Books from the Backlog - Walking on My Grave

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:  Walking on My Grave by Carolyn Hart

Blurb:  In the latest Death on Demand Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Go Home book seller Annie Darling learns murder and money go hand in hand...
Annie’s friend and fellow shop owner Ves Roundtree is a very wealthy woman. Her rich brother entrusted her with his estate and upon her death, his fortune is to be divided. Several cash-strapped islanders are in line to collect life-changing inheritances. The problem is, Ves is very much alive.

She hosts a dinner for the prospective beneficiaries and feels a chill in the air that has nothing to do with the wintry season. Not long after, Ves suffers a bad fall that was no accident. Everyone at the table had a motive but not a shred of evidence was left behind.

When one of the suspects is found floating in the harbor and Ves disappears, Annie and her husband Max spring into action to catch a calculating killer before greed takes another life.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This is a long running series that I'm not sure I've ever read and this one sounds good.

The Sweeny Sisters - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan

Rating:  Really Liked it!
Source: Publisher

Description:  Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.
But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.

When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.

Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I love a story about sisters and family secrets so of course I couldn't resist this one!

My Impression:  Apparently April is the month of new sister discovered through DNA results books.  This is the 2nd one that I've read this month and while this one had a completely different feel I think I enjoyed it just as much! 

The Sweeney sisters were expecting it to be a tough summer with dealing with the fallout from the unexpected death of their father.  They weren't expecting extensive financial issues, a missing manuscript, and even worse a sister they never knew existed.  Dolan kept a good balance of making the sisters' reactions and relationships seem authentic without too much wallowing or grudge holding which may be realistic but gets a bit tedious to read. 

I really felt connected to Liza, Tricia, and Serena and while I didn't care for Maggie as much I still felt like I understood her even if she annoyed me.  While this wasn't the most shocking unpredictible book it was one that I really enjoyed.  I connected with the characters and genuinely wanted good things for them.  If you enjoy family stories that are a bit messy without being to angsty, where things aren't perfect but not dreary this is a fantastic read.  For me, it was a fantastic bit of escape and this is an author whose books I'll be picking up in the future.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I really enjoyed this one and will be looking for more books from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy family stories that aren't to grim or dreary but also aren't super fluffy, this is one I think you'll really enjoy.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

First Chapter/First Paragraph Tuesday Intro - Sisters of Summer's End

Today I'm linking up with Socrates' Book Reviews for First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros.  This is a meme I've been following for quite sometime and always enjoyed seeing all the different first paragraphs so I'm really excited to be linking up myself!

Goodreads:  Sisters of Summer's Edge (Summer Resort #2) by Lori Foster

First Paragraph:
After dropping her son off at school, Joy Lee returned to Cooper's Charm, the RV resort where she worked and lived.  It was backtracking since she had an appointment near the school later this morning but it wouldn't do show up a half hour early.

My Thoughts: Not the most fascinating beginning but I hate when the timing goes like that.  There's not enough time to do anything but too much time to just wait.

I love how summery the cover is and I've been wanting to read this one since it came out last year.

The Summer Villa - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill

Rating: Not For Me
Source: Publisher

Description:  Villa Dolce Vita, a rambling stone house on the Amalfi Coast, sits high above the Gulf of Naples amid dappled lemon groves and fragrant, tumbling bougainvillea. Kim, Colette and Annie all came to the villa in need of escape and in the process forged an unlikely friendship.
Now, years later, Kim has transformed the crumbling house into a luxury retreat and has invited her friends back for the summer to celebrate.

But as friendships are rekindled under the Italian sun, secrets buried in the past will come to light, and not everyone is happy that the three friends are reuniting… Each woman will have things to face up to if they are all to find true happiness and fully embrace the sweet life.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  Friendships in Italy and that gorgeous cover made this one hard to resist!

My Impression:  Judging from the reviews on Goodreads I'm very much in the minority in not really enjoying this particular book.  And I can definitely see why people enjoyed this.  It definitely pulls you in quickly and I found it to be one of those books that I easily flew through.  The characters were fairly well developed and the world they inhabited was really brought to life.  All three women were at low spots when they met and watching the friendship develop was really nice.

