Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books on My TBR with Honorifics in the Title

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Books with Honorifics in the Title so I went wandering through my TBR and found 10.

1.  Mrs. Morris and the Ghost by Traci Wilton - A number of books in this cozy mystery series really tempt me but of course I have to start with the first one.

2.  Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage by Nancy Atherton - I read the first Aunt Dimity book recently and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

3.  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winnifred Watson - I've meant to read this one for decades.  I've heard such wonderful reviews for this one.

4.  Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd - I meant to read this one right after it came out but didn't.  It looks like a great mystery.

5.  Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Charles Skeslien - I do love a good Homefront World War II read and I've heard good things about this one.

6.  The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict - I enjoyed the previous books I've read by this author and really liked how she handled Christie's disappearance in another book so I have high hopes for this one.

 7.  Mrs Jeffries Defends Her Own by Emily Brightwell - This is a long running series and Mrs. Jeffries' name is in every title.  I have enjoyed all the books I've read in the series and am looking forward to reading them all.

8.  Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico - This is another book I've seen nothing but raves about and am looking forward to reading it.

9.  Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled by Dorothy Gilman - This is the last book in the Mrs. Pollifax series and I'm putting off reading it because once I have I will be done with new adventures with Mrs. Pollifax.

10. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - And another book that sounds like a lovely read and one that I need to pick up soon.

I'm a bit surprised by the lack of varieties in honorifics.  I guess I shouldn't be since I mostly read books about women but still! 

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping - Fiction Review

Goodreads: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:   Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I adored the previous book by this author and couldn't wait to pick this one up.

My Impression:  I loved the first book I read by this author so I came into this with sky high expectations.  It also didn't help that while I listened to the first book and read this one so that might have changed my experience.

I found this book to have a rocky beginning.  It felt like I was starting a sequel but it isn't a sequel so I felt a bit like I was starting on the back foot.  As well, because I was scrambling to figure out who was who and what was what it took longer to get invested in the story.  I've been a bit scrambled lately which is causing a little bit of a reading slump so this very easily could have been mood.

Once I got into the story I did enjoy it.  Sera is a fun character who is clearly trying to do her best in a bit of a crazy situation.  Clemmie, the fox, is more than a handful and the other characters added some entertainment.  I think I'll try a reread of this on audio as I think I would have enjoyed it more in that format and it would have made the slow start easier to get through.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?   I would - even though I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous book I did like it once I connected the story.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would - especially the audio version as I think that would have worked better for me.

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

This Week in Reading - July 13

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 that's for two weeks so I'm very proud of myself.  I do have a gift card to a local bookstore so I'll probably pick up some books at some point in the next week or two.

Currently:

Reading:  It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest and The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

Listening:  The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis

It has been a busy few weeks. We went to the beach to stay at my dad's house for the 4th and had the best time.  There's been a lot of bits and pieces to deal with and then we are starting the process of some home improvement.  We are getting new counters next week and then soon after that are starting the flooring install.  I'm so excited about the changes but dreading the upheaval.  

I've finally gotten back into scent work training with my dog.  I really enjoy it but haven't been able to do it since I broke my finger and recovered from the surgery.  I have enough strength back in my hand I'm comfortable getting back to it and am really enjoying it.  We had 2 classes this weekend and I can't wait to do some practice.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

 

Somehow, we are halfway through 2025.  It's been kind of a whirlwind of a year that hasn't had as much reading time as I hoped for but is there every enough reading time?  I've seen this tag going around BookTube and then I saw Susan over at Bloggin' Bout Books do it and couldn't resist joining in.  There are a few different versions of questions but I used the ones from Bloggin' Bout Books.  There are multiple answers to most of these (especially new releases I have read but want to and most anticipated releases) but I stuck with the first one that came to mind.

1.  Best Book You've Read So Far This Year

Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley - I really enjoyed how much Worsley put Christie's life and work into context with the time she lived in and the world she grew up in.  It has impacted my understanding of her books and my appreciation of her as an author.  It probably wasn't my favorite reading experience but it had the biggest positive impact of anything I've read so far this year.

