summary since I haven’t jumped into it yet.
Ishmael Jones knows all there is to know about solving mysteries. Together with his love and partner in crimes, Penny Belcourt, he specializes in cases of the weird and uncanny. Lucas Carr went to Glenbury Hall, an old country manor house turned hotel. He signed in at reception, took his key, and went upstairs to his room. But he never got there. Somehow he vanished along the way, with not a single clue to suggest what might have happened to him. Lucas belonged to the same mysterious organization that employs Ishmael and Penny, so they are sent in to solve the mystery. But when they arrive at grim and isolated Glenbury Hall, they discover it has a reputation as one of the most haunted old houses in England. None of the usual headless monks or walled-up nuns—just stories of lost souls that dance with the statues in the grounds; doors that won’t stay shut, and rooms that aren’t always there; and something that prowls the house in the early hours, endlessly searching. They say . . . it crawls. Does Lucas’ disappearance have something to do with the organization or the Hall’s haunted past? Ishmael and Penny have to work their way through a series of mysterious clues and misleading suspects, uncovering secret after secret, before they finally arrive at a truth that no one suspected.
The problem with history is that it’s not always content to stay in the past.
I might like this one. The review in Library Journal said, “Recommended for those who like antiheroes with more than a bit of snark.” That’s me! I love snarky antiheroes. So, I hope this works.
What about you? What are you reading this week?
Yes, it’s still rainy and mostly windy in Northern California. Two nights ago, we all got a “wake-up call” around 4:00 a.m. with a super-loud rain shower (maybe hail?) buffeting the houses, along with almost-constant lightning and thunder. But where I am, we’re lucky to have no flooding or (so far) power outages. And let’s hope all this rain (still ongoing) will help with our usual drought conditions the rest of the year. Today my sister-in-law in SC called to make sure we were OK. I’m just glad it’s only rain and not tornadoes!
I re-read LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, my favorite read of 2021, this week for my book club, and we all enjoyed discussing this unique book.
THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the first book in a YA trilogy, was a welcome change from my usual fare. Why has orphaned teenager Avery inherited most of the estate of a billionaire she doesn’t even know? And will she survive living in the deceased’s house for a year, along with his four quixotic grandsons, as stipulated in the tycoon’s will? Family members who have been disinherited wish she were dead, and more than one of the grandsons enlist Avery in a sometimes-dangerous quest to solve some of their grandfather’s secrets. I really enjoyed reading about the incredible mansion, complete with multiple libraries, a bowling alley, and secret passages, as well as the tony private school that is unlike anything Avery has experienced. It was fun to read about the multiple puzzles to be solved, and I liked the subplot involving Avery’s older sister/guardian and her on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend. I found the writing to be absorbing and the story suspenseful and fun. I picked up the second in the trilogy at the library today.
MURDER ON THE POET’S WALK, the sixth in Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat Mystery series, is just as enthralling as the other five. What I particularly like about her mysteries (this series and her Secret, Book and Scone Society Mysteries) is that the tone is serious, as it should be when there are murders occurring–no over-the-top silliness. Not that there isn’t a place for that kind of cozy, but I prefer mine with more gravitas. This time Storyton Hall is hosting a contest where poets can compete for a contract with a new greeting card company, but two of the contenders are found murdered before a winner can be chosen. Resort manager Jane and her well-trained staff are cooperating with the police and are highly motivated to identify and apprehend the culprit before there’s more mayhem and more inconvenience (or danger) for the sponsors and the attendees. These mysteries are always intricately plotted, which keeps things suspenseful. At the same time, we get a fascinating look into this entity which for years has housed and guarded many priceless literary treasures and has also hosted a panoply of events for bibliophiles. The features and details of the building itself are lovingly described, and there is always a plethora of delicious-sounding food (and drink) on hand for the events. I enjoy spending time with Jane, her rambunctious twin boys, her surrogate family members /co-workers, her complicated beau, and Jane’s friends and book club members. A very reliable series–I relish every new entry.
