Leave No Trace by Sara Driscoll

Leave No Trace by Sara Driscoll ISBN-13: 9781496722492 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Kensington Released: December 29th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
One arrow through the heart could be a tragic hunting accident. A second one, within days, looks more like a crime. That’s when Meg Jennings and Brian Foster of the FBI’s Forensic Canine Unit head to Georgia to investigate. With their dogs Hawk and Lacey, Meg and Brian are enlisted to follow the scent of a killer. At first, nothing seems to connect the two victims–a county commissioner and State Patrol officer. But the blood sport around the southern town of Blue Ridge is just beginning.

As the body count rises, the compound bow killer becomes even more elusive, appearing and vanishing like a ghost. Meg is beginning to suspect that, at its heart, a tragic event that reaches back nearly two centuries in Georgia’s history is now turning Blue Ridge into a hunting ground. But as Meg gets closer to solving the puzzle, the closer she is to stepping into the crosshairs of an elusive murderer with deadly aim, and motives as deep and dark as the woods.


My Review:
Leave No Trace is a suspense/mystery. This book is the fifth in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This novel did refer by name to several whodunits in the previous mysteries, though.

The main characters were likable, interesting, and reacted realistically to events. Much of the suspense came from the dangerous terrain that Meg, Brian, and their K9s had to navigate while tracking the murderer. Added to that was the danger that a highly accurate bow hunter could shoot them at any time. They also helped some with the investigation. Part way through, I wondered why they weren't even considering certain people, including one person that seemed worth investigating further to me. Later, someone pointed this out--that they are making certain assumptions that may not be true. As it turns out, I had correctly guessed whodunit, and they quickly figured it out at this point, too.

There was a fair amount of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful 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 Eligible Bachelor by Ashtyn Newbold

The Last Eligible Bachelor by Ashtyn Newbold ISBN-13: 979-8662720541 ebook: 292 pages Publisher: Three Leaf Publishing Released: June 25th 2020

Source: Rented ebook.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Tillie Sherbrooke was born a lady, but lost her place in society by her father’s folly. Quiet, resourceful, and loyal, she now makes the perfect lady’s maid for her mistress Sophia. When Sophia's parents give her no choice but to travel across England to be matched with a mysterious young bachelor, Mr. Hill, she has no interest, especially since there are several other ladies vying for him. Who better to send in her place than Tillie? What gentleman would notice a maid, even one disguised as a lady? So when Sophia asks this favor of Tillie, or rather—threatens her into it, Tillie must rely on her past, the life of a proper lady, if she hopes to keep her position at Sedgwick Manor.

Disguised as her mistress, Tillie takes a coach across the country to a new place, one both unfamiliar and frightening. With so much at stake, she does all she can to stay quiet and invisible. But when she inadvertently catches Mr. Hill’s attention, she may also very well risk losing her heart.


My Review:
The Last Eligible Bachelor is a romance set in the Regency period. It's the third in a series, but it works as a standalone novel. Tillie's mistress didn't want to be one of several women trying to get the attentions of one bachelor, so she forced Tillie to go in her place. Tillie's initial plan was to avoid drawing Mr. Hill's attention, but a mishap foiled that idea. She then acted like her normal, imperfect self assuming that would drive him away to the beautiful, perfectly mannered women desperate for his attention. Only that intrigued him more, and he insisted on spending time with her.

The main characters were interesting and likable. Sometimes the manners didn't seem correct for the time period. I didn't understand why the hero didn't offer to take the object meant to ruin Tillie's reputation and return it but suggested that they meet together later at night to return it when being caught alone together would ruin both of their reputations. Still, I liked that the hero and heroine became friends and got to know each other in the process of falling in love. There is no sex about language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun, enjoyable book.


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 Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins

The Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins ISBN-13: 9781496710567 ebook: 304 pages Publisher: Kensington Released: September 26th 2017

Source: Rented ebook.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Professional cat grooming isn't all fluff--when the fur starts flying, Cassie McGlone, owner of Cassie's Comfy Cats, handles her feistiest four-legged clients with a caring touch and nerves of steel. While these qualities certainly help keep her business purring, they also come in handy when she makes a house call to her best client, millionaire George DeLeuw, and discovers his murdered body next to his newly orphaned Persian, Harpo.

To help the local police find the actual killer, Cassie begins her own investigation. But no one, from George's housekeeper to his vindictive ex-wife, is giving up clues. Not until Cassie is given permission to temporarily board Harpo does anyone show interest in the Persian's wellbeing. Someone is desperate to get their paws on Harpo before the feline helps untangle a felony. Are there deadly truths that Cassie can coax out? She needs to tread lightly and remember she gets one life, not nine....


My Review:
The Persian Always Meows Twice is a cozy mystery. The main character was a nice person who cared about others and about animals. She discovered the body and got involved because she was concerned about the dead man's cat being neglected. Once she arranged to board the cat, everyone suddenly seemed interested in getting the cat. She tried to discover why and turned in any evidence that she found to the police. She was not trying to figure out whodunit so much as why people wanted the cat. However, whodunit did come after the cat in the end (thus solving the case). Happily, Cassie did a good job of defending herself and the cats throughout the story.

There were no sex scenes. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable cat-related 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.

My Wild Heart by Martha Keyes

My Wild Heart by Martha Keyes ISBN-13: 979-8652384050 ebook: 240 pages Released: June 14th 2020

Source: Rented ebook.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
No one stands in doubt of Edith Donne's opinion on marriage—or of her ability to ward it off using nothing but her stinging wit. With the fortune her aunt has left her, Edith has no reason to marry and certainly no intention of it. When she inadvertently overhears that her lifelong archrival is in love with her, she is stunned, but she has no compunction in setting him straight.

Elias Abram trusts no woman, but he can bandy words with the best of them—and Edith Donne is undoubtedly the best. Her razor-sharp tongue has been a constant companion and a welcome challenge since their prank-filled childhood days. But when Elias is given to believe that Edith is secretly in love with him, his world is flipped on its head, forcing him to reconsider everything he thought he knew.

Soon realizing they have been duped by their conspiring friends, Edith and Elias resolve to turn the tables on them in the most shocking manner they can concoct—the ultimate revenge. But what's to be done when the lines between charade and reality begin to blur?

My Wild Heart is a sweet Regency romance inspired by Shakespeare's classic Much Ado About Nothing.


My Review:
My Wild Heart is a romance set in Regency England. It was inspired by a romance in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." Both of the main characters are disillusioned about marriage and determined not to marry. They enjoy battles of wits with each other – mainly exchanging insults. When their friends trick them into thinking that the other is secretly in love with them, it doesn't take long for them to discover the trick. Edith's determined to turn the tables and have the last laugh, but everything seems to go wrong, putting Edith's reputation in jeopardy. Along the way, Edith and Elias see a different side of the other – things they admire and respect.

The main characters had some depth and reacted realistically to events based on their character. However, the story and the characters didn't really remind me of the Shakespeare play. The author slowly changed the exchange of insults to more supportive dialogue, and the hero did the one thing that could prove his newfound love. However, I still wasn't completely convinced they were the best match even though Elias admired her wit and spirit. They knew each other since childhood, but it's difficult pulling off the change from disdain to love and admiration within about a week's period. Still, it was an enjoyable story.

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


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.

Storm Rising by Sara Driscoll

Storm Rising by Sara Driscoll ISBN-13: 9781496704450 ebook: 295 pages Publisher: Kensington Released: November 27th 2018

Source: Rented ebook.

Book Description from Goodreads:
In the wake of a devastating hurricane, Special Agent Meg Jennings and her Labrador, Hawk--invaluable members of the FBI's Human Scent Evidence Team--have been deployed to Virginia Beach. They have their work cut out for them. Amid graveyards of debris, and the buried cries for help, the search and rescue operation begins. The most alarming discovery is yet to come--a teenage girl hiding in the Great Dismal Swamp. Shaken by the storm, she has reason to be scared. But this young survivor is terrified of so much more.

Her name is Emma--a disheveled runaway lost to the sordid underbelly of a Virginia sex-trafficking ring. Its leader has disappeared in the chaos--along with other victims. With so much evidence, and so many witnesses, seemingly washed away, Meg joins forces with Special Agent Walter Van Cleave to ensure no further harm comes to their vulnerable charge. They soon discover that this is no small-time localized syndicate. Its branches are rooted in some of the most influential powers in Virginia. Now as Meg's investigation digs deeper, she's making some very dangerous enemies. And one by one, they're coming out of the storm to stop her.


My Review:
Storm Rising is a suspense/mystery. This book is the third in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. The characters were engaging, complex, and reacted realistically to events. Meg and her K9 partner worked to find flood victims and then track down two victims of sex trafficking who escaped after an accident. After that, the dog didn't do much tracking but Meg helped with the investigation. At the beginning, the suspense came from the danger to everyone due to the storm damage. In the second half, the suspense was trying to track down and stop the human trafficking ring before they hurt anyone else.

There was a fair amount bad language. There were no descriptive sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful 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.

True of Heart by Martha Keyes

True of Heart by Martha Keyes ISBN-13: 979-8670606516 ebook: 332 pages Released: September 15th 2020

Source: Rented ebook.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Miss Ruth Hawthorn helps support her fatherless family the only way she can: doling out love advice in a local newspaper column under an assumed name, The Swan. When she receives a lucrative request for an in-person consultation from someone signed "O," her brother persuades her to go to London with him, teaching him what he needs to know in order to survive the short appointment. But when "O" moves up the time of the rendez-vous and Ruth's brother is nowhere to be found, she is forced to take matters into her own hands.

