The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch - 1 Star!

On the coast of North Carolina, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, FBI agent Tiberius Granger must confront his own twisted past. And, since Bexley Hemmingway's sister has gone missing, she teams up with Tiberius to find her sister before it's too late.

After reading such good praise about this author, I thought it would be great to try out one of her novels. But after reading exactly three chapters I realized that this book wasn't for me. I was surprised that Harlequin published such dark stories. It's not for the faint of heart. It may tout itself as Christian and a mystery/romance, but it has elements of intense situations that remind me of horror novels. If you like horror or intense thrillers with a religious undertone, you may want to try this book. I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

 

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke - 5 Stars!

Juliette Winters is used to taking care of herself. She has no time for romance, or friendships. She's busy dominating the publishing world by single-handedly saving her company from financial ruin with the book deal of the century. Business magnate Warren Ellingham has guaranteed Juliette exclusive rights to his memoir that promises to expose the secrets of his exclusive country club, Pacific Pines. But when Warren is murdered and the memoir is stolen, Juliette starts an investigation and enlists the help of Charlie Hawkins, a hot doctor with a heart of gold. As the investigation heats up, so does the tension between Juliette and Charlie. But Juliette can't afford any distractions. If she doesn't uncover Warren's killer soon, the thing that was supposed to secure her future might just be the thing that ends it.

I love this author. I have read two of her books and both of them are laugh out loud funny. Juliet is a wonderful character full of quirks and idiosyncrasies that she tries to keep hidden so she can look perfect all the time. But her perfectionism catches up to her and the hijinks that ensues made me laugh time and time again. I love books that end happily and have a funny bone. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced Readers copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

 

A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets by Kate Khavari - 2 Stars!

London, 1923. Returning from Paris, botanical researcher Saffron Everleigh finds that her former love interest Alexander Ashton’s brother, Adrian, is being investigated for murder. Alexander asks Saffron to put in a good word for Adrian with Inspector Green. Despite her unresolved feelings for Alexander, Saffron begins investigating. When another murder occurs, Saffron agrees to go undercover at the government laboratory. Risking her career and her safety, she learns there are many secrets to uncover. But some secrets, Saffron will find, are better left undiscovered.

I hoped to like this historical mystery more than I did. I like the main characters, but the plot needs more action. It seemed to drag, and I became bored and put down the book. I want to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - 4 Stars!

In a peaceful retirement village, four friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a killing takes place on their doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty, but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

I felt so many emotions while reading this murder mystery. Many readers recommended this book to me. The mystery itself was well plotted and confounding to the point where I didn't know whodunit until the end. The characters were written with such a grace and had different idiosyncrasies, and I found them lovable and funny at times. But I also found them sad at times as well. These characters, although living in England, could be the old couple living down the street. Or the old gentleman who sits on the bench in my local park. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a bunch of interesting characters.

 

Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston - 4 Stars!

There’s been a murder at Elysium, a wellness retreat in an English country manor. You arrive to find the body of a local businessman on the lawn with a rose placed in his mouth. It appears he was stabbed with a gardening fork and fell to his death from the balcony above. But that balcony can only be accessed through a locked door, the key is missing, and everyone in Elysium is now a suspect.
Gather the evidence and examine the clues. Choose who to interview, and who to accuse as your prime suspect. Every decision you make has consequences and some of them will prove fatal. Do you have what it takes? Can YOU solve the murder?
This was one of the most interesting books I've read recently. It's an interactive novel where the reader is the detective and makes the decisions during the investigation. But there are pitfalls and dead ends that you have to watch out for. The one thing I thought was strange was that at the end you were scored by the clues you found. I thought that was a little too much. I like to read for relaxation, but it became more of a challenge with this book.

 

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose - 5 Stars!

Sarah Morgan is one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Washington, DC. With a perfect case record and having made named partner before the age of thirty-five, her life is going exactly as she planned. However, the same cannot be said for her husband, Adam, a failed author, who's grown to resent his wife's meteoric success as he feels it's come at the expense of their relationship. For almost two years, Adam has kept his affair with Kelly Summers a secret, but everything changes when her body is discovered at the couple's lake house and Adam is arrested on suspicion of murder. Sarah now finds herself facing her most challenging case yet when she vows to defend her husband--a man accused of murdering his mistress. While Adam is certainly guilty of sleeping with Kelly, is he guilty of killing her too?

This mystery thriller was so good that the first word out of my mouth after I closed the book was, "Wow!" I don't want to say too much because I will give the ending away and I don't want to do that. All of the characters were really well written with flaws and idiosyncrasies that make them disarmingly likable. The settings made me feel like I was standing in the courtroom in Washington DC or at a lake house on the shore observing. The best thing about this book though is the plot. Can't say this enough, Read this book! You won't regret it, especially if you like a good suspenseful mystery!

 

Murder at Sunset Rock by Debra Webb - 4 Stars!

Olivia Ballard came home to bury her grandfather and found out he was murdered. She needs help investigating and Huck Monroe, Sunset Cove’s new deputy detective, is helping her. She wishes he didn't break her heart. Huck wants to help her and have another chance with her. Can they find the truth and heal their broken hearts?
This was an intense romantic mystery filled with twists and turns, and a romance that kept me turning the pages until the very end. I loved the camaraderie between the two main characters, and how they used their wits and intelligence to solve this mystery together. I will definitely read another story from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin romance for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

 

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari - 2 stars!

