As I mentioned yesterday, I haven’t read anything online except for stories about the Tartan Army invading Boston. Those have been fun, but they required no effort on my part. That flu knocked me out, but I’m finally leaving the house today to pick up groceries. I haven’t been this sick in forever. I hope no one here succumbs to the flu. So, I’ve been sleeping for the last week. I hope you had a better week than I did.
I did start a book yesterday, and read fifty pages. The Pie & Mash Detective Agency is J.D. Brinkworth’s debut mystery. Jane Pye and Simon Mash are a young couple with extra time on their hands. She’s out of work, and he’s bored with his job. So, she signs both of them up for a private detective class. Everyone is assigned a case that the instructor once worked, except for Jane and Simon. Their assignment is a combination of a current and cold case. A woman named Nellie Thorne has recently been reported as missing. However, does Nellie Thorne actually exist? She’s an urban legend in Kent. Every decade or so since the 1970s, a Nellie Thorne has been reported as missing. Now Jane and Simon are working this odd case.
I’m not sure I’ll finish this. It’s what I needed right now to throw me back into reading, something light and cozy. But, I’m not sure the humor will work in the long run.
What about you? I lost a week of my life. What have you been doing in that week? What are you reading?
I had the flu once, so I know how you feel Lesa. I think I also know how exhausted you must have felt after going for groceries! A simple thing, but it feels huge if that’s the first time in a week you went out.
The book you started this week is one I bought just a few days ago. It will be interesting to see what I think of it, whenever I get round to reading it.
It’s been a fairly quiet week over here. Three quite hot days for me to get through, 32 -33C (91 F). There was no cooking happening in our house that’s for sure. A lot of sitting in front of a fan though; not sure I would have made it without the fan.
Our son is so busy at work these days! He works at City Hall and was seconded I suppose you could call it, by Fifa to oversee planning for the seven World Cup soccer games that will take place here. He’s had to arrange things like ordering grass for the playing fields, deciding how many road barriers to order and where to place them, liaise with the police, and make sure each venue was ready, etc. A thousand and one decisions to make. He’s currently working
15-hour days, no days off, at the E-Comm 911 emergency centre for fire, police, and medical emergencies. Any problems arising at any of the games or venues will be routed through him. It’s all a lot of work, quite stressful, and an enormous amount of responsibility- and yet he thrives under pressure. His major concern at the moment is that once the games are done and the World Cup is over, his usual work will seem quite dull.
Books this week:
NIGHTSHADE by Michael Connelly
I know many of you have read this one already but it was new to me.
After an incident with fellow detectives on the California mainland, Detective Stilwell is transferred /demoted to Catalina Island where he’ll now be dealing with low-stakes cases – drunks, thefts, and general smalltown hooliganism.
Unexpectedly, two important cases come up at the same time. In one a body is discovered at the bottom of the harbour, wrapped in black, weighed down, and encircle by a heavy chain. All avenues of inquiry lead to the Black Marlin Club, for the exclusive use of well-heeled fishing and boating gentlemen. The second case brings a report of the deliberate killing of a buffalo in a protected conservancy area, which will in turn will unearth local secrets and violence.
Stilwell determinedly works both cases even though aspects will take him – not necessarily legally – back to the mainland where he no longer has jurisdiction. Rightly or wrongly, he doesn’t let that stop him in his quest for justice for the dead woman or getting to the bottom of some very shady dealings amongst the more powerful citizens of Catalina Island.
I enjoyed the book. Nuanced it isn’t, and there isn’t much in the way of characterization, but it definitely kept me avidly reading like I was possessed. I wanted to know how the very capable Stilwell would manage all the people, roadblocks and obstructions, and dangerous situations as he pursued each case to the end – sometimes putting his fledgling love relationship in jeopardy. This is the first book by Michael Connelly I’ve ever read and I can see why he’s such a popular writer.
THE HOPEFUL HEARTS BOOKSHOP by Debbie Johnson
Margie reviewed this one a few months ago and made it sound like something I’d enjoy. I had a heck of a time finding a copy but was finally successful, and I did indeed enjoy the book.
There are two main characters – Kate lives in London, she’s 40 years old, finally divorced after years of mental abuse and put-downs by her ex-husband, but still feeling worthless and invisible. Brody lives in Chicago, he’s 52 years old, a widower for the past five years, an ex-cop, father of a 22-year-old daughter, and feeling aimless and sad. Both Kate and Brody need a fresh start and a new perspective on life.
In a small village in northern Scotland lives Moira – 80-something years old, widowed, and owner of the village bookstore (once her whole life but now closed) which she has let fall into complete disrepair since a devastating accident which has left her wheelchair-bound. Four years ago, she followed through on her late husband’s idea of sending invitations out into the world, each one tucked into the pages of a book, inviting the finder of the card to come stay in Bonnie Bay. Until now there have been no takers.