Sounds great right?  And I can definitely understand all those 4 star ratings.  But here's what kept me from feeling the same.  I didn't really like any of them - except maybe Colette.  And even worse I didn't feel like any of the characters really progressed or dealt with their issues when we see them in the "Now" chapters.  I don't mind not liking a character at the beginning of the book but by the end I need to like them more for me to really enjoy it and I need to feel like their lives really improved.  The author alternates "Then" and "Now" right from the beginning so we see that while their lives may have changed they haven't really changed themselves and are falling into the same old issues.  I wanted growth and an increased happiness and just didn't feel like I got that.  I also wasn't super in love with getting the "Now" quite so early in the book as I felt like it kept me from focusing on the story of how the three women got to be friends and dealt with their first set of issues.

This is a quick light read and some of my issues could have been my mood but for the most part this just wasn't the book I wanted it to be.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would try another book by this author as I did find her writing style really easy to read even if I did't like the characters.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I'm not sure.  A lot of people really seem to enjoy this book and I did find it easy to read but I think you have to be more okay with some challenging characters.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - April 26

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:

Nothing!  And this is impressive because I've been doing some major quarantine shopping lately.

Currently:

Reading: Digging Up the Dirt by Miranda James, finishing up A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, and The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan

Listening:  A little over halfway done with Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell and enjoying it.

Watching:  We are kind of between shows right now.  We tried a few things that didn't quite click with us so I'm looking for the next British crime show.

Off the Blog:

New week same story.  We are still under a stay at home order and things are still progressing as usual.  The Tornado is homeschooled anyway so school is progressing as normal though we are both dearly missing his co-op classes and the library clubs.  My husband is still working from home which actually works really well for us and I'll be kind of sad when that part ends.

My mother found toilet paper at Costco and picked me up a pack because we were starting to run low.  I traded her some face masks for them because the world is weird.

I actually left the house to go to two doctors appointments this week for the first time in over a month.  It was strange being alone but kind of nice to be out.  Masks were required at both doctors' offices and I probably would have worn one anyway.  I'm not a fan.  My face was about 200 degrees and my eyelashes kept getting stuck in the top of the mask when I was looking down to fill out paperwork.

I made this chicken dish from Cookies and Cups for dinner and remembered why it was a favorite.

I made a cake with this cream cheese frosting from Five Heart Home.  Cream cheese frosting will always be better then buttercream in my opinion and this was pretty good!

What have you been doing this week?  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  Who Speaks for the Damned - Historical Mystery
Tuesday:  First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Clocks
Wednesday: One Perfect Summer - Fiction Review
Thursday:  Books from the Backlog - Cheerful Money
Friday:  Friday Fives - Middle Grade Books on My Read Aloud List
Saturday:  Cat Among the Pigeons - Classic Mystery Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  The Summer Villa - Fiction Review

Tuesday:  First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

Wednesday:  The Sweeny Sisters - Fiction Review

Thursday:  Books from the Backlog

Friday:  Friday Fives

Saturday:  April Reading Recap

Have a great week and happy reading!  

Cat Among the Pigeons - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

Rating:  Loved It! 
Source: Purchased

Description:  When what looks like an amorous assignation turns out to be an assignation of quite a different sort, a globetrotting murderer leads Hercule Poirot on a breathless chase from a revolution-torn Arab sheikdom to a very respectable English school for young ladies.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I love Agatha Christie and her mysteries are perfect escapist reading.

My Impression:  Oh this is a fun one!  There's a bit of locked door, a bit of espionage, and a bit of just solid classic mystery all in the setting of a famous British Girls school with a fabulous head mistress and a dash of Poirot.  This book was published in 1959 and is at the tail end of her strongest writing period.  By the mid-1960s or so her plotting starts to lose its edge and things get a bit confusing.  However, in this one the details are still sharp and while there are many threads every detail is clear and concise.  I hadn't read this one in quite some time and had forgotten many of the ins and outs and I could not wait to find out just what was going on and who was behind of the mayhem at Meadowbank.  Poirot doesn't have the biggest presence in the book and while he is the perfect vehicle for wrapping everything else the progress of the story doesn't lag because he isn't around.

Like all of Christie's books there is no real order and her mysteries can be enjoyed in any order!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  I will always gladly pick up a Christie book!

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely!  This was a really fun read and a solid mystery.

Friday Fives - Five Middle Grade Books on My List for Read-Alouds

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  Michelle over at Because Reading is Better Than Real Life   used to do a Five on Fridays that I always enjoyed and I've seen a few other variations on the theme.  As well I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd give start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. I'm also going to start linking up with Kathryn over at Book Date for her Connect Five.  One of the things I'm missing the most right now is my library!  It's my go to for middle grade books and right now I'm kind of scrambling to find read-alouds for my ten year old that he would enjoy from books I currently have sitting around the house.  Here are 5 that are on my list.

