The Nurse's Secret by Amanda Skenandore

The Nurse's Secret
by Amanda Skenandore

ISBN-13: 9781496726537
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Released: June 28th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
In the slums of 1880s New York, Una Kelly has grown up to be a rough-and-tumble grifter, able to filch a pocketbook in five seconds flat. But when another con-woman pins her for a murder she didn't commit, Una is forced to flee. Running from the police, Una lies her way into an unlikely refuge: the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital.

Based on Florence Nightingale's nursing principles, Bellevue is the first school of its kind in the country. Where once nurses were assumed to be ignorant and unskilled, Bellevue prizes discipline, intellect, and moral character, and only young women of good breeding need apply. At first, Una balks at her prim classmates and the doctors' endless commands. Yet life on the streets has prepared her for the horrors of injury and disease found on the wards, and she slowly gains friendship and self-respect.

Just as she finds her footing, Una's suspicions about a patient's death put her at risk of exposure, and will force her to choose between her instinct for self-preservation, and exposing her identity in order to save others.

Amanda Skenandore brings her medical expertise to a page-turning story that explores the development of modern nursing--including the grisly realities of nineteenth-century medicine--as seen through the eyes of an intriguing and dynamic heroine.


My Review:
The Nurse's Secret is a suspense set in 1883 in New York City. Una has learned to look out for her own interests because she's had to take care of herself since she was a child. She's good at looking and acting respectable in order to pick people's pockets, but her habits aren't normally refined anymore. She cusses, drinks, steals. A rare act of kindness on her part ends up with her needing to avoid the police, making some bad decisions, witnessing a murder, and being arrested for that murder. She manages to escape and join a nursing school to hide from the police, but what she thought would be an easy disguise requires a lot more effort (and help from new friends) than she expected. Strangely, she spots more murders at the hospital, though it's not like she can report them to the police. Especially since no one else seems to think they are murders.

Though the murders were pivotal to Una's life, she didn't mystery-style investigate until nearly the end. Much of the story focused on what it was like to be a nurse, doctor, or nursing student at that time. The historical details were woven into the story and brought it alive in my imagination. The characters acted realistically. Una wasn't exactly likable at first, but I understood why she acted the way that she did. As time went on, friends who cared about her brought out her desire to help others even at risk to herself. The story stayed suspenseful as one bad decision after another left Una in danger of being thrown out of the school or spotted by the police. Again, I understood why she acted that way, and it was consistent with her character and past.

There were no sex scenes. There was a lot of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting 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.

Cold Case Killer Profile by Jessica R. Patch

Cold Case Killer Profile
by Jessica R. Patch

ISBN-13: 9781335555106
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: June 28th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Searching for the perfect morning landscape to paint leads forensic artist Brigitte Linsey straight to a dead body—and a narrow escape from the Sunrise Serial Killer still on the scene. Now she’s become unfinished business and new prey. Working with FBI special agent Duke Jericho could mean putting the murderer away for good.


My Review:
Cold Case Killer Profile is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second in a series, but it works as a standalone. Duke and Brigitte worked well together as a team. Duke and Brigitte respected each other's abilities and personalities, and they came to care for each other as they got to know each other. Both were reluctant to marry anyone due to witnessing bad marriages in the past.

Duke and Brigitte asked questions and followed up on leads. The mystery was a clue-based puzzle to solve. I suspected whodunit early on and the clues were consistent with that, though there were other possible suspects. The suspense came from repeated attacks on Brigitte and other possible witnesses to the identity of the killer.

The Christian element was trusting God through tough circumstances. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romantic suspense.


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

Edward and Amelia by Karen Thornell

Edward and Amelia
by Karen Thornell

ISBN-13: 9781524421052
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: June 6th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The last thing Amelia Kennington wants is to participate in the London Season. But the daughter of a duke is not afforded such opinions, so she submits to his plans. Beneath is a well-hidden fire that surfaces when provoked—such as when a gentleman startles her and she falls into the Serpentine.

Edward Drayton, the Earl of Norwich, has gained a reputation as a rake--a reputation that he intends to change. This Season, he plans to find a wife—except she seems to find him instead. And she is nothing like he expected.