But fate ensures that not only do Kate and Brody both find one of these invitations, they each end up deciding to take the leap of faith and head to Scotland. They meet on a train and it does not go well. Entertaining for us, but definitely not for them. The story proper begins at this point and it’s a fun ride seeing what happens to Kate, Brody, the bookstore, and the inhabitants of Bonnie Bay.
It’s a warm, good-hearted story, a bit predictable but that’s not a criticism, full of interesting characters, drama, angst, beautiful scenery, a sprinkling of amusing Scottish expressions, and birds. A gentle escapist read that makes you feel good about life and the possibilities of second chances.
I haven’t had it in years, Lindy, and it’s certainly no fun. I’m not going to overdo it, but I am ready to do wash – everything I wore or slept on for the last week. Fresh start!
You’re right. It’s hard to put down one of Michael Connelly’s books once you’ve started it.
We never think of the poor people that have to coordinate the events like FIFA. I’ve enjoyed watching the international groups of people who have showed up, but I don’t think of the people doing all the work in the cities. Good luck to your son. And, he’s right. He’ll probably be bored afterwards.
I hope you are feeling much better soon. Being sick is no fun at all.
I’m currently between books (and behind on writing reviews for the books I’ve finished. I wrote two review tonight and have two more book reviews to go, plus a review of season 10 of Murder, She Wrote and some other TV show reviews I’d like to get written.)
Anyway, the book I just finished is MURDER AT ORCHE COURT, the sixth Gilded Newport Mystery from Alyssa Maxwell. I completely enjoyed it. This one was set in 1898, and I love how real and fictional characters are woven together so effortlessly.
Next up for me will be DEATH ON THE BACK NINE by Caleb Wygal. It’s book six in the Myrtle Beach Mysteries. We are building toward a conclusion to the ongoing storylines in book seven, and I will be reading at least that far. We’ll see how I feel after book seven whether I continue the series or not. This isn’t the best series, but I am curious enough about what is going on to stick around that long.
Thanks, Mark. It’s the first day I’ve felt better. I woke up, and thought, I’m almost okay! That felt good.
None of us (my Mom and sisters) have been to Newport, and I think I’d like that to be one of our family trips. I’d love to see some of the mansions that Alyssa Maxwell writes about. I’ve read a few of the books, and enjoyed them.
This is a super-late reply, Lesa, because I have been moving to a place half an hour from Newport. You are welcome to come visit and stay in the guest room!
Thank you, Trisha! I appreciate it. I hope you’re settling in your new home.
Hello from a damp Northern Scotland. Our weather has been a bit wet and dull lately, but personally I’ll take that over the temperatures in the south of England. They are set to get up to 30C (86F) this weekend and I would not enjoy that one bit.
I do hope you’re feeling better Lesa – like Lindy said, the flu can wipe you out for a few weeks energy-wise. I know when I was ill after Christmas even going for a short walk left me feeling exhausted. It went in the end – but do pace yourself.
I have some good news this week; on Sunday our first grandchild arrived! Poor Naomi, our son’s wife, had had a very difficult pregnancy. She had already been hospitalized once for high blood pressure, but the doctors thought they had sorted it out. However, at the end of last week she had to go into Raigmore (Inverness hospital) in the middle of the night as she was so ill. They decided to induce her on Friday, but that didn’t go well, so little Flynn was born by section on Sunday afternoon. He is hale and hearty and they went home yesterday. Both she and Freddie are over the moon, as are we. They chose the name Flynn as a sort of Irish-Scottish crossover, as Naomi is from Northern Ireland. I believe it has Gaelic origins.
Apart from that, I have been running about – first we went to London for David’s nephew Jack’s wedding, which unfortunately had to take place entirely indoors owing to the wet weather.
Luckily Fulham Palace has plenty of huge, high-ceilinged rooms, so space wasn’t a problem despite it being a very big wedding. The problem we did have, though, was that the noise level in those echoey rooms was phenomenal and even I could hardly hear what people were saying; David didn’t stand a chance. The dinner, however, was fabulous and I was lucky to be seated between Madeleine and a lovely cousin of Jack’s. He and his partner had their 11 month old baby and 8 year old daughter with them, and my goodness those children were well behaved! I don’t think mine would’ve lasted 5 minutes.
We came back to Edinburgh and stayed a couple of nights as we had tickets to see Kraftwerk at the Playhouse. What a fantastic concert that was, I loved it, especially when they showed newsreels behind the band (eg one of the Tour de France); I could see how their legacy has inspired other bands I like, such as Public Service Broadcasting and Arms and Sleepers. It was a particularly good night as – despite the Playhouse being absolutely enormous and packed out – nobody was waving their phone around all night and nobody went out to the bar (I think it was probably closed during the show, hoorah.)
