Death in the Stacks by Jenn McKinlay

Death in the Stacks by Jenn McKinlay ISBN-13: 9780399583759 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Nov. 14, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lindsey Norris and her staff are gearing up for the Briar Creek Library's annual Dinner in the Stacks fund-raiser. The night of dinner and dancing is not only a booklover's dream--it's the library's biggest moneymaker of the year. But instead of raising funds, the new library board president is busy raising a stink and making the staff miserable.

Although Olive Boyle acts like a storybook villain, Lindsey is determined to work with her and make the event a success. But when Olive publicly threatens the library's newest hire, Paula, Lindsey cracks like an old book spine and throws Olive out of the library.

The night of the fund-raiser, Lindsey dreads another altercation with Olive--but instead finds Paula crouched over Olive's dead body. As the plot thickens, Lindsey must catch the real killer before the book closes on Paula's future


My Review:
Death in the Stacks is a cozy mystery. It's the eighth in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the whodunits of the previous mysteries.

This was a clue-based mystery. Since so many people had secrets that they didn't want Olive to reveal, it was more an exercise of eliminating suspects through alibis than finding clues that pointed to a specific killer. Whodunit had occurred to me shortly before the big reveal, but the author spun things in a way that made me wonder if that person would end up being the killer. The suspense scene at the end was caused by Lindsey and her friends trying to save someone. Lindsey locking herself--unarmed--inside a house with a killer inside and help outside wasn't her most brilliant moment.

There were no sex scenes. There was some bad language. Overall, it was an enjoyable 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.

Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna Deering

Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna Deering ISBN-13: 9780764218293 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Drew Farthering arrives in idyllic Scotland for the 1935 British Open at Muirfield hoping for a relaxing vacation, but he soon finds a mystery on his hands. Lord Rainsby, his host at Thorburn Hall, fears his business partner may be embezzling and asks Drew to quietly investigate. Before Drew can uncover anything, Rainsby is killed in a suspicious riding accident.

As Drew continues to dig, he suspects that the motive may relate to international events. Together with Madeline and Nick, he must sort through shady business dealings, international intrigue, and family tensions to find a killer who always seems to be one step ahead.


My Review:
Death at Thorburn Hall is a historical mystery set in 1935 in England. It's the sixth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

The characters had depth and reacted realistically to events. The mystery was a clue-based puzzle with some complexity. I was pretty certain of whodunit by about 75% of the way in and and only became more convinced as the story finished. It took Drew a little longer to figure out whodunit, but I felt that the reasons he didn't see it sooner were reasonable.

The main characters were Christian, and Carrie struggled with trusting God with her future (and Nick's safety). There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting 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.

Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay

Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay ISBN-13: 9780451488640 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When the Briar Creek Public Library holds its first overdue book amnesty day--no fines for late returns--the volume of incoming materials is more than Lindsey and her staff can handle. But one tardy tome catches her attention--a copy of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, twenty years past due. When Lindsey looks up the borrower, she's shocked to discover it was a murdered teacher named Candice Whitley, whose killer was never found. Candice checked out the novel on the day she was murdered. Now Lindsey wonders if it could provide a clue to the decades-old cold case. No one noticed who brought the book back in, but could it be Candice's killer? Lindsey is determined to catch the culprit one way or another, because justice for Candice Whitley is long overdue...


My Review:
Better Late Than Never is a cozy mystery. It's the seventh in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the whodunits of the previous mysteries.

This was a clue-based mystery. Lindsey picked up on connections between the cold case and some current events, asked questions, and looked at old pictures of the people involved. Because of her ability to make connections, Lindsey asked a critical question that would narrow things down and figured out whodunit right before finding herself in danger from that person. The main characters were entertaining, quirky, nice people.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, it was an enjoyable 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.

