Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay

Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay ISBN-13: 9780593100035 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: September 3, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lindsey Norris is finally getting married to the man of her dreams--but it's not all roses for Briar Creek's beloved library director, as gardening enthusiast and town newcomer Aaron Grady gives the term "book lover" a whole new meaning. Inappropriate looks and unwelcome late-night visits to Lindsey's house have everyone from the crafternooners to Lindsey's fiancé, Sully, on edge.

When Grady's dead body is found staged outside the library and all the clues point to Sully, Lindsey knows it's up to her to dig through the hidden chapters of Grady's previous life to find the real culprit and clear Sully's name. But becoming a thorn in the killer's side is not without its consequences.


My Review:
Word to the Wise is a cozy mystery. It's the tenth 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 that was easily guessable. I liked that the author chose a topic like stalking – a real concern – as the lead up to the murder. The man started stalking Lindsey even though she never encouraged him, so her fiancé and friends had to protect her until he ended up murdered. They then investigated to discover who might have murdered him since the fiancé was suspected for the murder.

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.

A Night's Tail by Sofie Kelly

A Night's Tail by Sofie Kelly ISBN-13: 978-0440001133 Hardback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: September 3, 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Spring is coming to Mayville Heights, and Kathleen’s brother, Ethan, has arrived in town with his band, The Flaming Gerbils. But not everything goes as scheduled when one of Ethan’s bandmates gets into a fight with a man interested in investing in the town. When the businessman’s body is later found, Ethan’s friend is implicated in the crime.

Kathleen wants to help her brother by solving the case, but she has no shortage of suspects from which to choose. Prior to his death, the investor was fighting like cats and dogs with lots of people. If this librarian wants more than a whisker’s chance of solving the case, she will need to rely on her trusty feline sidekicks, Owen and Hercules.


My Review:
A Night's Tail is a cozy mystery. This is the 11th 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 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. I didn't catch a critical clue at the beginning of the book and so didn't really have any suspects until right before the heroine figured out whodunit and how. The heroine had to dig up information about the victim's past to uncover who had motive.

There was no sex. There was a few uses 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford

A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford ISBN-13: 9781984805904 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: September 24, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Heavenly, PA has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. As the owner of Heavenly Treasures, the local gift shop, Claire is busier than ever helping her English customers (and even a few of her Amish friends, like Esther and Ben) find the perfect gift for the special people on their shopping list. Claire makes sure she has time for her boyfriend, Detective Jakob Fisher. But the man, who was raised and then shunned by the Amish over his choice of career, has been unusually secretive lately.

Before she can figure out what's going on with Jakob, word comes that Ruth and Samuel Yoder are being questioned in the death of an elderly Amish couple, found murdered not long after the newlyweds were seen leaving the victims' farm. Ruth, in turn, seeks Claire's help in convincing the police that she and Samuel had nothing to do with what happened. But when Claire comes across a cryptic note tucked inside the wedding gift the victims had given the newlyweds no more than an hour before their murder, she finds herself in dire need of a little convincing as well. Can Claire get to the bottom of things in time to ensure a merry Christmas for all?


My Review:
A Killer Carol is a cozy mystery. It's the seventh book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the whodunits in the previous novels. The author wove in details about living near the Amish and what it's like for people to be or leave the Amish.

The mystery was clue-based. Claire helped find new information about what happened leading up to the murder which helped her and the detective to realize whodunit. Due to the murderer planting false clues, uncovering the correct whodunit was more complex than in most cozy mysteries. The characters were engaging, complex, and reacted realistically.

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

The Words between Us by Erin Bartels

The Words between Us by Erin Bartels ISBN-13: 9780800734923 Paperback: 358 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Sept. 3, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Robin Windsor has spent most of her life using an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is failing and the past is hot on her heels.

When she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt. That book--Catcher in the Rye--is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly twenty years ago. But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she'll have to finally stop running and face her past?


My Review:
The Words between Us is general fiction about a hurting girl who hurts other hurting people. Part of the story occurred when she was 14 years old. The "now" part of the story happened when she's 32 years old. It's a depressing story because Robin was depressed and hopeless for 80% of the book. I didn't even find the ending very satisfying, partly because it wrapped up so fast that there were loose ends.

