Friday Fives - Five Mini Reviews

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  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.  Today I'm sharing 5 short reviews for some random books I've read recently.

Under Currents by Nora Roberts - This is a fairly typical Nora Roberts romantic suspense novel.  It had strong likable characters that both have some trauma in their past and a page turning pace.  I liked that Zane's story was the focus as in the last two books the plot has mostly focused on the female leads.  I loved Zane's family and I enjoyed getting to know Darby and enjoyed the bits of landscaping mentions.  I listened to this and as usual January LaVoy did a fantastic job.  My Rating: Really Liked It!

Sacred Evil by Heather Graham - This is the third book in the Krewe series and quite an interesting one.  The main character felt more like NYPD Detective Jude Crosby while the Krewe of Hunters with film expert Whitney Tremont in the lead were definitely more on the side lines of the investigation.  I enjoyed this take on the Jack the Ripper comes to New York story with the modern day murders.  It was a fun fast listen (narrated by Luke Daniels) that kept me engaged and entertained.  However, there were a few plot holes and some obviously artificial misdirection that kept this from being a total winner for me.  My Rating: Liked It!

Murder on Cape Cod by Maddie Day - This is the first in a cozy mystery series involving bicycle shop owner Mackenzie "Mac" Almeida who is also a big fan of cozy mysteries.  When she quite literally stumbles over a body walking home she and her brother are both perfect suspects  so she and her cozy mystery group can't resist the chance to get involved.  I enjoyed this mystery.  Mac is a fun character and I loved the Cape Cod setting.  I did wish for a bit more group feedback in the investigating since it is supposed to be the book club investigating.   I will most likely pick up the next book in the series and do want to see how the series develops.  My Rating: Liked It!

Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott - This is another first in a cozy series set in a small New England coastal town.  After a series of tragedies, Addie inherits the estate of a great-aunt she doesn't even remember which includes a big house packed with old books and enough money to start the small bookstore that she's always dreamed of.  Things don't go quite as smoothly as planned when the bakery owner next door is far from welcoming and the tea shop owner who becomes her first friend in town is arrested for murder.  Addie is suddenly a target and is swept into an investigation involving old books and past secrets.  I'm a sucker for any mystery that involves any kind of antiques so I really enjoyed this.  There were a few things that Addie was a bit dense about (the mystery of who stole her keys was more then a bit obvious) and I also wish she would communicate a bit better with Mark on a personal level.  I enjoyed this one and this is another series I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops.  My Rating: Really Liked It!

The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams - Ellery Adams is a name I've seen quite a lot of since I started reading cozies but is an author I've never read before.  I picked this one up on a whim on Audible and am so glad it did!  In a lot of ways this is a typical cozy mystery.  A friend of the main character is accused of murder so main character gets involved in order to prove friend's innocence.  What sets this book apart is a magical realism feel to the town and the writing style in general.  Nora has been living in her self imposed prison when the death of a stranger causes her to open up just a little and somehow finds herself friends with a group of women who have their own secrets and damage.  I really enjoyed this one.  This mystery was a good one but even more the characters really hooked me.  I was sad to see the book end but excited to know this is the first in the series so I can see more of these characters and see how they and their world develops.  My Rating:  Really Liked It!