While in Edinburgh we spent what felt like a lifetime in IKEA looking at cupboards and rugs and exciting things like that, yawn. Then on our way back to Aberdeenshire David dropped me off in Dundee as I had a long meeting with various reps from the British Association of Museums. This took place at the Verdant Works, a museum set up to tell people about the jute industry, which was a major employer in Dundee in the past.
So I finally got home late on Wednesday night, having left here the previous Thursday. Exhausted!
Our new house is still in a state of disarray, but we completed the sale of the old one with no last minute hitches, so that was another piece of good news.
I’m here by myself this week as David is away, first on a walking holiday with a friend in Yorkshire, then to Hamburg to play hockey. He will be back on Tuesday for three days, then away again on a golf trip. I don’t know where he gets the energy.
In the meantime I am supposed to be sorting out all my books; there are a lot. I have all the books from our last house all over the floor, and they are surrounded by the 50 boxes of books that have now come up from Edinburgh. I really enjoy things like this, but I am so easily distracted – ‘oh, I didn’t know I had this one – I’ll just have a quick read….’
I’ve also been to two talks over the past few days, each given by the City Archivist, who is a good speaker. The first was about crime and punishment in 16th century Aberdeen and took place in the Charter Room of the old Town House, where most of the records are kept, so we were able to see old handwritten registers, ‘wanted’ posters, and accounts of hangings and ‘witch’ burnings. All quite gory but very interesting.
The second talk was about Parson Gordon’s Map of Aberdeen, which James Gordon made in the 17th century. Again very interesting. Gordon had been educated at King’s College (the original university of Aberdeen) so he added a very large drawing of it to the map – perspective probably hadn’t been invented in those days!
Actual READING, surprise surprise, has been thin on the ground. I am near the end of DEBTS OF DISHONOUR by Jill Paton Walsh. It’s one of her Imogen Quy mysteries – Imogen being a college nurse in Oxford who gets herself caught up in things she shouldn’t. I’ve enjoyed previous books in this short series, but I’m finding this one hard going. Imogen has become a little too perfect for my liking, and apparently has every man in the city after her too, which seems a little unlikely. Also, this plot is set largely outside the university, in the world of high finance. An old student of Imogen’s hard up college has made a fortune running his own company, but his ruthlessness has earned him many enemies. He is a heavy drinker, and goes to an exclusive clinic to dry out. During the night he falls off a nearby cliff and is found dead on the beach the next morning. Did he fall or was he pushed, and if the latter, who did it?
There are plenty of available suspects, chief among them being his deputy at the Farran Group, who would stop at nothing (or so we are told) to get to the top. He’s also married to the chairman’s daughter, who seems to have had no say in the matter – she is said to have been coerced by her father into the marriage, but really, does that still happen?
Half way through the book another murder occurs, which ruins Imogen’s original theory about the perpetrator. What I want to know, however, is how Imogen can take endless days off to chase around the country sticking her nose into things that don’t concern her – she simply gets a friend to cover for her, which may work once, but surely this friend, a college nurse herself, has her own job to do?
Another thing that’s irking me is that most of what Imogen finds out, she finds out simply because people tell her things. She’s portrayed as someone so empathetic that people just can’t help themselves – so there’s very little proper detection.
I’ll finish the book but I think I’ve now had enough of Imogen! I need to get a move on if I’m going to have read even 10 books for the summer reading challenge I thought I’d manage easily.
I’m going into town now so I will stop. I hope everyone has a good week – and remember to take it easy Lesa!
Congratulations on the birth of your grandson, Rosemary. Wonderful news!
Thank you so much Jennifer. So looking forward to seeing him!
Rosemary, congratulations on Flynn. Nice name. Glad all is well.
Thank you Jeff. I’d never heard the name before, but my Irish friend was quite familiar with it.
Rosemary! Congratulations to everyone, and welcome to Flynn! I’m glad he and his mother are doing well after a tough time for both from the sound of it.
I had to laugh with you saying you don’t know where David finds the energy. Just because yours isn’t directed towards sports doesn’t mean we aren’t all in awe of your energy and time spent on walks, on museum boards, at community talks, etc. It’s hard to believe you two are ever in the same room.
And, congratulations on the sale of your house going through with no hitches!
Yes, I’m going to take it easy for a time, but it does feel good to feel better.
I think I’d give up on Imogene, too.
Thank you Lesa.
I suppose I do do quite a bit – but the difference for me is that I really like to come home at the end of the day. I can have too much of people in general and I like to have some quiet time by myself.
It’s so good to feel better after illness, isn’t it?
Oh, it’s wonderful to feel better. I did a little necessary running this morning, but I’m done, and resting the rest of the day.
