The Hundred Gifts by Jennifer Scott

The Hundred Gifts by Jennifer Scott ISBN-13: 9780451473240 Trade Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: NAL Released: Oct.27, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
With the holidays around the corner, empty-nester Bren Epperson realizes that for the first time in decades, she has no large family to cook for, no celebration to create. Her daughter has moved to Thailand, her son has ditched college to backpack around the world, and her husband has disappeared into the basement to indulge his midlife crisis.

So Bren starts teaching a holiday cooking class. But Virginia Mash, the old lady living upstairs, bursts in complaining of the noise, the smells, and the mess. Rather than retaliate, Bren suggests that the class shower Virginia with kindness—that they give her one hundred gifts. So they embark on the plan to lift a heart.


My Review:
The Hundred Gifts is women's fiction. From the book description, I expected a feel-good story of a generous, loving Empty Nester finding new activities and friends to fill her life. Instead, Bren was very insecure, resentful, and judgmental. Even the gift idea was suggested by someone else, and Bren realized that she was doing it for selfish reasons. While the cooking class scenes were fun, the cooking-class-group scenes only took up about fifty pages.

The characters came across as realistic, complex people, and the story felt like it could really have happened. So the writing was good. If there had been more scenes of the cooking class and seeing friendships bloom instead of being told about it, I probably would have enjoyed the book. Instead, we see Bren being torn down by her family, fighting with her husband, and being seduced by her husband's best friend. Everything she tried failed. Even with Virgina, it's all heartbreak. Depressing reading, though things do turn around by the end.

There was a fair amount of bad language of all types. There were no graphic sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this book to women going through midlife crisis or empty nest troubles and who want to read about someone struggling with it, too.


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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl ISBN-13: 9780764211591 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Nov. 3, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. After a rough childhood, her teenage poor choices harmed others, leaving her with no choice but to change her life. Her entry-level writing job at a newspaper puts her in the right place at the right time to overhear office gossip about a prisoner who has information on a decades-old unsolved crime. While the other reporters write off the tip as the ravings of an angry criminal, Sophie can't ignore it because she knows the name of this prisoner from her old life.

Upon learning from the man that one of the other suspects is hiding out in the Missouri town of Sanctuary, she takes on a false identity to investigate and meets the young pastor of a local church--the very man she'd loved as a troubled teenager. As she gets closer to finding the suspect, will the truth of her own past come out before she discovers the identity of the criminal--or the very person she's seeking puts a fatal stop to her investigation?


My Review:
Rising Darkness is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the third book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, but this book did spoil an event (though not whodunit) of a previous one.

The focus of the story was on the hurt caused by abuse in Sophie's past and how she finds healing in Sanctuary through a correct understanding of God. There were many comments about God worked naturally into the flow of the story. The author wasn't afraid to talk about tough issues. I liked the main characters and how they showed Christ's love to Sophie.

I felt like Sophie could have been more fully developed (and a smidgen more likable) at the beginning, though. For example, we're told she's a neat freak due to growing up in filth. My mom had the same experience, and I can think of a number of small actions Sophie could have done to bring home this aspect of her personality. But Sophie didn't do much beyond wash dishes for her hostess. About halfway through, though, the character was developed enough that I was more engaged by her story.

Sophie was a good researcher, but she didn't look beyond the obvious. There's a twist at the end. It probably won't be a huge surprise if you've been thinking through what's gone on regarding the investigation. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.

Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue by Victoria Thompson

Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue by Victoria Thompson ISBN-13: 9780425278970 Hardback: 320 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: November 3, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Return to nineteenth-century New York City... Family friend Mrs. O’Neill was delighted when her daughter Una wed the seemingly wealthy and charming Randolph Pollock. She didn’t wonder why such an affluent man would want to marry a poor Irish girl, no matter how pretty she was. But now Mrs. O’Neill has a problem.

Pollock’s servants have found their employer bludgeoned to death with Una cradling his body. Rendered mute by the horror of her husband’s death, Una cannot explain what happened, so the police have charged her with murder and locked her away in the Tombs to await trial. Mrs. O’Neill would like Frank Malloy to investigate the case and save Una, yet with Frank and Sarah still on their honeymoon, it’s up to the other members of their newly formed household to do some detective work.


My Review:
Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue is a historical mystery set in New York city in 1898. It's the eighteenth book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one and this story didn't spoil the previous whodunits.

With the two main sleuths away on their honeymoon, it's up to their helpers to solve the mystery. It was fun to get to know these characters better. They apply what they've learned in the past to ask good questions and follow up on clues. It's a clue-based mystery. I had a good idea of whodunit about halfway through but figuring out some of the details took longer. I was surprised that there was a question which they kept bringing up which had an obvious (to me) possible answer which they overlooked until nearly the end. Otherwise they did a good job at considering the possibilities.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun and interesting historical mystery.


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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Deadlock by DiAnn Mills

Deadlock by DiAnn Mills ISBN-13: 9781414389950 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: Oct. 1, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Two murders have rocked the city of Houston. Are they the work of a serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder?

