Home » Posts tagged 'island'
Tag Archives: island
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.
My Family and Other Animals–adventures of a young naturalist
My Family and Other Animals
by Gerald Durrell
Ready for a boring book about animals? You won’t find it in My Family and Other Animals. Since the author Gerald Durrell (Gerry) was a naturalist from the age of two, there are plenty of animals in this book. He observes them and collects them when his family (Mother, brothers Larry and Leslie, and sister Margo) move from England to the Greek island of Corfu. Both the family and Gerry’s collection of animals are a continual source of humor for the reader with responses ranging from smiles to raucous laughter. Each of the family members is a unique character, but they argue and discuss issues until they arrive at a group “family” decision and act on it.
The story is told by Gerald as an adult looking back on Gerry’s adventures of which there were many. Ten year old Gerry was allowed to roam the island with his dog Roger exploring flora and fauna at his leisure. Occasionally, to Gerry’s dismay, the family would decide to rein him in by providing a tutor. They procured several knowledgeable men at various times, but it was apparent that Gerry’s passion for animals would dominate any efforts at education. When they arrive, Spiro, a local taxi driver and fixer, adopts them and helps them during their stay with any needs they might have. Gerry meets a lot of the locals during his roamings and they always welcome him and offer him refreshment as they chat.
Durrell is a wonderful author whether he is describing natural beauty, the mating of turtles, the parties hosted by the Durrells, the quirks of his siblings, or his observations of small, black scorpions living in the crumbling garden wall. As they are want to do, there were often animal escapes resulting in family meetings to decide what they were going to do about that particular animal’s housing. Occasionally animals were banned from the house, but at no time did the family try to stop Gerry’s proclivity for cultivating interactions with nature. They seemed to understand that it was as much a part of his nature as writing was to Larry, shooting to Leslie, romance to Margo, or cooking to Mother. Their adventures and interactions will keep you turning pages to see what they will do next.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Memoir, Humor
Notes: #1 in the Corfu Trilogy.A 4 season TV series, The Durrells in Corfu, was made by Masterpiece Theatre.
Publication: 1956—Penguin Books
Memorable Lines:
The cypress trees were whipped like dark pendulums against the sky, and the olives (so fossilized all summer, so still and witchlike) were infected with the madness of the wind and swayed creaking on their misshapen, sinewy trunks, their leaves hissing as they turned, like mother of pearl, from green to silver. This is what the dead leaves had whispered about, this is what they had practiced for; exultantly they rose in the air and danced, whirligiging about, dipping, swooping, falling exhausted when the wind tired of them and passed on.
By the time a certain amount of order had been restored, all the baby scorpions had hidden themselves under various plates and bits of cutlery. Eventually, after impassioned pleas on my part, backed up by Mother, Leslie’s suggestion that the whole lot be slaughtered was quashed…Roger and I went and spent the afternoon on the hillside, for I felt it would be prudent to allow the family to have a siesta before seeing them again.
The hill-top seemed to have its own breeze, albeit a baby one, for no matter how hot it was below in the valley, up in the three olive groves the tiny wind played constantly, the leaves whispered, and the drooping cyclamen flowers bowed to each other in endless greeting. It was an ideal spot in which to rest after a hectic lizard hunt, when your head was pounding with the heat, your clothes limp and discolored with perspiration, and the three dogs hung out their pink tongues and panted like ancient miniature railway engines.
As Waters Gone By–rescued lives
As Waters Gone By
by Cynthia Ruchti
Emmalyn has in many ways a tortured life. Her husband was sentenced to five years in prison, but she has built a prison for herself—captive to her desires to have a baby. Even before the car accident that resulted in his imprisonment, Emmalyn and her husband Max had exhausted their financial and emotional resources. Emmalyn had been a top chef, but having lost her job when the restaurant closed, she finds herself starting life again at a rustic hunting cabin that needs a lot of work to transform it into a livable cottage on Madeline, one of the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Max had cut off communication with Emmalyn so she doesn’t know if he will want to remain married when he is released from prison. With five months to go, Emmalyn and Max need to learn to communicate all over again.
When Emmalyn (M) arrives by ferry, she is quickly befriended by locals. She initially stays at The Wild Iris, a guest house and restaurant owned by the generous Boozie Unfortunate, a great cook and manager, who dispenses common sense and Christian wisdom and love, blessing all who encounter her. Another new friend, Cora, wears many hats, including roofer. Emmalyn desperately needs her help in closing a gaping hole in the roof. Cora has a team of workers, contacts to get building supplies at a discount, and a son with a tracking ankle bracelet who needs someone to take a chance on him. Reflecting on her husband’s future needs when he is released from prison, Emmalyn hires Nick to paint her house.
Just when renovations in the cottage are coming to a close, there is a major plot twist that turns Emmalyn’s world upside down, but also leads her on a journey of self-discovery as she realizes mistakes she made in her marriage and is drawn again into a relationship with God. This dramatic twist will remain a secret as this is a spoiler-free review, but it adds depth, despair, and delight to the plot.
Reading As Waters Gone By was a pleasure. It has quirky, lovable characters and a strong moral base. This book was a page turner for me. As I review M’s situation, I realize this character’s issues beckon the reader to exchange places with M and ponder her choices from a personal perspective, because all of us can suddenly find our world upended. Will we be able to stand the course as God reveals the plan behind the circumstances so that one day we can say too (Job 11:16 NIV) that “You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.” ?
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: As one of the members of my book club said, “Although this is a Christian book, there is nothing “preachy” about it.” Several members commented on the rich descriptions. I agree with both assessments. It also had many instances of gentle humor that were very enjoyable.