2.  Best Sequel You've Read So Far This Year

Who Will Remember by C.S. Harris - This is #20 in the series but I guess is still technically a secret?  I really enjoyed this historical mystery with lots of intrigue and nefarious motives floating about.

3.  New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - I usually enjoy this author's books and this is a topic that fascinates me so I'm really looking forward to reading it.

4.  Most Anticipated Release For the Second Half of the Year

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts - I have thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and absolutely cannot wait for the final book.  

5.  Biggest Disappointment

Let Me Lie by Claire Mackintosh - I've read and thoroughly enjoyed another book by Mackintosh and the premise of this one had caught my attention but for the most part I just found this one boring.

6.  Biggest Surprise

Funny Story by Emily Henry - I DNF'd the other book I've tried by this author so it was such a nice surprise that I really enjoyed this one.  

7.  Favorite New Author - Debut or New to You

Elin Hilderbrand - I'm very late to the game on this one but I finally picked up Winter in Paradise by her and thoroughly enjoyed it.

8.  Newest Fictional Crush 

I don't really do fictional crushes or book boyfriends but my favorite romance so far this year was Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh

9.  Newest Favorite Character - 

Vera Wong - This feels a bit like cheating because I actually met Vera last year but I read the Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) earlier this year and she just kind of overpowers everyone else.

10. Book That Made You Cry

The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli - This is a book set in World War II Italy through the eyes of an adolescent girl.  It broke my heart and kept me hooked.

11. Book That Made You Happy

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst - I adored this book and it had all the warm fuzzies I could want a long with a sentient plant with an attitude.

12. Most Beautiful Book You've Bought This Year

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner - This one was on my radar but I fully intended to get it from the library until I saw it in person.  The covers just shimmers and it has stunning sprayed edges.  I'm glad the premise looks interesting because I couldn't resist it!

How has your reading been so far this year?

Friday Five - Christmas in July Books

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 is the first Friday in June so I'm picking out five books I hope to read this month.  My library had a big Christmas in July display the other day when I stopped by to pick up some books which got me thinking about what books I'd like to read if I did a Christmas in July.

1.  Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher - I have been wanting to reread this one for years but haven't gotten to it.  

2.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I have a complicated relationship with Dickens but I adored this when I read it several years ago and would love to reread it.

3.  Hercule Poirot's Silent Night by Sophie Hannah - I have enjoyed several of Hannah's Poirot books so a Christmas read could be fun.

4.  A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss - Estranged sisters, a knick knack shop, and a will with conditions that must be met all set around Christmas sounds like such a lovely read!

5.  Murder Most Royal by S.J. Bennett - Another mystery but this one is not only set during Christmas but Queen Elizabeth II is the main character and royal holiday celebrations are being interrupted.  

What Christmas reads would you pick up for a little Christmas in July reading break?

Books from the Backlog - The Heirloom Garden

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 Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman

Blurb:  Iris Maynard lost her husband in World War II, her daughter to illness and, finally, her reason to live. Walled off from the world for decades behind the towering fence surrounding her home, Iris has built a new family…of flowers. Iris propagates her own daylilies and roses while tending to a garden filled with the heirloom starts that keep the memories of her loved ones alive.

When Abby Peterson moves next door with her family—a husband traumatized by his service in the Iraq War and a young daughter searching for stability—Iris is reluctantly yet inevitably drawn into her boisterous neighbor’s life, where, united by loss and a love of flowers, she and Abby tentatively unearth their secrets, and help each other discover how much life they have yet to live.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This is an author I've really been meaning to read more from and this one sounds especially lovely.

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant - Mystery Review

Goodreads:   The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Olivia Blunt doesn't want to be an assistant detective for the rest of her life. She's determined to learn everything she can from her mentor and renowned investigator, Aubrey Merritt, but the latter is no easy grader.

After weeks of fielding phone calls from parties desperate for the world-renowned detective’s help, a case comes across Olivia’s desk that just might be worthy of Merritt’s skills. On the evening of her sixty-fifth birthday party, Victoria Summersworth somehow fell over her balcony railing to her death on the rocky shore of Lake Champlain. She was a happy woman—rich, beloved, in love, and matriarch of the preeminent Summersworth family. The police have ruled it a suicide, but her daughter Haley thinks it was murder.