1.  The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright - Not only is this a personal favorite but I think he will be shocked by the amount of freedom the kids have which will be fun.  Plus, I do think he'll enjoy it.

2.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - I have no idea what he'll think of this one as it is definitely a bit old fashioned but it's worth a try.

3.  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis - He really enjoyed The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and we all really liked the movie so I think this would be a good read.  I know I should probably pick up Prince Caspian before this one but honestly Caspian was pretty dull so I'm tempted to skip it and go straight to this sea-faring adventure.

4.  Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey - This was one of my favorite books as a kid and I think he'll enjoy both the antics of the big family but the antics of Frank Gilbreth Sr.

5.  Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright - I didn't discover this one as a kid but it's a favorite read as an adult.  I think he'd enjoy it and once again would be seriously surprised at the amount of freedom these kids have.

Books from the Backlog - Cheerful Money

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:  Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of WASP Splendor by Tad Friend

Blurb:  Tad Friend's family is nothing if not illustrious: his father was president of Swarthmore College, and at Smith his mother came in second in a poetry contest judged by W.H. Auden--to Sylvia Plath. For centuries, Wasps like his ancestors dominated American life. But then, in the '60s, their fortunes began to fall. As a young man, Tad noticed that his family tree, for all its glories, was full of alcoholics, depressives, and reckless eccentrics. Yet his identity had already been shaped by the family's age-old traditions and expectations. Part memoir, part family history, and part cultural study of the long swoon of the American Wasp, Cheerful Money is a captivating examination of a cultural crack-up and a man trying to escape its wreckage.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I wanted to buy this when I first saw it right after it came out but didn't but then I stumbled on it used and thought it looked so interesting but of course that was years ago and I still haven't read it!

One Perfect Summer - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

Rating:  Really Liked It!
Source: Publisher

Description:  When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for 23andMe, she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover two half sisters she didn't know existed. Suddenly, everything about her loving family is drawn into question. And meeting these newfound sisters might be the only way to get answers.
Serenity has always found solace at her family's Lake Tahoe cabin, so what better place for the three women to dig into the mystery that has shaken the foundation each of them was raised on? With Reagan navigating romantic politics at her New York City advertising firm, and Lorelei staring down the collapse of her marriage, all three women are converging at a crossroads in their lives. Before the summer is over, they'll have to confront the paths they walked to get there and determine how to move forward when everything they previously thought to be true was a lie.

But any future is easier to face with family by your side.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  The blurb was too good to resist.  I actually know someone who had this happen to them and it was crazy to watch it all come out.  As well I'm a sucker for any book even vaguely connected with genealogy.

My Impression:  If you are looking for a total escapist read that will suck you in and distract you for a bit then this is one you might want to pick up.  I've had a complicated relationship with Brenda Novak - I always like her writing but sometimes her characters or her story lines have a bit too much ick for me.  I feel like the stars aligned for this one.  Not only was Novak's fast paced pull you in writing present but I liked the characters and the plot had me hooked.

The three sisters have PROBLEMS.  Like really dreadful no easy answer problems.  Each has their own personal decisions to make and consequences to face as well as figuring out who they are to each other and just how they're related.  The latter mystery did fall to the side quite a bit as the sisters got to know each other but I was perfectly okay with that as I was just as invested in the sisters' relationship as I was with figuring out how they were connected.  The ending isn't all nicely wrapped up with a bow but it was satisfying and I was sad to see the last of the characters.

This was  a book I read curled up in the living room with all kinds of stuff happening around me because I just wanted to read a little more.  And it was a book I finished about 1AM because I just wanted to see how it ended!  It was a welcome bit of distraction and an enjoyable read.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I would definitely pick up another book featuring this character and I'll be on the lookout for more of this author's standalone fiction titles.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely!  If you enjoy fiction that focuses on friendships and family then I think you would enjoy this one.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Clocks

Today I'm linking up with Socrates' Book Reviews for First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros.  This is a meme I've been following for quite sometime and always enjoyed seeing all the different first paragraphs so I'm really excited to be linking up myself!

Goodreads:  The Clocks by Agatha Christie

First Chapter/First Paragraph:

Colin Lamb's Narrative:

To use police terms: at 2:59 on September 9th, I was proceeding along Wilbraham Crescent in a westerly direction.  It was my first introduction to Wilbraham Crescent, and frankly Wlibraham Crescent had me baffled.

