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Murder in a Tourist Town–well done novella
Murder in a Tourist Town
By Lynn Cahoon
I don’t usually read novellas as it is too hard for an author to cram character development and a good mystery into one short read. I do usually read anything by Lynn Cahoon (except her one paranormal series) because she does an outstanding job of giving background information about the characters in each of the books in a series without boring readers whether they are new or returning to the series. She also creates good mysteries without the redundancy of food choices that some cozy mystery writers resort to for word count. I find that technique irritating. We do find out what the main character eats on her vacation, but the author does not dwell on it.
As a prequel to The Tourist Trap Mystery Series, the purpose of Murder in a Tourist Town is to provide a backdrop for the series, introducing protagonist Jill Gardner, a family lawyer in a large firm. Although she has put in the hours and has the skills to become a partner, as a woman she is yearly passed over. She is in a “use it or lose it” situation with her vacation hours so she takes advantage of this opportunity to visit South Cove, California, to relax, avoid burnout, and consider her career future. She meets some nice people there who encourage her to rethink her options. She also discovers the body of a former client and meets the charming Detective Greg King. The murder mystery is wrapped up satisfactorily, and the reader learns how Jill came to South Cove and how she meets Greg. This reader closed the book with a smile!
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Novella
Notes: 1. Prequel to the Tourist Trap Mystery Series
2. I have not read all the books in this series, nor have I read them in order. They have all worked well as stand alones.
Publication: 2024—Kensington (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
My mood would be better after a few hours of book shopping and eating. Two things that always brightened my day.
The Golden Gals’ French Adventure–senior ladies having fun
The Golden Gals’ French Adventure
by Judy Leigh
Not as funny as I had thought it would be based on the one other book I had read by Judy Leigh, The Golden Gals’ French Adventure, is nevertheless an interesting story. It is the tale of Fliss and Shirl, two friends from North Clayworthy, England, who travel to Brittany on vacation. Fliss is retired, entitled, and rich. Shirl is down to earth and a good friend to Fliss who hires her as a chauffeur and cleaner. When Fliss decides to visit an old friend at his family home, she recruits Shirl to go with her. They take along Shirl’s granddaughter Macey Roux who is a delightful baby—except when she is teething. She captivates all on the trip, even Fliss who has never had anything to do with babies.
The Golden Gals’ French Adventure is character driven. The reader meets a variety of people, most of whom are likable. A few start out less so, but then there is character development. The adventures include the beach, historic sights, learning French, a cooking competition with a chef, delicious French food, Breton customs, a castle, and of course some romance. The welcoming Barron family is delighted to have guests. A subplot is that Macey Roux’s mother, Gemma, is in Corfu with a boyfriend who doesn’t know of the baby’s existence. How will the characters respond when the Corfu and Brittany holidays end? Will it be hard to give up the vacation fun or will they be ready to return to their lives in North Clayworthy with the thought of “there’s no place like home?”
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: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: Some swearing. No open bedroom doors.
Publication: June 4, 2024—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
It occurred to her that she’d always been too busy. She’d never stopped to notice the beauty in nature; she’d been far too busy chasing things she’d believed were desirable. She realised now that they weren’t.
Maurice’s house was perfect for him. It held memories that made it wonderful, just as it was. And it was a home, unlike her own sterile house, a place where she simply kept her things.
…her feelings for the Barrons were completely fraternal which was much better than a roll between the sheets. It lasted longer; it was worth more. It was honest respectful, and it was a form of love she’d seldom encountered.
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds–mystery in the Caribbean
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds
by Allison Brennan
Mia is a financially conservative accountant who is on the verge of achieving partnership in a New York financial consulting firm. Before she signs a contract and gets her name on the door, the company sends her on a Caribbean vacation. She and her friends expect her to have a sexual fling and return home to her predictable life of work, caring for her financially impulsive grandmother, reading, and loving her two cats.
When Mia arrives on the island paradise, she finds almost everyone there is already in a relationship. She resorts to reading a book left by another guest and flirting with a barkeeper. The book Mia is reading is filled with notes about blackmail schemes handwritten by the deceased previous owner of the novel. Most of the characters on the island are rich and unlikable—by Mia’s standards and mine as well. Mia is determined to break the code in the notes and discover the murderer.
