Secrets & Suitors by Joanna Barker

Secrets & Suitors by Joanna Barker ISBN-13: 9781524411725 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc. Released: October 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Reluctantly returning to London for yet another Season, shy Nora Hamilton has nearly given up hope that she will ever find the love match she longs for. After all, the one man she does harbor feelings for—her closest friend, James—has made it perfectly clear he views her as just that: a friend. With James traveling half a world away and Nora's father pressuring her to marry for wealth and status, Nora is forced to set aside her desire for love and accept the future she has always dreaded.

Until James returns unexpectedly and Nora's feelings once again rush unbearably close to the surface. Determined to save what is left of their friendship, Nora ignores her own heart and allows herself to be swept up in the London Season, soon finding herself the object of two very different gentlemen's affections. Though she should be thrilled, both men come with a glaring fault: neither is the one man who holds her heart. When long-kept secrets are laid bare, Nora must face the fears that have plagued her all her life and decide what true love is worth.


My Review:
Secrets & Suitors is a Regency romance, or at least a historical romance as the exact time was vague. Nora is painfully shy and doesn't view herself as much of a catch, so she's not surprised that her male best friend doesn't love her romantically and is surprised that two titled men start pursuing her. She longs to marry for love because her own parents seem nearly strangers, so she's shocked to learn their marriage was a love match. Healing comes to her family as she learns about what went wrong in their marriage, but it's also obvious to her that loving can be too heartbreaking. Maybe a comfortable home with a man who respects her is a better choice after all.

I cared about what happened to the main characters. They acted realistically and were complex. Nora grew as a person and learned from her mistakes. James helped bring out the best in her and genuinely wanted her to be happy and what was best for her. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd 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.

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon ISBN-13: 9780800727703 Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Oct. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan usually has his camp for foster children to himself during the winter months. But someone has visited recently--leaving a trail of blood. One of the two clues left behind tips Rick off to the identity of his visitor, who is missing and may be on the run from danger. Rick hires private investigator Heather Shields to find the missing man and help him decipher the remaining clue. Except someone doesn't want them to succeed--and will stop at nothing to keep them from finding the truth.


My Review:
Dark Ambitions is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the third book in a series, but it also works as a stand-alone novel.

The main characters were likable and acted in realistic ways. Ex-police officer Heather was an engaging character and capable investigator. Rick admired her ability and was attracted to her, so he often came along to help with the investigation. The suspense came from the danger to anyone who might know a secret that whodunit wanted kept silent. Three people with slightly different motives were "bad guy" point of view characters, so we know why people are being murdered: a man who is running for political office has a secret in his past that would ruin his chances. But we still must guess who is behind the murders.

We mainly saw the character's Christian faith through how they treated people and what they cared about. There were no sex scenes or bad language. 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.

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards ISBN-13: 9781464210914 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Oct. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
A Christmas party is punctuated by a gunshot under a policeman's watchful eye. A jewel heist is planned amidst the glitz and glamour of Oxford Street's Christmas shopping. Lost in a snowstorm, a man finds a motive for murder. This collection of mysteries explores the darker side of the festive season--from unexplained disturbances in the fresh snow, to the darkness that lurks beneath the sparkling decorations. With neglected stories by John Bude and E.C.R. Lorac, as well as tales by little-known writers of crime fiction, Martin Edwards blends the cosy atmosphere of the fireside story with a chill to match the temperature outside.


My Review:
The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories is a short story collection of 11 mysteries set in England and written from 1909 to 1965. The mysteries were set at Christmas time, or at least in winter. Some of the stories had the detective as the point of view character, but some were from the villain's point of view. Most were told as they happened, but a few were the detective telling about the case after it was finished. While whodunit in most of the mysteries was either obvious or not guessable (due to lack of necessary clues until the reveal), a few of these had clues and were guessable. The enjoyment mainly came from watching a detective work through a tough mystery to solve it. There was no sex. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery collection.

The included mysteries:
A Christmas Tragedy by Baroness Orczy
By the Sword by Selwyn Jepson
The Christmas Card Crime by Donald Stuart
The Motive by Ronald Knox
Blind Man's Hood by Carter Dickson
Paul Temple's White Christmas by Francis Durbridge
Sister Bessie or Your Old Leech by Cyril Hare
A Bit of Wire Pulling by E.C.R. Lorac
Pattern of Revenge by John Bude
Crime at Lark Cottage by John Bingham
Twixt the Cup and the Lip by Julian Symons


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.

