{I've Been Reading} The Class Trip

 

 

The school Trip by Miranda Smith 

It's easy to lose track of a child at a crowded pumpkin patch. All it takes is to turn your gaze in one direction while the little on you're watching decides to dart off the other way. The sense of panic and guilt is immediate, even if you're sure that everything is going to turn out just fine. In this book, things aren't fine, and the author does an amazing job of building the tension. 

Before one of the students goes missing, Emma is already feeling stressed and guilty. Her own daughter, Claire, is on the school trip, wanting one on one time even though Emma is working and has to keep a watchful eye on a number of children. She's promised that they'll spend time together at the end of the day. Then a little girl gets lost. She's quickly found, but in the confusion, Emma's own daughter goes missing and isn't quickly found. 

I really enjoyed the read, even if I wasn't completely satisfied by the ending. 

 

In The Meantime by A. R. Shaw

I was curious to see what a Cozy Apocalypse Mystery would be like. The book is set in a small town in Washington State, some time after spores killed off most of the population. It's exactly what the description said it would be, a cozy mystery. Someone has stolen the community's food supply and two widows team up to find the responsible party. At times, it felt almost too cozy, in the same way that other mystery series can feel too perfect. The author never really mentions any of the unpleasant details of the apocalypse itself -- that seems to be over and done with. Now the focus is on the survivors, with no mention of what might be going on beyond the town's borders. As a reader, I had a lot of unanswered questions about that. 

I enjoyed the read, but I'm not sure I'm enthusiastic enough to seek out the other books in the series.
 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. This post contains affiliate links.

{I've Been Reading} Mastering the Art of French Murder

 Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge 

Tabitha Knight isn't at all intimidated by airplane engines but she can't roast a chicken. Luckily she lives just across the street from Julia Child and Julia is determined to help her learn to cook. Not so luckily, one of the guests at a party in Julia's apartment was found in the building's cellar, stabbed with Julia's favorite kitchen knife. I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved this book! The mystery is suspenseful and kept me guessing. The setting is fantastic, filled with intriguing details about life in Paris in 1949. Tabitha is likeable and resourceful and I can't wait to read more about her in future books. 

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

I loved the first book in the new Deep Dish mystery series so I read this one almost as soon as I got my hands on it. Delilah is hoping that one of her delicious creations will win the town's annual "Taste of Wisconsin" event, giving her restaurant a needed boost and better chance of making it through the lean winter months. Unfortunately, the celebrity judge is a huge problem. Another of the competitors just had a customer drop dead from a poisoned smoothie. This book is fast paced and full of entertaining characters, including a new one I can't wait to see more of. I still can't decide how I feel about Delilah herself, but the writing is fantastic and I'll definitely be looking forward to the next books in the series. Make sure you read the recipes -- they're written by the characters and not to be missed! 

We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer

Holly and Robert are the perfect couple, young and in love and ready to reveal their home and hopefully win To The Manor Built, a popular home renovation show. Robert bought the property for nearly nothing and, together, they're turned it into something extraordinary. And then, hours before the live reveal, they're gone without a trace. 

I loved this one. It's fast paced and entertaining and what surprised me most is how little time we spend with Holly and Robert. The chapters alternate between their assistant, Erika, and Erika's mother. The reader sees Holly through their eyes, and through Holly's carefully curated blog posts. I stayed up far later than I should have because I couldn't wait until morning to find out what had happened to her. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review  copy. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} A Wealth of Deception

 

A Wealth of Deception by Trish Esden 

I had mixed feelings about the first book in the Scandal Mountain Antiques mystery series, but I absolutely loved the second one. Antique dealer Edie Brown is doing a woman a favor by seeing if the are any valuable antiques that shouldn't be underpriced at her mother's upcoming estate sale when she notices a disturbing collage hanging in the dead woman's bedroom. It's style is unlike anything else in the house and Edie is sure that she recognizes the work of Vespa, a prominent creator of "Outsider Art." The collage isn't for sale and the story that goes along with it doesn't make any sense. Edie keeps asking questions, probing for details that might explain what's actually going on. I still don't love her, but I've warmed up to Edie and her ways since the first book. The mystery held my interest and had me holding my breath until the end. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} A House With Good Bones

 

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher 

"Vultures are extremely sensitive to the dead. Particularly when the dead are doing things they shouldn't be." 

