All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee

All We Thought We Knew
by Michelle Shocklee

ISBN-13: 9781496484178
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Released: Oct. 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold secrets that Mattie should know.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works as a secretary to the man running the hospital, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows...as do her feelings for him.


My Review:
All We Thought We Knew is a Christian romance set in 1969 and in 1942 in Tennessee. Vivid historical details were woven into the story giving it a distinct sense of the time and place. Mattie was exasperating at first because she was so self-centered and voiced her opinions even when she knew it'd hurt others. She understood the reasons given by her twin and by her mother for the decisions they made, but she wanted her way instead. A returned, wounded veteran helped her to move beyond her pain to actually care about others. She also has to work through her anger at God for letting her twin die during the war and her mother die a year later.

Ava is Mattie's dying mother, but we also get her backstory. I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between Ava and Gunther played out, but they spent very little time together 'on screen' so we're just supposed to accept how much Mattie loved Gunther. (I can see why he loved her as she shows him kindness when he's feeling pretty low.) I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. The critical decision made by Gunther didn't really make sense in terms of why Mattie's father felt so strongly about keeping it a secret even 20+ years later. Gunther had a strong faith in God throughout the story, even talking with a Jewish friend about Jesus.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Night Woods by Paula Munier

The Night Woods
by Paula Munier

ISBN-13: 9781250887917
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: October 8, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Record snow and sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby—but that won’t stop a very pregnant and very bored Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog Elvis. She’s supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she’d much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer’s cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man—and no sign of Homer.

As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She’s relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer’s troubles are far from over, as he’s still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack. When another corpse with a link to Homer is found, Mercy is determined to help her friend, an effort complicated by the unexpected arrival of her young cousin Tandie, sent by Mercy’s mother to keep an eye on her until the baby is born.

As the floods worsen, Troy and Susie Bear are called out with all the other first responders, and Mercy finds herself alone at Grackle Tree Farm with a concussed Homer, Tandie, and Elvis. As waters rise and the wild boar rampages, Mercy realizes that the murderer is out there ready to strike again, this time much closer to home.


My Review:
The Night Woods is a mystery/suspense novel. It's the 6th book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous novels.

The characters were engaging, complex, and acted in realistic ways. Mercy (and her talented service dog) tracked down clues, asked good questions, and pieced together what was going on. The suspense was create by Mercy getting into dangerous situations while near the end of her pregnancy. I felt like more focus was put on Mercy's upcoming childbirth than actually solving the mysteries. She spent time collecting information about seemingly unconnected events (a missing man who was a part of exclusive hunting club for rich business people, a Greek classics professor found dead in the cabin of a man suffering from PTSD, etc.). Then, after a little thought at the end, Mercy suddenly figured out who did what and how people were connected.

There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to people who enjoy canine mysteries and suspense.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Over the Edge by Irene Hannon

Over the Edge
by Irene Hannon

ISBN-13: 9780800741891
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: October 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Trauma survivor Lindsey Barnes hasn't fully recovered from the ordeal that almost took her life, and now she's in the middle of another crisis. Not only is she the sole witness in a high-profile murder case, but someone is also pushing her to question her sanity.

Police detective Jack Tucker doesn't know what to make of her story, especially when her elusive enemy leaves no evidence behind to lend credence to her claims. Yet the more he gets to know the appealing personal chef, the more he's convinced someone is targeting not only her sanity, but her life.

And unless they can figure out who is behind the campaign to undermine her credibility, a murderer could slip away--leaving more than one body in his or her wake.


