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Bound for Murder–books, dancers, and hippies
Bound for Murder
by Victoria Gilbert
I always look forward to cozy mysteries in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series. The female protagonist, Amy, is the library director in Taylorsford and Richard, the male protagonist, is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and teacher at the university. He also is Amy’s next door neighbor. In this episode we find that they are engaged. Without trying, Amy finds herself involved in solving murders. Again!
There are a lot of interesting supporting characters. She lives with her Aunt Lydia who has many intriguing contacts. Amy’s best friend Sunny works in the library and has recently broken up with the Brad, the local Sheriff, making for a bit of discomfort for their friends. Amy also has a careful relationship with one of her aunt’s former friends. He deals in art and is not above some shady deals.
Sunny’s grandparents are former hippies who ran a commune on their farm in the sixties. When a skeleton is accidentally dug up during some work on the creek bed, it starts a series of investigations and new crimes. Amy has several almost encounters with someone who is intent on warning her off of interviewing former members of the commune. It seems that all of these young people were doing drugs of some sort from weed to LSD. Sunny is afraid for her “grands,” which draws Amy into the fray.
The relationship between Amy and Richard is sweet, and they are very respectful of each other. There is not as much about dance in this book as in some in the series, but there is a lot about research through library sources. Multiple threads are attached to the various former commune members, but there are others who could be the murderer also. I had a strong feeling that I knew who the murderer was about half way through the book, but I still enjoyed watching Amy’s pursuit of the truth. There are some tense scenes as Amy and several other characters are put in danger. On a more humorous note, there are two kittens who provide some fun antics. Richard’s very proper and authoritative mother always tries to take center stage in wedding planning and any social occasion, but Richard and others have effective ways of defusing her efforts. All in all, Bound for Murder is a good cozy mystery that I enjoyed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, but I have read some of the earlier books in the series and some of the later ones without a problem, so I feel confident in saying it works as a standalone.
Publication: January 7, 2020—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
There are two times in a woman’s life when complete strangers think it’s appropriate to offer unsolicited advice—when she’s obviously pregnant, and when they discover she’s planning a wedding.
People often assumed that anyone who worked in a library got to read on the job, but sadly, that wasn’t true. I always had a towering “to read” stack of books teetering on my nightstand and far too many unread titles filling my e-reader.
“Oh, most of them are polite enough. But they were all talking shop and I had nothing to contribute, so I just sat there silent as the grave, drinking like a mourner at a wake.”
Little House in the Big Woods–worth a reread
Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
illustrated by Garth Williams
Would you like to start off 2024 with an easy book that is a quick read? Do you ever wish you could go back to a simpler time? Reading or rereading Little House in the Big Woods might be the perfect beginning for your new year. I think you’ll quickly discover, however, that although the simple times could be joyous, they were not always easy. Most things were accomplished by hand with handmade tools.
Going into town was a rare adventure to purchase the few things that could not be made but were necessary to accomplish other tasks. Gunpowder was needed for hunting to feed the family. Cloth was essential to make clothes for the family—with stitching by hand.
Items were produced by the family that we would never in 2024 consider making ourselves. After the grain harvest, straw was braided and used to make hats for everyone in the family. Every part of an animal was used for food or something utilitarian. The skills to do these things were passed down or learned for the sake of survival. There was fun and artistry to their lives as well. For example, making butter was a lengthy process with the finished product completed in a butter mold which the father (Pa) had carved with flourishes.
Laura Ingalls Wilder shares the partially fictional story of her pioneer family in their log cabin in Pepin, Wisconsin in the early 1870’s. The setting is so well described that the reader can imagine what it was really like for the main character in the story, Laura, to live during that time period. There was a lot of hard work for Ma and Pa, and they were quite isolated from any neighbors. When friends and family got together to share work, they also made a fun occasion out of the event. Although there was no church near them, the family had a ritual of Saturday night baths. They would dress in their best clothes reserved just for Sundays. Ma and Pa would read from the Bible, and they would eat cold foods. The girls had to sit quietly for most of the day. The author shares the experiences she had that were dependent on the changes of the seasons. Their lives were driven by the seasons, spending summer and fall preparing food for the winter.
Wilder gives detailed descriptions of nature and the land where they lived. She was a gifted writer and her way with words makes the reader want to keep forward motion with the story just to revel in the words. She sprinkles in stories that Pa told to Laura and her sister Mary. He was a good storyteller, singer and fiddle player. Pa and Ma were consistent and loving parents with high expectations for moral values and work ethics.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Children, Fiction. This series is generally listed as intended for children, but many adults enjoy them as well. Actually, as a culture we are so far removed from the technology and methods of work of the 1800’s that there would need to be a lot of discussion for children to understand the story.