The first part of the book is very focused on Mia’s desire to “hook up” with a handsome man, any handsome man. Later that happens and the reader is brought along through several open bedroom door, or in this case naked romp-on-the-beach, scenes. Romance enters into the relationship but the preoccupation is lust.
Various characters come under consideration as possible murderers, but with some of them murdered themselves along the way, the list of suspects is narrowed.
Trust is a major issue for several of the characters including Brie, the college age daughter of a potential victim of a honey trap. I almost liked her until she showed no problem instigating illegal activities. Regaining trust, being willing to risk all you have in money and reputation, and following your dreams are themes for Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds. The mystery starts out slow, but picks up the pace later. Although I liked the ending resolution for the main characters, the conclusion is fairly sudden and not very believable. My favorite parts of the novel, unsurprisingly, encompass books whether in bookstores or libraries. If you are looking for a good, clean mystery, full of intrigue and interesting characters, then this is not the book for you.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery, Fiction, Romance
Notes: Warning—inappropriate language and sexual content
Publication: June 17, 2025—Mira
Memorable Lines:
I never leave home without a book. The idea that I might be trapped somewhere without something to read gives me nightmares.
I didn’t feel thirty. Sometimes I felt like I was twenty-one and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and sometimes I felt forty, set in my ways and wanting to tell everyone to get off my lawn.
My imagination had not only gotten away from me, it had landed on Mars then taken a side trip to Jupiter.
The Burnout–surfing/life metaphors
The Burnout
by Sophie Kinsella
Sasha is the Director of Special Promotions for Zoose, an app for a travel company. It was her dream job for several years—until it wasn’t. It happened gradually as the creative founder stopped being hands on, delegated a lot of authority to his brother, and the management became top-heavy. Several people quit her department in disgust and were not replaced increasing Sasha’s work load. Sasha’s complaints went unanswered. Her burnout was not pretty, and she ended up with her doctor signing off on a a three week leave. Sophia departs London for the Rilston Hotel on the beach in February. It’s cold and out of season there, and the hotel has gone downhill from the posh remembrances of her childhood, but at least she is separated from an endless parade of emails from all over the world and nonsense from the company’s “empowerment and well-being officer.”
There is a lot of humor as her mother pretends to be her very demanding PA and insists via morning telephone calls to the hotel that the staff provide Sasha with certain items that will help her on her “wellness journey” including kale smoothies and noni juice both of which are disgusting when they finally locate them for her. Her seaside room has boarded up windows, but she can spend her days in a decrepit beachside cottage that is destined to be torn down. The characters working at the lodge are just that—characters. They try so hard to please, but are very quirky. Sasha is too nice to complain or explain that she really would prefer to have crisps and a choc bar.
Sasha is not looking for romance which is good because one of the few guests is Finn, a man who also has burnout. They start not wanting to be anywhere near each other, but then discover that they both were surfing students of Terry back in the day. Everyone loved Terry who was part excellent surfing instructor and part philosopher.
The plot in The Burnout develops nicely with a growing friendship and false starts at a relationship. The pair collaborate to determine who is leaving mysterious messages in the sand. They meet up with their hero Terry again, and they find themselves a part of the small community of the town where everyone knows their business. I enjoyed the eccentric characters and felt like I was joining in on their celebration of Terry. Everyone had “Terry quotes” memorized which related to both surfing and life.
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: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: Some inappropriate language and sexual references in regard to sexual organs and libido, but no open door scenes.
Publication: October 10, 2023—Random House (Dial Press)
Memorable Lines:
Finn feels safe and trustworthy. And most important, he gets it. He knows how I feel. Just to meet someone who’s been through something similar is such a relief.
Infinite waves. Infinite chances. You can’t dwell or think about what might have been. There’s always another wave. Although you have to be looking the right way to see it.
It seems most art experts are happy to spout on endlessly about their own opinion, So my method is: Let them do that while I get on with drinking the free champagne. And when they pause, say, Stunning, isn’t it?
Zeus: Water Rescue
Zeus: Water Rescue
by W. Bruce Cameron
Do you know a kid who loves dogs? They just might be interested in Zeus: Water Rescue. Written for Middle Grade children, this book shares the story of Zeus, a puppy who watches his littermates find new homes while he is left desperately wanting a person of his own. It is charmingly told from Zeus’ point of view as the puppy tries to understand what the people are doing and to please them.