City of Lies by Victoria Thompson

City of Lies by Victoria Thompson ISBN-13: 9780399586576 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Like most women, Elizabeth Miles assumes many roles; unlike most, hers have made her a woman on the run. Living on the edge of society, Elizabeth uses her guile to relieve so-called respectable men of their ill-gotten gains. But brutal and greedy entrepreneur Oscar Thornton is out for blood. He’s lost a great deal of money and is not going to forgive a woman for outwitting him. With his thugs hot on her trail, Elizabeth seizes the moment to blend in with a group of suffragists who have an agenda of their own.

She never expects to like or understand these privileged women, but she soon comes to respect their intentions, forming an unlikely bond with two of the women--a young woman her own age and an older woman with a grown son, Gideon. Gideon is the rarest of species—an honest man in a dishonest world. She knows she’s playing a risky game, and her deception could be revealed at any moment, possibly even by sharp-eyed Gideon. Nor has she been forgotten by Thornton. Elizabeth must draw on her wits and every last ounce of courage she possesses to keep her new life from being cut short by this vicious shadow from her past.


My Review:
City of Lies is a historical suspense set in 1917, mainly in New York. Elizabeth works as part of a group to con wealthy men. When a con goes wrong and thugs are on her heels, she joins a group of suffragists and makes sure they get arrested. She'll be safer in jail! However, these suffragists are treated poorly and decide to go on a hunger strike. That wasn't what she had in mind. Still, Elizabeth becomes genuine friends with two of the women while Gideon works to get his mother and the other women freed.

The man that she helped con is determined to get his revenge, so Elizabeth must use all her wits (and many lies) to stay alive. I was never sure quite what was going to happen next. Both the type of con and what the suffragists went through are historically accurate, though our main characters are, of course, fictional. It's an interesting bit of history, cleverly woven into the exciting story.

While I understand that Elizabeth's pretty and that Gideon likes strong women, I still wonder about a man who refuses to lie falling for a woman who lies to the point he can't identify when she's telling the truth. There was a minor amount of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this exciting historical.


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.

Repost: Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano

I believe Revell is asking me to post my review of this book now even though I already posted it last month. So, to keep the publisher happy, here's a repost. For those getting my review via email, my usual Friday book review (for a new Christian historical romantic comedy) may be at the bottom of this 3-review stack.

Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano ISBN-13: 9780800728755 Paperback: 411 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Oct. 3, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, all he leaves her is his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. His wealthy sister gives her a home the moment she learns about her existence, but her daughter greets her with resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, and her aunt's granddaughter welcomes her company.

Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel while searching for the truth about the disappearance of Lady Jayne, her mother. She deals with her anger at how the family treats her by writing the family into the story as unflattering characters. But this soon makes it difficult to keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden.


My Review:
Lady Jayne Disappears is Christian romance set in 1861 in England. The book was mostly about Aurelie learning to write stories. She did little investigation into her mother's disappearance, generally content with her own explanations. The moment she met a person, she'd write a fictional story for them, not bothering to learn the truth until reality forced her to change her opinion.

I liked Silas, who was kind and thoughtful. Aurelie seemed an unintentional contradiction, though. She grew up among prisoners, which allows her to write realistic characters. Yet she usually acted like she grew up completely sheltered from the real world. She's very trusting, idealistic, and sweet. She easily overlooked sin in practically everyone but was very judgmental of her own relatives.

Unfortunately, the story wasn't very realistic or historically accurate. Some errors were little details, like the description of the whist game didn't sound like how whist was actually played. Or inconsistencies, like how Silas was surprised that the jail-keeper didn't fed the prisoners free meat each day. Silas was poor once and should have known that the poor could rarely afford meat. He also wouldn't have expected the jail-keeper to spend his own money to provide it. Many details about debtor's prison were portrayed in a misleading or inaccurate way. For example, Aurelie stated that the debtors weren't allowed to work (except her father). In real life, debtors could work within the prison to earn money, some debtor's were allowed to leave during the day to work, and family members could work. The author also gave the heroine and hero modern views and sometimes characters used modern phrases.

Aurelie was a strong Christian who meditated on verses and frequently prayed for people. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I enjoyed the characters, but many holes in the story were never explained and errors and inconsistencies kept jerking me out of the story.


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.

Repost: Dangerous Illusions by Irene Hannon

I believe Revell is asking me to post my review of this book now even though I already posted it last month. So, to keep the publisher happy, here's a repost of an excellent book.

Dangerous Illusions by Irene Hannon ISBN-13: 9780800727673 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Oct. 3, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Gooderads:
Trish Bailey is on overload trying to deal with a demanding job, an ailing mother, and a healing heart. When a series of unsettling memory lapses leads to a tragic death--and puts Trish under police scrutiny--her world is once again thrown into turmoil.

Detective Colin Flynn isn't certain what to think of the facts he uncovers during his investigation. Did Trish simply make a terrible mistake or is there more to the case than meets the eye? As he searches for answers, disturbing information begins to emerge--and if the forces at work are as evil as he suspects, the situation isn't just dangerous . . . it's deadly.


My Review:
Dangerous Illusions is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the first book in a new series, but it's also a stand-alone novel. It's one of my favorite by this author.

Trish has been through a lot of loss and heartbreak. She's used to taking care of herself (and others), so she initially had a hard time "bothering" Colin to ask for help. But even though she's independent, she was sensible and wasn't stubborn about having her own way.

We know who the cruel bad guy is and his goals, so we can see the danger even when Trish has every reason to think there is none. Still, Trish did start putting the pieces together pretty quickly, told her idea to Colin, and he promptly investigated the angle she suggested. I liked that he was supportive, caring, and respected her. While I strongly suspected how the end suspense was going to play out, I still had a pounding heart as I read it, partly because she was afraid and I cared about what she was going through.

The main characters were Christians, though Colin started out feeling like praying was pointless. We mainly saw their faith through how they treated people and what they cared about. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful, intriguing 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.

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano ISBN-13: 9780764217951 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
As Miss Gertrude Cadwalader, paid companion, becomes acquainted with her employer, she realizes the wealthy Mrs. Davenport has a strange tendency to be a bit light-fingered with other people's trinkets. Gertrude is relieved when Mrs. Davenport decides to have a quiet summer away from the social scene--until the woman changes her mind in order to help a young socialite launch into society.

When Gertrude is caught in the act of trying to return one of the trinkets by Mrs. Sinclair, the mother of shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair, the woman jumps to an unfortunate conclusion. Harrison is determined to mend fences with Miss Cadwalader, but he's unprepared for the escapades that courting her will entail.


My Review:
Out of the Ordinary is a Christian romantic comedy set in June 1883 in New York. It's the second in a series. This book can be read as a stand alone since each book has different main characters. However, Gertrude and Harrison first meet in the previous book, so they refer back to events in that book, and the main characters in the previous novel played a role in this one.

The main characters were nice people with a good sense of humor. They ended up in a series of silly situations during which they got to know and care about each other. There were some phrases that were too modern and some behavior that was improbable for the time, so don't expect high historical accuracy. There wasn't a lot of action in this story. For example, about 25% of the story occurred in one room on a yacht. People exchanged lengthy, humorous dialogue, even when in a hurry.

There was also a long, sad confession by Mrs. Davenport explaining why she acts they way she does. Both Mrs. Davenport and Gertrude feel like they're not worthy of God's love, and Gertrude has stayed as Mrs. Davenport's companion in an attempt to make atonement for her failure to save her mother. Both come to accept God's love. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous 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 Last Best Friend by George Sims

The Last Best Friend by George Sims ISBN-13: 9781464209000 Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
At 2pm on a Monday in 1966, Ned Balfour wakes in Corsica beside a beautiful woman. In the same instant, back in London, fellow art dealer and Dachau survivor Sam Weiss falls ten stories to his death. Ned refuses to believe that Sam's death was intentional, and his investigation thrusts him into the deceit and fraudulence of the art world, where he unmasks more than one respectable face.