Scandal is inevitable following Edward and Amelia’s accident-prone meeting, forcing them to marry. Amelia’s disdain for this man she hardly knows is more than clear, and Edward’s pride is wounded before their marriage has even truly begun. Yet, against all odds, the two slowly let their guard down. But when Society gossip, a sister’s jealousy, and long-held secrets threaten their budding relationship, the unlikely couple must determine if their love is strong enough to withstand the opposition they face.


My Review:
Edward and Amelia is a romance set in 1813 in England. It wasn't realistic historically nor did the characters act realistically. For example, even though it hadn't worked for any woman before them, woman after woman kept trying to trap Edward into marriage by getting in compromising situations with him only to have their reputations ruined. The eldest sister declared she wanted to marry a man with a high title but then actively worked to ruin the chances of happiness not only for her sisters but for herself by spreading scandalous rumors that would reflect poorly on her family. The friend who helped start the rumors clung to Edward at a public ball while flirting with him yet somehow everyone felt this shamed Amelia and gossiped about her instead of the flirt. These characters' actions made no sense.

Actually, the story didn't start off too bad. Edward didn't listen well because he was certain he knew what women liked. When Amelia said she didn't want to plan a dinner party, he basically told her that of course she would enjoy it and made her do it. When Amelia told him that she didn't like flattery, he eventually listened. Amelia refused to believe anyone would desire her because of her scars and because her family treated her so poorly. Edward slowly started to listen and open up.

But things got more and more absurd and nonsensical in order to keep them apart. Women kept visiting Edward in the evenings, but he didn't explain who they were or introduce them. Edward kept complimenting every woman he encountered (in front of his wife!) in an attempt to make them leave him alone. He wrote to the women that he'd ruined to apologize and left their letters on his desk where Amelia saw that he was still writing to these women. After weeks of marriage, Amelia received dozens of letters from "women ruined by Edward" within a few hours and yet she didn't suspect that they weren't genuine. She literally refused to listen to her husband try to explain the truth of his reputation. One moment, she reflected on how very little she knew about her husband but later felt that she knew her husband better than two friends who had known Edward his whole life. The author's efforts to keep them apart due to misunderstandings just became absurd. Frustratingly absurd. Not a satisfying read.

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.

Guilty Creatures by Martin Edwards

Guilty Creatures
by Martin Edwards

ISBN-13: 9781464215841
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Released: June 7th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
From the animal mysteries of Arthur Conan Doyle and F. Tennyson Jesse through to more modern masterpieces of the subgenre from Christianna Brand and Penelope Wallace, this anthology celebrates one of the liveliest and most imaginative species of classic crime fiction. The collection includes an introduction on animals in detective fiction by Martin Edwards.

Since the dawn of the crime fiction genre, animals of all kinds have played a memorable part in countless mysteries, and in a variety of roles: the perpetrator, the key witness, the sleuth's trusted companion. This collection of fourteen stories corrals plots centered around cats, dogs, and insects alongside more exotic incidents involving gorillas, parakeets, and serpents—complete with a customary shoal of red herrings.


My Review:
Guilty Creatures is a collection of 14 short story mysteries written between the 1890s and 1960s. These stories either had an animal as the intended victim (a racehorse, etc.) or an animal provided a clue or was a part of committing the crime. In one case, an animal was simply the excuse for buying the poison. Most of the cases were simply a walk-through of the events with the solution at the end, but a few were clue-based puzzle-mysteries. In general, I enjoyed the stories, and I hadn't read any of them before. I will note, though, that I didn't like the India viper story. The vipers in that story didn't act like what little I know about vipers and snakes. First, snakes can climb (even slick metal). Also, it's not like they could eat a human, so why would they come out of hiding to attack a human? Anyway. There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, the stories were interesting and enjoyable.


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.

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin

Long Way Home
by Lynn Austin

ISBN-13: 9781496437396
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House
Released: June 21st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Peggy Serrano couldn't wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy's war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy's belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela's perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.


My Review:
Long Way Home is a split story following Peggy in 1946 in New York City and Gisela in 1938 to 1946 in Europe and elsewhere. The whole story was well-written, so the characters seemed like real people, I cared about them, and the historical details immersed me in the story. But it's a heavy read. Gisela's family is Jewish, and they manage to escape Germany only for their ship to be denied refuge in Cuba, America, Canada. They ended up in a country that was soon invaded by Germany. Her story was full of sadness and tragedy, and she was rather helpless as her choices were mainly decided by others (parents, Germans, etc.).