Notes: #1 in the Little House series which has 9 books and many spin-off stories.
Publication: 1932—Harper Collins
1953—beautiful illustrations by Garth Williams
were added
Memorable Lines:
The attic was a lovely place to play. The large, round, colored pumpkins made beautiful chairs and tables. The red peppers and the onions dangled overhead. The hams and the venison hung in their paper wrappings, and all the bunches of dried herbs, the spicy herbs for cooking and the bitter herbs for medicine, gave the place a dusty-spicy smell.
They were cosy and comfortable in their little house made of logs, with the snow drifted around it and the wind crying because it could not get in by the fire.
All day the icicles fell one by one from the eaves with soft smashing and crackling sounds in the snowbanks beneath. The trees shook their wet, black branches, and chunks of snow fell down.
Stalking Around the Christmas Tree–wedding in Mistletoe
Stalking Around the Christmas Tree
by Jacqueline Frost
You can’t ask for a more Christmasy setting than the town of Mistletoe or the tree farm called Reindeer Games sporting an inn run by Holly and a café named Hearth featuring Holly’s mom as owner and creator of delicious baked goods.
The mayor of Mistletoe convinces the state conservatory of ballet to perform The Nutcracker to bring in more tourists and turn the town’s reputation around following three years in a row of murders at Christmas time.
When the leading ballerina playing Clara is murdered, Holly gets involved. After all, many of the ballerinas and the ballet master were staying at her inn. Will the murder or a forecast of heavy snowfall interfere with Holly’s nuptial ceremony with Evan, the town’s handsome sheriff? Read Stalking Around the Christmas Tree to find out!
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, General Fiction
Notes: #4 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series, but can be read as a standalone. I had read #1 and #2, but not having read the third did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of this one.
Publication: October 17, 2023—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
His worry was a physical thing traveling with him everywhere, a palpable energy gathered on his shoulders. I did what I could to comfort him, but the truth was that he wouldn’t relax again until the killer was caught, his sister was confirmed safe, and all the extra people left town.
She’d been raised for moments like these and groomed to follow in her father’s footsteps. A career in politics was first choice; marrying well was second. It was no wonder her parents nearly lost their stuffing when she’d chosen to bake cupcakes for the hoi polloi instead.
My head spun a little at the number of things she managed on a regular basis. The busier she was, the more satisfied and unstoppable she became. I was whatever the opposite of that might be.
The Amish Christmas Promise–twin brothers
The Amish Christmas Promise
by Amy Lillard
Mattie’s husband David was killed in a farming accident leaving her with two precious preschool daughters and another child on the way. She has been grieving for several months when David’s twin brother Samuel appears. He claims that he had promised David that he would take care of his wife and children if anything ever happened to David. He declares that he is there to marry Mattie. Not only is Mattie stunned by his assertion, but there is a major obstacle. Samuel has been out of communication with his family and the Amish church for eight years, and he is under their rules for shunning anyone who has left the church in this manner.
The Amish Christmas Promise is about the secrets Samuel holds and his reluctance to share them and ask forgiveness of God and the church members. He is deep in lies of omission which are hurting his budding relationship with Mattie. She and her two sisters who live with her risk their standing in the church by the acts of kindness they show Samuel. So faith, trust, kindness, and God’s will become major themes in the story.
The children are sweet, and the sisters are supportive. Some humor is brought into the novel in the form of Charlie, a mischievous pygmy goat that Mattie keeps in the house as a pet. It is rather a stereotype, but the bishop’s wife Eleanor Peachey does her best to righteously spread rumors and gossip. Mattie and Samuel are both likable characters. I enjoyed the book, but the resolution seemed like a jump in time and occurred too easily to be believable given the past tragedies in the protagonists’ lives. It was, however, the ending most readers would hope for.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Publication: November 28, 2023—Harlequin (Love Inspired)
Memorable Lines:
Mattie wiped tears of mirth from her eyes; at least they had started off that way. These days she could never be certain. One minute she was laughing and the next sobbing. But pregnancy and grief were a terrible combination.
How many people had he grown up with had faked their compliance with the church until true faith came to them? A handful at least. Being Amish wasn’t easy, and that had nothing to do with lack of modern amenities and everything to do with heightened faith. Most had it. All were expected to.