Great news that Flynn has arrived in good health and that your daughter-in-law is fine after such a rough time.
Thank you Kim, I was worrying about them last week so it’s a great relief that they’re all Ok now.
Such exciting news Rosemary. Welcome to Flynn! I hope Naomi feels fine now and recovers from the C-section quickly. Best wishes to the new parents!
I read this a bit late, after Toastmasters and lunch (having posted my piece early in the morning), but what a delight to learn about the birth of F.ynn! I love that name, by the way. My best wishes to his parents, to you, and your whole family! Grandchildren are indeed wonderful!
We really haven’t done much this week except for yard work but somehow it’s Thursday already.
I read Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay which Lesa has reviewed. Overall I enjoyed it, but it was slower paced than some of her other books.
An Equal Opportunity Death by Susan Dunlop. When a local bar owner is found dead the police focus on the last person known to have seen him, the meter reader. Of course she’s not the killer. This was a quick read but I don’t have any desire to read the other two books in the series.
An ARC of At Leap of Faith Farm by Cheryl Suzanne Heide. A memoir about a couple who buys a farm where they can keep her horses. There are some sections about their adaptation to farm itself but most of the book is about their horses and other animals that shared the farm with them.
Sandy, Yard work is more than I did this week, and you read more books than I did as well. Much more productive week!
All of a sudden it’s summer hot here, several days in a row in the nineties with triple-digits hovering. Very low humidity, so quite tolerable in the shade.
I just finished listening to THE QUIET LIBRARIAN courtesy of Jeff Meyerson’s list of Favorite Books Read during 2025. The book recently won the 2026 Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. A murder forces the protagonist to confront her hidden past as a survivor of the war in Bosnia. Themes of war, family, vengeance, and love.
THE BROTHERS MCKAY by Craig Johnson was reviewed here recently by Kevin Tipple. I agree with Kevin’s summary “highly entertaining read that keeps the reader turning pages”
But, to my thinking, not the best in this long-running series. Borax, the mule, was a great addition.
On the nonfiction front, my curiosity got the better of me at the library and I picked up THE SPINACH KING: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook. It’s mostly about a few generations of the dysfunctional Seabrook family. But also the story of one of the initial efforts to industrialize “truck” farming in the US (“truck farm” from the archaic meaning as produce or goods).
Greenhouses, mechanized irrigation, assembly line vegetable processing & pioneering in quick frozen foods. Of course, all this took money from NY bankers and a permissive political climate.
And a bit of armchair travel, a British Library Crime Classic originally published in 1956. MURDER IN VIENNA by E.C.R. Lorac
A nice solid mystery wrapped around the sights of Vienna.
I find E.C.R. Lorac so relaxing for armchair travel, MM. I like those mysteries. Haven’t read that one, though.
You’re right.Borax was the best part of that Longmire book.
Stay cool if you can!
Oh, I agree that it was nowhere near the best in the series.
Quite honestly, that mule did not do a lot for me. I know folks love it. But, I thought it was just okay.
Glad to hear that you are feeling better, it sounds like it was really horrible. Take good care, Lesa.
After having company for close to a week, and a weekend get-away with my husband, I have been working outside every day trying to get the weeds back under control. Today it is raining and cold, so probably a good day to go shopping.
This past week I read “An Artful Dodge” by Karen Odden. The author does a marvelous job of immersing the reader into Victorian London. Kit Jimison is a thief, working in a thieving ring. At a young age, she became responsible for keeping her younger sister Sarah, and herself, alive. Her mother was also a thief, so it is a bit of a family tradition. She is very competent at her job, and when a new head of the thieving ring wants her to assist with a dangerous theft, she is inclined to say no, that is until the woman kidnaps Sarah to get Kit to do her bidding. How Kit manages to accomplish the theft, save her sister, and foil the woman is the premise of the story. It was well written, but I was a bit bored, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood foir this type of story?
Rainy and cold. A good day for shopping, and then, maybe a good book, Mary?
Sometimes it is just me when I don’t care for a book. I might not be in the right mood.
I hope you had a good visit, and then a nice weekend away.
Hope you are feeling better soon, Lesa. My son and daughter-in-law had the flu over Easter weekend and it took them a while to recover. They said it was awful.
The weather here was on the cool side until Tuesday when it shot up to the 90s. We’ve been getting a lot of wind with the heat which isn’t ideal considering the lack of snow we had this year.
I had some vacation time that I had to use or lose before the end of June, so I took a couple of days off last week. You would have thought I would have gotten lots of reading time in. Sad to say, I only read one book which was Summer Share by Jenn McKinley which Lesa reviewed. It was cute but I don’t remember her books being so spicy.
You’re right, Bev. I hope I warned readers that Jenn’s book was spicy. I might not have because I usually like everything she writes.
