What I'm Reading - December 24

 

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

Print:

Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod - This is the first in the Peter Shandy series and I'm enjoying it.  I'm going to have to read more by MacLeod in 2026

Next Up:  Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh - This is the last book on my classic mystery list and I'm really looking forward to it.

Ebook:  Nothing right now!  I'm focusing on finishing up my print and audio books

Slow Read: Same as above

Audiobook:  

Death at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - This isn't a total winner for me but I am enjoying it and I'm almost done with it.

Next Up: Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower - I'm really trying to hit my reading count goal for this year and so I'm reading all the audiobooks I can and this is a novella in a series I really enjoy.

What are you reading today?  

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

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 Hope Santa Brings.  

1. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict - I really enjoy the books by Benedict that I've read and this one sounds really good.

2.  The rest of the Westcott series by Mary Balogh - I have loved the books in this series I've read and now I need the rest of them!

3.  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - I'm thinking of slow reading this book next year and owning a copy would make that easier.

4.  Witches of Dubious Origins by Jenn McKinlay - This sounds so good!

5. The Scarlet Pimpernell by Baroness Emmuska Orczy - I read a book earlier this year that involved this author (and Dorothy L Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham) and it made me curious about her books.

6.  Book Lovers by Emily Henry - I have read 2 books by Henry - 1 I loved and 1 I DNF'd.  I need a tie breaker and this one looks fun.

7.  Belles of London series by Mimi Matthews - Or at least the 3 I haven't read yet.

8.  The Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton - This series is huge and some of them are a bit hard to get but I want them!

9.  The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick - I read a book by this author earlier this year and loved it.  This one looks wonderful.

10. The Krewe of Hunters books I haven't read by Heather Graham - I'm so behind in this series and it's hard to keep track of which ones I've read and which I haven't as a lot of the titles are similar.  It'd be really helpful if Santa could just give me a stack of the ones I haven't read yet!

What are you hoping that Santa will bring?

Planted 4 Murder - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Planted 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When the seniors of Sun City West take over a garden plot, they have no idea they’ll unearth a plot for murder . . .

At the urging of the guys in the pinochle club, the members of the Sun City West book club decide it’s time to grow their own vegetables and join the local agriculture club. But when tending to their plants turns up a skeletal hand, the gang begin to feel like they’re working in a graveyard instead of a garden. It’s clear that whoever the bones belong to was the victim of foul play, and soon the seniors are pleading with Sophie “Phee” Kimball to step in and help them weed out the killer.

As rumors and speculation flourish, Phee begins to grow suspicious of the other members of the community garden. Certain that one of them chopped up a body and scattered the parts, she has to deal with invasive insects, sabotaged crops and her mother’s hairbrained schemes as she digs for evidence. Her efforts are finally rewarded when a ring found on the skeletal hand yields a clue that will lead her straight to the culprit. The only problem is that the killer is one step ahead of her, and Phee discovers too late that she’s in for a hoe lot of trouble . . .

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I have been reading this series since the beginning and always enjoy seeing what trouble Phee, her mother, Harriet, and the rest of the Sun City West crew get up to.  

My Impression: In this latest book the Sun City West crew have decided to start gardening which seems harmless enough - until Harriet's neurotic and badly behaved dog, Streetman, finds a skeletonized human hand in compost pile.  Soon enough there is all kinds of drama - from plot sabotaging, gossiping and culminating in a murder.  To make things more challenging the victim is one that most of the gardening club is happy to see gone.  Motives and suspects abound.  

Since the actual private investigators - Nate and Phee's husband, Marshall - are out of state if not the country chasing down cat thieves, Phee can't help but get involved.  The investigation goes along the usual pattern.  The book club ladies and Herb's group have some serious hijinks, Phee gets to make an early morning visit to the dog park to get some gossip from Cindy, Rolo shows up a time or two (though I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't find out what appliance he wanted though apparently it's from Ikea), and Streetman causes some serious trouble.  Add in the addition of Aunt Ina's literary group and a whole new group from the gardening club and it made for a very fun if a bit chaotic read.  As usual I enjoyed this book. The mystery is fun and holds together nicely, the pacing is good, and the chaos is a lot of fun.  Bonus points for having a little whos who of characters in the very front as there is a pretty big cast.  As well, I loved all the mentions of Phee's Uncle Louis.  He's one of my favorite characters in the series and even though all his doings were off page I enjoyed the mentions.