In Hawaii, Marco pieces a living together between jobs focusing on Search and Rescue and as an Emergency Responder. He especially needs the income he receives when he trains a dog in water rescue and sells it in Europe. Not many dogs are right for the job especially when they are given the final test—jumping from a helicopter.
Kimo lives with his dad Marco and his grandmother and wants a puppy of his own as much as Zeus wants a boy of his own. Because of the financial need to sell a trained dog, even if Kimo can train the rambunctious Zeus, there doesn’t seem to be a way forward for the pair to stay together. Kimo’s cousin Giana is smart and not intimidated by adults. She helps Kimo in his efforts to keep Zeus. Their banter is fun and lightens the sadness that naturally occurs as the impending separation looms on the horizon.
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: Children’s Fiction
Notes: #1 in the series Dogs with a Purpose
Publication: September 26, 2023—Tor Publishing Group
Memorable Lines:
“Giana’s the only person in history to be kicked off the debate team for arguing,” Kimo informed me.
I could feel some of the fear leaving her as I lay there, so I didn’t try to change position. Having a dog nearby always makes things better.
I did not know why he had shouted Bear’s name. Bear obviously wasn’t here. Anyone could smell that.
A Novel Proposal–one more chapter!
A Novel Proposal
by Denise Hunter
I have read other books by Denise Hunter. I have read other clean romances. A Novel Proposal, however, is one of my favorites from both perspectives. The format of the book appeals to me so much. The author tickles my writing and reading sensibilities with her plot dilemma in which the protagonist Sadie, a budding author, has written several good western novels at a time when no one is buying westerns. Her contract is cancelled, and she will owe the advance money she received. Her publisher likes her writing, however, and gives her a chance to redeem her career with a romance. Romances are totally out of the comfortable range for Sadie, both in her personal life and in her writing experiences and goals. So, what makes A Novel Proposal unique? Each chapter begins with a quote from Romance Writing 101. These quotes summarize the steps in romance writing and reflect what is happening in each chapter. For example, Chapter 2 begins with “A meetcute is a charming encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship.” In this chapter Sadie meets the handsome, apparently broody Sam who shares half of a beach duplex with her when she travels from NYC to South Carolina to write a romance. She is gifted a stay there by her best friend’s mom. Sam is staying there to escape from a romantic disaster while continuing his job working for the family landscaping business. Supporting characters that you will enjoy include Caroline, Sadie’s best friend, and Rio, Sadie’s Maltipoo and constant companion. Hayley, Sam’s teenage sister, and the rest of his extended family add depth to the novel.
Sadie and Sam both have trust issues that hinder their relationship. Sadie is fun loving and blossoms in South Carolina where she starts a Free Library on the property and discovers something valuable in one of the books. She exchanges time as a “plus one” with Sam for his help in tracking down the owner. With publishing deadlines pressing, Sadie begins to write her novel based on her developing relationship with Sam using the old adage “write what you know.” Sadie and Sam are both characters with reader appeal. The reader knows that, as a romance, there will be a happily ever after, but how will the characters arrive at that end? Going along on the journey and watching the characters develop is such a fun reading experience. I had trouble putting the book down as each chapter led into the next in such a way that my mind kept say “One more chapter, one more chapter…”
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: standalone, clean
Publication: March 21, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
A jet went streaking over their heads, reminding her of her noisy apartment, just a stone’s throw from LaGuardia with thin walls and thinner windows. Not to mention the construction project that had been going on next door since the Revolutionary War.
She was using a saw. A circular saw if his ears hadn’t failed him. What in the world was she doing? The ear-shattering noise stopped as she finished the cut—or sliced off a finger. He had a hard time believing a woman who couldn’t navigate porch steps might be handy with tools.
Maybe he needed space to figure things out. Just because her day had lasted eight decades didn’t mean his had too.
The Devine Doughnut Shop–divine doughnuts in Devine, TX
The Devine Doughnut Shop
by Carolyn Brown
Anyone who has traveled across Texas by car knows that most small towns in Texas have a doughnut shop. It’s a standard! Devine, Texas, an actual town near San Antonio, in this novel boasts the most divine doughnuts in the area. They are made in small batches from a secret recipe passed down through four generations of Devine women who are a “family of sisters.”