“You may always have doubts. And you may always have to stop yourself from wondering and mulling over all the what-ifs and maybes, but it’s not wallowing in them that makes all the difference.”
The Christmas Appeal–British novella
The Christmas Appeal
by Janice Hallet
I found myself confused at the beginning of The Christmas Appeal and puzzled most of the way through. I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that I would have understood more of this novella if I had read The Appeal first. Notes at the end of this book tell me it is set in Lockwood, the location of The Appeal written three years earlier. The Fairway Players, a community theater group, are the focus of both books. This is an epistolary novel of sorts composed entirely of a few emails, some transcriptions of police interviews, and lots of What’s App messages. It was very confusing because none of the characters were actually “knowns” to me. The story begins with a lawyer presenting these documents to two other lawyers for their review. The reason is obscured. The characters are mainly theater people presenting a traditional British Christmas pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for reroofing the church where they present their productions. A good portion of the novella is mean- spirited exchanges regarding power struggles within the theater group. Eventually a skeleton makes an onstage appearance. Fortunately the cast improvises and carries on to the amusement of the audience.
The mystery and the ethical questions raised were marginally interesting. I found some good laughs in a few of the lines, but in general this British novella was not my cup of tea.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery, Fiction, Novella, Epistolary
Notes: According to Goodreads,The Appeal, the parent book to The Christmas Appeal (#1.5), follows this same format.
Publication: October 24,2023—Atria Books
Memorable Lines:
Mrs. Walford: The truth is, we don’t talk about it. Not the bad memories. You focus on the good things—that’s the way to live.
Sgt. Crowe: You may be right there, Joyce.
Mrs. Walford: When us Walfords find an obstacle, we pick it up, give it a wink, then a kick out the park.
The Sound of Sleighbells–Christmasy romance
The Sound of Sleighbells
by Janet Dailey
Are you looking for a clean romance with good characters in complex situations? The Sound of Sleighbells is all of that in a Christmas setting that is essential to the plot.
In the little town of Branding Iron, Texas, Ruth is trying to recover from a relationship that 16 years earlier left her a single mom disowned by her family. She found stability a few years later with a kind hearted man who loved her son Skip as his own. After his untimely death, she married Ed who revealed his true self as an abusive, mentally disturbed husband. Fortunately he did not abuse Skip or the two precious girls that he fathered with Ruth.
Judd went to prison for five years for defending a friend in a motorcycle gang fight. He has changed his ways and has become a responsible and successful rancher and leather craftsman specializing in custom saddles. Skip looks just like him.
Ruth has kept Skip and Judd apart to protect Skip, but when they meet she is terrified that they will both discover the secret she has worked hard to hide. Also, both Ruth and Judd feel sparks, but Ruth tries to distance her family from him to protect them from hurt.
There are other good characters in the story and many examples of people helping others. A conflict arises, however, when Digger, the man Judd saved so many years ago arrives fresh from prison with dreams of quick drug money on his mind. He becomes a danger to several of the characters.
For me, this was a quick read, and I enjoyed this Christmasy tale. It had many special moments handled with charm. The three kids and their friends help us see Christmas through children’s eyes. Butch, a massive shaggy brown dog who looks like a small bear, is one of the heroes of this novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #6 in The Christmas Tree Ranch Series, but I read it as a standalone with no problems.
Publication: September 26, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
She knew she should be grateful. But she could feel her stung pride lashing like the tail of an angry cat.
A hush fell over the crowd as the prerecorded piano music began the introduction to “Silent Night.” Voices joined in the beloved old song. Slowly, the magic began to happen—Christmas lights blurred by falling snowflakes, the sigh of a breeze passing through snowy branches, the fresh scent of pine on the chilly air.
To the children who waited, watched, and cheered, this Santa was absolutely real—not just because Abner was round and jolly by nature, but because the living spirit that surrounded him like an aura wasn’t an act. It was genuine.
Christmas at the Cat Café–in spite of fibromyalgia
Christmas at the Cat Café
by Jessica Redland
Author Jessica Redland slowly builds a captivating romance in the Yorkshire setting she is so familiar with. Tabby, with the nickname of Tabby-cat, is an ailurophile, a cat lover, whose dream is to own a cat café. I had to do an Internet search and discovered that there are examples of this kind of business all over the world, played out in various ways. In general the idea is to have a place for patrons to relax and enjoy being around cats. A baker by trade, Tabby quits her job at a restaurant to establish her special world in a multistoried building with an inheritance from her grandmother who has always encouraged her to follow her dreams. Her boyfriend Leon is also a chef and the intention is for him to run the café with her.