This series is written by a married couple and I was so sad to see the authors note at the end that Jim had died at the beginning of the year.   Ann does mention that they already had the next two books in this series put together as well as having a notebook of "murder ideas".  I can only hope that the writing this series brings her as much joy as it does the reader.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I always enjoy this series and look forward to reading more - and other series by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy quirky cozies this is a fun series that you really must try.

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

Miss Pym Disposes - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  To Miss Lucy Pym, expert psychologist, the atmosphere at Leys College for young women where she is a guest lecturer is heavy with tension. Beneath the so normal surface run sinister undercurrents of rivalry and jealousy. Then one student has a peculiar and fatal ‘accident’. Or is it murder? Respectable, law-abiding Miss Pym discovers some vital evidence—but should she reveal it?

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I'm reading my way through some classic mystery authors and this was the next one up for Tey.

My Impression:  I have a complicated history with Tey.  I've enjoyed some of her books and then I've really disliked some of her books.  This was a pleasant surprise.  I really enjoyed the college setting and Miss Pym being not quite of the group was a good narrator.  The pace was a little slower but it allowed me to get to know the basics of all the characters (and there are a lot as it is a school setting).  As the book goes on things get more and more unsettling until the final incident.  

I enjoyed the read and the characters.  While it is technically a murder mystery it is more a study of a a group of people in an essentially isolated and very controlled setting and the effects that has on all of them.  Even the ending which does end with a satisfactory explanation is vaguely unsettling with a touch of unexpectedness.  I think Miss Pym may be my favorite Tey character and it has made me more optimistic about reading more of her books in the future.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would.  I'm curious to see what I think of the next book of hers I read as I never know what to expect from Tey.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy boarding school/college settings this is definitely a must read.

Friday Fives - Five Authors I'm Thinking About Reading in 2026

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. I've been thinking a little bit about my reading for 2026.  The past few years I've made a list of authors that I keep meaning to read but somehow never get to for whatever reason.  I haven't loved every book I've read but it's been a great motivation to tackle books I might not have otherwise.  Here are 5 Authors I'm thinking about adding to the list next year.

1.  Sarah Adams - I have heard some fantastic reviews for this author.  I'm very hit or miss with Romcoms so I'm a little hesitant about this author but I do like the sound of her plots and characters.

2.  Allison Brennan - I've been enjoying mysteries with a thriller slant and this author has been on my radar for quite awhile.

3.  Annabel Monaghan - Her books sound so fun and I've seen some great reviews for them.  I have several of her books on my shelf and really hope to read one of those next year!

4.  Maddie Day - This is a cozy author with several long running series that for whatever reason I've never read.  

5.  Melinda Leigh - I love a good suspense read and I've heard great things about her Bree Taggart series.  

What authors are you hoping to read in 2026?  

Books from the Backlog - The Frozen People

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 Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

Blurb:  Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they’re frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.
The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it’s too late.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I really enjoy this author's books and this series really appeals to me.  The second book in the series is coming out in the next few months so I need to read this one first.

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2025.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews

Blurb:  Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn't sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.
Then she's kidnapped by Connor "Mad" Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan's after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she's getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

My Thoughts:  I'm a little conflicted about this one (and it's not just because of the cover which I can't stand) and I think it's because the urban fantasy part of the genre just isn't really for me.  The world building and class structure just isn't my favorite.  I also went with the audio book version and while the narrator did a good job her voice just didn't fit the story which I found a bit jarring.  That said, as soon as I finished this book I went and put the other 5 in the series on my library list.  I really liked Nevada and I loved her family and that dynamic.  Mad Rogan is another interesting and complicated character and the relationship that developed between the two was interesting and at times unexpected.  The way the story unfolded also really held my interest.  There's a twist or two that really surprised me and a few moments that even had me laughing.  I probably won't be seeking out any other urban fantasy books but I will definitely be finishing this series and am looking forward to seeing more of Nevada, Mad, and the rest of the side characters.  My Rating:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Top Ten Tuesday - Winter TBR

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 Winter TBR.  I love making seasonal TBRs!  Am I best about sticking to them? Not in the slightest but I like pretending I will.