I hope that wind plus heat doesn’t lead to wildfires.
Thank you. I’m almost me today, but I’ll take it slow.
Lesa, glad you’re improving. Take it very easy.
We have two concerts this week- Dion on Saturday and James Taylor on Tuesday – and Monday is Jackie’s consultation for her second knee replacement.
Jackie read Katherine Center’s first book, THE BRIGHT SIDE OF DISASTER, and frankly, she didn’t love it. “Too much baby stuff and not enough romance. ”
She’s off her list. She did enjoy the Netflix movie of Emily Henry’s PEOPLE YOU MEET ON VACATION. She is currently rereading INNOCENT IN DEATH, by J. D. Robb, book 24, because that was the first appearance of Roarke’s old flame, the troublemaker Magdalena, who was in the new book. She is enjoying it a lot and says she doesn’t remember it at all.
I read THE UNEXPECTED INCIDENT by John Dickson Carr, as mentioned last time, and James Salter’s LAST NIGHT, two short story collections.
Lesa reviewed Michael Connelly’s second Catalina mystery featuring Sgt. Stilwell, IRONWOOD, and I really enjoyed it too. Renee Ballard is involved, and he even throws in a non-speaking cameo by “the old man,” Harry Bosch.
I’ve read a few of Ann Patchett’s books, and I am halfway through her beautiful new book, WHISTLER.
Thank you, Jeff. I plan to take it easy. I do have to make a trip to the library today, though. (such a chore – grin)
Oh, I’m glad to hear you call Ann Patchett’s book beautiful. It’s on my TBR pile, so I may have to move it up.
I can see why we don’t always remember J.D. Robb’s books after reading so many. But, they’re all good!
Enjoy the concerts!
I loved Ann Patchett’s TOM LAKE, Jeff. Can’t wait to read WHISTLER.
Good morning! Lesa, I’m so glad you are finally feeling better. It’s been a busy week for me, but nothing to write home about. The good news is that for the next three days or so, the high temps will be in the 80s rather than the 90s. It makes for a much more pleasant walk in the morning. Here’s what I have been reading.
IDEAL LIFE is the title of Evelyn Skye’s new novel, and it is also the name of the neuroscience startup led by CEO Talia Morgan. Talia founded Ideal Life to provide clients with an AI virtual assistant to help them “optimize for their positive tendencies and head off their negative ones,” based on an analysis of their brain activity and their personal background and behaviors. The company is now going through the due diligence process with a tech giant that intends to purchase it for an exorbitant amount of money. Great news, until Talia starts to suspect that that the buyer may intend to use her company’s technology for sinister purposes. Where the story goes off the rails is when Talia finds a watch that can rewind time up to 24 hours. Don’t bother asking where it came from or why, because we never get those answers. Talia soon discovers an overwhelming urge to use the watch for a do-over (or multiple do-overs) every time something goes wrong in her life or career, even though it ultimately wreaks havoc with her health and energy. I enjoy a bit of magical realism, but this one seemed to come from out of the blue, and the author didn’t feel the need to make any kind of explanation. Things I did like about the book: It is a quick read. It’s set in Silicon Valley, where I lived for decades, so it was fun reading about places I know well. I appreciated the quick reference to Chloe, the protagonist of Skye’s last book, The Incredible Kindness of Paper, which I enjoyed. And I liked the character of Sam, Talia’s best friend, who has carried a torch for her since their Stanford days. Sam is the only person she has told about the watch, and he is stunned by its effect on Talia. Talia’s younger sister and her husband, who are highly successful travel influencers, are interesting, and I had hoped they would figure more in the plot. What I didn’t like was reading about Talia’s descent into a self-inflicted madness that we know can only lead to disaster for her life and her company (or not?). Some of it is timely, describing both the potential benefits and the decidedly dark possibilities of AI. I’m glad I read it but I can’t say I really enjoyed it. (August)
I’m glad Atria offered me a widget to read THE THREE GRACES OF PEARL STREET, Elizabeth Wellington Rollins’s debut novel, as I’m not sure I would have found it on my own. Graziella, age 96, is tiny in stature but ferociously committed to her Catholic background (she had spent a short time as a nun before marrying the convent’s mailman), the food kitchen she supports, and her family. Her daughter Graziella (Grace) and granddaughter Graziella (Ella) have come to live with her as her medical issues increase, but it’s not an easy road for any of them. Grace is tired of the responsibilities of being head of Columbia’s psychology department and has taken a lesser position, as she deals with a cheating husband, a pending divorce, and the continuous hot flashes of menopause. Ella is a brilliant nuclear physics student at MIT and a diabetic who has recently left the university and taken a lowly job for which she is wildly overqualified. She is questioning all of the things in her life that she has strongly believed and wonders whether it’s been worth it, given her current situation. The appearance of her closest male childhood friend may change everything. And the residents of Graziella’s New York town love her for her generosity and fear her for being intimidating, in equal measures. It all makes for a fascinating story, with the first half more of a character study of the three women representing three generations of an Italian family. Things heat up further in the second half, as the three band together to achieve the goals that the senior Graziella holds dearest, in the face of daunting obstacles. They also help each other with their personal needs and goals, and Grace and Ella learn how Graziella is able to be so generous with her giving to those in need. It is an absorbing, complicated, and detailed story of family dynamics, clever planning and collaboration, shared food, and love. (September)
Margie, Even the little things are interesting after I slept for a week.