  

In 1920s London, research assistant Saffron Everleigh is working at the University College of London. Saffron is researching and traveling the countryside with Dr. Michael Lee in response to reports of poisonings. When Detective Inspector Green is given a case with a set of unusual clues, he asks for Saffron’s assistance. Can she figure out the clues to find the culprit?

I wanted to like this mystery more, but I couldn't get into it. The pacing was slow, and the story didn't hold my interest. It seemed too disconnected from the first story as another male character was introduced, and the original male character was sent traveling. I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity of reading this advanced reader's copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Baby-sitters' Fright Night by Ann M. Martin - 3 Stars!

 

When the Baby-sitters visit Salem, they learn the mystery of the Witch's Eye, a famous diamond that has been stolen from a local museum. When they launch an investigation, they fear they have become cursed.
This was my first foray into the Baby-sitters' Club books. And it was a great story and kept me interested in finding out about the stolen diamond. The main characters were very likable. The only problem was that there were too many of them. It became confusing, and I couldn't tell the difference between some of the main characters.

Another Murder, She Wrote Mystery!

 

By the Time You Read This I'll Be Gone by Stephanie Kuehn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This young adult cozy mystery is full of intrigue and suspense. But I felt that the character was too young for me to enjoy it. She was scared to do certain things that I thought could help her figure out the mystery faster. The solution to the mystery seemed to be a little out of left field. It wasn't what I suspected. Lastly, I wish there was more Jessica Fletcher in the story.

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Enola Holmes Saves The Day!

 

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of Sherlock, is living independently in London and working as a scientific perditorian (a finder of persons and things). But that is not the normal lot of young women in Victorian England. They are under the near absolute control of their nearest male relative until adulthood. Such is the case of Enola's friend, Lady Cecily Alastair. And when Enola is turned away at the door of the Alastair home it becomes apparent that Lady Cecily needs her help. Affecting a bold escape, Enola takes Lady Cecily to her secret office only to be found by the person hired by Lady Cecily's mother to find the missing girl—Sherlock Holmes himself. But the girl has disappeared, now on her own in the unforgiving city of London. Even worse, Lady Cecily has a secret. She has dual personalities—one, which is left-handed, and independent and competent; the other is right-handed and meek and mild. Now Enola must find Lady Cecily before one of her personalities gets her into more trouble than she can handle and before Sherlock can find her and return her to her father. Once again, for Enola, the game is afoot.
This historical mystery is a fun read that will keep you turning the pages until the end. Enola is on equal footing as a sleuth as her older brother, Sherlock. She is clever, resourceful, daring, and understands people more than she should for her age. Like her brother, Enola also has informants and helpers, such as a cab driver and the other ladies at her lodgings. These characters are fully formed and add nuance to the historical setting of this story. The plot is interesting and shows the need that Enola has to connect with people. The ending seemed a little sad and felt like a conclusion. I certainly hope that there are more stories coming in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.


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A Wonderful Not-So-Cozy Mystery!

 

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is a quiet, tranquil place until a woman's terrified scream is heard. Security guards instruct everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning, it just happens that one is a murderer.
This is the best mystery I’ve read this year, so far. I love the way the novel was written. The story within the story was very intriguing, and kept me wondering what would happen next. I loved how the subjects of race and the Coronavirus pandemic was addressed. The characters were shown through their actions and behaviors, not just by their looks. The suspense kept me at the edge of my seat. There was a little on the page violence and sex in the book. I recommend it to everyone who loves a great mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my honest opinion.


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Mystery and Romance New Releases For June 2022!

 Here are my recommendations from June's New Releases in Romance and Mystery:

Peril at Pennington Manor by Tracy Gardner, published on June 7th

Death by Beach Read by Eva Gates, published on June 7th

Dead of Spring by Samantha Wilde, published on June 7th

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill, published on June 7th

A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert, published on June 7th

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari, published on June 7th

The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club by Lynn Cahoon, published on June 14th

Killers of a Feather by T. C. LoTempio, published on June 21st

His Prisoner by Misty Winters, published on June 25th

A Hint of Mischief by Daryl Wood Gerber, published on June 28th

Up All Night with a Good Duke by Amy Rose Bennett, published on June 28th

Cowboy Wolf Outlaw by Kait Ballenger, published on June 28th

Donut Disturb by Ellie Alexander, published on June 28th

All of these wonderful books will give you a Happy June!

Book Review!

 

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1923, Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant at the University College in London, attends a dinner party. She’s shocked when one of the professors’ wives drops to the floor, and is found to be poisoned. Now, Saffron has to find the truth before the wrong professor goes behind bars forever.
This is a very good mystery. Saffron is a very likeable character who strives to make it in a male-dominated world. She’s driven by the love and previous work of her father. The historical setting was very interesting to read about. I liked the plot, although it seemed drawn out and a little boring at times. It’s definitely not a cozy due to some violent scenes. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.


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Book Review!

 

The Problem Child by Michael Buckley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Published in 2006. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm come from a long line of fairy-tale detectives. There is one mystery they want to solve above all others: Who kidnapped their parents? Sabrina finds the secret hideaway of the Scarlet Hand, which is a group of Everafters who are holding her parents captive. When she tries to rescue her mom and dad, she's thwarted by the most famous fairy-tale character in the world. With the help of her little sister and a long-lost relative, Sabrina finds a powerful weapon, but discovers that magic comes at a high price.
This middle grade mystery was very disappointing. Even though the characters were interesting, and the plot was good, it didn't hold my interest. I set the book down for two days and only picked it up to finish it. I also felt there was too much negativity between certain characters. I loved the previous books in this series. This one just fell short in my opinion.

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