Monterey Bay Mystery

 

Blurb

Amanda Warren is looking for a second chance in the cozy coastal town of Ocean Wood, but what she finds is a psychic cat and a purrfectly puzzling mystery! Out of luck and out of money, Amanda’s pink dog grooming van is running on fumes when she rolls into the foggy town of Ocean Wood. Seeking a new beginning and a reunion with her twin sister, she finds her sister missing and a dead body in her house. Amanda is determined to clear her sister’s name, but all the quirky, charming neighbors of this Monterey Bay town seem to have a motive. Which one of them is a killer? With time running out, Amanda teams up with her sister’s psychic, amnesiac cat to untangle this fur-midable mystery and sniff out the killer before Amanda’s second chance becomes her last.

Thoughts

The main attraction of this Seren Star Goode book for me was the giant talking cat named Grok. He is sentient but suffers from amnesia. Grok’s human Alexandra is missing from her home when her twin sister Amanda visits her. So, (a confused) Grok refers to Amanda as the clone!

Amanda, mistaken for Alexandra by a hilarious bunch of neighbors, struggles to get answers to her questions. Add a grumpy police chief to the mix. All these funny elements make this enjoyable.

However, the plot seems oddly put together. The switch between Grok’s and Amanda’s points of view is slightly disorienting. The conclusion is interesting but seems rather sudden.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

Deadly Quiet

Blurb

Eliza Fox must be smarter than the police and a step ahead of the killer.

When an exchange student is found dead in the music practice rooms of Wexford College, there are few suspects and no clear answers. Martina Noto's parents will fly into California from Rome as soon as they can, but until then the nearest relatives are Martina's cousins: Private Investigator Eliza Fox and her mother, Francesca Noto-Fox.

As detectives Byron Comstock and Jessica Fonseca get familiar with the case, Eliza is determined to help catch Martina's killer. She quickly begins her own investigation and is soon caught up in the twists and turns of finding the murderer, a far cry from her usual work as a paralegal. Often out of her depth, Eliza must overcome her own inexperience and learn to trust her instincts as she fumbles through her first high-stakes case.

Filled with both humor and suspense, this is one traditional mystery novel you don't want to miss.

 

Thoughts

This book by Cathleen Watkins was supposed to be a quick, easy, relaxing read. However, the unexpected heat wave in my part of the world and a few health issues made it slightly laborious.

The story lacked depth because it was told from multiple perspectives, and the back stories of the characters were not well-developed. Although touted as an Eliza Fox mystery, the police seem to have a prominent role in the investigation.

The locale and campus life were described well. Eliza’s methods of gathering information and using a journalist to pressure the police were interesting.

As I was in the middle of reading the V. I. Warshawski mystery series by Sara Paretsky, I couldn’t help comparing the two. But it is early days, and this is just book one in the Eliza Fox series.

So, overall, I would rate this an okay read.

Note: I received an advance copy from BookSirens in return for an honest review.

The Girl Who Talks to Ashes

 

Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Willow is terrified of her new baby, Lilah, who has a peculiar form of epilepsy. Every time Lilah's eyes glaze over, terrible things happen: flowers shrivel, food goes to rot - even Willow's long, auburn hair turns stark white. But it's the death of the family cat that becomes the last straw; in the middle of the night, Willow and her mother dump the infant at the fire station two towns over – and are never heard from again.

The next morning, Chief Stanley Quinn takes Lilah home and cares for the toddler as best as he can. With medication, her epilepsy remains under control... For the most part.

But as a teenager, Lilah isn't always keen on taking her pills, and when she sneaks away to a rock concert with the cutest boy in school, something terrible happens, landing both of them in the hospital. After Stanley breaks down and confesses everything to his adopted daughter, she decides to track down the young girl who gave her up sixteen years ago; the young girl who never made it home that night… The young girl who is now presumed to be dead. Soon, Lilah's quest to find her birth mother becomes a quest to solve a sixteen-year-old missing persons case. She has everything she needs to find her – she just needs to learn how to control her peculiar ‘gift’ before she kills someone.

Again.

Thoughts:

This book by Rachel Rener is an interesting mixture of opposites. It is creepy but charming. It is fast-paced but has solid characters and deeply emotional relationships. 

And, the fantasy element in it—the time-bending—is believable! The plot is well-thought-out and complimented by subtle and clever storytelling. 

The main protagonist understands her ability early on and explains it well to others. This means that she garners support from her father, boyfriend, and later on the police chief quite easily. Consequently, the relationships in the book are not entangled in unnecessary misunderstanding or angst.

Overall, a quick, light, enjoyable read. 

Note: I received a digital copy via BookSirens in return for an honest review.

A Thousand Reasons Not To Run

Blurb:

Traumatized by a childhood tragedy and her ongoing therapy no longer effective, Lexi lives a lonely life in Tribune, a small town nestled on a bayou in the southern United States. Her therapist offers an ultimatum: find friends or find another therapist.

Lexi reluctantly joins a running program that meets at the Volt, an egalitarian waterfront center that is the pride of the town. Just as she begins to develop friendships and enjoy some safety, she learns of a secret plot to close the Volt, scatter its resources, and sell the prime land to a mysterious group of investors.

As she makes the decision to put her job, her anonymity, even her life on the line to save this precious refuge, a stranger arrives from her past with a story she doesn’t want to hear.

Join Lexi and her band of reluctant runners as they uncover long hidden secrets and find the value of true friendship.

Thoughts:

In this book, Trish Taylor tells the story of how a ragtag group of people works together to achieve something, despite their insecurities and struggles. They bond well and support each other while battling powerful adversaries.

Initially, the writing style did not sit well with me as the story seemed to start in the middle, without any background. Besides, I am not a great fan of flashbacks unless they are masterfully well-written. However, the story soon won me over as it had my favourite theme of second chances/starting over.

The book also had the right amount of mystery to keep me interested. The main character Lexi had a startling past. It is revealed slowly as the story unfolds.

Enjoyable!

Note: I received a free copy of the book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

The Wicked Bible

Blurb:

After a winter when she solved the cold case of a high school friend found dead in The Barn, Deborah Strong needs a distraction. She joins a conference entitled "Libraries: Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going?" that will be useful for her work as a librarian in the small town of Shelby. The setting at a picturesque college in New Hampshire should also be healing.

Deborah's project for the week plunges her into a mystery that would delight most researchers. What are the connections between a Bible dubbed "The Wicked Bible," a woman called "The Wickedest Woman in New York," a book written by Abigail Brewster, and a letter penned to this nineteenth-century author? As she slowly unravels the connections, Deborah confronts an event from her own past and anticipates a future that could be as brilliant as New Hampshire's September foliage.

The second in the Deborah Strong series cleverly connects to the research Deborah's friend Susan Warner discovered about Abigail Brewster in Dean's Death of the Keynote Speaker.

Thoughts:

The Wicked Bible is book two in Sharon L. Dean’s Deborah Strong Mysteries. BookSirens gave me this book in exchange for an honest review. I recently read and reviewed The Barn, the first book in the series, because I dislike starting a series midway.

Positives

• I love that Deborah is a librarian. It leads her to interesting projects such as the one she takes up in this book.
• Dean has cleverly interwoven American history of the 1880s, with the Wicked Bible, wherein one of the Ten Commandments is ‘Thou Shalt Commit Adultery’. I learned more about it and Madame Restell.
• The descriptions of rural and academic milieus are vivid and clear.
• Although this book has references to The Barn and its characters, they are infrequent and unobtrusive. It can be read as a standalone.

Negatives

• Plot points, such as that of the blind date and the James-Reich-Brewster story, were used as mere twists and were not resolved. Was that to entice people to read the Susan Warner series?
• The mystery element fell short because I could guess who the thief/killer was halfway through the book.
• The culprit is conveniently injured in a car accident, which is mentioned in passing!

To sum up, it is like The Barn in that it is a good book but it feels unfinished and leaves you discontented. 

Note: I received a free copy from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Barn

                                    

Blurb:

A barn with a wooden cow’s head peeking out of the loft…
Two girls bicycling on a September day in 1990…
The friend they find dead in the barn…

For the next thirty years, the case of Joseph Wheeler’s murder lies as cold as a New Hampshire winter. Deborah Strong has settled in the town she grew up in, learning to heal after her friend’s murder, and later, the deaths of her husband and child in an automobile accident. When her former best friend Rachel Cummings returns home for the funeral of Joseph’s mother, the precarious peace Deborah has found as the town’s librarian is threatened.

Against the backdrop of the beautiful but cold New Hampshire landscape in January, Deborah and Rachel reopen the cold case of their murdered friend, and uncover secrets about their neighbors that have festered for thirty years, as they often do in small towns.

The Barn is a story of friendship lost and recovered, of secrets buried and revealed, and of the power in forgiving others… and ourselves.

Thoughts:

This is the first book in the Deborah Strong mystery series by Sharon L. Dean. It is a standalone book.

I read it because I received an ARC of the second book to review, and I dislike leaving previous books of a series unread.

Positives:

• Premise

Two estranged friends meet after many years and experiences to try to solve the murder of a common friend.

• Writing style

Vivid descriptions of the small town Shelby, its people, and its climate.

• Mystery

Enough secrets and suspense to keep readers guessing.

• Protagonist

Likable, strong woman. A librarian!