In GOOD DOG, BAD COP, the fourth entry in David Rosenfelt’s K Team series, the gang is working on another cold case for the Paterson, NJ police department, and it’s a tough one. Private investigators Corey and Laurie, along with their support team, are investigating three suspicious deaths and find much more than they bargained for. I enjoyed reading about their step-by-step process and was surprised by the twisty conclusion. If you read the author’s outstanding, long-running Andy Carpenter Mysteries, you are already familiar with many of the players in this spinoff, and there’s a welcome cameo by Andy himself. We also get to see Corey’s ex-police dog, Simon Garfunkel, in action, which is a lot of fun–more, please. But hulking PI/bodyguard Marcus is underused this time around, and I miss Andy’s snarky narration. I think I will stick to the Andy Carpenter series in the future. (March)
Margie, I need to read Lessons in Chemistry. Your favorite of the year, and my sister and niece both loved it. I have a copy. I should have read it this week when I was looking for something to keep my attention.
Margie, I bought The Inheritance Games and am hoping to get to it sooner rather than later. I love YA books, but I haven’t read as many in the last few years. I hope to change that this year. This trilogy set by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of the sets I want to read. Margie, you might also like the Truly Devious quartet of books by Maureen Johnson. It’s another YA set. My teen granddaughter read them and loved them, and I have borrowed her set (that I gave her) to read. Here’s part of the series’ description from Amazon:
Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early 20th century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place”, he said, “where learning is a game.”
Studio City resident here. We dodged the worst of it. But streets near us got hammered.
Thanks for asking! xoxo
Ellen, I wonder how people are every time I see the floods on TV. When they mention certain cities (San Francisco), I worry about friends and relatives nearby. Stay safe!
I’m drying out in my corner of Southern California. Nothing too bad that I saw, although I’ve seen picture of flooding in my town. We are expecting our next storm over the weekend, but shouldn’t be as bad as what we’ve had.
Thursday, I’ll be reading “Perked Up” by Barbara Ross, the third and final novella in the Irish Coffee Murder anthology. The other contributors are Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis. I’m a huge fan of Barbara’s series, so she is the reason I picked up the book. I’m looking forward to catching up with the characters.
Mark, I like anthologies because I often pick it up for one author, and then discover another author or series that I like.
Like Lesa, I’ve had trouble getting into a book this week. I did finish an ARC of Primer and Punishment by Diane Kelly which I enjoyed. It’s the latest in her house flipper series. In this one, Whitney and her cousin Buck buy a houseboat to rehab and flip. But they hadn’t planned on the boat in the next slip being blown to bits.
Oh, I ordered that book for the library, Sandy. I remember the summary, but don’t remember reading about the boat being blown to bits. Don’t you hate a week when you can’t settle into a book?
Plano, Texas got up to 85 degrees in January-weird, there is a cold front coming,
I started The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Her book starts out with a lot of description of hair etc. A little awkward the place that she sticks in places. It is an Amish story that starts with her excited about getting married and the groom to be has postphoned it again!
The other one is From Scapel to Spade. The surgeon who is of Portugese descent grew up in Hong Kong, went to London for his medical training and returned to Hong Kong to practice. The fascinating part of the book is tidbits from the history of medicine. Before people got a draw and modern methods were used, hemogloblin was “guessed at” by drawing blood and adding a certain amount of water and then a dip into the mixture and a look at a color chart was done. I have severe iron deficiency and that makes me appreciate what we have today
In the early 1960’s, when a patient was having a heart attack, The surgeon used to cut open the chest, squeezed the heart and the patient died. Then CPR was invented by an engineer not a doctor, and lives started to be saved,
My father finished medical school in 1956 when I was ten, by then x-rays were only why you tell if there was something wrong. It was before CT, MRI and PET scans. Like operating in the dark! Really enjoying his adventures in London and back. Later one, he started growing plants and become a famous gardener in Hong Kong.
Carolee, That’s the kind of tidbits of knowledge that I enjoy – that CPR was invented by an engineer. Thank you for sharing.
January weather has been weird all over.
Lots of rain at my house today. It is supposed to turn to snow at some point when the cold front comes through. The pictures from California on the news are unreal.
Two books this week. I liked them both. On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry was almost as good as the first book in the series. Bones are found under the floorboards in her grandfather’s old hardware store that she is renovating. Tess brings in her old friend Peter who is a Forensics evidence expert. I did not have this one figured out at all. I loved all the secondary characters. I can’t wait until the next one in this cleverly crafted series.
Next I Read The New Person by Loretta Nyhan from Kindle Unlimited. A difficult subject-infertility and surrogacy and not my usual fare but I nearly read it in one sitting. I was fully invested in Nora and Owen’s journey as well as Roxy, a young single mother who becomes the surrogate to earn money for a custody battle with her ex-husband.
Stay safe and Happy Reading!
Sharon, the Tamara Berry series sounds like fun. I just bought the first one on Kindle. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Margie. Lesa reviewed it too. That’s how I discovered it.}
There’s just something about Tamara Berry’s series, Sharon. It’s almost a little over-the-top for me, but I liked the books.
I agree. The pictures from California are unbelievable. Probably why I worry about how our California friends are doing.
With four days on the roat, I – obviously – did not have a lot of time for reading this week. I hope that now that we’re settled in Florida until March that this will improve. Jackie is nearly done with her latest J. R. Ward book, THE VIPER, which she likes a lot.
I have gotten a bunch of short stories read at least. I’m reading the very interesting Mary Ladd Gavell’s posthumous collection, I CANNOT TELL A LIE, EXACTLY. Gavell died at 47 in 1967 without having published a single story. She edited a magazine, PSYCHAITRY, which did publish some of her stories, one of which was chosen by John Updike for THE BEST STORIES OF THE CENTURY. The title story is a lot of fun. A nine year old boy announces to his mother than he is playing George Washington in a school play and he needs a white wig…by the next morning.
The other collection I am reading is THE CITY OF REFUGE by Rudolph Fisher, a doctor in Harlem, whose stories were published between 1925-35, and who also wrote the mystery THE CONJURE-MAN DIES in 1932.
I couldn’t resist Loren D. Estleman’s new book, PAPERBACK JACK. Pulp writer Jacob Heppelman is just back from WWII, and with the pulp magazine market dying, he is nudged (almost against his will) into the newly emerging market of paperback original crime novels, as “Jack Holly.” It’s a quick read.
One more recommended by a friend, is a perfect book for me: Marc Myers, ANATOMY OF 55 MORE SONGS: THE ORAL HISTORY OF TOP HITS THAT CHANGED ROCK, POP and SOUL. Some of the songs discussed (by the song’s creators) include “Walk On By” (Dionne Warwick), “Good Vibrations” (The Beach Boys), “September” (Earth, Wind & Fire), and “Don’t Stop Believing” (Journey).
I hope you have good weather to sit and enjoy books, Jeff!
And, thank you again for sharing your Favorites of 2022!
Jeff, I bought myself Paperback Jack as part of my bag of books I give myself for Christmas. I’m looking forward to reading it!
I was very fortunate this week and read a book that I really liked by one of my favorite authors – Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger – she always delivers! I hate when you get in the reading doldrums and nothing is great. Dreary day today in CT but we can’t complain when I see what other people are dealing with.
I hate it, too, Donna. I’m hoping Simon Green’s book helps. I liked the beginning of it.
Isn’t it nice to have a failproof author?
I read three older books this week, beautiful language and slower pacing befitting a snowy January.
Georgette Heyer’s final detective novel from 1961 DETECTION UNLIMITED. Aptly reflects The Golden Age of detection with a cast of quirky characters and witty dialogue. With a few red herrings, things are revealed slowly, so appropriate for the village setting.
A lovely collection of stories, BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
And John Straley’s The Big Both Ways (2008)
Set in 1935, starting in Seattle and traveling onto Juneau. “The nice thing about being alive is that it can always get better”
MM, I’m glad you found three books that fit this time of year, and your mood.
Sorry about sll the flooding out west. We have a good fan going out there for a month this weekend. Fingers crossed. At least the reservoirs are fillingup. It is beautiful in South Florida – 75 to 80 degrees and mostly sunny, though we are supposed to get a little rain tomorrow and a brief cold spell over the weekend. Not cold by New York standards, true, but dropping from 79 to 59 in one day is a big drop.
