The Cats Came Back by Sofie Kelly

The Cats Came Back by Sofie Kelly ISBN-13: 9780399584596 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Sept. 4, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The charming Minnesota town of Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival, and the whole place is bustling with musicians and tourists. Librarian Kathleen Paulson is looking forward to taking in some fabulous performances--and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are looking forward to having their pictures taken in some promotional photos for the town. But then the trio stumbles across a dead body by the river.

The victim is a friend--who also happens to be a look-alike of a popular cabaret singer set to perform at the festival. Who could have wanted to harm this innocent girl? Was it a case of mistaken identity? As accusations abound and suspicions swirl, Kathleen, Hercules and Owen will put their abilities--both mundane and magical--to the test, and lay down the paw.


My Review:
The Cats Came Back is a cozy mystery. This is the 10th book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous books.

The cats are intelligent and have cat abilities (disappearing and getting out of places) taken to a magical degree. Their actions drew attention to clues or allowed the heroine to question people more naturally, but mostly they provided humor with their antics.

It's a clue-based puzzle mystery. The heroine is intelligent and knows how to ask questions without being pushy or accusing. Whodunit seemed obvious to me right after a scene where the heroine thought she'd learned nothing. She later caught on to the clues provided at that time. She took a little longer at pinpointing whodunit because she assumed certain information was correct whereas I doubted it.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of 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.

False Colours by Georgette Heyer

False Colours by Georgette Heyer ISBN-13: 9781402210754 Trade Paperback: 342 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Released: 1963; March 1, 2008

Source: Borrowed from the local library.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Honourable Christopher "Kit" Fancot returns to London on leave from the diplomatic service to find that his twin brother, Evelyn, has disappeared and his extravagant mother's debts have mounted alarmingly. The Fancot family's fortunes are riding on Evelyn's marriage to the self-possessed Cressy Stavely and her formidable grandmother's approval of the match.

If Evelyn fails to meet the Dowager Lady Stavely in a few days as planned, the betrothal could be off. When the incorrigible Lady Fancot persuades her son to impersonate his twin (just for one night, she promises) the masquerade sets off a tangled sequence of events that engage Kit's heart far more deeply than he'd ever anticipated.


My Review:
False Colours is a Regency romance novel. This romance was mostly dinner parties and garden walks, so there wasn't much action-adventure. But I loved this fun story!

There are funny scenes of Kit and his mother making tiny slips about his identity, and the mother's personality created a lot of humorous scenes. While I could guess what had happened to Evelyn, who was going to marry whom, and so on, there were several times the story took a turn that I didn't expect.

**minor spoiler** I love that the heroine is astute enough to realize Kit isn't the man she agreed to marry, and she doesn't jump to the conclusion that she can't trust Kit because of the lie.**end spoiler**

There was no sex. There was some bad language (mostly using "God" in a swearing sense). Overall, I'd recommend this 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.

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer ISBN-13: 9780373774166 Trade Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Harlequin Books Released: 1959; August 18, 2009

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Over the years, the truculent Lord Darracott has ruled his barony with a firm hand and a fierce tongue. But when a tragic accident kills his eldest son, Lord Darracott must summon the next heir apparent--his derelict son's only child, whose name no one has dared utter for the past twenty-seven years.

Raised in Yorkshire with a thick accent to match, Hugo finds himself in the broad expanse of the Kent marshlands, where his future estate lies--and which is home also to the Darracotts, who instantly distrust this coarse and unrefined interloper. But Lord Darracott has the solution--provided he can convince his sharp-tongued granddaughter to marry a perfect stranger.


My Review:
The Unknown Ajax is a Regency romance novel. This storyline was a little different from Heyer's usual fare, but it still had a lot of humor to it. Hugo's sense humor and uncommon background made him an interesting character. The "save the day" scene at the end was great fun, though it eventually felt like it'd never end. The story also started slow and built up the the main scenes, so don't expect a fast-paced adventure story. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There was a fair amount of bad language (mostly using "God" in swearing). There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous novel to Heyer fans.


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.

Murder at Hawthorn Cottage by Betty Rowlands

Murder at Hawthorn Cottage by Betty Rowlands ISBN-13: 9781786816085 ebook: 302 pages Publisher: Bookouture Released: Aug. 21, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Melissa is just settling into her new life in a crumbling cottage in the countryside when the bones of a young woman are found in the woods just behind her new home. As an investigation begins, strange phone calls in the night convince Melissa that the police are barking up completely the wrong tree.

A local journalist convinces her to help him to prove the bones are from a prostitute who disappeared almost a year ago. Melissa’s enquiry takes her from the beauty salon to a male stripper show, exposing many of the village’s darkest secrets. Can Melissa solve this terrifying crime without putting herself and her new friends in terrible danger?