Negatives:

• Plot and character development

Joseph and Mary Wheeler’s deaths drive the story. Yet, not enough details about their characters or their lives.

• Relationships

- Rachel and Deborah are friends who have been out of touch for long. When they join to solve a murder, you would expect them to talk. However, you see them finding more significant secrets about each other than the murder.

- The relationship between former librarian Bertha and Seth raises many questions but Dean leaves us to wonder and speculate.

- The story is peppered with mentions of Lucille’s life and experiences, perhaps just to add to the mystery. Dean tells you that Mary and Lucille were friends but fought right before Mary’s death. She hints at the reason but does not elaborate on that, probably because it is unrelated to the murder.

• Cross-reference to other book series

Susan Warner, the protagonist of Dean’s Susan Warner Mystery series, makes a cameo appearance. I expected her to reveal something of great importance or help Deborah and Rachel solve the mystery. However, that was not to be. The whole idea seemed rather wasteful.

• Sleuthing

Deborah and Rachel did not appear to do much active ‘detecting’. All they seemed to do was ask around, annoying people who wished to forget the past and get on with their lives.

To summarize, a good book that didn't quite hit the spot. I wanted to shake the story hard and wait for everything to settle in the hope that when they did, all the elements would sit right.

Slow Horses, First Grave on the Right

It’s been some time since I posted a review. Although I have been reading books, I didn’t feel like writing about them.

I read the first books of two series: Slow Horses (Slough House by Mick Herron) and First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones).

Blurb (Slow Horses): The first book in CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning British espionage series starring a team of MI5 agents united by one common bond: They've screwed up royally and will do anything to redeem themselves.

London, England: Slough House is where the washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what's left of their failed careers. The "slow horses," as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated here. Maybe they messed up an op badly and can't be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle—not unusual in this line of work. One thing they all have in common, though, is they all want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there─even if it means having to collaborate with one another.

River Cartwright, one such “slow horse,” is bitter about his failure and about his tedious assignment transcribing cell phone conversations. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, River sees an opportunity to redeem himself. But is the victim who he first appears to be? And what’s the kidnappers’ connection with a disgraced journalist? As the clock ticks on the execution, River finds that everyone has his own agenda.

Thoughts: Slow Horses had an interesting style and set of characters, but the plot was chaotic and slow-paced. I finished reading it because it is about a group of losers and misfits trying to have a second chance at a meaningful existence. Probably because of that, I want to read the other books in the series.

Blurb (First Grave on the Right): Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can't she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

Thoughts: Although I laughed while reading First Grave on the Right, the book did not work for me. I have read far better urban fantasy series. Besides, it is less actual detective work and more talking to ghosts.

Maybe the series warms up and the books that follow are brilliant. However, I don’t expect a drastic change in the setting of the story or its premise. So, I don’t want to read them.

The Bookshop of Yesterdays

Blurb:
A woman inherits a beloved bookstore and sets forth on a journey of self-discovery in this poignant debut about family, forgiveness and a love of reading.
Miranda Brooks grew up in the stacks of her eccentric Uncle Billy’s bookstore, solving the inventive scavenger hunts he created just for her. But on Miranda’s twelfth birthday, Billy has a mysterious falling-out with her mother and suddenly disappears from Miranda’s life. She doesn’t hear from him again until sixteen years later when she receives unexpected news: Billy has died and left her Prospero Books, which is teetering on bankruptcy—and one final scavenger hunt.

Thoughts:
Set largely in a bookstore, this charming novel by Amy Meyerson deals with identity, truth, and forgiveness. It is part drama and part mystery based on a family’s complicated past.

Although you might easily solve the mystery, the way it is done in the book is endearing and entertaining. The riddles, slowly solved by Miranda, are crafted creatively. 

The behaviour of some of the characters irritated me but I think they are pretty much like people in real life. So, I could overlook that and concentrate on the story. 

It is quite evident that Meyerson loves books and reading. The book is full of references to classic and popular books, such as The Tempest, Jane Eyre, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Frankenstein, Fear of Flying, Persuasion, The Grapes of Wrath, and Bridge to Terabithia. 

It also reminds you of the impact independent book stores have on readers and the community in general.

River's End

From the blurb: 

Olivia's parents were among Hollywood's golden couples…until the night a monster came and took her mother away forever. A monster with the face of her father...

Sheltered from the truth, an older Olivia only dimly recalls her night of terror—but her recurring nightmares make her realize she must piece together the real story. Assisted by Noah Brady, the son of the police detective who found her cowering in her closet so many years before, she may have her chance. Noah wants to reconstruct the night that has become an infamous part of Hollywood history. He also wants to help Olivia and heal the longing in her lonely heart. But once the door to her past is opened, there's no telling what's waiting on the other side. For somewhere, not too far away, the monster walks again... 