Peggy's story was also filled with sadness. At least she kept trying to make things better even when the critical choices had to be made by others (Jimmy's parents, his friends, etc.). Through her efforts, not only did Jimmy slowly find healing but so did several of his war buddies. She also found people that appreciated her talents and caring personality when her own family didn't.

Those involved in the war struggled with how a loving, good, all-powerful God would allow such horrible things to happen. Throughout the story, different people commented on how they dealt with this. Peggy even used the words that Jimmy once spoke to her to help him to better understand God's character. She helped him see the light in the world brought by God's people. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this book but understand that parts are very sad.


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

Death and Hard Cider by Barbara Hambly

Death and Hard Cider
by Barbara Hambly

ISBN-13: 9780727850744
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Severn House
Released: June 7th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
September, 1840. A giant rally is being planned in New Orleans to stir up support for presidential candidate William Henry Harrison: the Indian-killing, hard-cider-drinking, wannabe "people's president". Trained surgeon turned piano-player Benjamin January has little use for politicians. But the run-up to the rally is packed with balls and dinner parties, and the meagre pay is sorely needed.

Soon, however, January has more to worry about than keeping his beloved family fed and safe. During an elegant reception thrown by New Orleans' local Whig notables, the son of a prominent politician gets into a fight with a rival over beautiful young flirt Marie-Joyeuse Maginot - and, the day after the rally is over, Marie-Joyeuse turns up dead. The only black person amongst the initial suspects is arrested immediately: January's dear friend, Catherine Clisson.

With Catherine's life on the line, January is determined to uncover the truth and prove her innocence. But his adversaries are powerful politicians, and the clock is ticking...


My Review:
Death and Hard Cider is a mystery set in 1840 in New Orleans. This is the 19th book in a series, but it can be understood without reading the previous novels and didn't spoil the previous mysteries. The setting and historical details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of that specific time and place and bringing the story alive in my imagination.

Since the lead character is a free, well-educated black man, he was able to interreact with white men in a respectful manner. He was also able to get clues from the slaves and others who wouldn't trust the white law officer who worked with him to find out who killed the teenaged white girl. They asked questions, followed up on clues, and January's medical skill came in handy. There were clues and whodunit can be guessed, especially right around the same time as the main characters do. And then they have to definitively prove it. Whodunit's actively trying to kill those investigating, so there's danger along the way. The characters were interesting, complex, and acted in realistic ways.

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

Elysium Tide by James R. Hannibal

Elysium Tide
by James R. Hannibal

ISBN-13: 9780800738518
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: June 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Dr. Peter Chesterfield is one of the Royal London Hospital's top neurosurgeons. He is also a workaholic, ordered by his boss to take a week off to attend a medical symposium at the luxurious Elysium Grand on the island of Maui. While there, Peter pulls a woman with a skull fracture from the water. Though he is able to revive her in the ambulance, she eventually dies in his arms, leaving him with only one clue to what happened to her: the word "honu."

Increasingly obsessed with discovering the cause of his patient's death, Peter becomes entangled in an ongoing investigation of a brazen luxury auto theft. He also becomes a source of unwanted advice to detective Lisa Kealoha, who has jurisdiction over the case. But when the two join forces, they begin to uncover a destructive plot that runs far deeper than either of them could have imagined. And if they're not careful, they're both going to end up dead.


My Review:
Elysium Tide is a mystery/suspense novel. Lisa is a good detective, finding leads and following up on them. She knows the people and the island. Peter is Sherlock-Holmes-type brilliant and isn't afraid to order others around--which doesn't make him friends even though his ideas are good ones. He notices details and draws accurate conclusions not immediately obvious to others. Often, both Lisa and Peter would come to the same location or conclusion though they got there by different deductive routes.

There were several crimes that were committed that needed to be solved. It wasn't initially clear if they were connected and, if so, how. It was an interesting mystery and filled with fights, car chases, and medical emergencies. I loved the character relationship dynamics between, well, everyone. Even the bad guys were interesting, realistic characters. Lisa's team had fun (though professional) interactions. I hope this is intended to be a series as the author set it up to include the possibility of future cases worked together.