My Review:
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage is a cozy mystery. The heroine is a suspense writer, so she observed people and how they acted. She had just moved, so she was getting to know the locals and was inspired with the plot of her next book. Only real life becomes too close to that plot--drugs might really be smuggled in and distributed in her neighborhood. A local, charming reporter also convinced her to help him investigate the disappearance of a prostitute.

There were clues as to what was going on and multiple threads that they came across. You could guess at some aspects, but the murder whodunit was revealed suddenly and almost accidentally at the end. The heroine had no clue that person was whodunit (which is why she placed herself in danger). She generally tried to avoid dangerous situations, but she still found herself in some tense moments.

There were no graphic sexual descriptions, which is remarkable given that the heroine attended a male stripper show to investigate a certain lead. There was some bad language (and of a wide variety). Overall, I'd recommend this interesting 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.

Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson

Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson ISBN-13: 9780670022427 Hardcover: 374 pages Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books Released: February 17, 2011

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the year 1780, Harriet Westerman, the willful mistress of a country manor in Sussex, finds a dead man on her grounds with a ring bearing the crest of Thornleigh Hall in his pocket. For years, Mrs. Westerman has sensed the menace of neighboring Thornleigh Hall, seat of the Earl of Sussex. It is the home of a once-great family that has been reduced to an ailing invalid, his whorish wife, and his alcoholic second son, a man haunted by his years spent as a redcoat in the Revolutionary War.

Not one to be bound by convention, Harriet recruits a reclusive local anatomist named Gabriel Crowther to help her find the murderer. The same day, Alexander Adams is slain by an unknown killer in his London music shop, leaving his children orphaned. His death will lead back to Sussex, and to an explosive secret that has already destroyed one family and threatens many others.


My Review:
Instruments of Darkness is a suspense novel set in 1780 in England. There's an unknown, lurking menace in the nearby Thornleigh Hall. Harriet knows the recent murder will be left unsolved unless she takes action, and she believes in justice. But pursuing justice puts her at odds with the powerful family at Thornleigh Hall. She asks for Crowther's help because he has studied the marks left on a body by murder and because she wants to talk the case over with someone level-headed.

The characters were well-developed so I understood why they acted as they did. Our heroes steadily pursued answers and stood for justice even when threatened or in danger. The secrets of Thornleigh Hall were slowly revealed and evidence gathered. The suspense mainly came from physical danger, but Harriet's reputation was also under threat.

Innocent people died in horrid ways. Minimal "gore" detail was used to describe these scenes, but it disturbed the characters and may disturb the reader--which I think was the point. It was worth any risk to stop this evil. (A dog also dies. It was the historically accurate way to legally prove the presence of poison in a food or drink. Harriet and Crowther spending so much time together alone seemed less historically accurate.)

There was no sex. There was a fair amount and a wide variety of 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.

The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos

The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos ISBN-13: 9781496431714 Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Released: Aug. 7, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger name Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don't know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.


My Review:
The Crescent Stone is more social commentary than traditional fantasy. There is no great Evil to be fought, just social inequality and greed to be recognized. Human children are offered a deal--your hearts desire in return for service to the Elenil. These children come from all backgrounds, and we get brief descriptions of past racial discrimination in America (out of context, so it sounds even more shocking and baffling).

Jason is the comic relief in an otherwise depressing story with a sad ending. Ironically, he's the most realistic and complex character. Madeline is more a role than a person. She's dying, so she agrees to fight the Scim for 1 year in return for her health. After gaining her health and while in awe of the Elenil, she still decides not to fight in the war because she couldn't kill anyone. She doesn't like how the magic in the world works and harshly judges the locals for how they use it, yet she greatly benefits from it. After only two months of living in this world and despite warnings about the consequences from the people who live there, she decides that she knows best how to fix things, even if it'll cause the death and suffering of many innocent people.

She's a self-centered, arrogant gal (though apparently still "pure of heart") who seemed intent on passing her pain on to the entire fantasy world. I felt so frustrated by her attitude that I didn't enjoy the story. The ending had the obvious solution that took her forever to recognize. While I'm in favor of pointing out inequalities, I felt like the author was going for shock value more than truth in an attempt to prompt action in the readers. There was no sex or bad language.


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.

A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano

A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano ISBN-13: 9780800728731 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Revell Released: July 31, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Tressa Harlowe's father did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first.


My Review:
A Rumored Fortune is a Christian romance set in 1866 in England. It reads like a fantasy that happens to be set in a Victorian rather than medieval type setting. Despite the common belief that her father was a commoner that stole his fortune, people call Tressa "the princess of the castle" and treat her family respectfully.