My thoughts:

This was my first ever audiobook. I picked the first title I fancied. Probably because I had no previous experience to compare it to, I liked the narration. The narrator changed her voice according to the characters, which was a pleasant surprise. 

I figured out the ending of the book. So, I could focus on the path/journey that led it there. Since it had great characters, romance, some mystery and wonderful descriptions, I enjoyed it. I would like to read (or listen to) other books by Nora Roberts.

Catch the Girl (Mercy Harbor #3)

Catch The Girl is the third book in the Mercy Harbor thriller series by Melinda Woodhall. I somehow finished the book because I had agreed to post a review in exchange for a free copy. 

Never again! The next time I face such a situation, I will mark DNF and move on. I will not read the fourth book in the series. 

This is not to say that the writing or the plot is bad. Either the genre is not right for me or the time I chose to read this series. That is all!

Note: BookSirens provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Girl Eight (Mercy Harbor #2)

Girl Eight is the second book in the Mercy Harbor thriller series by Melinda Woodhall. I started reading it in the hope that I would like it better than River Girls, the first book in the series. 

It had pretty much the same positive and negative points as River Girls. The only difference was that the victims here were young drug addicts instead of abused women. 

It was nice to see Leo and Eden’s relationship evolve. However, the lack of clarity about the villain’s motive was disappointing. 

Once again, I liked the plot and writing but not the book. 

Note: BookSirens provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. 

River Girls (Mercy Harbor #1)

When I first came upon The River Girls by MelindaWoodhall, I was excited because it was the first book in a thriller series (Mercy Harbor). I thought thrillers would give me the respite I wanted from the memoirs that I was reading in 2020. I was wrong.

Let me begin with the positives.

• The book had two strong female protagonists. Eden Winthrop who runs a shelter for abused women and detective Nessa Ainsley. Although Eden seemed fragile, she turned out to be strong in times of crisis. Nessa, the only female detective in her unit, was tough and dedicated. 
• The mystery was intriguing because of multiple plot threads. 
• The secondary characters were well-developed and helped move the story along.

However, I disliked the book probably because this was not the right time for me to read it.

The instances of innocent girls being abused—forcible use of illegal drugs, domestic violence, sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, human trafficking—were unbearable.
That some law enforcement officials were lackadaisical/corrupt/evil also added to it.

I was already reeling from an excess of fear, anger, and sadness. This book gave me no relief, no hope.

Note: BookSirens provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Never-Open Desert Diner

Re-published by Crown Publishing

First published by Caravel Books

Summary: Ben Jones, the hero of James Anderson’s novel, The Never-Open Desert Diner is abuot to lose his small trucking company. A single, thirty-eight-year-old truck driver, Ben’s route takes him back and forth across one of the most desolate and beautiful regions of the Utah desert.

The orphan son of a Native American father and a Jewish social worker, Ben is drawn into a love affair with a mysterious woman, Claire, who plays a cello in the model home of an abandoned housing development in the desert. Her appearance, seemingly out of nowhere, reignites a decades-old tragedy at a roadside café referred to by the locals as The Never-Open Desert Diner. The owner of the diner, Walt Butterfield, is an embittered and solitary old man who refuses to yield to change after his wife’s death.

Ben’s daily deliveries along the atmospheric and evocative desert highway bring him into contact with an eccentric cast of characters that includes: John, an itinerant preacher who drags a life-sized cross along the blazing roadside; the Lacey brothers, Fergus and Duncan, who live in boxcars mounted on cinderblocks; and Ginny, a pregnant and homeless punk teenager whose survival skills make her an unlikely heroine.

Ben’s job as a truck driver is more than a career; it is a life he loves. As he faces bankruptcy and the possible loss of everything that matters to him, he finds himself at the heart of a horrific crime that was committed forty years earlier and now threatens to destroy the lives of those left in its wake.

My thoughts: I loved this book. Unabashedly. It wrenched my heart right out of me at times though. The narrative was unsentimental, sometimes really dry. However, I was so involved in the story. 

When I reached halfway through the book, I realised why it seemed so familiar. The descriptions of the land, the characters and even some of the incidents reminded me of some of Louis L'Amour's books. This is high praise coming from me because L'Amour is one of my favourite authors. I feel very few writers can describe the landscape as well as him.

The thing I disliked about the book was that there were spelling errors (lighting instead of lightning in more than one place etc.). I hope they have been corrected.

Note: I received a copy from Caravel Books in exchange for a honest review when they published it in February 2015. I thank them for that. (Caravel Books is no longer selling the book as it has been re-published in 2016 by Crown Publishing.)