The first thing Sam notices when she arrives at her mother's house is the vulture sitting on the mailbox. Instead of being spooked by it, she wonders what type of mites are breeding in the bird's feathers. She doesn't start to worry until she goes inside and realizes that her mother, a women who loves vibrant colors, has painted the walls white and rehung the portraits that they hid away in the attic after her grandmother's death. Her mother's entire personality has changed. This is the most entertaining haunted house story I've read in quite a while.  I enjoyed it, especially the unique protagonist, but some of the horror elements were described in a way that felt a bit silly.  

The Assistant by Amada Reynolds

This thriller is a very, very slow burn with an unusual structure. Most of  the book is made up of interviews with Gail,  a middle aged woman who conned her way into the position as Ris's assistant. We know from the beginning that she wants to ruin the younger woman's life, but aren't given any reasons why. Ris is self-absorbed, but that's about it. Gail is completely unlikeable. Whatever happened between the women happened before the first of the interviews so everything is over and done with before the book begins and we're reading about it from a distance. The interviews alternate with vague emails from the interviewer to someone else and diary entries written by the woman Ris's husband is having an affair with. It takes a lot of patience to get to the reveal, but the writing is good.  

Curds of Prey by Korina Moss

The elegant bridal shower that Willa has created an elaborate cheese board for is abruptly cancelled after the groom-to-be is found dead in the stables. It turns out that Roman, who Willa has started to see as boyfriend material, was once involved with the bride-to-be....and he's a suspect. I love this series. The writing and characters are great. I wish that the adult characters who were upset about their relationships would have had a conversation with each other instead of sulking alone. I've never made a recipe from the back of a cozy mystery, although I've been tempted many times before. This book had me hoping that Willa's creations would be included and I can't wait to try all of them! 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} The Loch

 

The Loch by Fran Dorricott 

After rain spoils their camping trip, three friends find  themselves staying in a rental house at the edge of Loch Aven. The last signatures in the guest book are from before they were born. The local residents of the small town aren't welcoming. Michaela, who made the arrangements for their trip, says she has a surprise for Eleanor, dropping some vague hints about a podcast she'd listened to. Then Michaela vanishes. The premise had me intrigued, but the plot moves very slowly and it feels like it would be almost impossible not to guess where things are going to end up. There was a small twist I didn't expect, but the important details are mentioned over and over again. 

The Last Wife by J A Baker

This one sounded right up my alley. Fiona and her husband move to Winters End, a small island where they can hide from what they did. The locals are unwelcoming and it's not long before she realizes that there are almost no women in the small town. The local cemetery is filled with gravestones, most of them recent. It's an atmospheric, slow burn that held me interest most of the way through. The revelations -- both of the awful thing Fiona did and of what happened to the local women left me a bit underwhelmed.  It's a solid read, but nothing unique. 

Eve in Overdrive by Faith Gardner 

A journalist picks up her new luxury car. There's just one problem -- the columns that earned the money that paid for her solar powered, self-driven vehicle really made some people angry. The engineer who programmed her car is one of those people. I loved this novella. It's a fast paced psychological thriller that plunges the reader almost immediately into the action and I read it straight through, hoping that somehow Eve was going to escape the nightmarish situation. There are other, longer, thrillers by this author, set in the same universe. I'll be downloading those as soon as I get the chance!

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} A Sinister Revenge

 

Did you know that "she sells sea shells by the sea shore" refers to an actual historical figure, Mary Anning? (Or maybe that's just folklore. Either way, the woman's history is fascinating) And did you know that on New Year's Eve  1853, a group of scientists held a dinner parts in a life size model of an iguanodon?

          

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

I spent a chunk of time looking up the historical details from this book. I already love the characters and the setting and the mysteries and those historic details gave me an extra appreciation for the time and place where Veronica and Stoker live. I sometimes spend more time thinking about what they didn't have in the past than realizing how many amazing things they DID have. 

This time, Stoker's brother Tiberius has asked for their help. Friends from his younger days, members of a group that described themselves as The Seven Sinners, are dying. The obituaries that he's received in the mail make him suspect foul play, and that he may be the next target. Their investigation takes place at the family estate, which means we get to learn more about Stoker's childhood and his relationships with his brothers. 

If you haven't heard of wolpertingers, look them up. They're like jackalopes, but better! 

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hilier

Paris Peralta is found in her bathroom, covered in blood, holding a straight razor over the body of her much older, much richer husband, unable to explain what happened to him. The media circus is immediate. She didn't kill her beloved husband, but this isn't the first murder she's been involved in. 

I was immediately pulled into this fast paced thriller. I wanted so badly for Paris's husband not to be dead. I know, there wouldn't be a book if he wasn't, but the author's descriptions of their relationship had me wanting to know more about him and their backstory. There's a little of that, but the main focus is on the woman Paris was before she married a famous comedian and the events she thought she'd finally left behind her. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} Of Manners and Murder

 Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings 

The first book in this new cozy series is absolutely delightful! The protagonist, Violet, is plunged into the action right along with the reader, learning that her aunt Adelia is a popular Agony Aunt, an anonymous writer who offers advice through a newspaper column. In that same conversation, she learns that Adelia is leaving for the Continent and expects Violet to take her place. When the first letter she opens is from a new bride fearing for her life, Violet sets off to offer advice in person, only to learn that the young woman is already dead. The book is fast paced and entertaining and, while I started to get an idea what the solution to the mystery would be, I didn't come close to solving it all. I can't wait to read more about these characters!

Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron 

After some crates of what could be very valuable wine are discovered hidden at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, Ricki starts looking for ways to combine the upcoming auction with promotions for her vintage cookbook shop. Those bottles of wine could generate a small fortune, money that will definitely help the museum, and she's eager to help. Even if that means venturing back onto social media, something she's shied away from since her husband died while filming a prank video. News of the auction brings distant Charbonnet cousins to town, all hoping to claim what they see as their share of the windfall and seemingly willing to do anything to make that happen. 

I loved this one, with its quirky characters and the atmospheric backdrop of New Orleans. This murder mystery could only have happened at this museum with these people and I can't wait to see what happens to Ricki and her friends next. 

Such Pretty Flowers by K. L. Cerra 

Plagued with guilt about avoiding her brother's last few text messages and horrified by the details of his grisly suicide, Holly goes looking for explanations. Was her brother's enigmatic girlfriend somehow involved or had Dane experienced a psychotic break? Holly scrolls endlessly through Dane's messages and considers every detail of their last encounters, trying to figure out what actually happened. Maura is welcoming and supportive and almost before Holly realizes what's happening, she's moved into the gorgeous woman's apartment. The horror is absolutely claustrophobic and the author has a way of making things that don't seem like they should be scary work. The protagonist suffers from trypophobia, an aversion to clusters of small holes. When she first explains it and uses strawberries as an example of a sight that makes her uncomfortable, it seems silly. By the end of the book, descriptions had me squirming. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} Cheddar Late than Dead

 

Cheddar Late than Dead by Linda Reilly 

Well, now I've got to buy some glazed donuts so I can try recreating the grilled cheese confections that Carly and her friends whipped up for the ill-fated bridal shower that launches her into a third murder investigation. 

Catering isn't one of the services that Carly's eatery offers, but when a former classmate has to make last minute changes to a bridal shower, she lets herself get talked into it. The sandwiches are a hit, but the event ends in tragedy when the groom-to-be is poisoned. With an entertaining mystery element and plenty of characters to suspect, this series is always fun and always leaves me craving grilled cheese. 

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel 

Cousins Maeve and Andrea spent their early childhood in a cult, then lost contact with one another. Many years later, Maeve takes one of those mail order DNA tests and the two find each other again. quickly rekindling their friendship. 

The brief glimpses this book provides of the Motherhood Collective, the cult where Andrew and Maeve were raised, are absolutely chilling. It's not the same cookie cutter cult I've come to expect from this kind of book, it's something else entirely. Then there's Andrea's wildly successful wellness company with it's AI baby dolls intended to help prepare women for motherhood. This book delivered so much more than I was expecting -- I can't wait to read more by the author. 

Death a Sketch by Cheryl Hollon

I'm not at all interested in moonshine. Despite that, I've loved all three books in the Paint and Shine mystery series, even the details about the distillery. Miranda is working to reach her goals before a deadline and the teambuilding company retreat for a sporting goods company will definitely help her reach it, if she can pull it off. The executive in charge seems determined to pit his employees against one another. Members of the winning team will get promotions. The losing team will be fired. Not even a murder is enough to change that plan and Miranda can't afford to cancel so she'll have to find the killer and keep the rest of her clients safe. I really enjoyed the setting and characters. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} The Hiking Trip

The Hiking Trip by Jenny Blackhurst

It's been twenty years since a British backpacker vanished from a Canadian hiking trail. Laura has tried to put the memories of what happened behind her, but news stories announcing that human remains have been found have her fearing what other secrets might be revealed. Then someone starts targeting her family. The story shifts between the days on the hiking trail, snippets of news reports, and what's happening to Laura now. Cliff hangers kept me turning pages without making me feel manipulated by the author. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The Nightmare Man by J. H. Markert

Bestsellinig horror author Ben Bookman creates nightmares. When bodies are found in a barn, hanging in cocoons that have been stitched from corn husks, the crime is a near perfect imitation of her newest book, The Scarecrow. Someone is bringing the horror to life...but it gets a lot worse from there. What's going on at the Blackwood estate is SO much worse. The history and folklore made this one really intriguing and it's just the right kind of creepy.  