Philip Trent, Lord Oxley, knows precisely which woman will best fill his late mother's shoes as the viscountess—now all he needs is a little help winning her over, swarmed as she is by suitors. Ashamed of his ineptitude with women but determined to succeed, Philip secretly enlists help. The youthful, bespectacled Swan seems like the last person capable of providing such help, but Philip finds in the young man both a friend and a confidant, with a surprising understanding of love.

Philip's choice of woman is proving more difficult than anticipated, though, and Ruth's ongoing disguise and frequent meetings with him are taxing her conscience—and her heart. With more secrets than Ruth can manage and a heart long since lost to her most important client, she faces the threat of discovery and ruin—a prospect somehow eclipsed by the heartbreak she will face when those secrets are inevitably discovered by the man she loves. True of Heart is a sweet Regency retelling of Shakespeare's classic, Twelfth Night.


My Review:
True of Heart is a Regency romance inspired by the Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." I honestly wasn't sure how the author was going to pull off a man falling in love with a woman that he thinks is a man, but this was very well written and it worked for me. Ruth is forced to pretend to be a man to tutor Philip (who's very nervous around women) on how to win a highly desirable marriage match. Philip's comfortable around her and becomes good friends with her, so he's shocked to later find that she's a woman. He then begins to question if he's been looking for the wrong things in marriage.

The main characters were engaging, complex, and reacted realistically to events. I loved how the friendship and respect grew between Ruth and Philip and then developed into love. The historical details were woven into the story to give it a very Regency feel. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written, 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.

The Fateful Marriage by Elizabeth Bailey

The Fateful Marriage by Elizabeth Bailey ISBN-13: 978-1913518295 ebook: 353 pages Publisher: Sapere Books Released: March 23rd 2020

Source: Rented ebook.

Book Description from Goodreads:
1791, England. Lady Ottilia and Lord Francis Fanshawe are holidaying in Tunbridge Wells when they stumble across the scene of a horrific accident. While visiting the High Rocks, a local tourist spot, a young woman falls to her death from the top of the climb. It soon becomes clear that the woman is linked to the infamous Dowager Viscountess Lady Wem – an indomitable matriarch visiting Tunbridge with her extended family. The young woman was at the centre of a scandal – Lady Wem’s grandson, Daniel, eloped with her three years prior.

As Lady Fan is introduced to the family her suspicions are aroused. Was the fall a devastating mishap? Or could the woman have been pushed? Lady Fan must unravel dark family secrets in her quest for the truth…


My Review:
The Fateful Marriage is a mystery set in 1791. This novel is the 6th in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one. This story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books.

This was a clue-based mystery. Since the witnesses were also potential suspects and were being bullied by other members of their extended family, there was some difficulty discovering what happened. Lady Fan asked plenty of questions and used her observational skills, but she also got help from her husband and niece. I spotted the critical clue at the same time that Lady Fan did.

The characters were interesting, and I cared about what happened to them. Historical details were woven into the story to create the feeling of a specific time and place. There was a couple of uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. 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.

Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers by Tessa Arlen

Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers by Tessa Arlen ISBN-13: 9781984805829 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: December 1st 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable heroine Poppy Redfern is thoroughly immersed in her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime. After weeks of typing copy and sharpening pencils, Poppy is thrilled to receive her first solo script project: a fifteen-minute film about the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as Attagirls, a group of female civilians who have been trained to pilot planes from factories to military airfields all over Britain.

Poppy could not be more excited to spend time with these amazing ladies, but she never expects to see one of the best pilots die in what is being labeled an accident. When another Attagirl meets a similar fate, Poppy and her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, Griff, believe foul play may be at work and they investigate.


My Review:
Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers is a mystery set in October 1942 in England. This is the second book in the series. You don't need to read the previous novel to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil whodunit from the previous book.

The mystery was clue-based. Poppy immediately suspected poison and kept looking for some exotic poison, never considering some very simple alternatives. At least Griff had some sensible alternative suggestions (and a secret investigation of his own). However, it seemed like most of the story was learning the various backgrounds of the Attagirls and learning about what they did. Which fit as part of the investigation and filming project, but it meant that there weren't that many clues to the actual mystery. It wasn't difficult to solve once Poppy remembered a certain clue, but there was no proof. I enjoyed the story until the end, when Poppy set up a person they think will be the next target so she's in a situation where she might be murdered, but they give her no warning nor do they try to protect her. It's not even clear why they think this will flush out the murderer. Then a simple whodunit suddenly got complex as she and Griff accused multiple people of multiple crimes, some of which happened years in the past and sometimes with little proof. It didn't leave me feeling very satisfied.

There was a fair amount of bad language. There was no 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.