Lisa believed in God, and she'd came to view him as a father after her own father died. Peter felt that belief in gods was primitive and misguided, but an intense near-death experience made him question that conclusion. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this well-written and 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.

Among the Innocent by Mary Alford

Among the Innocent
by Mary Alford

ISBN-13: 9780800740269
Paperback: 297 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: June 7th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered ten years ago, the person believed responsible took his own life. Since then, Leah left the Amish and joined the police force. Now, after another Amish woman is found murdered with the same MO, it becomes clear that the wrong man may have been blamed for her family's deaths.

As Leah and the new police chief, Dalton Cooper, work long hours struggling to fit the pieces together in order to catch the killer, they can't help but grow closer. When secrets from both of their pasts begin to surface, an unexpected connection between them is revealed. But this is only the beginning. Could it be that the former police chief framed an innocent man to keep the biggest secret of all buried? And what will it mean for Leah--and Dalton--when the full truth comes to light?


My Review:
Among the Innocent is a Christian romantic suspense. Unfortunately, the story had so many aspects that weren't realistic that I felt like I was watching a super-villain action movie. Early on, the police had a good sketch of the bad guy and, later, a recent photo, but the bad guy only had to put on sunglasses and a hat and no one recognized him. They repeatedly opened doors to him, after which he'd knock them out with one powerful punch. Dalton kept telling Leah that he'd keep her safe even after it was proven that neither of them could stop the guy from doing whatever he wanted. And the police made so many basic mistakes. For example, once someone finally shot the bad guy in the arm (and somehow this made him helpless), no one tried to handcuff or otherwise restrain him.

I didn't like that Dalton expected Leah to view the actual crime scenes. I had no problem with her interviewing the victim's families (which she was good at), but Leah felt like she had to be tough and work the scenes even though it was traumatizing. Dalton wanted to identify the true killer but didn't seem to do much except drive Leah around and schedule which officers would watch which family or empty barn. They were nice enough characters, but they came across as ineffectual. And the behavior of the previous police chief was completely illogical. Seriously illogical. However, the suspense was high throughout as one love-sick girl after another willingly sneaked off to see the killer even after being warned he was a killer. Will anyone survive?

There was no sex or bad language. Though the crime scenes were bloody, not much time was spent describing the gore (as in, it's not very graphic).


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.

Sunburst by Susan May Warren

Sunburst
by Susan May Warren

ISBN-13: 9780800739836
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: June 7th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others. And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.

Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire. Including her so-called new husband.


My Review:
Sunburst is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the second book in a series, but you can understand this book without reading the previous ones. Noemi didn't feel valued by her parents so she believed God didn't care about what happened to her and she should leave others before they leave her. Ranger's serious, focused, and committed to helping others even at a sacrifice to himself. Ranger repeatedly risked his life to help Noemi and said that he'd always come for her, but she kept wondering if Ranger just viewed her as a duty since he hadn't actually said, "I love you." Noemi and Ranger supported each other through the tough things they faced despite feeling that the other just viewed them as a friend. She helped Ranger dream of a different future than he'd planned on but could no longer have.

Since they're on the run from terrorists, the suspense stayed high throughout the story. The characters were complex, realistic people, and I cared about what happened to them. Noemi learned that God did care about her and both learned to trust God's love even when life wasn't turning out the way they would have liked. There was no sex or bad language. 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.

Peril at Pennington Manor by Tracy Gardner

Peril at Pennington Manor
by Tracy Gardner

ISBN-13: 9781643859064
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Released: June 7th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Thanks to Aunt Midge’s unlikely friendship with Nicholas Pennington, the Duke of Valle Charme, Avery Ayers and her associates at Antiques and Artifacts Appraised head off to their most glamorous assignment yet—cataloguing and appraising the contents of a castle-like mansion on the Hudson River. But regal splendor becomes a backdrop to mayhem when the precious Viktor Petrova timepiece disappears—and housekeeper Suzanne Vick plummets from a parapet to her death.

Avery, her dad William, and colleagues Micah Abbott and Sir Robert Lane soon learn that Suzanne’s predecessor also met with an untimely end. Further, the housekeeper’s suspicious demise coincides with Avery’s discovery that many of the Duke’s most priceless heirlooms have been replaced by fakes.

