All Dressed Up
In All Dressed Up, Becca is surprised to find her husband, Blake, has invited her to a murder mystery weekend in an authentic old mansion. Blake is trying to take Becca’s mind off his fling with his secretary. After all, she did agree to try and make their marriage work.Continue Reading
Don’t Let In the Cold
I haven’t read a novel where I really wanted to the slap the main character in years. But Don’t Let In the Cold is that kind of book. Lottie is a troubled seventeen-year-old who is tasked with watching her brand new fifteen-year-old stepsister Jade for one night in an isolatedContinue Reading
Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade
Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade is the eighth book in the series of books about Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. In this book, Enola tries to help her friend, Cecily, escape her father’s clutches. Cecily was kidnapped in an earlier book in the series. She is now not a marketableContinue Reading
Has Anyone Seen My Toes?
Has Anyone Seen My Toes? is a humor book about the South. I was expecting a more erudite and classier (but still funny) Dave Barry. What I got was feeling trapped in a brain so weird it made me feel normal—and I have ADHD. The author is what we usedContinue Reading
Easy Watercolor
After reading Easy Drawing, I was worried that Easy Watercolor would also start at an intermediate level. I didn’t need to worry. This book is truly a beginner’s guide. Not only does the book include instructions for creating watercolor paintings of objects, animals, portraits, and landscapes, it begins at theContinue Reading
Easy Drawing
Easy Drawing is the perfect book for someone already familiar with basic drawing techniques like shadowing and coloring. It may not be the best choice for a complete beginner as the quick escalation of skills might be intimidating. However, Easy Drawing is the perfect book for someone like me whoContinue Reading
Daisy Darker
The setting of Daisy Darker setting is pure Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. A family is celebrating their matriarch’s birthday on a remote island. There is no way to return to the mainland, or even contact the police, when someone is murdered. The guests must race to findContinue Reading
Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England
Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England commits a common sin in histories of culture. It is overloaded with names and dates. Perhaps if I was related to the people mentioned, I would find that revelatory. Unfortunately, I just found it boring. However, the conclusions were interesting. One in six childrenContinue Reading
The Spear Cuts Through Water
I started with low expectations about this book. While I love science fiction, I’m finicky about my fantasy. If anything takes me out of the story’s world, it ruins the book for me. But I didn’t need to worry. The Spear Cuts Through Water is excellent! A completely different takeContinue Reading
Let’s Draw Sea Creatures
Usually, I pick up books to review based on what I think my blog readers might like to read. However, this week I chose three books just because I wanted to read them. My beach-themed family room needs some decorations so I thought I would begin a new hobby whileContinue Reading
Retail Gangster
I’m not even from the East Coast but I remember Crazy Eddie from the satires of him on Saturday Night Live. I never heard that his whole empire was based on scams until I read Retail Gangster. As a former internal auditor, I found this book a hoot! You canContinue Reading
Peanut Butter Panic
In Peanut Butter Panic, Bailey is catering the desserts for a new village Thanksgiving celebration. But when the boyfriend of the celebration organizer’s mother dies from an allergic peanut reaction, Bailey must prove that her family’s sweet shop didn’t accidently kill him toot sweet. I always look forward to readingContinue Reading
Big Red
Big Red is a reimagining of the life story of Rita Hayward through the eyes of a fictional sexually fluid female would-be gossip reporter, and part time spy for Rita’s boss, Rusty. In real life Rita had an interesting life. This book reads like a Hollywood scandal sheet version hypingContinue Reading
A Cornish Recipe for Murder
A Cornish Recipe for Murder is a charming cozy mystery set at a reality cooking show. Former police officer Jodie “Nosey” Parker is hoodwinked into being a contestant on a British baking show. But she has more to worry about than her chocolate ganache when a dead body is foundContinue Reading
Tour Guest Post Lethal Legacies
Author Guest Post Perfect Setting for a Murder Colleen Shogan When I was starting to create the plot of Lethal Legacies, I knew that I wanted history to play a major role. In the book, my protagonist and amateur sleuth, Kit Marshall, is part of a team responsible for organizingContinue Reading
The Life of Crime
I love the introductions written by this author for the golden age mysteries published by British Library Crime Classics, but they always leave me wanting more. This book, The Life of Crime, includes all the details and backstories I have been wanting on famous, and not so famous, mystery writers.Continue Reading