Merritt is ever the skeptic, but Olivia believes Haley. Plus, she’s desperate to prove her investigative skills to her aloof boss. But the Summersworth family drama is a complicated web.

Olivia realizes she might be in over her head with this whole detective thing... or she might be unravelling a mystery even bigger than the one she’d started with.

Genre:  Mystery 

Why I Picked This Book:  How could I resist that title?  

My Impression:  This was a fun read.  Olivia and Aubrey Merritt couldn't be more different if they tried.  Audrey is well to do, accomplished and polished and Olivia is ... not any of those things.  But what Olivia is lacking in experience or know how she makes up for in enthusiasm which is not always Merritt's favorite thing.

The mystery was an intriguing one with lots of possible theories and suspects.  Watching Olivia learn from Merritt and Merritt go about her investigation was really interesting.  

This was a bit on the long side and the beginning took me a bit to be fully hooked.  I enjoyed it from page one but it felt like I wasn't making much progress for the first 20% of the book.  That said it was one I was looking forward to seeing how it all played out from the time Olivia and Merritt started investigating.  

I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and this does look like it has potential to be a series which should be fun.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  If this is the start of a series I will be on the lookout for the second book but otherwise I'll be looking for more books by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?   If you're a mystery reader looking for something a little different this is a great pick.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I'd Like to Reread

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Books I'd Like to Reread.  I do love a good reread though I don't do it as much as I used to.  There are some authors that are on my constant reread list - like Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Enright, and Barbara Michaels - and here are 10 other books I'd like to reread at some point.

1. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King - I started reading this series shortly after it originally started which means I read the first few books 20+ years ago and sometimes had a hard time finding them or reading them close together.  I'd really like to start at the beginning of this series and read them close enough together where I can remember what happened in the previous books.

2.  The Blue Bedroom and Other Stories by Rosamunde Pilcher - I love Pilcher's short stories and it has been a number of years since I've read this collection.

3.  A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch - I read this book many years ago and planned to read the next book in the series right after.  That didn't happen and since it's been more than 10 years I figure I should reread this one before starting book 2.

4.  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - I remember loving this book and the writing style and I'd love to reread it at some point.

5.  Among the Shadows: Tales From the Darker Side by L.M. Montgomery - I love Montgomery's short stories and this collection of some of her creepier darker stories is so good and it's been so long since I read it.

6.  The House on Blackberry Hill by Donna Alward - This is a contemporary romance involving a haunted house.  I read it and remember really enjoying it years ago and just came across it at a used bookstore so of course I had to pick it up and I need to reread it!

7.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - I was blown away by how much I loved this book when I originally read it.  I'd love to go back and revisit it.

8.  The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley - I really loved this series and enjoyed this book but I remember being so distracted when I was reading this one that I'd like to revisit it.

9.  Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan Henry - This was another book I absolutely adored and have been wanting to reread.  I think I have a copy on my shelves somewhere waiting for me.

10. Tightrope by Amanda Quick - Really I'd like to reread all the Burning Cove books. They're such fun light reads and I love the atmosphere of them.

What are some books you'd like to reread?

Reading For Fun - The Siren of Sussex + Murder on Mustique

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:  The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

Blurb:  Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she’s worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she’ll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London’s attention she’ll need a habit-maker who’s not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.
Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row’s infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters making their mark or following their hearts?

My Thoughts: It's been awhile since I picked up a new to me historical romance and this is one I'm very glad I tried.  The clothing is always an element in historicals but this book it is a central focus and I really enjoyed seeing that the way trends develop is not that much different between modern day and the 1800s.  Evie was an interesting female lead.  She's a bit naive but is aware of the limitations her gender creates.  Ahmad is faced with limitations as well not because of his gender but because of who he is.  I enjoyed learning about both of them and their families (though if I was Evie I'd cut the older sister off without a thought).  The romance was believable though one I struggled with at first to see how it could truly end in an HEA.  I enjoyed how the author played the story out and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in general and this series specifically.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Goodreads:  Murder on Mustique by Anne Glenconner

Blurb:  A storm. A disappearance. A race against time . . .