That is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting her new partner. Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their investigative styles couldn’t be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the book.

When hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it.


My Review:
Deadlock is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the third in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil events in the previous books.

The main characters were likable and determined. They had to learn how to work together, which was difficult because they had very different approaches to solving crimes. By the end of the case, they were starting to know each other and be friends and partners. The story didn't really strike me as a romance, but more a lead up to romance. Personally, I prefer this type of story over "love-hate at first sight."

As for the mystery, I expected experienced agents to be more cynical, but they generally assumed the best about a person until proven otherwise. The author maintained a delicate balance between making little forward progress while having them constantly following up leads. Still, there were a few times I wondered why someone didn't follow up on the "minor" leads sooner since we're told many people are working on the case. The suspense mainly came from harassment and physical danger to the main characters.

Bethany and Thatcher were Christians. They tried to live out their beliefs, and Bethany dealt with feeling anger when God didn't do things the way she wanted Him to. This was worked into the natural flow of the story and addressed issues that all Christians face at some point. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Traitor by Sydney Horler

The Traitor by Sydney Horler ISBN-13: 9781464204975 ebook: 280 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: 1936; Nov. 3, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
August 1918. On his way to the Western Front, Captain Alan Clinton spends a night in Paris with a young Frenchwoman, Marie Roget. Marie steals British military secrets that Clinton had with him – with disastrous consequences.

Seventeen years later. The central European state of Ronstadt is ruled by the ruthless dictator Kuhnreich, and Europe is inching towards another war. Clinton’s son Bobby travels to Europe as the political situation grows tenser, and seems dangerously close to repeating the sins of his father. Only his girlfriend can prove his innocence. This new edition of The Traitor gives contemporary readers a long overdue chance to rediscover an early thriller that is plotted with dash and verve – a novel that helps to explain the author’s phenomenal popularity in his own time.


My Review:
The Traitor is a spy thriller that was originally written in 1936. It's set in 1918 and 1935 in England, France, and "Ronstadt" (Germany). The reader knows who the bad guys are, so we watch as first the father and then the son fall prey to the schemes of the evil spies. It's like watching a train wreck or a movie where you shout, "no, don't open that door!" I personally prefer uncertainty over a feeling of doom. I would have enjoyed not knowing for sure and guessing along with Bobby about what's going on. Ah, well. It had plenty of tension.

The first parts of the story were Alan and then Bobby getting caught in the enemy's trap. The last part was a trial against Bobby, who is accused of being a traitor. Bobby's girlfriend is smart, determined, and trustworthy. I loved her. She has a piece of evidence that might prove Bobby's innocence, but first she has to figure out how to unlock its secret. Will she figure it out in time and reveal the true traitor? I found Bobby and Alan to be likable, too, so I was rooting for them. They were naive, not stupid or careless.

There was a fair amount bad language. There were no sex scenes. I'd recommend this thriller to those who enjoy the feeling of doom in their stories.


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 Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver

The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver ISBN-13: 9781476792347 Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Pocket Books Released: October 27, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Ebenezer Scrooge considers himself a rational man. That changes when he’s visited by the ghost of his former boss and friend, Fezziwig, who warns him that three more will die then Ebenezer himself unless he first gets to the bottom of a vast conspiracy. Scrooge discovers that someone scribbled “HUMBUG” in blood on the floor nearby Fezziwig's body.

Scrooge must clear his name, protect his interests, and find out who killed his last true friend before the “Humbug Killer” strikes again. Scrooge is helped by Charles Dickens, a spunky sidekick named Adelaide, plus the Artful Dodger, Fagin, Belle, and Pickwick.


My Review:
The Humbug Murders is a suspense novel set in London in 1833 during the week before Christmas. The idea of Scrooge as a detective intrigued me, but I found none of the characters to be likable. Everyone was in it for what they'd gain for themselves and most were also rude and crude. The only way Scrooge was better than the villains was that he objected to women being abused by men. The story was grim and dark. It contained vice, torture, and abuse. Scrooge got beaten and tortured with nearly every attempt he made to uncover the truth, though happily for him it had no lasting effect.

The author made little effort to stay within historical fact. In reality, London streets were slick when damp and crowded even at night. The chase scene between a steam bus and a horse carriage should not have occurred on an empty street. Also, steam buses weren't used as roaming, widely available public transportation in London at that time. They could only go about 24 mph and a horse gallops 25-30 mph on average, so the horses should have won.

In the story, the police acted like detectives (though technically they weren't allowed to do so before 1842), they carried whistles (though they used hand rattles until 1884), and everyone carried a gun (though the police didn't regularly do so at this time). At times, the story seemed like a cross between steam punk fantasy and a gangster movie.

The author also had a dark house with one gas lamp on. That gas lamp was picked up and walked downstairs (even though gas is piped to the lamp, so they couldn't be moved). Police without lamps apparently search the entire house in the dark. These errors are found in the ARC, so they might be fixed in the final edition. But historical errors permeated the story, so don't expect historical accuracy.