Grace and Sarah are biological sisters and their cousin Macy is like a third sister. The three women, who also live together in a house near the shop, are up at three o’clock six days a week making their delicious doughnuts.
All of the these women have suffered shattered romantic relationships ranging from a bad boy spouse who couldn’t stay around to parent his newborn, to a boyfriend who lied about his marriage, to a serial con man. In The Devine Doughnut Shop, the reader watches as some of these disasters unfold.
Grace’s teenage daughter Aubrey is beset with her own trust issues in her desire to be popular. She is used by a group of “mean girls” and foolishly casts off her old friends. One of those friends, Raelene, is herself abandoned by her own mother just a few months before her high school graduation. She finds herself without a home or food and in danger of losing the college scholarship she has worked for.
The mean girls have moms who spoil them and were obviously bullies themselves in high school. Now they are vicious gossipers who excel in and celebrate making others miserable.
All of the characters have trust issues to overcome. Grace finds herself oddly attracted to a successful businessman with a good heart. Married to his job, Travis is surprised by his attraction to this hard-working, no nonsense mother of a teenager who won’t sell either her business or the secret recipe. Is he really interested in Grace or does he just see her as a stepping stone to another business deal? What will it take for these characters to turn their lives around and begin to trust in love again?
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, Romance
Notes: Standalone
Publication: February 14, 2023—Mountlake
Memorable Lines:
She was wearing a five-dollar thrift store dress, but she was riding in a modern-day golden chariot, and she had to admit that the excitement bouncing around in the back of the limo was contagious.
“The way to a man’s heart might be through his stomach, but the way to a woman’s heart is through her family.”
“Honey, I’m swimming with the dolphins.” Beezy held up her tote bag. “I’ve got my bathing suit right here, and I don’t give a rip if my hair gets wet. At my age, we got to do what we can when we can, because tomorrow we might be too old and decrepit to even feed ourselves.”
Her Heart’s Desire–starting over
Her Heart’s Desire
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Mary is a young Amish lady who was bullied almost all through her childhood. She prays about a new start, and God provides her, through her home business of making greeting cards, with the funds to go to Pinecraft, Florida, for two weeks. Never having traveled far from her home area, she bravely makes the long bus trip alone from Ohio to Florida. She meets two other girls traveling solo to the same inn. They are all seeking a new start for various reasons and soon become fast friends. All is going well for Mary until her worst nightmare comes true in the form of an unwanted visitor from her home town.
Most of the characters in Her Heart’s Desire are either Amish or have decided not to join the Amish church but still share their faith in God and many of their beliefs and customs. You’ll like meeting the characters: so many are kind and generous and are helpful to the trio of girls as they work through past issues and grow in their determination to live their new lives. There are chaste romances with some handsome young men and fun times exploring the local beaches and shops.
I assumed Pinecraft, Florida, was a fictional location, but it is not. Wikipedia says it is a “small neighborhood community of approximately 3,000 Amish and Mennonites…in Sarasota, Florida.” It seems that many Mennonites and Amish enjoy the area as a good place for a winter vacation.
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: Christian, General Fiction, Romance
Notes: #1 in the Season in Pinecraft Series
Publication: January 3, 2023—Revell
Memorable Lines:
Yep, one could say that his conversation with her had gone as well as a bullfrog jumping into a cement swimming pool.
For a little while, she felt confident, the kind of confidence one gets only when she’s accepted wholeheartedly. It was lovely.
Her former friend’s concerns were twisted, and the things she was concerned about were so silly and so narrow. It was obvious that she wasn’t looking for a change of heart; she simply wanted things to be how they used to be.
Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake–literally a cliffhanger
Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake
by Sarah Graves
Most cozy mysteries are fairly tame. They have an interesting plot with a great whodunnit puzzle, a little action, and a sprinkling or two of danger. With Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake, you can take those expectations and turn them upside down. Then double the pace, add lots of adventure, and throw in some creepiness.
The settings are extremely important to the plot. Main character Jacobia (Jake) and her friend Ellie own a chocolate-themed bakery, The Chocolate Moose, in the island village of Eastport, Maine. A lot of the action takes place at a remote cliffside house recently purchased by Ingrid Merryfield, a past-her-prime actress. Formerly glorious but currently decaying, Cliff House sits at the end of a narrow peninsula. With one way in by car, boat access when the tides are right, earthquakes, swamps, and secret tunnels, Sarah Graves has created a setting that is the perfect background for her plot.
