What I'm Reading - March 5

I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Print Book:

The Wolf Tree by Laura McLuskey - This is the first book I've read by this author and so far I'm enjoying it fairly well.  My main issue is that it's written in present tense which always annoys me a little bit.

Ebook: 

Puzzled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton - This is the newest in a long running cozy series and it's a quirky bit of fun so far!

Slow Read:  

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber - This is a reread but I flew through it the first time I read it and didn't remember much about it.  

Audio Book: 

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon - I'm enjoying this one and am enjoying it but it's a bit slow so far.  I'm at about 30% and want to find out what happens but do wish it would pick up a bit.

What are you reading today?

My March Mystery Madness and Middle Grade March Readathon Lists - If I was Participating

I watch a lot of YouTube and Middle Grade March and March Mystery Madness are getting talked about quite a bit.  I love the idea of themed reading but am not so great about doing it but if I WAS better about doing it here's 5 for each that I would read

March Mystery Madness:

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan -I've heard good things about this author and this one is the beginning of a series that looks good.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston - This one is more thriller than mystery but looks like a lot of fun and super twisty.

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann - This looks cozy and quirky and like a lot of fun.

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves - I have Ann Cleeves on my To Read list for this year and this is the first of the Vera books.

A Game of Lies by Claire Mackintosh - I've read a book by this author and really enjoyed it and have been wanting to read more.

Middle Grade March:

The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson - I can't resist the title but the premise sounds good too!

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: Peril at Owl Park by Marthe Jocelyn - I really loved the first book in this series about a young Agatha Christie (very loosely based) and am looking forward to continuing with it.

How I Became a Spy by Deborah Hopkinson - I know nothing about this one but somehow it landed on my TBR.  The premise looks intriguing and I'm looking forward to picking this one up.

Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery - This is one of my favorite lesser known Montgomery books and I really want to reread it soon.

The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George - I've read other books by this author and loved them.  This looks like a fun series and one I'd like to try.

What would be on your readathon lists?

Reading What I Want 2025 - Long Time Gone + Nosy Neighbors

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  Here are two that I've read recently.

Goodreads:  Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea

Blurb: Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger.

When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, her goal is to better understand the treasure-trove of genetic information contained on ancestry websites. Brilliant and driven, Sloan is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty.

Sloan has one reservation about involving herself in the she’s adopted. Grateful for a loving home, she’s never considered tracking down her biological parents. The results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte”, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case.

Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison County, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating the case her disappearance.

Slowly, over the course of a stifling summer, Sloan begins getting to know her relatives. Though initially welcoming, the Margolis family is also mysterious and tight-lipped. Not everyone seems happy about Sloan’s return, or the questions she’s asking. And the more she and Eric learn, the more apparent it becomes that the answers they both seek are buried in a graveyard of Margolis family secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden—no matter who else has to die…

My Thoughts:  I really liked this mystery and it definitely kept me reading.  The pacing was blazing fast and the short chapters kept me reading far later into the night than I originally planned.  I liked Sloan and Eric Stamos.  I also liked that Sloan's parents weren't vilified.    The end had me basically holding my breath to see how it played out.  There's was one part of the solution that was stretched the believability to a little past breaking but since the conclusion overall made sense it didn't bother me too much.  This is my 2nd book by this author and I'm really looking forward to reading more.  My Rating; Really Liked It

Goodreads:  Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

Blurb: Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past.
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House’s longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there’s a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors—a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home.

When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it's up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice.

My Thoughts:  This was fun and heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once.  The stars of the book are Kat and Dorothy (and Ernie the dog but he is just pretty happy to be there from the beginning of the book to the end).  From the outside the two women couldn't be more different but on the inside they're more than a little alike.  I loved getting to know all the residents of Shelley House and how they all came together though it wasn't always in the most traditional of senses.  I really enjoyed getting to know Kat and Dorothy more even though they frustrated me a bit at times.  This was an enjoyable read - my first by this author but not the last.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

This Week in Reading - March 2

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea - Super excited about this one.  I've really enjoyed all the previous books I've read by this author. (Publisher)

Puzzled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton - I really enjoy this cozy series so I'm looking forward this newest book. (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  Beach Vibes by Susan Mallery and All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

Listening:  Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

This has been a crazy few weeks and I haven't been as intentional about getting some restorative cozy time each week as I hoped. I'm taking this week to take a breath, reset and refocus.  I did make dinner reservations for last night at a new restaurant in town I really enjoyed the one time I tried and I'm planning on making reservations at another new restaurant that I've been wanting to try.  I figure that's a start in the right direction for intentionally doing things I enjoy and planning something to look forward to each week.

I hope everyone has a great week and happy reading!

The Thirteen Problems - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:   The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie

Rating: Loved It (5 Stars) 
Source:   Purchased

Description:  The Tuesday Night Club is the name for a varied group of guests who challenge each other to solve recent, and not so recent, crimes. It begins one evening when the group gathers at Miss Marple’s house and the conversation turns to unsolved crimes. Over the weeks, we learn about the case of the dripping bloodstains, the thief who committed his crime twice over, the message from the death-bed of a poisoned man who talked of a 'heap of fish’, the strange case of the missing will, and a spiritualist who warned that ‘Blue Geraniums’ meant death.