My Review:
Over the Edge is a Christian romantic suspense novel. Though the second book in the series, it works as a standalone. The characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. Suspense was created by someone messing with Lindsey to discredit her as the sole witness of the suspected murderer (though she didn't see very much of use). Jack and Lindsey initially kept each other at a distance emotionally. Jack's birth mother had mental problems, so he didn't want to get involved with someone who might have similar problems. Lindsey felt Jack hadn't accepted her friend for who she was but pushed her to do something he liked that turned out to be dangerous. Since her parents also pushed her toward careers she didn't care for, she was worried Jack might not be willing to accept her for who she was. However, they came to care for each other as they spent time together and got to know each other.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima

Gathering Mist
by Margaret Mizushima

ISBN-13: 9781639108947
Hardcover
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Released: October 8, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Deputy Mattie Wray, formerly Mattie Cobb, is summoned to Washington’s Olympic peninsula for an urgent search and rescue mission to find a celebrity’s missing child. With only a week left before her wedding, Mattie is hesitant to leave Timber Creek, but her K-9 partner Robo’s tracking skills are needed. Dense forest, chilling rain, and unfriendly locals hamper their efforts, and soon Mattie suspects something more sinister than a lost child is at play. When one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, her fiancé Cole Walker suspects poison. Fearing for Mattie’s and Robo’s safety, Cole joins the search and rescue team as veterinary support. Secrets that have lain hidden within the rugged terrain come to light and when it is uncovered that the missing child was kidnapped, the search becomes a full-blown crime scene investigation, forcing Mattie, Robo, and Cole into a desperate search to find the missing child before it's too late.


My Review:
Gathering Mist is a K9-detective mystery. It's the 9th in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

The main characters were likable and complex, and they acted realistically to events. Mattie and Robo (her talented K9) and Cole (the veterinarian who loves her) worked with Robo's original trainer and his dogs and an unknown-to-them sheriff during a search and rescue in Washington’s Olympic peninsula. Mattie soon uncovered evidence pointing toward kidnapping, so she helped find evidence and interview suspects while also searching for the missing child. This was a clue-based mystery. It also had a lot of suspense due to the danger to the child the longer he was gone, the hard terrain to search through, and the fact that the bad person didn't want their crimes uncovered.

The crime scenes were not described in gory detail. There were no sex scenes. There were only a few of uses of bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting and exciting novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham

Hope Like Wildflowers
by Pepper Basham

ISBN-13: 9781636099514
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: October 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
1910s Appalachia. Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose?


My Review:
Hope Like Wildflowers is a romance set in 1917 in the Appalachia area. Kizzie was seduced by the son of the household where she worked as a maid. She honestly believed he'd marry her soon, but it slowly became clear to her that he intended her to be his mistress. She may have a nice house and scraps of attention from him, but she's scorned by many of the townsfolk and some get violent in an attempt to run her off. She struggled with how to deal with her situation, especially having a baby to support. With the help of a friendly family, she realized that God still cared about her. She chose Him and to change her ways, starting anew somewhere safe.

The Kizze that Noah meets is full of banter and is lighthearted. She quickly finds a job and a purpose, and she helps Noah understand what's going on with his overbearing brother and the mill. The main characters were likable, complex, and I cared about what happened to them. Noah and Kizzie supported each other and built each other up. But I didn't like that Noah and his mother just paid the price for Noah's brother's actions rather than forcing him to take responsibility.

There were some realism issues that kept me from getting fully immersed in the story. I find it doubtful that the brother could have gotten away with the things he did as there are safeguards against it. Also, the story started with Kizzie being chased by coyotes, which can kill small livestock but I've never heard of them being a danger to humans. Later, the snow storm was so bad that four inches of snow fell very quickly. The carriage horses struggled through the snow on icy roads. Then suddenly a horse galloped by with no problems. Also, it's unlikely the carriage could overturn on it's side in a ditch and the horses be left standing unaffected by the twisting and pull on their harness. And there were inconsistencies in places, like a wagon suddenly was a carriage, and the author didn't seem to quite know what the 'cotton mill' really did: sometimes the machines were knitting machines and others they were weaving machines. I read an Advanced Reader Copy, so some of this might be cleaned up in the final copy.