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. This post contains affiliate links. 

{I've Been Reading} The Stay at Home Mother

 

The Stay-at-Home Mother by Nicole Trope 

Two mothers become friends, but neither is exactly what she seems to be. I enjoy domestic thrillers that involve motherhood and this kept me turning pages the whole way through.  It wasn't quite what I was expecting - that scene from the book's description doesn't happen until the very end - but it was an entertaining, fast paced read. 

Disclosure -- This post contains affiliate links. The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Vinyl Resting Place

 

Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke 

The three Jessup sisters are filled with optimism for their new record store. Even finding a dead body in the supply closet in the middle of their grand opening party isn't enough to make them give up their dream -- but then their uncle is arrested on suspicion of murder and skips bail. If they can't find him and prove his innocence, he'll lose his freedom and they'll lose the store. 

The first Record Shop Mystery is full of likeable characters and the mystery was complex enough to keep me guessing until the end. I look forward to spending more time with these characters in future books. 

Breathless by Amy McCulloch

To get an interview with heroic climber Charles McVeigh, Cecily Wong is going to have to summit the eighth highest mountain in the world with him. She desperately needs the story, but she's gotten into trouble on far easier climbs than this one. Then a member of their party dies under odd circumstances. And another dies. Accidents happen high in the mountains, especially in the "death zone," but Cecily is starting to fear her fellow climbers, not just the dangerous terrain. This book is absolutely chilling, both because the mountain itself is so dangerous and the characters seem to have secrets they'd go to great lengths to protect. According to the notes at the end, the author has actually climbed the mountain herself. I imagine that's why the setting is so vivid. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links.

{I've Been Reading} The Family at No. 12

Death by Smoothie by Laura Levine 

Jaine Austen is hired as script doctor for a play based on the sitcom I Married a Zombie. It pays well, but the script is a total nightmare and then the obnoxious actress hired to play the zombie is poisoned by one of her awful green smoothies. Everyone had access to her drink and almost everyone seems to have had a motive for her murder. There's also a delightful subplot involving Jaine's father's plans to tap dance in a talent show with an iguana on his head.

I've only read a handful of the titles in this series and I'm sure my enjoyment of this book would've been increased if I'd read an earlier title where Jaine was involved in the murder of Cryptessa Muldoon, the star of the original sitcom. But I still  thoroughly enjoyed it and I'll be tracking down Death of a Neighborhood Witch just as soon as I get the chance. 

 

The Family at No. 12 by Anita Waller 

A woman opens her door to a stranger. He winds up dead at the bottom of the stairs. Later she finds herself pregnant. The first part of this book was compelling, if sometimes hard to read because of the subject matter. I was horrified by the circumstances, but wanted to know what was  going to happen next. Then it changed and I completely lost interest. The style and tone were completely different. The element of horrific suspense was gone. I struggled to make it through the last two thirds of the book. I've read plenty of thrillers where the plot abruptly switched to another character, or another point in the timeline. This wasn't that -- it was like a completely different author had taken over and decided to write a different book. 

Shadow Sister by Lindsay Marcott 

Ava has always questioned her mother's death. The doctors attributed it to a rare disease, but she remains convinced that it was something else. Maybe someone poisoned her mother there in the halls of the family mansion. Seventeen years have passed and she'd ready to find some answers. There are a lot of different characters and a lot of different motives, both in the past and present. Towards the end, my concern for the characters was making me actually uncomfortable. It's creepy and atmospheric and part of the Kindle Unlimited program. 

 

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

Cassandra Bowden wakes up in a luxurious Dubai hotel room, in bed next to a dead man. It's not the first time she's been blackout drunk, not by a long shot, but this is the first time the consequences have been worse than just embarassing. Terrified of what might have happened, what the consequences might be, she slips out of  the room and rushes to make her next flight, lying to her fellow flight attendants about where she was the night before, then lying to the investigating officers. This one has been in my to-be-read pile for years, since before the book came out, let alone the television series. It wound up being more of a political thriller than I expected, but watching Cassandra try to end her own self destructive streak made for an intriguing read. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links.