My Review:
The Last Best Friend is a mystery set mostly in England in 1966 and was originally published in 1967. The mystery involved something that happened during WWII. However, the first 27% of the story was mostly a mid-aged man (Ned Balfour) carrying on an affair with a girl half his age and, later on, having sex with a friend of his wife. The actual sex happened "off screen" and was thought or talked about using euphemistic terms, but there was one scene with graphically described upper body female nudity.

Anyway, it took a while for Ned to decide that his best friend's death was suspicious and that he should look into what his friend was doing that last week. He wasn't particularly clever in how he tracked down clues. Sam's other friends passed on most of the needed information, and some thugs let him know that he was on the right track. Once all of the information came together, Ned tried to deal with it himself before finally deciding to tell the police what he knew. Vengeance is his. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery (though it took a while to get going).


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.

Christmas on the Run by Shirlee McCoy

Christmas on the Run by Shirlee McCoy ISBN-13: 9780373457403 Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Master gemstone cutter Carly Rose Kelley will do anything to keep her son safe. But with blackmailers insisting she forge priceless antique stones or they'll kidnap her son, she needs help. With Christmas days away, the desperate widow has only one hope--the brother-in-law she never met.

Hostage rescue specialist Dallas Morgan never knew about his nephew or his estranged late brother's wife. Now their lives are in his hands. But the sweet child and vulnerable woman remind Dallas of the family he once had and lost. And he can't afford distraction. Now that they're trapped in the sights of ruthless blackmailers, nowhere is safe...but Dallas won't let anyone stand in the way of him saving Carly and her little boy.


My Review:
Christmas on the Run is a Christian suspense novel. It's the eighth book in a series, but it works as a stand-alone novel. The characters were surprised when they discovered the person ultimately behind the jewelry scheme, but I wasn't, though I think it was meant to be unexpected. I even wondered why they didn't checked up on that person more. Still, suspense novels are about staying alive while stopping the bad guys, not about whodunit.

The characters were nice people. Carly struggled with following Dallas' orders (that were meant to keep her and her son safe) since she's used to doing things her way. But she did ask for help, so she tried to trust and cooperate. Dallas struggled with his grief over losing his family around this time of year some years back--children that would have been about the age of Carly's son. The suspense was the physical danger to everyone and Carly and Dallas's emotional turmoil over their attraction to each other.

The Christian element was learning to accept that God is Sovereign even when things don't go the way we'd handle things. 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.

Not a Creature Was Purring by Krista Davis

Not a Creature Was Purring by Krista Davis ISBN-13: 9781101988589 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the pet-friendly town of Wagtail, Virginia. Inspired by her German heritage, Holly's grandmother has arranged for Wagtail to have a Christkindl Market packed with goodies and decorations for the howliday tourists. But Holly's mood takes an unseasonable turn when she learns that her old flame and childhood friend Holmes Richardson has brought his fiancee home--and she'll be staying at the Sugar Maple Inn...

A love triangle becomes the last thing on Holly's mind when her Jack Russell Trixie's nose for trouble leads her to the corpse of a pet clothing tycoon. Now Holly and her dedicated detectives--Trixie and Twinkletoes the cat--must sniff out the killer to keep Christmas from going to the dogs...


My Review:
Not a Creature Was Purring is a cozy mystery. It's the fifth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, and this book didn't spoil the previous ones. Holly's dog has a talent for finding dead bodies, and her cat likes to snag clues.

Holly is a mature, nice person whose inn happened to house the main suspects, a family who squabbles every Christmas. When the rich patriarch of the family dies, the family wants to know who gets the money and Holly wants to know who had a motive. Since everyone was acting suspicious and potentially had a motive, this didn't get Holly very far. There were clues, but it was basically the pets (though they're normal animals) who stopped whodunit with evidence in hand. But most of the details about how the murder was done were never explained, so I'm still curious...