My Thoughts:  So not the most enticing beginning but I do love how frustrated he is by Wilbraham Crescent.  I'm not particularly great at directions so I'm often befuddled by confusing streets or blocks.

Who Speaks for the Damned - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Who Speaks for the Damned (Sebastian St. Cyr #15) by C.S. Harris

Rating:  Really Liked It!
Source: Publisher

Description: It's June 1814, and the royal families of Austria, Russia, and the German states have gathered in London at the Prince Regent's invitation to celebrate the defeat of Napoléon and the restoration of monarchical control throughout Europe. But the festive atmosphere is marred one warm summer evening by the brutal murder of a disgraced British nobleman long thought dead.
Eighteen years before, Nicholas Hayes, the third son of the late Earl of Seaford, was accused of killing a beautiful young French émigré and transported to Botany Bay for life. Even before his conviction, Hayes had been disowned by his father. Few in London were surprised when they heard the ne'er-do-well had died in New South Wales in 1799. But those reports were obviously wrong. Recently Hayes returned to London with a mysterious young boy in tow--a child who vanishes shortly after Nicholas's body is discovered.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is drawn into the investigation by his valet, Jules Calhoun. With Calhoun's help, Sebastian begins to piece together the shattered life of the late Earl's ill-fated youngest son. Why did Nicholas risk his life and freedom by returning to England? And why did he bring the now-missing young boy with him? Several nervous Londoners had reason to fear that Nicholas Hayes had returned to kill them. One of them might have decided to kill him first.

Genre: Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read the last few and really enjoyed them and the blurb on this one really caught my attention.

My Impression:  This book started off with one of my major book deal breakers - a child in peril.  But I've really liked the previous books so I decided to trust the author.  I took a deep breath and continued on and I'm so glad I did.  For those that are sensitive to this particular topic like I am let me just say which I don't think will be a spoiler or ruin the mystery - it really is okay and you'll be happy with the way everything works out.

This was quite an intriguing mystery.  Even more then halfway through I had so many questions and no real hint.  Who had killed Nicholas?  Why had Nicholas really come back to England?  What had really happened all those years ago?  And just who was Nicholas really?  While I had no clue I desperately wanted to know more and really enjoyed diving into the story each time I picked up the book. 

I really enjoy this series.  It's a bit darker then a cozy with more of a procedural mystery feel but I've never found it to get too grizzly.  It reminds me a bit of Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby series but with less emotional focus on the main characters.  While I think you can read this series starting at this book I do recommend you start at the beginning or at least closer to the beginning as both Sebastian and his wife Hero have some complicated relationships. 

If you're looking for a solid historical mystery with a good pace and a plot that keeps you picking up the book I don't think you could go wrong with this series!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I really want to go back and pick up the earlier books that I've missed and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy historical mysteries - or just a good mystery in general I think you would love this series.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - April 19

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:

These are all from a BookOutlet order I made a few weeks ago.  This was my first ever order from them but it won't be my last!

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home by Denise Kiernan - We visited the Biltmore almost 20 years ago and I've wanted to go back ever since.  The house is fascinating and I'd really like to know more about the people who lived there.

Missing! Mysterious Cases of People Gone Missing Through the Centuries by Brenda Z. Guiberson - I didn't realize this was a children's book when I ordered it but that doesn't make it look any less fascinating and it might be fun to read with my 10 year old.

Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright - Enright is one of my favorite middle grade authors and this is the only one I haven't read so when I saw it on Book Outlet I figured it was a sign.

A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable - An apartment closed up for years and secrets of the past landed this one on my TBR.  I can't wait to read it.

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber - I love this series so I figured I should start from the beginning!

The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams - This was the book that put Beatriz Williams on my TBR map though I know I was late to the party there.  This one looks wonderful!

Blood Brother by Nora Roberts - This was one of the few Roberts series I never read.  When it came out I wasn't reading anything that even vaguely touched on the paranormal (other then ghosts.  I've always been up for a good ghost story) but now that I've read a little more I want to give this one a try.

Currently:

Reading:  Digging Up the Dirt by Miranda James, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, and One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

Listening:  The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell

Watching:  We finished River and are now watching the first season of Foyle's War.  Next up I think we may take a break from British Murder and watch Good Omens.  All of this is on Amazon Prime

Off the Blog:

New week same basic story.  Since we home school the school situation is basically the same and progressing actually a bit faster since we no longer have co-op classes and field trips.  He did have a Scouts meeting on Zoom the other day which he loved and went as smoothly as it could have given it was a bunch of 10 year old boys all excited to see each other.  My husband is still working from home.  I still haven't left the house other then to go out in the yard though I do have a doctor's appointment this week. 