It’s been quite a while since I read a Simon R. Green book.
You’re right, Jeff. That 20 degree drop is a big one.
The last two Simon R. Green’s I read were just okay. But, I love the opening of this one. It starts in a tavern. “All old country taverns have one thing in common: they don’t give a damn what outsiders think about them…All old country taverns have their roots in the past, and so do the people who drink in them.”
Also having a difficult time finding a book that feels “just right.”. When that happens I will pick up a beach book. This one was OUR PLACE ON THE ISLAND by Erika Montgomery, a fun escape to Martha’s Vineyard.
“Description from NetGalley
For decades, the Campbell women have reunited at the family’s rambling seaside cottage known as Beech House to celebrate life’s many occasions. But this year, they will be called back to Martha’s Vineyard for a celebration of a different sort: their beloved matriarch Cora is getting remarried. And all the town gossips are calling him the one who got away, years ago…
For renowned chef Mickey Campbell, this wedding isn’t just a welcome excuse to return to the place she first learned to cook at her grandmother’s side. It’s also a chance to regroup while she figures out a way to tell her smoldering head chef boyfriend that she’s mismanaged their restaurant into the red.
Mickey’s mother, Hedy, is still mourning the passing of her adored father three years earlier, and she isn’t sure she’s ready to welcome a new man into the fold—and she’s not certain her own thorny relationship with her mother will weather the storm of her upcoming marriage.
But everyone knows a woman’s heart holds more than meets the eye. For Cora, drawing her daughter and granddaughter back to Beech House isn’t just about a ceremony, but a chance to reveal a history she has kept close to her heart for decades. As the days leading up to the wedding unfold, secrets of Cora’s past come to light– a secret that will cause three generations of Campbell women to question marriage, motherhood, and ultimately learn to savor the delicious joy of following your own heart.
Told in dual timelines on the sumptuous beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, OUR PLACE ON THE ISLAND is the sparkling, romantic read of the season.”
Kaye, I turn to historical romances. You turn to beach books. Interesting to see where we go when we can’t find the right book. I like the sound of Our Place on the Island.
I look forward to hearing what you thought of it, as I received an ARC a few days ago.
After using my collection of Pern books (by Anne McCaffrey) to hold up the blanket we used to block the fireplace draft during our zero degree weather, I decided to reread the series. So far I have read DRAGONFLIGHT and DRAGONQUEST. And after getting THE WICKED WIDOW by Beatriz Williams for Christmas (which I read and liked) I decided to go back and read all the books about the Schuyler family and am in the middle of THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT.
Well, that’s one way to pick your next books, Cindy. That’s funny.
The new Anthony Horowitz, The Sentence is Death. I am trying to decide if I can stand another of his Holmes’ tropes of making himself a character in this series.
I am quite fond of the Ishmael Jones’ series. I have this one ready to go next.
I know. I’m so up-and-down on the Anthony Horowitz books, Viccy. I like Ishmael Jones, though.
About to jump ahead to an advance copy of Michael Robotham’s February release, Lying Beside You. Robotham’s psychological mysteries have never disappointed me. I never miss one.
Why not jump ahead with a favorite author, Sandra? I don’t blame you.
We’re drying out today, and getting ready for more rain over the weekend. There’s the usual roads closed, but nothing too serious. I don’t think anybody expected the drought to end quite like this.
So I’m up on Tuesday. Wherever I go, systems fail, traditions are disrupted…it ain’t easy being me!
This week I read:
Making Waves by Tricia Goyer; This is the fifth in The Mysteries of Martha Vineyard series. It has the same detective, but every book seems to be by a different author. In this one, the Island turns out to honor a WASP on her 100 birthday, and someone steals her Congressional Medal. The sleuth starts poking around. It’s like a cozy with no murder, and otherwise low stakes.
Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child; Cli-fi about the melting glaciers, and the discovery of a frozen beast. The usual idiot decides to defrost the beast on national TV, as if they’ve never seen King Kong.
All The Dark Places by Terri Parlato; A woman with a tragic past, and a “perfect life” (guess she never hits a red light?) wakes up one morning to discover her husband dead by a slit throat. Hubby brung it upon himself.