Mustique is in a state of breathless calm as tropical storm Cristobal edges towards it across the Atlantic. Most villa owners have escaped the island but a few young socialites remain, unwilling to let summer's partying end. American heiress Amanda Fortini is one such thrill-seeker - until she heads out for a morning swim and doesn't return.

Detective Sergeant Solomon Nile is just 28 years old and the island's only fully trained police officer. He quickly realises he needs to contact Lord and Lady Blake, who bought the island decades ago and have invested time, money and love creating a paradise. Jasper is in St Lucia designing a new village of luxury villas but Lady Veronica (Vee to her friends) catches a plane immediately. Her beloved god-daughter, Lily, is on the island and this disappearance has alarming echoes of what happened to Lily's mother many years ago. Lady Vee would never desert a friend in need, and she can keep a cool head in a crisis.

When Amanda's body is found, a murder investigation begins. Nile knows the killer must be an islander because flights and ferry crossings have stopped due to the storm warning, but the local community isn't co-operating. And then the storm hits, and someone else disappears . . .

My Thoughts:  This was an entertaining and atmospheric read.  Life on Mustique with the rich and famous residents has its challenges and luxuries.  Now that a young woman has gone missing things have shifted from a lazy pace to an ominous claustrophobic one.  I was unaware that the author was a former Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret (and has written a book on it) and that this book is a fictional story set in an essentially real world as Glenconner and her husband do actually own the island of Mustique.  That explains the tone of the book since while it is essentially a mystery involving the rich and famous it doesn't have a gossipy feel but more of a part of the world feel.   Overall, the pacing is a bit slow and there was a feel of detachment even as the main characters are devastated at events that are unfolding.  I enjoyed the read and the atmosphere on the island and while I would probably pick up Glenconner's nonfiction book I don't know that I would search out her fiction again - though I would read it if it fell in my lap.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

Monthly Reading Recap - June 2025

Monthly Reading Total: 20 - I'm quite happy about this one!  A number of these were carry overs from previous months but I'm pretty pleased with both the quality of my reading enjoyment and the amount of time I've been able to devote to reading.

Type:

Print: 6

Ebook:  7

Audio: 7

Genre:

Mystery - 12

Fiction - 2

Romance - 4

Nonfiction: 2

Favorite Books of the Month:

Favorite Audio: The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick - This was a lovely listen that had me doing some extra cleaning so I could keep listening.

Favorite Read of the Month: It Takes a Psychic by Jayne Castle - This wasn't the most quality read but it was so much fun!

Monthly Armchair Travel:

Domestic Travel: I went to Maryland and Rhode Island for the first time this month.  I also revisited Massachusetts (twice), Maine, and California

International: I went to England A LOT - in total I made ten visits which means half the books I read in June were set there.

How was your reading in June?  Where did your books take you?

Friday Fives - July TBR

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 is the first Friday in June so I'm picking out five books I hope to read this month.

1.  It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest - This looks creepy and like such a fun summer read.

2.  The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - I'm really looking forward to this one!

3.  Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews - This is the next book in the long running cozy series I'm working on and I'm so looking forward to reading what hijinks Meg gets involved in next!

4.  After Dark by Jayne Castle - I've read the most recent two books in this (SciFi? urban fantasy?) series and really enjoyed them.  I'm looking forward to going back to the very beginning.

5.  The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis - I read and really enjoyed the first book in this series about a coloring book creator/bookstore owner and want to read the second book before it gets pulled from the Audible Plus catalog.

What are you hoping to read in July?

Books from the Backlog - The Apprentice

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 Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin

Blurb: In this captivating memoir, the man whom Julia Child has called "the best chef in America" tells the story of his rise from a frightened apprentice in an exacting Old World kitchen to an Emmy Award winning superstar who taught millions of Americans how to cook and shaped the nation's tastes in the bargain.
We see young Jacques as a homesick six-year-old boy in war-ravaged France, working on a farm in exchange for food, dodging bombs, and bearing witness as German soldiers capture his father, a fighter in the Resistance. Soon Jacques is caught up in the hurly-burly action of his mother's café, where he proves a natural. He endures a literal trial by fire and works his way up the ladder in the feudal system of France's most famous restaurant, finally becoming Charles de Gaulle's personal chef, watching the world being refashioned from the other side of the kitchen door.

When he comes to America, Jacques immediately falls in with a small group of as-yet-unknown food lovers, including Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and Julia Child, whose adventures redefine American food. Through it all, Jacques proves himself to be a master of the American art of reinvention: earning a graduate degree from Columbia University, turning down a job as John F. Kennedy's chef to work at Howard Johnson's, and, after a near-fatal car accident, switching careers once again to become a charismatic leader in the revolution that changed the way Americans approached food. Included as well are approximately forty all-time favorite recipes created during the course of a career spanning nearly half a century, from his mother's utterly simple cheese soufflé to his wife's pork ribs and red beans.

The Apprentice is the poignant and sometimes funny tale of a boy's coming of age. Beyond that, it is the story of America's culinary awakening and the transformation of food from an afterthought to a national preoccupation.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Pepin is such a fascinating man and such a talented chef and this book has been sitting on my shelf for way too long.

Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Jessica Fletcher has dinner with her old pal Harry McGraw and gets pulled into a puzzling murder case.

Invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library, Jessica Fletcher excitedly makes plans to see local friends. Naturally that includes dinner at Gilhooley’s with PI Harry McGraw. Harry excitedly talks about his latest client, the CEO of Cure All Pharmaceuticals, who’s received anonymous blackmail demands and wants Harry to identify the culprit. Cookie, Gilhooley’s longtime bartender, also has something he wants to tell he asked Harry to investigate his daughter Aileen’s boyfriend, who Cookie thinks is too slick by half, but now Harry is too wrapped up in this new case. While Jessica wonders how best to approach Aileen, the young woman stumbles into Gilhooley’s covered in blood. She just discovered her boyfriend’s corpse -- and quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder!

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoy this series and was thrilled to see Harry McGraw gets some page time.

My Impression: This may be the most reliably cozy mystery series in existence.  I love the original show though to be honest I'm at best a casual watcher.  I've watched enough to be familiar with the characters, the setting and the premise but I have in no way watched every episode - or probably even half of them.  I am an enormous Angela Lansbury fan and a Jerry Orbach fan who plays PI Harry McGraw in the show (and in my head while reading this book).  

Jessica is heading to Boston to give a talk at a library and Seth is thrilled (well thrilled for Seth) to tag along so he can attend a talk given by an old friend from medical school.  While there Jessica has to catch up with old friend Harry whose current client is connected to the medical industry which Seth quickly gets pulled into.  I did thoroughly enjoy the friendship between Harry and Seth.  Then they're all pulled into the investigation of the murder of the boyfriend of a friend's daughter.  

The investigation is enjoyable and is mostly on Jessica's shoulder.  I liked all the side characters - especially the taxi driver Mahmood.  There is some fairly long descriptive passages about Boston itself which I enjoyed but if you are just wanting the mystery might get a bit slow.  As well, the ending felt a bit rushed.  However, getting there was enjoyable enough that I'm willing to let that go.

If you are wanting a fun cozy mystery with a trip to Boston added in this is a fun and quick read.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I really want to read the whole series at some point.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like cozy mysteries I really recommend this series.  While it is ridiculously long running you really can jump in anywhere.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I'd Take With Me If I Was Stranded on a Desert Island

 

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Throwback to a Previous Topic and I've picked 10 Books I'd Take With Me If I Was Stranded on a Desert Island

1.  When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica - I always enjoy her books and this one looks good and a perfect way to kill some time!

2.  The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary - This looks magical and would be a good break from creepier books.

3.  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - I should bring a slower read classic and this is one I've been meaning to read.

4.  The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand - Ghosts and a hotel in Nantucket sound like good topics to read about while sitting in the shade looking out at the ocean.

5.  The Anatomist's Wife (and the rest of the Lady Darby series) by Anna Lee Huber - I've been meaning to get caught up on this fairly long running series for ages and I'd have time on the desert island.  Is bringing a whole series cheating?  Maybe a bit but it's my island time so I get to make the rules!