There are multiple problems in the execution of this plan from romance to health issues. I don’t want to insert too many spoilers, but I will reveal that Tabby has fibromyalgia. I learned so much about this condition that I did not know. In some ways it was difficult to read about Tabby’s struggles, but it was fulfilling to see her determination.
Initially I labored to visualize all of the different cats and remember their types and names. I have rescued a few cats over the years, but have spent more time and energy on dogs. I really don’t know all of the different breeds of cats. I soon realized that all of that background knowledge is not necessary to understand the plot, appreciate the characters’ motivations and enjoy this book.
There is a mystery woven into the plot of Christmas at the Cat Café when someone tries to ruin the café in various ways. The other shop owners on Castle Street are welcoming, and Tabby’s family is very supportive. I like Tabby so much as she tries to learn her limits with unpredictable fibromyalgia. Another main character, Tom-cat, was fostered by her grandmother, is a partner in her parents’ business, and has always seemed like a brother. He is handsome and likable and he and Tabby-cat have always been good friends.
Read this book to learn about cats and cat cafés. Read this book to become more aware of fibromyalgia and how you can help those who have it. Read this book because it has a fantastic plot with believable complications and great characters!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: clean other than a very few expletives
Publication: September 15, 2023—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
I realised that if I didn’t get to grips with my fibro, this could be me—angry, bitter, hating the world and everyone in it. That scared me more than a lifetime of pain…
“Fibromyalgia is so unpredictable that it’s not worth investing any energy into worrying about a flare-up. Fibro flares can be triggered by so many things such as stress, over-exertion, illness, changes in the weather and temperature, but sometimes those things don’t trigger a flare, and other times you can have a flare and none of those things are present.”
My heart was pounding and the nervous butterflies in my stomach were chasing each other and doing somersaults. I was excited, but also terrified.
Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas–Rudolph, a tourist destination
Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas
by Vicki Delany
I am disappointed when I read an apparently Christmas themed book that has little to do with Christmas. Sometimes the only Christmasy aspect is a beautiful cover. Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is NOT in that category! From start to finish the book depends on a Christmas theme because its setting is Rudolph, New York, a town that aspires to be known as “America’s Christmas Town.” In a show of unity, the business owners specialize in shops with cute names and sponsor town-wide Christmas events.
The protagonist, Merry, owns Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, located on Jingle Bell Lane. The community theater group decides to produce a musical version of A Christmas Carol. It is an amateur group with the exception of Merry’s mother, a retired opera singer. There are a number of ego-driven conflicts among the performers, but Merry, not a part of the cast, is drawn into the undercurrents of discord when a cast member is killed in her shop. Is the death somehow related to the play? Merry just can’t let it go!
Merry’s mother is a diva, but Merry is down-to-earth. Her kind father plays Santa Claus at various events and looks the part. Her boyfriend Alan is a talented woodworker creating furniture and children’s toys. He also is “Santa’s head toymaker at public events.” Merry has a lumbering Saint Bernard, and Alan has a Jack Russell; both dogs have important roles in this cozy mystery.
It’s probably hard to write a mystery with strong Christmas vibes, but Vicki Delany is very successful in doing just that. With good characters, a mystery that offers a true puzzle and numerous motivations, and a little danger thrown in, this cozy had me turning pages and ended for me with a gentle “aww!” reaction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction, Mystery
Notes: #6 in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery Series, but could definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. I had not read any others in the series, but now I would like to.
Publication: September 19, 2023—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
“A Christmas Carol, however,is not to be trifled with. It, more than most works, is firmly locked in time and place. That is what people expect. That is its appeal. The tradition of the Christmas season and the emotions it arouses.”
“Jackie O’Reilly, of all people, has asked to stay for a private lesson once the chorus practice has finished. Making silk purses out of sows’ ears comes to mind.”
Ranger leapt up and down, yipping in an excess of excitement. He’s a Jack Russell and excess excitement is his entire nature. He sniffed my boots, ran in circles around my legs, and then headed toward Mattie for more greetings. Mattie woofed in warning; Ranger decided discretion was the better part of valor and he hurried to sniff at the wheels of my car.