Pit your wits against the powers of deduction of the ‘Tuesday Night Club’. But don't forget that Miss Marple is present. Sometime later, many of the same people are present at a dinner given by Colonel and Dolly Bantry. Another set of six problems. Even later there's a thirteenth. Can you match Miss Marple's performance?  *Also published as The Tuesday Club Murders

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the February pick for the Read Christie 2025 Challenge

My Impression: I was so excited when I saw this on the Read Christie list as it is one of my favorite Christie books.  This is a collection of short stories - 13 to be precise - where a group of people discuss mysterious situations that they have heard of and been involved in and the rest of the group tries to guess the solution.  For the bulk of the stories Miss Marple's supercilious writer nephew is present and quite sure he has a superior knowledge of human nature. Also present is usually an artist named Joan and a high up police official and then there's a collection of doctors and artists and other respectable people.  Always present, usually knitting and always underestimated is Miss Jane Marple.  

This is an interesting collection of mysteries - from small domestic crimes to splashy scandalous murders to a con or two.  I love the interactions of the different characters and this gives shows just how Miss Marple becomes so admired by the police.  It's a fun quick read told with an evening by the fire storytelling feel.  It would be fantastic read one story at a time (though works well as a one sitting read) and is a fantastic way to meet Miss Marple.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  I'm looking forward to the March read and will always enjoy a Christie reread.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely!  This is enjoyable collection of short story mysteries for Christie fans and those new to Christie. 

Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong - This is the second book in the Rockton series and wow are things not going well.  While going after a man who has bolted into the woods Will and Casey find themselves stuck in a snowstorm and then rescuing a woman who had been given up for dead some time before. The mystery is a compelling multi-faceted one that really pulled me in.  I did guess some of what was happening before Casey but was completely hooked on figuring it out.  The mystery was resolved in a satisfactory manner and several issues came to light that I'm looking forward to seeing further explored.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters - This didn't quite have the Gothic-y goodness of Peters' books under the Barbara Michaels names but it was a fun dash through Copenhagen.  I liked Elizabeth and Christian together.  They have very different personalities and Christian comes off as pretty insufferable at the beginning but as the book goes on I could kind of understand his stiffness.  This is a fun read with some history and quite a bit of hijinks.  It's a light read when you're in the mood for something interesting but not high stress.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

3.  The Party Line by Carolyn Brown - This is the first book I've read by this author but I really enjoyed it.  Lila is a very likable main character.  She's compassionate and intelligent and just nice.  I really enjoyed her relationship with her mother and with Jasper.  I also really enjoyed seeing her come to terms with her relationship with her Aunt Gracie now that her aunt is gone as she tries to respect her aunt's privacy and learn more about her.  The secret is a bit anti-climatic and I would have loved for more exploring the house but I enjoyed the characters and their journey more than enough to make up for it.  My Rating; Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn - This was my first slow read of the year and has been on my TBR since it came out.  Overall, I liked it.  Nunn's food writing and her ability to connect food to relationships is really wonderful.  Her figuring out how to grieve for her brother, deal with her family, and live her own life was a sometimes uneven but authentic feeling journey with lots of food.  Nunn's family is perhaps the most dysfunctional unlikable family I have ever read about and I could definitely understand why she is the way she is.  I don't think she's someone I'd want to be friends with her but I do wish her well.  This is also a book I'm very glad I read one chapter at a time as I think it worked better in small bites and would have been a bit grating or monotonous if I had read more at once.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

5.  Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleyaps - I am slowly rereading the Hathaway series and very much enjoying it.  This is the 2nd book featuring 2nd sister Win and Merripin - a Romany man who has lived with the family since he was a child.  Merripin has perhaps the worst childhood of any fictional character I've ever read about - not because he is Romany but because of who raised him.  I sympathized with him and liked Win quite a bit but what made me really enjoy this book is the side characters.  Win's brother, Leo is perhaps my favorite and made me laugh a number of times.  As well the rest of the Hathaway family is fun and unexpected but also intelligent and empathetic.  I also liked that more of Cam and Merripin's story is explored.  If you enjoy historical romance this is a good series and one I am looking forward to rereading as I remember very little of it from the first read.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - The Garden of Small Beginnings

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

Blurb:  Lilian Girvan has been a single mother for three years—ever since her husband died in a car accident. One mental breakdown and some random suicidal thoughts later, she’s just starting to get the hang of this widow thing. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work, and watch TV like a pro. The only problem is she’s becoming overwhelmed with being underwhelmed.
At least her textbook illustrating job has some perks—like actually being called upon to draw whale genitalia. Oh, and there’s that vegetable-gardening class her boss signed her up for. Apparently, being the chosen illustrator for a series of boutique vegetable guides means getting your hands dirty, literally. Wallowing around in compost on a Saturday morning can’t be much worse than wallowing around in pajamas and self-pity.

After recruiting her kids and insanely supportive sister to join her, Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles botanical garden feeling out of her element. But what she’ll soon discover—with the help of a patient instructor and a quirky group of gardeners—is that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not…

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I read another book by this author last year that I really loved and I really want to make sure that I read more from her.  This has been on my shelf for quite some and it looks good.