Other things I've done this week:

I made this baked tortellini from InstruPix which is a blog I've never used but it turned out really good.  If you can't find ground beef (or just aren't feeling it) I think it would be fine without it.  I used just a basic basil and garlic marinara sauce and added about half a cup of water to the jar, shook it up, and dumped it in.  It was pretty tasty and heats up well.

And because I'm wanting something sweet all the time I made these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars from Tastes Better From Scratch and they were SO good.  Honestly I liked the buttery oatmeal cookie flavor so much I could have had less chocolate.

On YouTube I've been loving SGN (Some Good News with John Krasinski).  It's happy tears and just funny.  I've also been binging WIRED's AutoComplete Interviews with various celebrities.  I don't really watch the rest of the channel but those are hilarious.  I loved the one with the guys from Frozen especially but basically all of them are entertaining.

We watched Onward on Disney+ the other night and all enjoyed it.  It was a bit longer then most Disney movies so I wonder if younger kids would like it.  I also wonder how kids who had recently suffered a close loss would deal with it as it's take on the permanency of death could be problematic.  Without either of those issues it was a pretty entertaining movie.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  Truths I Never Told You - Fiction Review
Tuesday:  First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Who Speaks for the Damned
Wednesday:  A Stroke of Malice - Historical Mystery Review
Thursday:  Books from the Backlog - Deadly Fate
Friday:  Friday Fives - Five Books I Got From the Library
Saturday:  Grey Mask - Classic Mystery Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  Who Speaks for the Damned - Historical Mystery Review

Tuesday:  First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intro 

Wednesday: One Perfect Summer - Fiction Review

Thursday:  Books from the Backlog

Friday: Friday Fives

Saturday: Cat Among the Pigeons - Classic Mystery Review

Have a wonderful week and stay healthy and sane!  Happy reading!

Grey Mask - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Grey Mask (Miss Silver #1) By Patricia Wentworth

Rating: Really Liked It!
Source: Purchased

Description:  After Charles was jilted at the altar by Margaret, he discovers that she is mixed up in a vicious kidnapping plot masterminded by a sinister figure in a grey mask. Charles turns to Miss Silver to uncover the strange truth behind Margaret's complicity, and the identity of the terrifying and mysterious individual behind the grey mask.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been wanting to do a Wentworth reread so I thought I'd start with the first Miss Silver.

My Impression:  I decided to do a chronological reread of the Miss Silver mysteries.  I'm not sure I've even read all of them so I'm excited to be diving into them now.  So right off the bat I have to state that this is not one of my favorites.  Miss Silver is barely in it and when she is she's not quite full blown Miss Silver.  And while Margaret and Charles are charming but they're not full Wentworth level of charm and while the mystery was good it too wasn't quite up to the level I expect from Wentworth.

This was published in 1929 and was Wentworth's first Miss Silver book and I think that shows in multiple ways.  The first is that Wentworth uses a shadowy society trope which seems to have been incredibly popular during the 20s (think Agatha Christie's Big Four and The Secret of Chimneys and The Seven Dials etc). As well I don't feel like Wentworth was fully confident in her voice yet and restrained herself a bit more then she does in future books.

It's still a good read with a solid mystery but comes off a bit flat and lacks some of Wenthworth's usual sparkle.  This is Miss Silver at about 75%.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author:  I would and I'm really looking forward to reading more Miss Silver books soon.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would definitely recommend this series and this author - especially to classic mystery fans but just keep in mind that this isn't necessarily the strongest in the series.

Friday Fives - Five Books I Got From The Library

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  Michelle over at Because Reading is Better Than Real Life   used to do a Five on Fridays that I always enjoyed and I've seen a few other variations on the theme.  As well I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd give start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. I'm also going to start linking up with Kathryn over at Book Date for her Connect Five.  Today I'm looking at five random books I picked up last time I was at the library - before it closed of course!  I've had decent luck getting some of these read during quarantine.

1.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein - This is one that was on my TBR forever and when I saw it on the shelf when I was looking for a middle grade to review at the beginning of this month I figured it was a sign.

2.  Digging Up the Dirt by Miranda James - I love James' Cat in the Stacks series and when I saw this was a series centered around my favorite side characters I knew I had to pick this up.

3.  Thunderstruck by Erik Larson - I loved Dead Wake when I listened to it last year and this is a story I'm really curious about.  I'm hoping the read is as good as the listen.

4.  All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior - I really enjoyed another parenting book I read (The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie) so I thought I'd give this a try.  It's definitely a trap I think lots of us fall into parents or not.

5.  Come Sundown by Nora Roberts - So I've been wanting to read this one since it came out but then I saw that it takes place in Montana which is a state I haven't found many books set in that particular state and my goal is to "visit" as many states as possible this year.

What books have you picked up recently?

Books from the Backlog - Deadly Fate

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:  Deadly Fate (Krewe of Hunter #19) by Heather Graham

Blurb:  When Clara Avery, an entertainer working on the Fate, an Alaskan cruise ship, goes to nearby Bear Island, she comes across a scene of bloody mayhem. She also comes across Thor Erikson, who will soon be a member of the FBI's elite paranormal unit, the Krewe of Hunters.
Thor's been sent from the Alaska field office to investigate several grotesque killings, with the dead posed to resemble the victims of notorious murderers. The prime suspect is a serial killer Thor once put behind bars. The man escaped from a prison in the Midwest, and all the evidence says he was headed to Alaska…

Thor and Clara share an unusual skill: the ability to communicate with the dead. Their growing love—and their contact with the ghosts of the victims—brings them together to solve the case…and prevent a deadly fate of their own!

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Graham is pretty fabulous escapist reading and this has been sitting on my review shelf for literally years.

A Stroke of Malice - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads:  A Stroke of Malice (Lady Darby #8) by Anna Lee Huber

Rating:  Really Liked It!
Source:  Publisher

Description:  Scotland 1832. After enjoying a delightful holiday with her family, Lady Kiera Darby is looking forward to finishing her new friend, the Duchess of Bowmont's portrait, as well as attending the duchess' annual Twelfth Night party. Though she normally avoids such fashionable events, Kiera trusts the attention will not be focused on her, but rather her notorious hostess and her family. But upon their arrival at the opulent Scottish estate, Kiera and her husband and fellow investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, swiftly deduce that all is not merry in the duke's household. The family appears to be under a great strain, and someone seems determined to cause mayhem among the guests with a series of forged notes.
However, matters swiftly turn from irksome to downright deadly when the merrymakers stumble upon a decomposing body in the castle's crypt. This corpse is certainly no laughing matter, especially when it is identified as the duchess' son-in-law, the Earl of Helmsdale, who had purportedly traveled to Paris more than a month earlier. It is evident the man met with foul play, and Kiera and Gage step in to investigate, at the duchess' insistence. Kiera and Gage must swiftly reexamine the facts, for a ruthless murderer walks among them and may well be a member of the duchess' own family. Kiera soon discovers just how deep the killer is willing to dig to keep their secrets from ever seeing the light of day.

Genre: Mystery - Historical 

Why I Picked This Book:  I love this series! 

My Impression:  *Sigh of reading contentment* I just thoroughly enjoy this series.  The world Huber has created for Kiera and Gage is well developed enough that I instantly feel connected to the story but not so complicated that I find myself having to stop and remember tiny details.  I like Kiera and Gage's relationship as well as their relationships with their family and close friends.  Not all of them are perfectly smooth but they're realistic without getting tedious.  It just felt so nice to pick this book up and spend time with the cast of characters.

I had met the Duchess of Bowmont in the previous book and thought she was an interesting character so I was pleased to see that she was a more central character in this book.  What a fascinating family with all kinds of secrets and I really enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about them as the book went along.

The mystery itself was intriguing and solid but in a way kind of simple. Who was the dead body in the crypt and who had put him there?  But each question asked, each person talked to seemed to open up a whole line of questions and before I knew it the investigation was well underway and I didn't want to put the book down! 

If you enjoy a historical mystery with likable and interesting characters and serious atmosphere this series is a must read.  While there is some character development that occurs throughout the series I think you would be able to jump in here without too much difficulty.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  Huber is one of my favorites and I've enjoyed every book by her I've picked up.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely!  If you enjoy historical mysteries this is a must read series.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intro - Who Speaks for the Damned

Today I'm linking up with Socrates' Book Reviews for First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros.  This is a meme I've been following for quite sometime and always enjoyed seeing all the different first paragraphs so I'm really excited to be linking up myself!

This week I'm sharing the first paragraph from:

Goodreads:  Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris

Somer's Town London
Thursday, 9 June 1814

Alone and trying desperately not to be afraid, the child wandered the narrow, winding paths of the tea gardens.

My Thoughts:  Oh poor child!  I always struggle a bit when there is a child in a mystery but this series has been strong enough that I'm willing to trust the author.

What do you think?  Keep reading?

Truths I Never Told You - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer

Rating: Not For Me
Source: Publisher

Description:  With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.
As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.

Exploring the expectations society places on women of every generation, Kelly Rimmer explores the profound struggles two women unwittingly share across the decades set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I love books about family secrets and the cover really jumped out at me.

My Impression:  Let me start out with the positive.  I really enjoyed Rimmer's writing style.  The flow and pacing was excellent,  the characters came alive on the page, and it was never a book I wanted to put down because I was bored.  The emotions and reactions felt authentic and genuine and it made the characters easy to connect to even when I didn't necessarily like them.

I do feel like this was a bit of a case of wrong book wrong time in a lot of ways.  The beginning where Beth and her brother are moving their father into assisted living and debating on what to do with the house hit too close to home for comfort for me at this time though I do feel like it was realistically done.  It did make the first part of the book incredibly difficult for me to get through and I think anyone who had dealt with a similar situation with a loved one recently would struggle as well.

As Beth discovered more about her mother I did find that it became more repetitive.  The issues brought to light were very serious and very real but don't have real solutions so it mostly became a lot of grimness and hand twisting.  There were a couple of points towards the end that set my teeth on edge a bit (there was a mention of taking a pill and fixing PPD almost instantly.  While I'm all for medication I don't see it as instant fix) and felt a little forced.  It ended up feeling like a grim read that I was marching through just to get to the end.

I feel like this was a well written book but one that just isn't for me.  If you enjoy issue driven books and books that really delve into grim facts of life I think you'll really enjoy this but I do recommend caution if you have recently had to tackle either postpartum depression or moving a loved one into a nursing facility. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would because I did like the writing style but only if I was really sold on the topic of the book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  With reservations.  I do think the book was well done so if you're okay with the subject matter then I think you'd enjoy the book.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - April 12

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:

Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook - This is the most recent book in one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  I can't wait to read it! (NetGalley)

Nothing Bundt Trouble by Ellie Alexander - Another new book in another favorite series.  And another one I can't wait to read! (NetGalley)

Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn - I don't know much about this one other then it looked intriguing and I've been in a cozy mood! (NetGalley)

Lineage Most Lethal by S.C. Perkins - I read the first book in this series about a genealogist last year and enjoyed it and am hoping this book is even better!  (NetGalley)

Currently:

Reading:  A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber, Microphones and Murder by Erin Huss, and One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

Listening:  Death on the Page by Essie Lang

Watching:  We watched The ABC Murders on Amazon Prime and I was not a fan.  I don't mind if the show doesn't exactly correspond with the book but I thought they got so caught up in non-book related stuff they lost the mystery itself.  

Off the Blog:

Different week, same as last week.  Haven't left the house.  Doing school from home with my 10 year old - geometry and ancient Egyptians with a heaping helping of reading aloud - husband is working from home.  Mostly cooking with a mix in of local places for takeout.  Lots of British crimes shows. 

To mix it up a bit I thought I'd share some links to things I've been really enjoying.

Wishes Candle Co has Disney themed candles and wax melts that smell so good and burn really nicely.  The shipping is fast and the scents take the sting out of every Disney park across the world being closed.  And if you're not a big Disney fan the candles just smell good.

I made this chocolate sheet cake from Lil' Luna and it is so good!  I used a 9x13 instead of a jelly roll pan and cooked it for about 3 - 5 minutes longer.  It doesn't use a ton of eggs and butter which I'm running low on, was super easy, and the results were so so good. 

This YouTube video for headache relief.  It sounds bonkers but I found this when I was desperate to make a headache go away and nothing was helping.   The tones gave me something to focus on and helped me fall asleep.  I can't say that it actually made the headache go away but it helped me sleep and when I woke up the the headache was gone so I'm calling it a win.  And if you're finding the repeated tones relaxing you may want to give this channel a try too as it has sound baths that I find more relaxing then the usual ambient music. 

And speaking of YouTube - I've completely fallen in love with Bailey Sarian's channel.  Every Monday she uploads a video where she talks about a murder case while she does her makeup.  Her makeup looks aren't exactly everyday where but it's so fun to watch the look come together (she knows what she's doing!) and she talks about some really fascinating cases.  I love her personality and just find her videos incredibly entertaining.