Publication: 2015—Abingdon Press
Memorable Lines:
Introvert? Extrovert? Boozie fit under the Tidal Wave category. But with a gentle touch that made people forget they were being carried someplace other than where they were headed.
“We brought bacon, too, if that helps your mood.”…The moment christened the cottage with tears and a laughter chaser. “Smoked meat,” Emmalyn said between gasps, “fixes everything.” “The food world’s duct tape,” Cora added.
Hope’s laughter floated through the cottage, lighting the shadowed corners. No matter what age, a child’s laughter changes things.
“That’s the thing about messes,”…”It doesn’t matter what caused the trouble. The answer’s always the same. Call out to God. Watch His rescue. Then thank Him.” Emmalyn doubted it was that simple. But she’d seen it at work on the island. Her exile. Her refuge.
Christmas Island–romance in Norway
Christmas Island
by Natalie Normann
I am not moving to Norway. Ever. It’s too dark and too cold for me. I had a lot of reading fun coming to that conclusion, however, as I read Christmas Island, a romance that begins on a wet, cold, dark, rainy island in Norway. The snow and the need for many layers of heavy clothing would come later. The author, Natalie Normann, is highly qualified to be our atmospheric guide as she grew up in a shipping town on the west coast of Norway. When she writes about the many Christmas foods and traditions peculiar to Norway, she speaks from experience. Originally a Norwegian writer of historical romance, she has lived in Cardiff, Wales, since 2017, and Christmas Island is her second book written in English.
Holly Greene has an enforced four week leave of absence from her hospital job as a doctor resulting from a problem with a co-worker on the job. She is invited to Christmas on the island by her brother Jack as a way to help her survive this period. She meets Tor, mysterious and reclusive, who has rented a house on the island. The reasons both are there are revealed to the reader quite gradually. Holly lives in London and Tor in Oslo making a long-term relationship out of their holiday fling problematic to say the least. They are likable characters in need of healing. Will they find what they need in Norway? Within the island community? With each other?
Normann really helped me experience Norway. I felt like I was tasting the foods along with Holly. I understood her difficulties with the language. Once I raised my head from the pages almost expecting to see a wet snow drifting down. The backdrop she paints is important to the story and pervades the reader’s imagination.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins UK (One More Chapter) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. #2 in the Very Hygge Holiday Series, but could clearly be read as a standalone.
2. There are too many American and British swear words and vulgarisms for my taste. When I embark on a Christmas read, I look forward to sweet and clean. Although there is a fling, there are no graphic details. Language is the only obstacle for me with this Christmas read.
3. Recipes for three sweet Christmas treats are included.
Publication: November 30, 2020—HarperCollins UK (One More Chapter)
Memorable Lines:
“Fresh air is the Norwegian cure for everything. If you’re unwell, get some fresh air; if you can’t sleep, get some fresh air; if you’re feeling sad, get some fresh air. I think it comes from living too close to the sea and the mountains,” Tor said.
At the hospital gossip and rumours were part of the daily routine, and mostly it was friendly and amusing…until it wasn’t. But she didn’t want to dwell on that today.
Holly opened her mouth to answer, then got completely flustered and knew she was blushing like a whole crop of tomatoes.
Death and a Pot of Chowder–cozy with guns, lobsters, and a foodie
Death and a Pot of Chowder
by Cornelia Kidd
I know very little about Maine—small, cold, and famous for lobsters. All of that information is verified in Death and a Pot of Chowder, but I absorbed so much more about Maine by reading this cozy mystery by Cornelia Kidd. The characters are very interesting, especially the likable main character Anna Winslow. Having lost her job when her stepfather died, she is a stay-at-home mom to fourteen year old Jake and wife to Burt, a lobsterman. She enjoys her quiet life until she finds herself thrown in the middle of a murder investigation to clear Burt of charges at the same time she discovers she has a half-sister Ozzie, a young, ambitious, and talented chef.
I enjoyed the community of Quarry Island and references to Anne of Green Gables. I can identify with Anna turning to chocolate in times of stress! As an educator, I appreciate that the students on the island are cocooned a little as they attend school there through junior high and only travel to the mainland for high school. In such a setting I can conceive of the freedoms Jake and his friend Matt enjoy to roam the island.
The characters are not goody two-shoes, but most do have appeal as direct people who care about their neighbors. Anna is a strong woman, but also a woman who is willing to expand outside her current boundaries. She is open to new challenges and new relationships. I did wonder about her ties with her “stepfather” Seth. She was raised from birth as his child, but when she discovers that he is not her biological father, she never calls him “dad” again. Although I understand many children long for a relationship with their biological parents, it seems cold and out of character for her to emotionally discard him. As she was working for him as an office manager at the time of his death, I assume he did not respond by cutting ties with her. This is an interesting, but disappointing, twist to the story.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. # 1 in the Maine Murder Mystery Series.
2. Recipes are found in the back of the book.
3. As Izzie is interested in historical cookbooks, each chapter starts with a quote from a cookbook which also includes tips for managing a household.
Publication: June 12, 2018—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
People joked that islanders had salt water in their veins. We were different, separate, and wary of off-islanders who commented on the beauty of the island, wondered at our isolation, and then left.
But first I was going to eat chocolate. If ever there was a day for chocolate, this was it.
I’d been like a mussel, glued to the rocks I’d always clung to. Now, everything had changed. I’d been tossed into the waves to survive. Would I find a new rock to cling to? Or be found by a laughing gull and dropped onto a ledge, smashed, and devoured.
education pathways 