Merryfield is hosting a party to ostensibly show off her new house to old friends even before any remodeling has been done. The guests who are staying overnight are plunged into sudden danger as they are trapped when a ginormous tree is uprooted and blocks the egress just as someone starts murdering them one by one. Instead of a locked room mystery, we can call it a sealed island mystery.
Ellie and Jake have been hired and paid well to provide chocolate desserts with the proviso that they stay overnight to serve and clean up. Things go from bad to worse as Jake tries to save Ellie, Jake’s stepmother, and Jake’s daughter-in-law and get them off the island. Graves goes into great detail with the setting helping the reader picture the dangerous cliffs and rising tides.
Sorting through the characters, their motivations, and the numerous plot twists is a full-time job. In the conclusion, everything is spelled out and loose ends are tied up. Jake and Ellie are brave, self-sacrificing, and ingenious ladies, but two of my favorite characters critical to the plot are not main characters. My semi-heroes are Igor the Irish Wolfhound who has a recurrent role and Jake’s elderly father who should not be underestimated. Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake is not the book for a calm afternoon’s read, but a cup of hot tea might go with it well as there are some wet, cold scenes.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #5 in the Death by Chocolate Series. It could be read as a standalone, but would be enjoyed better with more character background.
2. Minor swearing (about 5 occasions)
Publication: March 29, 2021—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
…there are no dumb housewives in Maine. If there were, they’d get eaten by bears, poisoned by toadstools masquerading as mushrooms, or bled dry by mosquitoes so big they could stand flat-footed and look right over the barn at you.
So the whole line of thought was a vicious circle and for now I set it aside turning instead to thoughts of our imminent journey: Life jacket, check. Iron grip on the rail, check.
On the hearth, flames licked hungrily at the logs, curling their splinters to frizzled wisps.
A Stranger’s Game–from the boardroom to a boardgame
A Stranger’s Game
by Colleen Coble
Torie Berg introduces herself at Jekyll Island Club Resort as their new IT specialist. In reality, as the daughter of the owner of a huge resort chain, she spent her early childhood there. After eighteen years she has returned to find out what happened to her best friend Lisbeth who recently died while tracking down leads on Torie’s mother’s death.
Someone recognizes Torie and wants her to abandon her investigation. Who knows how far this creepy person will go in intimidating her and what their motive might be. Is it personal or does it have anything to do with the war games the Navy is conducting? Is Torie getting too close to the truth or does this involve the many important visitors the hotel is expecting for a major financial meeting?
Joe Abbott trains dolphins to intercept saboteurs and lives at the resort with his eight year old daughter Hailey in exchange for providing security. He is caught up in issues with the Navy when Simon, a dolphin he is training, catches a diver planting a bomb. As Torie’s neighbor on Jekyll Island, Joe becomes involved in protecting her from a mysterious stalker. He has not been interested in dating in the three years since his wife died, but he is attracted to Torie and she is drawn to his daughter Hailey as they share a sense of loss that both experienced in losing their mothers as children.
A Stranger’s Game is a fast-paced mystery that includes some psychological creepiness and suspense, but not enough for me to classify it as a thriller. It has a touch of clean romance, but the emphasis is on the plot. The Jekyll Island Club Resort setting is critical to the story. The characters are allowed to develop as the story progresses. The novel contains adventure and three major plot lines along with cross threads that give the book both color and cohesion. I did not guess the identity of the criminals behind the detailed plotting of various crimes or those who executed the plans. Well done! Colleen Coble has created a standalone that will send you looking for more of her books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Notes: Standalone
Publication: January 4, 2022—Thomas Nelson Fiction
Memorable Lines:
“It’s hard to understand even for adults. But evil things happen to all of us, honey. Hard things, bad things. We don’t understand and a lot of the time, we can’t understand because we aren’t God. When those times come—and they come to everyone—all we can do is trust that God loves us.”
“By its very nature, life involves loss. If we stop taking chances, stop living our lives, we might as well crawl in the grave and let someone kick the dirt over us. Real life is worth the risk.”
The reserve she’d donned all her life had made ruts through her soul, tracks she followed like a mule plodding a well-worn trail.
education pathways 