Killer Amnesia by Sherri Shackelford

Killer Amnesia by Sherri Shackelford ISBN-13: 9781335232410 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense Released: October 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Run off the road, investigative journalist Emma Lyons awakens with no memory of who she is or what happened. And researching her own past with Deputy Liam McCourt quickly leads to a killer who wants them silenced. Branded outsiders in a sleepy Texas town full of dark secrets, can they escape an unknown threat dead set on robbing Emma of her past—and future?


My Review:
Killer Amnesia is a Christian romantic suspense novel. I'm a little tired of suspense novels based around amnesia, but I decided to give this one a try anyway. Emma survives a potentially fatal hit-and-run but can't remember who was in the other vehicle or what true crime she was looking into for her next book. Who wants her dead? And not only is someone trying to kill her before her memory returns but that person is setting up her and the detective to take the blame for several murders.

The suspense came from trying to survive while uncovering whodunit and also from the detective potentially being called away to testify in court at any time. Emma was brave and knew some self-defense, but she also knew when she could use some help. The hero felt like he wasn't worthy of her trust because he'd previously let someone down who had depended on him. The main characters were engaging, and I cared about what happened to them. They both questioned why God sometimes doesn't step in to prevent suffering but learned to trust God when life felt out of control. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting 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.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel by Emily Brightwell

Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel by Emily Brightwell ISBN-13: 9780451492241 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: September 24, 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Margaret Starling wasn't the sort of woman anyone expected to be murdered. She was on the advisory board of the London Angel Alms Society, she was an active member of St. Peter's Church, and, best of all, she was always willing to lend a hand to a friend or a neighbor in need of advice. She was also a wealthy upper-class widow. But money alone won't protect you when someone decides it's high time you met your maker.

Margaret's next-door neighbor considered her an odious busybody, the Reverend Reginald Pontefract wished she'd never set foot in St. Peter's, and half the advisory board of the London Angel Alms Society heartily hoped she'd come down with pneumonia before the next quarterly meeting.

All in all, Margaret wasn't as well regarded as she'd always thought she was. But Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon know that justice isn't a popularity contest, and they won't rest until they sift through the suspects to catch a sinister scrooge.


My Review:
Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel is a historical mystery set in England in the 1890's. It's the thirty-eighth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books. The story wasn't heavily historical, though there were enough details to provide a historical feel. The characters were engaging and realistic, though not highly complex.

It's a clue-based puzzle mystery. The main characters asked good questions and followed up on leads. There were enough clues for a reader to figure out whodunit, especially since we know more about how the murder was done than the characters do. There was no sex. There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery.


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


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati

Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati ISBN-13: 9780425271827 Hardback: 672 pages Publisher: Berkley Books Released: Sept, 10, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician, she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women society would rather forget.

As Sophie sets out to construct a new life for herself, Anna's husband, Detective-Sergeant Jack Mezzanotte calls on them both to consult on two new cases: the wife of a prominent banker has disappeared into thin air, and the corpse of a young woman is found with baffling wounds that suggest a killer is on the loose. In New York it seems that the advancement of women has brought out the worst in some men. Unable to ignore the plight of New York's less fortunate, these intrepid cousins draw on all resources to protect their patients.


My Review:
Where the Light Enters is an epic historical novel set in 1884 in Manhattan. I didn't realize this continued the story in "The Gilded Hour," which I haven't read. This book thoroughly spoiled events in the previous book, and I'd recommend reading them in order. The first 6% of the story was simply newspaper articles, telegrams, and letters that update the reader on what has been going on with the characters since the end of the previous book. The story then became a narrative, though with some letters and newspaper articles thrown in.

The historical details were interesting and often drove the story, but there were too many story lines going on (including some ongoing from the previous book). It felt like the author wanted to tell too many stories at once. We have the story of Dr. Anna Savard and Dr. Sophie Savard facing prejudice as women doctors (and, in Sophie's case, for also being part Native American). And of Detective-Sergeant Jack Mezzanotte and his partner trying to solve a series of difficult cases. And of everything Sophie has to do to set up house as a widow and to start a scholarship program for colored women who want to become doctors. And the struggles of a young woman who's currently studying to become a doctor. And of each patient they see. And more.

The serial killer case was solved, but it was not the focus of the story until nearly the end and it didn't end in a satisfying way (like in a mystery genre. The killer deserved to hang as the killer made the choice to hurt those who never hurt the killer, but the main characters blamed the person who abused the killer). There was no graphic sex (as in, 'he kissed her (usually covered body part)' type descriptions). There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to those who really enjoy immersive historical detail and who won't mind the epic length.


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.

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.