6.  The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews - This looks like a nice fun beach read.

7.  Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams - This takes place in the Bahamas in the 1940s and since I'm on an island it seems like a good time to read it.

8.  The Guest List by Lucy Foley - This is set on an island but a very different type of island from the previous book and it looks entertaining.  I don't always love Foley's books but I have enjoyed them - even if they are sometimes slower reads.  

9.  Mountains Wild (and the rest of the Maggie D'Arcy books) by Sarah Stewart Taylor - This looks like a solid series of atmospheric mysteries - not quite cozy but not overly dark.  It's a series I've been wanting to read for ages but never seem to quite get to it.  Desert island time seems like a good time.

10. Dim Sum of All Fears (and the rest of the Noodle Shop Mysteries) by Vivien Chien - I loved the first book in this long running series so now I need to read the rest of it!

Once I get all of these finished I'll flag down the boat that brings my daily food delivery to the island and head back home!  What books would you bring to a desert island?

Overdue Reviews - The Spies of Shilling Lane + Manor Death

 

Goodreads:  The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan

Blurb:  From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes a thrilling new WWII story about a village busybody—the mighty Mrs. Braithwaite—who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter

Mrs. Braithwaite, self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. Never deterred, the threat of a family secret being revealed sets her hot-foot to London to find the only person she has left—her clever daughter Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war. But when she arrives, Betty’s landlord, the timid Mr. Norris, informs her that Betty hasn’t been home in days--with the chaos of the bombs, there’s no telling what might have befallen her. Aghast, Mrs. Braithwaite sets her bullish determination to the task of finding her only daughter. Storming into the London Blitz, Mrs. Braithwaite drags the reluctant Mr. Norris along as an unwitting sidekick as they piece together Betty’s unexpectedly chaotic life. As she is thrown into the midst of danger and death, Mrs. Braithwaite is forced to rethink her old-fashioned notions of status, class, and reputation, and to reconsider the question that’s been puzzling her since her world How do you measure the success of your life? Readers will be charmed by the unforgettable Mrs. Braithwaite and her plucky, ruthless optimism, and find in The Spies of Shilling Lane a novel with surprising twists and turns, quiet humor, and a poignant examination of mothers and daughters and the secrets we keep.

My Thoughts:  I loved the previous book by this author but had heard mixed reviews for this book so I was a bit hesitant.   I really enjoyed all the day to day life in wartime London.   It was interesting and heartbreaking to follow Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris and all the people around them as they navigated bombings and shortages and so much loss but also increasing awareness of what they really wanted out of life.  Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris were a good pair and while of similar age couldn't have been more different.  The women's club life and the attitudes around Mrs. Braithwaite's divorce were also really interesting.  What fell a bit flat for me was the espionage elements.  It felt a bit farce-y compared to the more serious elements of the rest of the book and I had a hard time believing a few of the characters were really as well respected as they were.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and am hoping they next books are more like the first book I read by her.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

Goodreads:  Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge

Blurbs:   When decorator Meg Barrett travels to a remote mansion to help select period pieces for a new 1930s-style television mystery series, she's chilled to learn that the manor was once a mental asylum and the site of a mysterious decades-old murder. And when a fierce blizzard knocks out the power and strands Meg and her cohorts in the home's rickety old elevator, they emerge to discover that another person has been murdered--in the same macabre manner as the original victim. With a suspect list limited to those who were also stranded at the manor, Meg begins digging through their backgrounds for clues to both the old and new murder, trying to discover a connection that will lead her to the culprit's identity. But the more she learns, the more clear it becomes that someone wants to keep the secrets of the past buried, and Meg knows she'll have to watch her back before a ruthless killer decides to commit her to a grisly fate . . .

My Thoughts:  This was a cute cozy.  Meg is a likable main character and she has a quirky world of characters around her.  The murder happens in an old mansion which not only used to be an insane asylum that seems to have specialized in lobotomies but also a murder - and now a modern day murder.  The dialogue is on the clunky over-explaining side and the mystery isn't one that will stick with me.  However, this is a fun one to pick up if you need a bit of a palette cleanser from heavier books.  My Rating:  Liked It (3 Stars)