{I've Been Reading}

The Alchemist of All Hallows Eve by Gigi Pandian

Take everything that's wonderful about the Accidental Alchemist series and then add old fashioned Halloween traditions and a seance. Zoe and Max are looking for a house to share and she's found the perfect place complete with an orchard and a backyard cottage with a full kitchen where Dorian the gargoyle can create his vegan masterpieces. One tiny problem -- it's known as the Murder House and there might be bodies in the walls. Or clowns. The urband legends are just a bit unclear. I've loved every book in the series, but this one is probably my favorite. Did you know that fortune telling bread was a thing? 

She's a Doll by Barbara Truelove

After her murder, Lucy McQuinn possesses an antique doll. She's angry and afraid and no one but the jerk who killed her even realizes she's dead. I was expecting something along the lines of Tiffany from the Chucky franchise, or maybe the China doll from that story we all told at slumber parties. Lucy is something a lot less scary and a lot more entertaining. She's small, she's broken, the only person who can hear her refuses to listen....but she's also very, very determined.  I absolutely loved this book. It's an emotional roller coaster with a killer doll as the sympathetic protagonist.  If there's a realistic way to tell the story of a murderous bride doll, this is it! (Don't skip the book group questions at the end.) 

Zero Lives Remaining by Adam Cesare

Oh my gosh -- this is the kind of horror novella I didn't know I was looking for! It starts in 1989 with Robby, making pizzas at FunCave Arcade. He loves his job, has perfected his technique for making the frozen dough and sauce come out perfectly -- and then his sleeve snags on the oven's conveyor belt and things go really bad really fast. His spirit remains in the arcade until 2014 when a series of events makes things go much, much worse. Robby was a harmless presence watching over the gamers.  That all changes in an instant. Fast paced and gory, with characters who actually feel like people, I really enjoyed this one. 

Murder on the Rocks by T. E. Kinsey

It's a murder on a country estate, but this estate is a luxuriously converted fort on an isolated island. There's no way to leave and no way to report the death until the boat returns to take them home. Set in 1913 and rich with historical detail, this is the thirteenth Lady Hardcastle mystery and the first that I've read. There's not a lot of backstory included, but it was easy enough to jump in without trying to figure out what I'd missed. I really enjoyed the chance to vicariously step back in time. The murder weapon was definitely unique and the mystery was entertaining.  Now I want to know if all of those snippets of stories that Flo and Lady Hardcastle divulged through the course of the book are from the earlier titles. 

Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter

The second book in the Nimble Needle mystery series really highlight's Shelby's effort to take over her mother's needlework shop. For decades, it's been Nina's Nimble Needle and Nina herself is having trouble stepping back. The shop is hosting two rival needlepoint designers for the town's annual arts festival and they expect their every demand to be catered to -- by Nina. Shelby is struggling to keep the situation under control...and then one of their difficult needlework designers drops dead in front of everyone at the festival's opening event. I enjoyed this one. There's lot of focus on needlepoint and the canvas and threads. The murder mystery has a satisfying conclusion. I do with the author spent a little less time telling us that needlepoint isn't for grandmas. Don't we all know that already? 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies .