Let me just get this out of the way – I love this book! The Mid Witch by D. J. Bowman-Smith is a delight to read with a heroine to root for and laugh out loud situations, all wrapped up with pathos and honesty. Lilly Turner feels like a stranger in her own life and…
Read MoreAuthor: Diana Courtney-Smith
A Fatal Illusion (Lady Darby Mystery, #11)
As an ongoing fan of the Lady Darby historical mystery series by Anna Lee Huber, I was ecstatic to learn I’d scored a free copy of A Fatal Illusion (Lady Darby #11), the latest installment, from Goodreads. After learning that Lord Gage, Sebastian’s father, was seriously wounded while on his way to meet his new…
Read MoreFuneral Daze by Dorian Box
Danny Teakwell is at a shallow point in his life. But when 12-year-old Jessica Jewell, the daughter of the screwball mortuary family who helped him in an investigation five years earlier, shows up on his doorstep looking for his help, despite his initial hesitation, his “good guy” sensibilities kick in. Danny soon finds himself responsible…
Read MoreIdentity by Nora Roberts
I’ve been agonizing over this review for a while now. Do you have a favorite author you can’t wait for their latest book to come out? If you’re like me, right or wrong, you have certain expectations that you want to be met. Identity is one of the rare Nora Roberts books that I feel…
Read MoreThe Writer’s Grimoire by Jennifer Lawler
I know and work with writers, and one of the things that I hear from many of them is they lack consistency in how they approach their writing. They don’t have a dedicated place to work, they don’t have a consistent time or duration for their work, and the whole practice just feels like more…
Read MoreThe Witches of Moonshyne Manor
In my ever-so-humble opinion, all of the truly great fantasy stories are, at their core, about relationships – and not just any relationships. I’m talking about the kind of relationships that carry you through life’s ups and downs and make you better than you are on your own. The kind that turns strangers into the…
Read MoreThou Shalt Not Kilt: An Elle Cunningham Mackay Mystery
If you enjoy cozy mysteries that take place on an isolated estate, you will enjoy this one! The Aldermire estate, owned by the Clan MacUspaigs, has been situated in isolated splendor on Roan Island near Wilmington, NC for generations. Elle MacKay has been hired to research the MacUspaigs and other clans that are in danger…
Read MoreA Study in Scarlet Women
A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas My rating: 5 of 5 stars I adore Sherlock Holmes stories, and as such, I am leery about reading stories that stray too far from the original. Some have been splendid, such as the Mary Russell series by Laurie King, while I felt other authors took a…
Read MoreThe Sign of Death
The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton My rating: 4 of 5 stars As I was browsing the list of advanced reader copies to request (thank you, Netgalley!), I spied the words “Victorian Book Club Mystery”. What’s not to like about any of that? What I found in The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton…
Read MoreA House at the Bottom of a Lake
A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman My rating: 4 of 5 stars A House at the Bottom of a Lake is another atmospheric page-turner by Josh Malerman, writer of the terrifying Bird Box. While the tag line is great – “Just because a house is empty, doesn’t mean nobody’s home.”…
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