However, I think I’m going to pass on both your books this week. The second sounds good, but I don’t think I would get to it.
Lesa, don’t ever apologize for not being interested in any book I have reviewed. This week, I think I expressed my feelings pretty clearly for the first book I read so I don’t recommend it. It took me at least half of the second book to decide I really liked it, although it finally did win me over. Right now, I’m trying not to add books to my TBR list because I have more books on my NetGalley shelf than usual. Yes, I have plenty of time to read them all before the publication dates, but I’m feeling a bit stressed. During the past couple of weeks, I have gotten several NG requests granted, and four are still pending. And, yes, I did add a couple of requests for books that were on my wish list. I’m reading a library book right now, but I’m seriously considering cancelling/returning a couple of my library holds, especially since there was more than one tepid review here for one of them. I’ve also received a lot of widgets but turned most of them down. An abundance of riches but . . . yikes!
I am glad to hear you are feeling better, Lesa. And congratulations to Rosemary on the new grandbaby.
I finished The Names by Florence Knapp. An interesting story that I nearly didn’t finish because of the graphic spousal abuse. It raises the question of how different a child’s life would be depending on its name. The child in question was named Bear, Julian and Gordon in each scenario, so it was like reading three novellas combined. I ended up enjoying it.
Next, I read The Parisian Chapter by Janet Charles Skeslien. I found it disappointing after reading all her other Paris books. It was a more modern-day story about two friends who moved to Paris to pursue their writing and artistic dreams. The author managed to interweave the real-life characters from her previous books, but this one was only okay for me.
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh was my favorite. It is billed as a thriller, but I would say more psychological suspense. Carrie and Johan marry in Thailand after a whirlwind romance. Agents swoop in and arrest Johan and Carrie never sees him again until twelve years later at a holiday rental convention. She has since remarried with twins and confused as to how Johan was released and she hadn’t a word. Carrie and Johan’s backstory was told in alternating chapters with Carrie’s current life. I did not see the twist at the very end. I loved this one.
Lastly, I read Whose Body in the Library by Eva Gates. I assumed the series was over with Lucy’s wedding and pregnancy news. The author decided to revamp the series with a new lead character, Nichelle Gilchrist, a fifty something divorcee with adult twin daughters. This one really did not work for me at all. The writing seemed off to me with the story told from both Lucy’s and Nichelle’s point of views which I found awkward. Bertie is gone and Lucy has replaced her as library directory. Sam is retired but makes an appearance and the new police chief is very much no nonsense. I thought the problem was the case involved Nichelle and her family which really didn’t give the reader much time to connect with the character before she was off sleuthing. But my biggest problem Louise Jane who I find to be the most annoying secondary character in all of cozy mystery. I found her even more annoying than usual. I am sure some will love this reboot, but I am not going to continue on.
Happy Reading!
Thank you, Sharon..
I’m afraid I love the author behind the Eva Gates series, but gave up on it years ago. And Louise Jane has always been awful.
Lesa, I’m so happy to hear you’re beginning to feel better! Continue to take it easy, a relapse is a very real thing to be aware of. ❤
Lucky enough to receive BIRTH OF THE WITCH by Nora Roberts from NetGalley, I dropped all other books and jumped into this one. And then, as always with a Nora Roberts book, was sad to finish it.
Description from NetGalley
The first novel in the enchanting new epic by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Bride Trilogy, Nora Roberts
Niamh McShane was born a witch and died a witch in the same moment, at the tender age of thirteen. A victim of the madness that spread from Salem Town to her home on Piety Island, in her last hours she found comfort from the weavers imprisoned alongside her, who saw within her light and power and gave her some of their own.
More than three hundred years later, on the same island, Neve McShane wakes with excitement on her thirteenth birthday and unwraps gifts from her aunts: sneakers, an iPhone, and a stunning antique pendant. Then she receives something else: a revelation that will change her life.