Anyway, Robin blamed everyone else for messing up her life, but she made a lot of bad choices of her own (including spending 9+ years of her life not speaking at all in an effort to hide from life). When 14 years old, Robin began loving an older boy named Peter because he shared his mother's books with her, allowing her to escape her own life for a while. Even though she only knew Peter for 6 months and believes he betrayed her trust, 18 years later she still "loves" him because she shared more of her inner thoughts and feelings with him (in poems) than with anyone else. She doesn't even know the guy anymore, but that doesn't matter. I suppose the ending is supposed to be impulsively romantic and touching, but I thought it was rather foolish.

Throughout the story, Robin uncovered the truth about some things in the past that prompted her to look at her life, forgive some people, and take responsibility for her own actions. There was no sex. There were two uses of cr*p but no other 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.

Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano

Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano ISBN-13: 9780764231681 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: Sept. 3, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
As part of a bargain with her grandmother, Poppy Garrison accepts an unusual proposition to participate in the New York social season. Forced to travel to America to help his cousin find an heiress to wed, bachelor Reginald Blackburn is asked to give Poppy etiquette lessons. He swiftly discovers he may be in for much more than he bargained for.


My Review:
Diamond in the Rough is a romantic comedy set in 1885 in New York City. The characters got into silly situations, mainly involving the spirited heroine trying to learn things like complicated dances and social etiquette. The main characters were kind, caring people who wanted to help others. I cared about what happened to them. The hero and heroine spent a lot of time together and got along well (after an initial misunderstanding and even though keeping up with Poppy was exhausting). 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.

One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn

One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn ISBN-13: 9780800729301 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Sept. 3, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
When investigator Gabriel Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell--a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.

Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her--the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.

When Anissa's fractured past collides with Gabe's investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they'll have to put their complicated history with each other aside in order to uncover the identity of a killer.


My Review:
One Final Breath is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the third book in a series, but it works as a standalone. There were several cases that the team had to work on and which touched on each other in unexpected ways. Several crimes occurred on or near a lake, and the dive team had to search underwater several times for evidence that was potentially dropped into the lake. The suspense came from physical danger to multiple people and from relationship tensions.

The main characters were kind, determined people who reacted realistically to the situations. I cared about what happened to them. The hero and heroine were attracted to each other but they didn't feel like they were good marriage material. They had to overcome some personal issues before moving beyond friendship.

The hero and heroine were strong Christians, but they struggled with guilt over past actions and accepting and giving forgiveness. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I would recommend this enjoyable, 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer ISBN-13: 9780099465591 Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Arrow Released: 1941

Source: Borrowed from the library.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Mablethorpe is aghast. Her young son Adrian is marrying Miss Deborah Grantham--a gambling-club wench! She sends her trusted nephew, the vastly wealthy, clever, and imperturbable Max Ravenscar, to buy the hussy off. To Ravenscar's surprise, Deborah is remarkably handsome, witty, and--he could scarcely believe it--well-bred. He expects she'll be grateful for the high price he offers her to give up her young suitor. After all, she and her aunt are deeply in debt.

Instead, Deborah decides to match her wits with his to get even for his low opinion of her--she's no fortune-hunter! She tries to entice Adrian with a more suitable girl while doing everything she can to convince Max that she's everything he accused her of being.


My Review:
Faro's Daughter is a Regency Romance. Deborah realizes from the start that her choice to act as a hostess in her aunt's gaming house has ruined her reputation as a respectable girl. Yet she's extremely insulted that Max tries to buy her off after his aunt tells him that Deborah is going to marry Adrian. Deborah doesn't care why there's a misunderstanding; she has no intention of marrying Adrian and everyone should be able to read her thoughts! So she decides to act exactly like the scheming hussy that Max assumed she was so that she can continue in her righteous fury.

Only Max realizes that she's playing a game. He matches his wits against hers in their game to get what they want. He gradually learns what Deborah is really like despite all her efforts at deception. Yet finally Deborah succeeds in a secret scheme that fools him into thinking he was wrong about her after all. Instead of correcting him, she plays along AGAIN. The girl is determined to cause herself as much pain as possible to sustain her prideful sense of outrage. I think I might have liked her story a little better if she didn't have my name...

The story had a number of funny incidents as the two match wits. I understood why Max liked her. But, oh, I just didn't get why Deborah--who started out sensible--was so determined to destroy herself and her aunt in her efforts to spite Max! The comedy was funny, but the romance was a little confusing to me.

The was some bad language (mostly the swearing use of "God"). There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who enjoy the comedy aspect of Heyer's novels.


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.