What have you found entertaining this week?

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  A Hodge Podge of Reviews - What I'm Reading 2020 #2
Tuesday:  Books On My TBR That Take Place During the Spring
Wednesday:  Miss Austen - Historical Fiction Review
Thursday:  Books from the Backlog - The Franchise Affair
Friday:  Friday Fives - Five Favorite Patricia Wentworth Mysteries
Saturday:  The Cruelest Month - Mystery Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  Truths I Never Told You - Fiction Review

Tuesday:  First Chapter/ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

Wednesday:  A Stroke of Malice

Thursday:  Books from the Backlog

Friday: Friday Fives

Saturday: The Grey Mask - Classic Mystery Review

Have a great week and happy reading!

The Cruelest Month - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #3) by Louise Penny

Rating: Liked It
Source: Library (Audio)

Description:  Welcome to Three Pines, where the cruelest month is about to deliver on its threat.
It's spring in the tiny, forgotten village; buds are on the trees and the first flowers are struggling through the newly thawed earth. But not everything is meant to return to life. . .

When some villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil—until one of their party dies of fright. Was this a natural death, or was the victim somehow helped along?

Brilliant, compassionate Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec is called to investigate, in a case that will force him to face his own ghosts as well as those of a seemingly idyllic town where relationships are far more dangerous than they seem.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I listened to the first two and really enjoyed them so of course I had to continue!

My Impression:  I had high hopes for this one as it begins with Ruth throwing eggs at people who annoyed her or seemed unsuspecting as the rest of Three Pines prepares for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.  As well the premise of the séance turned deadly appealed to me.  And I did feel the mystery aspect lived up to my expectations.  However, the book itself did not.  While I enjoyed the time spent figuring out just what had happened Madeleine I got frustrated with the amount of time spent on the Arnot story arc.  I've never been a big fan of conspiracies and having so many people out to get Gamache strained believability for me.  Gamache is such a kind, gentle and caring man and while I could see how his actions would make him unpopular and untrustworthy to the higher ups it was hard to believe that there would people who would be so out to destroy him that they would resort to the actions that take place in this book.  I found those passages unpleasant to read and well as taking up valuable page time that could have been spent on discovering more about the world Madeleine inhabited.

The mystery itself was incredibly well done and I loved seeing a somewhat softer side of Ruth as well as getting to know several of the residents in Three Pines better.  I did feel like the motive could have been better explored.  Quite a lot of the book is devoted to the Arnot case from Gamache's past which doesn't appeal to me and so I was frustrated that it was taking away from the mystery that I was enjoying.  While most mystery series are fine to jump around in this is a series that is really best when read in order - especially this one.  Luckily, reading the first two books is hardly a hardship!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I need to continue with this series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy solid police procedural style mysteries this is a great series though start with the first book!

Friday Fives - Five Favorite Patricia Wentworth Mysteries

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  Michelle over at Because Reading is Better Than Real Life   used to do a Five on Fridays that I always enjoyed and I've seen a few other variations on the theme.  As well I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd give start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. I'm also going to start linking up with Kathryn over at Book Date for her Connect Five.  I've been going through my books lately and looking at old favorites.  Today I'm looking at my 5 favorite mysteries by my favorite underrated mystery author - Patricia Wentworth.  I'm focusing on her Miss Silver mysteries today.

1.  The Case of William Smith - This is one of my absolute favorites even though Miss Silver doesn't have the largest role.  The characters are all likable and the mystery is oh so intriguing.

2.  The Girl in the Cellar - Another mystery with amnesia and this one has more Miss Silver which is always a good thing.  This is the last Miss Silver mystery but it is just as solid and readable as any of them.

3.  The Case is Closed - Is Geoffrey Grey guilty of the murder of his uncle?  The evidence says overwhelming yes but his wife says no.  Luckily, Miss Silver is here to save the day and it's an absolutely delightful read.

4.  She Came Back - The glamorous Lady Anne was presumed dead in occupied France.  Life had moved on until she suddenly waltzes back into her old life.  Murders and mayhem follow but Miss Silver is here to sort everything (and everyone) out.

5.  The Alington Inheritance - Family secrets, unknown identities, and missing wills lead to a really fun read with an ominous setting. 

The one Patricia Wentworth I wouldn't recommend is the first one - The Grey Mask - it's fine but it has none of the charm and sparkle that her other mysteries do. 

Have you read any Patricia Wentworth?  Who is your favorite underrated author?