Astonished, Neve learns that her aunts’ abilities go beyond simple kitchen magic and the potions they sell in their shop. Their tales of past lives aren’t just whimsical fantasies. They are witches, and so is she. Their lives–past and present–are bound together by that pivotal day centuries ago. Now Neve has been tasked with stopping a growing darkness. To prepare for the dangerous enemy that awaits, Neve hones her skills and searches for clues to aid her in her quest. And at night, she dreams of a young man from Ireland whose eyes met with hers for a fateful moment, centuries ago.
Thank you, Kaye! Sending hugs with no germs attached. That flu was awful. I hope no one else gets it.
I’m going to wait a little longer to read Birth of the Witch. It will be a long year before the next one. I lone Nora Roberts’ trilogies.
Lesa, that is exactly how Jackie feels. At least wait until the first two books are out.
We are having an excessive heat warning for this week. I had an appointment on Wednesday and felt lightheaded even though it was a morning appointment. The heat index has been 118 lately. Tomorrow I have the dreaded eye appointment at 3:15 p.m. I tried to change the appointment to a morning appointment, so I am full of apprehension. She is totally booked for 90 days, and no changes can be made.
I read A Fight For Justice by Joe Barrett, it was a well-researched and heavily detailed report of British Columbia to recruit cheaper labor from Costa Rica and other Central American countries to build an underground train tunnel. There was a bid from local labor but they wanted to get cheaper labor for what is a strenuous and dangerous job. The union in the area learned about and began contacting the new hires from Central America. The unions in Costa Rica were ineffective, and joining was dangerous. There is a huge salary difference between skilled laborers working as tunnel diggers in Vancouver and those in Costa Rica.
There was a campaign to recruit the workers from Costa Rica and other Central American countries to join the union;. It had to be secretive, the company contacted for the build of the tunnel had spies. Not only were lower wages offered but they were housed in decrepid motel, that was not really clean, meals were promised that was a joke. The calories were insufficient for the long and grueling hours of labor. Their culture was ignored, they were not used to eating
The union won, and they got better pay and better conditions.
Carol, I hope your eye appointment goes well. I’m sorry you’re so stressed. I would be too.
Very interesting sounding book.
I am so glad you are feeling better, Lesa. It is a pain to lose a whole week like that.
On Monday, Glen took me to Urgent Care because I continue to have problems with digestion and fatigue. After all kinds of tests, the Urgent Care doctor decided that the fatigue might be related to my low heart rate. She prescribed a wearable cardiac ECG monitor to wear for a week or two, and I am being fitted for that this afternoon.
Glen is reading THE ANONYMOUS CLIENT, book 2 in the Steve Winslow series by J.P. Hailey. J.P. Hailey is a pseudonym for Parnell Hall. Glen is a big fan of Hall’s Stanley Hastings series. And he is enjoying this book a lot.
After two weeks I am still reading MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot. Some of that is due to my ill health but even so it has been a difficult read for me. I am at about 55% through. It got more interesting for me at about 40%. I think I will have to plan to read it more slowly and fit in other books.
I read a Nero Wolfe book, THE FATHER HUNT, while I did two days of jury duty. It was very good, one of Rex Stout’s last books.
I’m sure it wasn’t easy to do jury duty while not feeling well, Tracy. I hope you get some answer soon.
Tracy, I’m happy they’ve decided to have your heart monitored for a week or two; sounds like a good idea to me. The results might give an idea of how you could be helped with at least one of your two problems. How stressful and wearying to feel unwell all the time.
I am always happy when I read an author new to me that their writings becomes a best read for a year. Last year it was Tim Sullivan (DS George Cross series) and Sally Smith (barrister Gabriel Ward.) Both these two authors/series are now on my automatic reads list.
I just this week found another author who joins this list. It is Allan Gaw who writes the Dr. Jack Cuthbert series. Allan has written 5 books in this series but the first one was just published in the U.S. It won the Bloody Scotland Debut prize several years ago. It is a historical/crime fiction novel. I wanted to immediately read the second book but the pre-order said it will be available in February 2027. Thought about purchasing the paperback but the ratings on the seller were in the mid 70 percentile so now it is a wait and see. Difficult to purchase at this time in the U.S..
Allan Gaw is a Scottish author who studied medicine at Glascow and trained as a pathologist. He worked many years in the health systems and universities so he knows “his stuff”. He has taken an early retirement and now is writing full time.
The 1st book in the series is The Silent House of Sleep. The time period covers WW1 and 1929. The WW1 period tells about when Dr. Jack Cuthbert was a 4 year medical student in Edinburgh and then sign up for WWI. He is in the trenches. Then the 1929 period in when Dr. Cuthbert is a noted forensic pathologist. His reputation is such that police departments want him as their pathologist. The trenches scenes are quite descriptive and the crime written about in this book is quite grisly. This is just a note to those who avoid those scenes. If you like good characterization you should like this book. I suppose residents from Scotland tire of hearing American saying they love Scotland. Well, I do. I was there on a vacation several years ago and fell in love with the highlands. I enjoyed the read and hopefully will be able to read more in the series soon. This first book is now available to read in the U.S.