Detective Art Smith lends his expertise, but the suspect list encompasses the Duke’s entire retinue—including his family. A criminal mastermind is making a desperate bid for ill-gotten riches…can Avery bring the culprit to justice before her time is up?


My Review:
Peril at Pennington Manor is a cozy mystery with a lot of family drama. At least a third of the book was Tilly's school woes, Avery's dating woes, marathon prep, and family drama (both hers and the royals). There were also some kittens and dates with Art. This was a clue-based mystery, but it had so much filler that I forgot to even care whodunit. Avery tended to jump to conclusions but Art would remind her of other possibilities. She was very nosy (even opening doors to bedrooms in an area where she wasn't supposed to be working, and in front of her detective boyfriend, who didn't even object). She eavesdropped (as did Art) to gather clues, but it ended up coming down to discovering who sold the stolen goods.

This book is the second in a series. I didn't need to read the previous book to understand this one, but I might have cared more about the family drama if I'd started with the first book. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'm recommend this to fans of family drama in their cozy mysteries.


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.

Where the Road Bends by Rachel Fordham

Where the Road Bends by Rachel Fordham

ISBN-13: 9780800739744
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: June 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
As Norah King surveys her family land in Iowa in 1880, she is acutely aware that it is all she has left, and she will do everything in her power to save it--even if that means marrying a man she hardly knows. Days before her wedding, Norah discovers an injured man on her property. Her sense of duty compels her to take him in and nurse him back to health. Little does she realize just how much this act of kindness will complicate her life and threaten the future she's planned.

Penniless and homeless, Quincy Barnes knows the most honorable thing he can do is head on down the road and leave Norah to marry her intended. He vows to start over and help others like Norah helped him, but he can never forget her or the wrong he did to her, the one person who belived in him.


My Review:
Where the Road Bends is a Christian romance set mainly in 1882 in Iowa. Norah saved Quincy in the prologue, and they got along well, like old friends who could open up about their worries and past. When they realized that Quincy's presence threatened Norah's reputation, he left so she could marry her betrothed and save her beloved farm. He struggled to find a steady job, so when he discovered some money in the old clothes that Norah gave to him, he decided he needed it more than her. He bought a hotel, made it profitable, and helped others start anew. Yet he can't get rid of the guilt of taking her money. When he tries to repay it, he discovers that his actions hurt Norah more than he could have guessed. He does all he can to make things right and help her heal from what she's suffered.

The characters were likable, complex, and acted realistically. Their actions had serious consequences but their courage to stand for forgiveness and God's grace could change a whole (small) town. Historical and setting details were woven in and immersed me in the story. Quincy was determined to make Norah's dreams come true (from doing nothing but relaxing and reading books for a week to her bigger dreams) to show his love for her. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable 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.

Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron

Bayou Book Thief
by Ellen Byron

ISBN-13: 9780593437612
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: June 7th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Twenty-eight-year-old widow Ricki James leaves Los Angeles to start a new life in New Orleans after her showboating actor husband perishes doing a stupid internet stunt. The Big Easy is where she was born and adopted by the NICU nurse who cared for her after Ricki's teen mother disappeared from the hospital.

Ricki's dream comes true when she joins the quirky staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, the spectacular former Garden District home of late bon vivant Genevieve "Vee" Charbonnet, the city's legendary restauranteur. Ricki is excited about turning her avocation - collecting vintage cookbooks - into a vocation by launching the museum's gift shop, Miss Vee's Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware. Then she discovers that a box of donated vintage cookbooks contains the body of a cantankerous Bon Vee employee who was fired after being exposed as a book thief. The skills Ricky has developed ferreting out hidden vintage treasures come in handy for investigations.


My Review:
Bayou Book Thief is a cozy mystery. Ricki stumbled across a lot of crime, not all of it related to the murder. Since her last boss had been (unknown to her) pulling off a scam, she's more aware of the possibility now. She's a friendly, easy-to-talk-to sort of gal, and she's good at tracking a clue down to its source. The detective was overworked so didn't mind the tips. But she told Ricki to run the scenarios that her vivid imagination came up with through a logic test to see if her ideas were really reasonable before reporting them to the police. This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. As there were several crimes, I'll just say that some whodunits were more obvious while others needed a longer accumulation of clues to guess.