A Cowboy Worth Waiting For–Rodeo Matchmaking
A Cowboy Worth Waiting For
by Melinda Curtis
Why are cowboys so appealing? I think it is because their job is a tough one requiring strength and endurance and is embedded in the natural world, the outdoors. Cowboys are by their very nature high on the masculinity scale. That includes Wade, a bareback bull rider and his family of non-biological brothers who are former fosters on the D Double R ranch. These young men faced tough times in their pasts, but were successfully guided by Mary and Frank Harrison through the hurts that landed them in the foster system. The men view Mary and Frank as parents and have chosen to stay on working the ranch that supplies horses and bulls for rodeos.
Wade lost his wife Libby to a brain tumor. He continues to isolate himself from hurt by distancing himself from people. The exception is his foster family and his tweenage daughter Ginny. Ronnie, who was Libby’s best friend, promised Libby that she would find a new wife for Wade who was also a longtime friend of Ronnie’s. Her means to accomplish this end (while disguising it) is starting a matchmaking business for cowboys, cowgirls, and all who enjoy rodeo. Ronnie, known for her kind heart, also has a reputation for messing things up—from the businesses she starts to navigating the physical world.
All the characters are likable, and young Ginny is realistic as she bounces back and forth between being a little girl and wanting to be “grown up.” The brothers have different strengths and strong bonds; they enjoy a lot of good natured ribbing. Ronnie is a fun character; she has resolved not to fall in love and can’t see the romance right in front of her while she successfully matches up other couples.
If you like clean romances and cowboys or are just intrigued by the cowboy life and lifestyle, I think you will enjoy A Cowboy Worth Waiting For. Knowing author Melinda Curtis’ expertise with series that revolve around families, I would expect this to be only the first of some good stories about each of the brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #1 in The Cowboy Academy series, a Harlequin Heartwarming book
Publication: March 28, 2023—Harlequin Digital
Memorable Lines:
There was the Ronnie in her head, the one who planned romantic picnics. And then there was Ronnie out there in the world, spreading her picnic blanket over a fire ant mound. After her last date had called her a menace and was trying to sue her for damages, she’d come to a decision. Men were safer without her.
Ronnie’s cheeks heated until they felt hot enough to sizzle bacon.
In a nearby chute, a cowboy lowered himself on the back of Hustle Train, a beefy Brahman mix who delighted in turning on a dime to rid himself of pesky cowboys with dreams of grandeur.
Earth’s the Right Place for Love–young love and friendship
Earth’s the Right Place for Love
by Elizabeth Berg
I have read several novels by Elizabeth Berg. She excels at writing character driven novels. The first book I read by her was The Story of Arthur Truluv. I was enchanted by the character of Arthur, a kind, nonjudgemental, gentle, elderly man. In Earth’s the Right Place for Love, Berg returns to the character of Arthur as a sixteen year old. We learn that Arthur was the kind of person you could trust even as a teenager. He was always different from his peers. Never interested in sports, Arthur loved nature, especially plants. Most of the book follows his love for Nola who was cute, popular, and enjoyed Arthur’s friendship. Arthur wanted more, but never pushed for more from Nola who was very interested in Arthur’s older brother Frank.
I almost stopped reading the book during the first part because of physical abuse that happened when Arthur’s father was drunk. Those passages are not graphic but recognizing the occurrences is unavoidable. They ended about one-third of the way into the book. I was glad I just pushed on through as the rest of the book was so good. There is sadness to the book, but is is also a hopeful book with the main character mostly optimistic and patient.
Besides Arthur and Nola, Frank is another likable main character. He is bold, good at sports, and appeals to women. A sounding board and mentor for Arthur, Frank’s goal is to become a writer. The brothers’ relationship and Frank’s story are important parts of this novel. Their mother models love based on commitment. At times her actions make her seem weak, but actually she is strong and determined to keep her family together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Although the protagonist, Arthur Moses, is the same Arthur as found in The Story of Arthur Truluv, this novel is about Arthur as a boy and young man. The stories are not dependent on each other.
2. The setting of the story is the small town of Mason where Berg has set three other novels.
3. Warning of potential trigger for some readers: references to physical abuse.
Publication: March 21, 2023—Random House
Memorable Lines:
If nothing else, Arthur had learned this: love came in without knocking and stayed without your permission. And when hard times came between you and the one you loved, you didn’t run away. You stayed. His mother had told him that. His mother had demonstrated that.
“Remember, Pop was an orphan. And he didn’t get adopted until he was ten.” “Yeah, so?” “So it makes a difference, Arthur. Pop’s got a hole we won’t ever fill.”
The natural world was better than anything. He couldn’t say in words what it gave him, but he could feel it the minute he stepped outside: a kind of expansiveness and peace.
education pathways 