The Christmas activities and love triangle of Holly, Holmes, and his fiancee (who was also a suspect) filled out the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun 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.

Sword and Sorceress 32 by Elisabeth Waters

Sword and Sorceress 32 edited by Elisabeth Waters ISBN-13: 9781938185489 Paperback: 318 pages Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust Released: Nov. 2, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Women of Sorcery and Courage. For over two decades, the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, best-selling and beloved author, discovered and nurtured a new generation of authors. The original stories featured here include such stellar authors as Mercedes Lackey, Dave Smeds, Deborah J. Ross, Robin Wayne Bailey, Pauline J. Alama, and exciting newcomers whose voices are sure to be heard again.


My Review:
I used to read Sword and Sorceress back twenty years ago, and I remember enjoying the clever fantasy stories. I suppose I should have known that the content would change over the course of 20 years.

Sword and Sorceress 32 is a collection of 18 short fantasy stories with a female main character. It seemed like nearly all of them had witches. (Back when I last read S&S, some of these women would have been called a sorceress or magician, but I guess "witch" sells these days). About half of the stories had the dead (ghosts, zombies) playing a major role. I don't really care for ghost stories. Several of those stories had a heroine who faced an overwhelming force summon the dead (or fey, in one case) to win the battle.

I preferred the stories were the heroines faced a big challenge and used cleverness to figure out a simple, successful solution. Several stories were humorous, like "Woman's Work" by Pauline J. Alama. Others came up with an unusual idea, like "Expiration Date" by Julia H. West. Overall, I enjoyed about a fourth of the stories. There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language (and some stories didn't have any).

The Sound of the Moon by Robin Wayne Bailey
A Librarian in Distress by Rose Strickman
Wight Nights by Steve Chapman
Unexpected by Suzan Harden
The Nature of Wraiths by Dave Smeds
Royal Daughters by Elaine Cunningham
The Girl from Black Point Rock by Deborah J. Ross
Shaman's Quest by Kevin L. O'Brien
Save a Prayer by Mercedes Lackey
Add a Cup of Terror by Michael Spence & Elisabeth Waters
Deadly Questions by Jonathan Shipley
Sky, Clouds, and Sonam by Catherine Mintz
Hostages of Honeycomb by Marian Allen
Woman's Work by Pauline J. Alama
Authority Figures by Michael H. Payne
Till the Cows Come Home by L.S. Patton
Expiration Date by Julia H. West
Finding Truth by Lorie Calkins


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.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell

Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell ISBN-13: 9780399584220 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Oct. 17, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Christopher Gilhaney insults every guest at Abigail Chase’s Guy Fawkes Night dinner party. But when Gilhaney is shot dead under the cover of the night’s fireworks, his murder is deemed a robbery gone wrong. When the case hasn’t been solved six weeks later, Inspector Witherspoon is called upon to find the killer—and quickly!

With Christmas almost here, Inspector Witherspoon and everyone in his household is upset at the possibility of having to cancel their holiday plans—all to solve a case that seems impossible. Only Luty Belle, Ruth, and Mrs. Goodge refuse to give up and let the crime become a cold case. In fact, the American heiress, the charming next-door neighbor, and the formidable cook use all of their persuasive powers to get the others on board, because these three wise women know justice doesn’t take time off for Christmas.


My Review:
Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women is a historical mystery set in England in the 1890's. It's the thirty-sixth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books. The story isn't heavily historical, though there were enough details to provide a historical feel.

Our crime-solving crew got a "cold case" to solve, and they're upset that their Christmas plans may be spoiled by the case. They've never handled a cold case before, and they're not sure they can solve it. The characters were engaging and realistic, though not highly complex. It's a clue-based puzzle mystery. While we started with a large number of suspects, the actual mystery didn't turn out to be very complex as the clues narrowed things down. I strongly suspected whodunit and the motive from the start. Still, the investigation was fun.

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