There was some bad language. Every sort of vice was encountered, but the sex, drugs, abuse, torture, and violence were not described in gory detail. This book might appeal to fans of dark historical fantasy.


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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Silent Nights by Martin Edwards

Silent Nights Edited by Martin Edwards ISBN-13: 9781464204999 Paperback: 298 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: November 3, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
This book introduces of readers to some of the finest Christmas detective stories of the past. Martin Edwards’ selection blends festive pieces from much-loved authors with one or two stories which are likely to be unfamiliar even to diehard mystery fans. The result is a collection of crime fiction to savor, whatever the season.


My Review:
Silent Nights is a collection of 15 short stories with a Christmas setting and which were written in the Golden Age of crime fiction. There were a few clue-based puzzle mysteries (including one containing a chess problem to work out) and a couple suspense stories. Most were mysteries where the detective knows what's going on but no one else does, so he shows off how clever he is. While the stories were well-written, I prefer mysteries where I can puzzle out whodunit for myself. My favorite story was "A Problem in White" by Nicholas Blake.

Overall, there was a minor amount of bad language; some stories had none. There was no sex. I'd recommend this collection to those who enjoy the "reveal" as much as the challenge of mysteries.

The included stories are:
"The Blue Carbuncle" by Arthur Conan Doyle
"Parlour Tricks" by Ralph Plummer
"A Happy Solution" by Raymund Allen
"The Flying Stars" by G.K. Chesterton
"Stuffing" by Edgar Wallace
"The Unknown Murderer" by H.C. Bailey
"The Absconding Treasure" by J. Jefferson Farjeon
"The Necklace of Pearls" by Dorothy L. Sayers
"The Case is Altered" by Margery Allingham
"Waxworks" by Ethel Lina White
"Cambric Tea" by Marjorie Bowen
"The Chinese Apple" by Joseph Shearing
"A Problem in White" by Nicholas Blake
"The Name on the Window" by Edmund Crispin
"Beef for Christmas" by Leo Bruce


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.

Return to Christmas by Kathi Macias

Return to Christmas by Kathi Macias ISBN-13: 9781596694422 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: New Hope Publishers Released: Oct. 5, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Former Marine Chet is having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. He doesn't need help. He needs employment. He doesn't have issues. The little boy his wife's friends adopted who has attachment disorder has issues. But there is something about that little boy that draws him. Will the events leading up to this Christmas be able to melt his soldier heart or will he spiral into a dark depression?


My Review:
Return to Christmas is Christian fiction. Chet knows his wife doesn't want to work, but he can't seem to get a steady job. He often stays at home with their 3-year-old while his wife works. He feels like a failure as a bread winner. He refuses to take any opportunities to go to college or otherwise improve his chances of getting a job. Since his wife doesn't complain, he's mean to her in an attempt to make her hate him. He starts binge drinking so he's not even watching out for his kid anymore. The wife draws strength from God to love her husband, but she can see all the things he should be doing and can't understand why he won't.

Frankly, Chet came across as mainly having an ego (perception of self-worth) issue, yet everyone thinks he'd get better if only he'd go into PTSD counseling. He did have a few nightmares, and he's afraid to make new friends due to losing friends while in the military. However, the point that he kept going on about was his inability to get a steady job and how that made him feel like a failure as a husband and father. He got worse until, in the last chapters, he suddenly realized his need for Jesus and immediately decided to go to counseling, etc. He didn't even know why he had lost his faith. I felt like the author avoided providing potential answers to hard issues except looking to God as the first step (which is important).

I liked the kids, but I had a hard time feeling sympathy for Chet. Unfortunately, when an author spends the whole book with a person stuck in a downward spiral, a sudden complete turn-about doesn't feel realistic to me. There was no bad language or sex.


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.

Faux Paw by Sofie Kelly

Faux Paw by Sofie Kelly ISBN-13: 9780451472151 Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Obsidian Mystery Released: October 6, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Normally, the arrival of an art exhibition at the Mayville Heights library would be cause for celebration. But thanks to the overbearing curator and high-tech security system that comes with it, Kathleen Paulson’s life has been completely disrupted. Even her cats, Owen and Hercules, have been affected since their favorite human doesn’t seem to have a spare moment to make their favorite fish crackers.

Late one night, Kathleen stops by the library and finds the curator sprawled on the floor—and the exhibition’s most valuable sketch missing. Now Kathleen, her detective boyfriend Marcus, and her clever cats have to sniff out a murderous thief, before anyone else has a brush with death.


My Review:
Faux Paw is a cozy mystery. It's the seventh in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This story might mildly spoil an event in a previous mystery (though I've already forgotten what it was! lol).

This was a clue-based puzzle mystery with some complexity to it. The hero and heroine followed the clues, and whodunit is guessable. The heroine and hero were intelligent, nice people. I always understood why they acted as they did. While one cat can walk through walks and the other can become invisible, they're otherwise normal though intelligent cats. Their actions helped draw attention to clues, but mostly they provided humor with their antics.

There was no sex. There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this engaging mystery.


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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.