Isn’t it frustrating, Lynn, to find an author you like, know he has five books out, and you can only get your hands on the first one? I enjoyed Gaw’s book, and I’m looking forward to future ones in the series.
Today, Peter and I went to the contemporary art exhibition Art Basel, which — surprise — takes place every year in Basel, a city we can drive to from Bern in an hour. We go for one full day every year, which doesn’t give us enough time to see all the paintings, sculptures, photos, and films on display in a huge, three-story exhibition hall. It’s just all we have the energy for! So I’m checking in late today with my reading and listening. Luckily, there aren’t too many books to report on. I have had a busy week, proofing part of the German translation of my first mystery, PESTICIDE.
During the week, I finished reading MOVIELAND, an Eve Ronin mystery by Lee Goldberg. This is the fourth in the series. Eve and Duncan are pursuing someone who has been using a shotgun to shoot at people in a local state park and has finally killed someone. But are all the incidents by the same person? I’ve liked all the books in this series so far.
Now I’m about halfway through the first book in Michael Robotham’s series about policewoman Philomena McCarthy, WHEN YOU ARE MINE. Phil’s father is a London crime boss, which makes her an unlikely cop. So far, I’d say this is a good book, although not a standard police procedural.
I listened to HEAD CASES by John McMahon, which is about a special team of very smart federal agents that is run by yet another neurodivergent (I think that’s now the politically correct way of saying “on the spectrum”) detective. It’s an entertaining thriller/mystery, but I’m getting a little bit tired of this particular trope. Currently, I’m listening to THE LAST MANDARIN by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung. I’ll carry on to the end, but I don’t like it very much. More about that next week.
Hmm. I’m wondering, Kim, if it makes a difference reading versus listening to The Last Mandarin. I liked it more than I thought I would, but I read it. I did notice, though, that it was only on the Bestsellers list here for a week. I don’t think a lot of us are interested in a thriller set in China. It was kind of odd.
Lesa, Glad you are starting to feel better. I’ve been extra busy at the library as schools are out now and summer reading started this week. I’m currently reading The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo (for bookclub) and How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh (ARC). I just finished a Max Lucado audio book entitled You Can be Brave.
Thank you, Katherine. I know how busy it can be with summer reading programs. Enjoy if you can!
I’m glad you’re starting to feel better Lesa!
Congrats Rosemary!
It’s been plain hot here, but we’re starting a cooling spell.
I went to Total Wines & More to buy a present for Father’s Day. Even though you should definitely watch yourself in the parking lot, it’s a great store. The staff seek out customers, engage them in conversation, are knowledgeable about wine, and just plain give you a great experience. That’s even if you don’t go to the wine tasting sessions. Why can’t the Home Improvement stores be more like this?
I went to a Journey tribute concert by Journey USA. Apparently, their guitarist used to be in the band Great White, which was popular in my youth. They did a good job. During the interlude for Separate Ways, the lead singer ran off the stage and high fived every member of the audience. That’s one way to get your steps in!
This week I read:
Dead Man Blues by SD House; A Southern mystery about a former sheriff, turned mayor, turned layabout, who tries to figure out who killed someone in a fishing shack. It’s amazing how the reputation of the Tennessee Valley Authority has fallen. I remember just a couple of years ago, it was an uncriticizeable part of FDR’s legacy. Lately I’ve read several books where the entire idea is questioned, and it’s seen as more of a boondoggle and slush fund than anything else.
32 Cadillacs by Joe Gores; Gypsies have conned their way into 32 caddies, and DKA has to get them back. Sort of like an 87 Precinct book with private detectives. I’m sure portrayal of the Gypsies will trigger somebody. Back in the 90’s, it was considered clever by some to say that in Europe, politicians accuse people of being part Gypsy, and in America, they accuse them of having affairs.
Slicky Boys by Martin Limon; When a British soldier is murdered in 1970’s South Korea, our boys investigate, even though the brass would rather have the whole thing covered up. I found the ending to be a bit weak.
Rip Tide by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; Written before they quite knew what they had with Pendergast, the authors take on Oak Island. It’s actually a lot like the reality show, only with murders.
Thank you, Glen. We’re having good weather here, in the 70s and low 80s. I’ll take it.
I don’t know how Gores’ book was received when it first came out. That was 1992 (I looked it up because I remember the title), and opinions of books and Gypsies have changed in 30 years. So have I. Quite a lot.
I like the sound of Total Wines & More. I know nothing about wine, but my sister and her husband enjoy wine, so I’d love that kind of shop.