Sect of the Rounded Stone by H. John Spriggs; The war between the traditional elements of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water and the Krealites continues, with a lot of wandering around and wondering what to do. Possibly a rather too realistic look at war in the middle part.
Oh, dear, Glen. I’ll remember that if my blog goes down on Tuesday. Keeping my fingers crossed.
No, I doubt that people did expect the drought to end this way.
In John Sandford’s upcoming book, Dark Angel, there’s a group of people under attack, and one suggests they separate. Someone asks, “Haven’t you EVER even watched a horror film?” I loved it.
Well it’s only mid day and thanks to some great sounding recommendations from todays posters I have put 4 more books on hold at my library. At this rate I will have to live to be 100 to get through my ever expanding TBR pile. Thank heavens I am retired and that a Kindle allows me to always travel with a book. My daughter and her family are moving to Germany next week for two years and I hope to make frequent trips to visit and travel. And read my Kindle!
This week I listened to a A Passage North, which was a semi finalist for the Booker prize last year. It is the slow moving story of a young man in post Civil war Sri Lanka as he travels to the northern part of the country to attend a funeral. I learned a fair amount about the war in Sri Lanka which I am ashamed to admit that I did not even know happened and enjoyed listening to the melodic voice of the reader. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it in the written form, it is a pretty slow moving book but I liked the audio.
I followed up with a mystery, Murder in Chianti, recommended on a previous Lesa’s Thursday post. Very enjoyable and part of a new to me series.
Next up Miss Benson’s Beetle. It came out last year so was easy to find at the library. I found this to be a delightful book. The story of a British woman, a self described spinster living a dull ordered life, who sets off on an epic adventure to discover the New Caledonia Beetle. So much happens in this story and I found myself rooting for Miss Benson all the way.
Glad to hear from those of you in California. It all sounds and looks so scary. Hope all of you continue to stay safe.
Oh, Susan! New adventures for you with your daughter’s family in Germany! That’s great.
I love to hear when readers are growing their TBR piles thanks to recommendations from others. With that many books, it means you can find something to fit your mood.
I’m happy to hear people are safe, too!
Jeff, dropping below 70 in Florida is considered COLD! I was born and raised in New Jersey, and the last Christmas I spent there 40 years ago was minus 10, but damned, when our Florida weather cast is for 40 degrees – as it is this weekend – that’s time to turn on the heat, get out the quilts, and bring in the plants!
All of which will make a nice distraction to the book I’m reading for Net Galley – PJ Tracy’s THE DEVIL YOU KNOW. I knew from the first over flowery first paragraph I was going to have trouble with this book. She’s competing with unknown authors for who can get the most and longest words not usually used in the English language incorporated into her book. It’s all about the characters, with not much action, which might be ok if I cared about the people, which I don’t. Stuck-up, spoiled Hollywood mega-stars totally melt down after the death of one of their own and it’s up to the LAPD to sort it out. I’m watching the stats in my Kindle (iPad device really) recording my progress, and I’m up to 60%. Can’t wait to finish. Unless there’s a twist to beat all twists, I won’t be recommending this book.
I wondered about that PJ Tracy book, Sandie. My editor offered it to me to review for LJ, and I turned her down because I didn’t care for the first in the series. It doesn’t sound as if I was wrong in turning down the second one.
Totally agree with you both.
It was a rough night here last night. Lots of thunder and lightning and rain. The rough part was our Brittany Spaniel Lulu, who is scared of the lightning and thunder, couldn’t get settled in her hiding spot in my closet. Finally, she decided she was safe in bed with husband. It was also rough because I really needed sleep last night, which is why I seem to be nodding off today so much. Of course, this all pales in comparison to my friends I worry about in California. Two in the San Francisco area are safe, and I’m keeping tabs on others.