Tressa idolized her father at the beginning of the story and longed for his love. Only, she and her mother were called home because her father appears to have died at sea. Neither knows were his fortune was kept, plus he took out a loan. Is the fortune even real? Family and suitors descend on the castle to find the fortune for themselves. Tressa deals with finding food for them, money to pay the disgruntled servants and field hands, and money to pay the debt. She struggled with the realization that people desired her rumored fortune, not her.

Tressa and hero were both kind, thoughtful people. The hero has learned through adversity to love others and to think about the common people. Tressa endured heavy pruning and learned who is her true Vine. There were vineyard-related analogies throughout the book. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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.

Weekend at Thrackley by Alan Melville

Weekend at Thrackley by Alan Melville ISBN-13: 9781464209710 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Aug. 7, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Jim Henderson is one of six guests summoned by the mysterious Edwin Carson, a collector of precious stones, to a weekend party at his country house, Thrackley. The house is gloomy and forbidding but the party is warm and hospitable – except for the presence of Jacobson, the sinister butler. The other guests are wealthy people draped in jewels; Jim cannot imagine why he belongs in such company.

After a weekend of adventure – with attempted robbery and a vanishing guest – secrets come to light and Jim unravels a mystery from his past.


My Review:
Weekend at Thrackley is a mystery/adventure set in England which was originally published in 1934. Jim is invited to a house party where the host collects jewels and all the other guests have precious jewels that the host wants to view. It's not really a mystery since the reader pretty much knows what's going on as does the undercover detective that's at this party. The detective is trying to prove that jewelry theft is occurring. Jim happens to stumble across clues to what's going on and recognizes the undercover detective as an old school friend, so he gets in on the action.

The good-guy characters were fun with a humorous view of the world. I thought that we were going to have a murder-free detective story at first (which I enjoy, too), but the bodies started piling up at the end. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this entertaining adventure.

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.

Texas Baby Pursuit by Margaret Daley

Texas Baby Pursuit by Margaret Daley ISBN-13: 9781335490537 Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense Released: Aug. 7, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Minutes after his baby nephew is kidnapped, Texas Ranger Dallas Sanders traces the crime to a child trafficking ring hiding in plain sight. As he and local sheriff Rachel Young race to expose the sinister conspiracy, they’re determined to keep their relationship professional. But when Rachel’s infant daughter is also abducted, can she and Dallas rescue the children in time…and survive to have a future together?


My Review:
Texas Baby Pursuit is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It is the fourth in a series, but it reads like a stand alone. The hero and heroine were both law enforcement officers, and they worked together to question people and track down clues. They were competent at their jobs. The suspense came from the need to rescue the babies before they were sold off and from several attacks on the heroine.

The hero and heroine supported and respected each other and built each other up. Each had a bad relationship in the past that left them questioning their judgment when picking a romantic partner, but they talked this out together and worked through the issues that held them back. They were attracted to the other's character and personality, not only their looks. I appreciate authors who show this kind of relationship.

The Christian theme was the heroine feeling like God had let her down and questioning why a good God would allow evil to occur. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting 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.

A Tale of Two Murders by Heather Redmond

A Tale of Two Murders by Heather Redmond ISBN-13: 9781496717153 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Kensington Released: July 31, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the winter of 1835, young Charles Dickens is a journalist on the rise at the Evening Chronicle. Invited to dinner at the estate of the newspaper's co-editor, Charles is smitten with his boss's daughter, vivacious nineteen-year-old Kate Hogarth. They are having the best of times when a scream shatters the pleasant evening. Charles, Kate, and her father rush to the neighbors' home, where Miss Christiana Lugoson lies unconscious on the floor. By morning, the poor young woman will be dead.

When Charles hears from a colleague of a very similar mysterious death a year ago to the date, also a young woman, he begins to suspect poisoning and feels compelled to investigate. The lovely Kate offers to help--using her social position to gain access to the members of the upper crust, now suspects in a murder. If Charles can find justice for the victims, it will be a far, far better thing than he has ever done. But with a twist or two in this most peculiar case, he and Kate may be in for the worst of times .


My Review:
A Tale of Two Murders is a mystery set in 1835 in England. Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, making it feel like these events could really have happened. The author tried to stay true to what is known about Charles Dickens' career and lifestyle in his early twenties, but the mystery is fictional. The mood of the story was somber.

The characters were interesting and acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. The author also used correct manners and attitudes for the time, so Kate and Charles had to be careful about their behavior together. Charles and his friends found some inventive ways to gain access to people to ask them questions. He wanted to uncover why two girls had died on the same night a year apart. I did not correctly guess whodunit until the final clues fell in place, and Charles had it figured out by then, too.

There were only a few uses of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting 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.