Kizzie learned to trust God with her future. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, touching story of hope and second chances.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington

Two Spinsters and a Corpse
by Eve Tarrington

ISBN-13: 9798227676665
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Tenacious Teacup Press
Released: September 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When Miss Judith St Clair's father accepts a lucrative new position as the rector of a parish in Derbyshire just before Christmas, she is dismayed that she and all her siblings must move to this cold and inhospitable country while still in mourning for their mother. What’s worse, her father’s patrons are the rich and imposing Haddingtons, a family recently settled at Wycliff Castle.

Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington is in love with a Jewish man. Her parents, who will not consent to the match, have removed her from harm by buying an enormous estate in Derbyshire. Louisa-Margaretta is determined to avoid everyone, but when she and the rector’s daughter both take refuge in the library during a ball, they are unwitting witnesses to a murder.

Though each young woman despises the other, they know they will need each other’s help if they are to find the killer. When one of them has a brush with death disguised as a hunting accident, they realise that they must be quick, or they shall risk running out of time.


My Review:
Two Spinsters and a Corpse is a mystery set in the Regency period in Britain. This isn't a puzzle mystery. The heroines didn't work together, just investigated on their own and then told the other why their guess was wrong. They initially simply chose the person they least liked from the possible suspects. In the last quarter of the book, they did find clues but the author refused to give the reader even a hint of what they were until the big reveal. Neither heroine was skilled at thinking on their feet or logically thinking things through.

The heroines weren't likable as both were very self-centered and determined to dislike everyone. They had to justify meeting together and so called each other 'friend' enough that both eventually decided that the other was maybe tolerable. Neither was really a spinster, either. Louisa-Margaretta intended to elope with a Jewish man that her parents refused to allow her to marry, but she hadn't had an opportunity to run away yet. Judith showed no marked interest in any of the potential suitors at the Christmas house party, yet at the end, we're told she's interested in one of the men.

The historical details were generally okay, though some things made little sense (though I can't explain without spoilers). There was no sex or modern bad language. As I prefer mysteries where I can guess whodunit and which have likable heroines, this series clearly isn't a good match for me.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Death by Misadventure by Tasha Alexander

Death by Misadventure
by Tasha Alexander

ISBN-13: 9781250872364
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: September 24, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the winter of 1906, Lady Emily and husband Colin are invited to the opulent home of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel in the Bavarian alps. Outside is a mountainous winter wonderland with a view of Mad King Ludwig's fairy tale castle. Inside, the villa hosts a magnificent but eclectic art collection--as well as an equally eclectic collection of fellow guests, among them a musician, an art dealer, a coquette from the demi-monde, and Kaspar, the Baroness' boorish son-in-law, whom, it begins to appear, someone wants dead.

Almost forty years earlier, Niels, a young German lord, sings to himself in the forest surrounding those same alps, capturing the attention of a not-yet-mad King Ludwig. Niels and the king become fast friends, their relationship deepening into something more as their time together stretches on.

Decades later, Emily continues to investigate Kaspar's increasingly lethal "mishaps" when tragedy strikes, ensnaring the guests in a web of fear and suspicion. It's up to Emily to sift through old secrets and motivations, some stretching far into the past, to unmask the killer.


My Review:
Death by Misadventure is a mystery set in 1906 in the Bavarian alps. There's also a secondary story going on in 1868 that details a romance between the king and the husband of one of the characters in the 1906 timeline.

Emily and Colin asked good questions, followed up on clues, and considered possible scenarios until she figured out what was going on. Frankly, I guessed whodunit before the murder even happened then decided it was too obvious. By the end, I felt like this whodunit wasn't really convincing. Mostly, the murder need so much planning and preparation yet whodunit couldn't have known the opportunity would present itself until it did. I don't know. The mystery just didn't seem realistic or satisfying, and I didn't find the 1868 story interesting. It could have been completely cut without affecting the mystery.

There were no sex scenes, though sex was implied. There were only a few uses of bad language. This book is the 18th in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and this story didn't spoil the mysteries or major events of the previous books.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.