I think I’d already finished Murder in All Fury by Anne Cleeland the last time I commented on here. It was one of her best Acton and Doyle in the series. I have a reading schedule for January, which means I, of course, picked up a book that wasn’t on it. Hide by Tracy Clark is on my January schedule, and it’s actually the next book up. Hide by Kiersten White was not on my schedule, but I had started it at some point last year, and other reading came up and I put it to the side. Well, I suddenly had to finish it. The premise of the book fascinated me. Thirteen competitors, who range from their 20s to their early 30s and are female and male, are enclosed in an abandoned, dilapidated amusement park in the middle of nowhere to vie for the prize of $50,000. All they have to do is be able to hide and be the last person standing. They hide only during the day, and at night come back to a communal sleeping area. The main character Mack has been hiding all her life, so she thinks she can easily win. The nature of the competition changes, and the competitors soon realize their lives are on the line and there will be no winner. Just the right amount of scary for me.
I’m currently reading Where the Guilty Hide by Annette Dashofy. It’s her new series with Detective Mathias Honeywell as the lead character. I love Annette’s Zoe Chambers series, and I think I’m going to love this one, too. It takes place in northern Pennsylvania on Lake Erie in a town named Erie. Two home invasions have occurred in the town, with the last one turning deadly. Detective Mathias Honeywell and his partner Cassie are the police detectives assigned the case. Emma Anderson is a freelance photographer who was taking pictures of driftwood on the beach when she captures a human arm sticking out of the debris. Emma is uncomfortable getting involved, as she is hiding from her own tragic circumstances. I’m really enjoying this one. It’s out on January 20th.
Next up will be Tracy Clark’s Hide and then love-of-my-life author Elly Griffith’s Last Remains (out the end of January in the UK and April in the U.S.).
I’m sensing a theme here, Kathy – Hide, Where the Guilty Hide, Hide. Hmmm. Did you want to hide in Lulu’s closet? It was a rough night in this area. Our tornado/storm sirens went off at 3 AM. Like you, I’m yawning today.
Hahaha! I sure do have a hiding theme there. I actually like storms, but Lulu’s reaction to them has me not wanting them to happen when I’m sleeping.
Hi, I am late because we went to Rocky Nook Park this morning to check out Mission Creek (and take photos). It was a perfect walk, the ground had dried enough so we were not mucking through mud and we went from one end of the park to the other. There was water in the creek and it has been so many years since I have seen that. I haven’t heard the roar of water streaming through that creek for years and it was just an overwhelming and emotional experience for me. (If you have read CHINA LAKE by Meg Gardiner, the protagonist and her boyfriend go to that park. The story is set in Santa Barbara, and she lives in the Mission Canyon area. The book was too much of a thriller for me and I have not continued the series, although I have the 2nd book, which is titled MISSION CANYON. )
Our neighborhood is between Santa Barbara and Goleta, on the other side from Montecito which was totally evacuated on Monday. We had no issues from the rain in our area, and we did stay at home, off the streets, as directed.
I finally finished reading ANNA KARENINA. I gave it a good rating because I think it is a good book, and I am glad I read it, but it was not a great reading experience for me. I learned a lot about Russia when it was written. I liked the Levin / Kitty plot and had to mostly force my way through Anna’s story.
I am now reading THE GRAVE POSITION by Robert Barnard. Barnard is one of my favorite authors. He wrote about 50 novels between 1974 and 2012. Some series books and some standalone books. The standalone books have the best plots and subtle humor, but I have read most of his series books too. This one is about a man who returns to Leeds, England after his aunt dies, to the dismay of the rest of the family, who thought he was dead. He will inherit most of his aunt’s estate, once he can prove he is who he says he is. Very, very good so far.
A great reason to be late, Tracy. A good walk and an emotional experience as well. Good for you. And, I’m happy to hear you and all the other California readers here are okay.
I understand why Robert Barnard is a favorite. Definitely not a thriller author like Meg Gardiner.
Hey Lesa, I have been listening to House of Wolves by James Patterson. Currently reading in print The bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer and At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon (for my library book club)
It’s been quite a while since I read the Mitford books, Katherine, but my family all enjoyed them. I hope your book club does as well.
Read DOGTOWN by Howard Owen which is the latest read in the Willie Black Mystery Series.
Currently reading an ARC of DARK ANGEL by John Sandford. This is the second book in the Letty series and is due out in April.
I can’t wait to see your comments about Dark Angel, Kevin.