There was no sex. There were only a couple of uses 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.

Missing Pieces by Hickey, Johnson, Lilly, Thompson

Missing Pieces
by Cynthia Hickey;
Linda Baten Johnson;
Teresa Ives Lilly;
Janice Thompson

ISBN-13: 9781636092898
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: June 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
What could go wrong when jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts get together?

Elvis Has Left the Building by Cynthia Hickey
Cee Cee is hosting a jigsaw puzzle party in Apple Blossom, Arkansas, and everyone is expected to bring a brand-new 500-piece jigsaw puzzle to work on that depicts something from the 1950s. With a vintage car show, vendors, live music, and a dance, the night promises to be a great one—until the Elvis impersonator is murdered and a priceless puzzle is missing.

The Puzzle King by Linda Baten Johnson
Jane enters a jigsaw puzzle competition at the Fargo, North Dakota, fairgrounds. When a fellow competitor is poisoned, all suspects are confined at the hotel during the investigation, and Jane is determined to use her puzzle-solving skills to root out the killer.

A Puzzling Weekend by Teresa Ives Lilly
Tabitha’s first event at her new bed and breakfast in Pumpkin City, Pennsylvania, is a jigsaw puzzle mystery weekend. All is going well until the hired cook is found stabbed to death. As the prime suspect, Tabitha works with the handsome investigator—and two wily beagle dogs—to clear her name.

Mystery at the Jigsaw Swap by Janice Thompson
Mariah hopes to sell her puzzles at a jigsaw puzzle convention in Camden, Maine, at the historic opera house. But her most valuable puzzle ends up missing when another vendor is stabbed to death.


My Review:
Missing Pieces is a collection of 4 short story cozy mysteries. They contained no sex or bad language. Unfortunately, there wasn't a smart heroine in the bunch and most of the stories weren't very realistic.

"Elvis Has Left the Building" seemed like a parody mocking cozy mysteries since it was illogical and unrealistic. The department's newest patrol officer was sent to do crowd control at the jigsaw puzzle event. He apparently always had evidence collection bags on his person, was then assigned to solve the murder case, and soon was helping Cee Cee break into a suspect's house in search of evidence. Earlier, Cee Cee was the one to point out to him that the puzzle in front of them was the missing puzzle, then they ran off to investigate the death scream. The officer/ex-boyfriend promptly accused her of killing the victim because there's a dark hair (like hers) on this guy that she had talked to several times throughout the night. He also accused her of stealing the puzzle. And he's the romantic interest. That's not romantic, in my opinion. 1 star.

"The Puzzle King" had some interesting information about jigsaw puzzle competitions woven into the story. I strongly suspected whodunit from the moment the murder was discovered. The sheriff in charge of the investigation basically accused Jane of murder before they even knew it was murder, all because Jane had given him some coffee. Despite several people warning Jane not to be alone with any of the suspects, what does she do? And once she finally figured out who the murderer was, she still did several very stupid things (to increase the suspense, I guess). Jane was always dense, asking again for information she'd already been told or genuinely thinking that rules didn't apply to her. It was hard to respect her as a sleuth. Still, it wasn't a bad story. 3 stars.

"A Puzzling Weekend" at least reads like a genuine cozy right down to the cute dogs that help solve whodunit. The heroine secretly likes the handsome detective, who goes to her church. Though she's obviously framed for the murder, he believed that she was innocent because he'd previously observed her character and genuine Christianity. He accepted any gossip she overheard but warned her to be careful and let him do the actual interviews and such. Of course, she had to push it but got a confession. I guessed whodunit even before the murder happened, though. 3.75 stars.

"Mystery at the Jigsaw Swap" is a "bumbling detective" type mystery that's meant to be funny but was just painful for me to read. Mariah didn't think she was good at detective work and just thinking about who was where when her puzzle was stolen gave her a headache. She felt like a loser and failure, but solving the mystery made her feel more like a success. She seemed a little out of touch with reality, like thinking the detective might be mutually attracted to her while she's standing there covered with garbage and stink from a dumpster dive. Or that the police should delay their arrest until she could be there to watch. Mariah solved the mystery by overhearing clues and suspecting and then eliminating all of the suspects until the solution was obvious even to her. 2 stars.


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.