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The Malt in Our Stars–investigation by a nosy parker
The Malt in Our Stars
by Sarah Fox
When Sadie Coleman steps out of her car at the historic Shady Creek Manor in Vermont, several dreams are about to come true. She will get to view first hand the beautiful and expensive renovations to the elegant, three-story home converted into a hotel and its extensive grounds. She will also get to meet one of her favorite authors, Linnea Bliss, who is scheduled for a talk and book signing at Sadie’s literary-themed pub, the Inkwell. Their initial meeting goes well, but life suddenly get complicated as a murder occurs on the hotel’s grounds. There are many characters with possible motives. Sadie, a self-proclaimed nosy parker, has an insatiable need to investigate.
Side issues to the plot include the May Masquerade Ball, a hot-tempered local historian, a production crew filming an episode about a local brewery, and a blossoming romance with the brewery’s owner. Also, Sadie’s Aunt Gilda has received a marriage proposal which, if accepted, would cause her aunt to move.
Although the plot of The Malt in our Stars is quite busy with lots of threads, including the possibility of hidden treasure, I was a little disappointed in some aspects. Sadie’s investigations are rather drawn out as she goes over and over her mental list of suspects nitpicking to get more information on each one, often coming up empty handed. She frequently puts herself in danger and steps over the bounds into what is certainly trespassing. I like food as much as the next person, but too much time is spent on what Sadie eats and her trips to get yet another fancy coffee when coffee is readily available at her bar.
My favorite part of the book is the gentle romance developing between the hesitant Sadie and the handsome, understanding Grayson who enjoys teasing her—always with a flirty twinkle in his eye. The best part of the plot is the exciting discovery and capture of the murderer.
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: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #3 in The Literary Pub Mystery Series, but works as a standalone.
2. Cocktail recipes included at the end of the book.
Publication: November 24, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Eleanor whipped around and her beady eyes landed on me. The glower she sent my way was almost intense enough to make me wilt right there on the sidewalk. She stormed up her front steps and into her house, slamming the door behind her.
Some people might have considered it too early in the day to eat chocolate cake, but I didn’t let that bother me. It was, as the saying went, five o’clock somewhere.
I really couldn’t tell if he was feeding her a load of donkey dust. He sounded so sincere. That ignited a flicker of worry inside of me. If he was lying to Eleanor so convincingly, how would I ever know if he was lying to me?
A Springtime to Remember–gardens of Versailles
A Springtime to Remember
by Lucy Coleman
There are times, like today, when I wonder why I would pick a romance off the virtual bookshelves. Then I read a book like A Springtime to Remember by Lucy Coleman and understanding strikes again. I am hit by a combination of the beauty of Versailles, the ostentatious audacity of the aristocracy of days gone by, a passion for history, the mystery of family relationships, and ultimately the gentle magnetism of two hearts drawn into one.
Lexie, a TV presenter, wants more professionally; it is not enough to be the pretty face in front of the camera. She also has to prove her value to her successful brother, Jake, who very publicly fired her. Lexie is combining forces with cameraman Elliot Nielson to produce and financially back their own mini-series of documentaries. Their first project takes them to France to focus on the Palace of Versailles. Their futures are ironically fixed in the past: Lexie has an added interest in Versailles as her grandmother, an avid gardener, spent a year working in the Versailles gardens immediately prior to her marriage. Mysteriously, she never discussed that year with her family.
Indulge in this clean romance with its appreciation for natural beauty and historical context. You will be treating yourself to lots of smiles and a few tears in the midst of a well-told tale.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Publication: December 26, 2019—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
“Versailles holds so many secrets. The more you uncover, the more you realise the surface has only just been scratched, even after all the years of intense scrutiny.”
I nod my head in agreement, thinking that every family has their problems, they’re just all very different. It’s how you resolve them that counts…
“I’ve learnt that the nature of life is that everyone’s journey is different and, therefore, no one should ever stand in judgement of another. Not least because they have not travelled that same road. Instead, it’s wise to feel grateful if one’s own road is less arduous, or one is simply better equipped to deal with the harsher realities of life.”
Murder with All the Trimmings–catering mystery with a focus on dancers
Murder with All the Trimmings
by Shawn Reilly Simmons
One of the appealing things about the Red Carpet Catering Mystery Series is that as a caterer associated with a movie star, Penelope Sutherland works in a variety of settings, each with its own catering problems. This setup allows the author, Shawn Reilly Simmons, opportunities for exploring various kinds of offenses without the main character seeming to follow or be followed by crime. In Murder with All the Trimmings, the setting is the old Vitrine Theater where the Big Apple Dancers perform a show that is a holiday tradition for many locals and a big attraction for tourists. Trouble plagues the show with murder and accidents. Penelope herself is endangered as she tries to get to the bottom of this mystery which involves a missing girl, a neighboring homeless shelter, fraud, and a dine and dash artist.
Murder with All the Trimmings has a complicated plot with lots of interesting threads. In spite of my having lots of interruptions due to travel, I enjoyed this book and had no problem picking up where I left off each time. Although the action occurs at Christmas time, it doesn’t have any warm and fuzzy Christmas connections, but it is a good mystery.
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: # 6 in the Red Carpet Catering Mystery Series, but acceptable as a standalone.
Publication: November 13, 2018—Henery Press
Don’t Believe It–an unexpected murderer
Don’t Believe It
by Charlie Donlea
There is so much to recommend in Don’t Believe It by Charlie Donlea. The initial setting is exotic: Sugar Beach in St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean. This mystery begins immediately with action and suspense. The main character, Sidney Ryan, is a smart, talented, ethical filmmaker. The documentary she is producing is presented almost in real time: the audience gets to learn the results of Sidney’s investigations and interviews in the same week they occur. Out of appeals, an old friend who has been incarcerated for murder for ten years in St. Lucia asks for Sidney’s help in drawing attention to her case as Sidney has done in three prior films that resulted in each instance in freeing the accused.
The story effectively jumps around to various locations and times and uses a variety of styles to convey the events. Designations for places and times are clearly and helpfully added to the first of each chapter. The inclusion of documentary episodes based on interviews is very effective as a storytelling tool.
Don’t Believe It is fast-paced, and the author knows just where to break the chapters so the reader wants more. The mystery is engaging and suspenseful, and the various threads all come together in the end. There were a lot of plot inversions and surprises. I would rate this mystery highly until the end when the crime puzzle is solved, but there is no closure to two major threads. What is the point? Is the author being artsy by leaving the reader dangling? Perhaps he is letting the reader mentally finish the book according to the way the reader wants it to end. Maybe this open-endedness is preparation for a series. Whatever the reason, I was a happy reader for most of the book, disconcerted by but accepting of a sudden change in direction, and then unsettled by the ending. Charlie Donlea proved he has good skills as a mystery writer, and I would like to read more of his work to get a comprehensive feel for his talents.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: Some swearing
Publication: May 29, 2018—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
The detectives did exactly what they’re trained not to do. They picked a suspect first, and then looked for evidence that supported their theory. And the problem with investigating a crime in that manner is that any evidence they came across that didn’t support their theory was ignored or discarded.
But she had found over the years that inmates, deprived of just about every luxury in life, possessed a great deal of patience. They never expected anything to happen quickly, and took news of delays in much the same fashion as finding the bathroom stall occupied. They simply took a breath and waited.
If I could start my career over and take a path that more closely represented my interests, I’d do it in a second.
education pathways 