1.  The Storm by Rachel Hawkins - I've read one book by this author and really enjoyed it.  The blurb of this one really caught my eye and it sounds fantastic.

2.  The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz - I love Krentz's books and this one involves the backstory of a character that has really intrigued me in previous books.

3.  A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn - I really love this series and I look forward to seeing what new trouble Veronica and Stokker get up to.

4.  The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly - I really love another series by this author and I love this title.

5.  The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - I'm annoyed with myself that I haven't read this one yet but am really looking forward to reading it soon!

6.  The Frozen People by Elly Griffith - I've enjoyed several other books by this author and I love a good cold case mystery.

7.  Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams - I love this author and this one is set in World War II era Bahamas which seems interesting.

8.  Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery - This is one of Montgomery's stand alone books that I remember loving but have only read once or twice.  I've been meaning to reread it for ages.

9.  We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - I've been wanting to read this one since it came out.

10. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews - This is the next book in a long running cozy mystery series that I really enjoy.

What books are on your Winter TBR?

A Chapter of Accidents - Short Story Collection Review

Goodreads:  A Chapter of Accidents: Twenty-Seven Rediscovered Stories by L.M. Montgomery

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  L. M. Montgomery, best known for creating the beloved Anne of Green Gables series, had a thriving writing career that included several novels and more than five hundred poems and stories.

This collection features rare short stories originally published between 1901 and 1932 that haven't been in print since their initial periodicals. Montgomery scholar Carolyn Strom Collins has curated a selection of funny and heartfelt stories to provide unique insight into how this famed author's writing developed over her career. With stories like "A Case of Mistaken Identity," "A Platonic Experiment," and "Frank's Revenge," each tale features an unusual, accidental, or unlikely pair. Montgomery's brilliantly written characters and strong sense of place paired with Collins's scholarly context make this collection a must for every Montgomery fan.

Genre: Fiction - Short Stories 

Why I Picked This Book:  I love Montgomery's short stories so how could I not pick this one up?

My Impression: This is quite a mix of stories.  Most are only a couple of pages but the ages range from young children to older adults.  The subject matters vary widely as well.  Montgomery made her living with her writing - frequently heavily supplementing her husband wages and that means she frequently tailored her stories to publications she knew would take them.  The forward talked a bit about this - especially the stories for children's religious magazines that required there to be some kind of moral.  

These aren't the best quality stories but they are sweet and entertaining.  They're a wonderful palate cleanser between heavier stories or a nice way to end the day.  Montgomery frequently uses these short stories to play with different topics and story ideas that she frequently uses again in her longer books.  

I really enjoyed reading a few of these stories each day.  I love the world and the characters Montgomery creates and finding 27 new stories was really wonderful.  I do think the early short story collections edited by Rea Wilmshurst are a bit better but these are still a delight and a must read for Montgomery fans.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I love Montgomery's books and will read anything by her.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes!  If you've read and enjoyed Montgomery's books then her short story collections are definitely not to be missed.

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

The Five Red Herrings - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers

Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  During a painting retreat, a killer takes a creative approach to the ancient art of murder...

The majestic landscape of the Scottish coast has attracted artists and fishermen for centuries. In the idyllic village of Kirkcudbright, every resident and visitor has two things in common: They either fish or paint (or do both), and they all hate Sandy Campbell. Though a fair painter, he is a rotten human being, and cannot enter a pub without raising the blood pressure of everybody there. No one weeps when he dies.

Campbell’s body is found at the bottom of a steep hill, and his easel stands at the top, suggesting that he took a tumble while painting. But something about the death doesn’t sit right with gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. No one in Kirkcudbright liked Campbell, and six hated him enough to become suspects. Five are innocent, and the other is the perpetrator of one of the most ingenious murders Lord Peter has ever encountered.

Genre:  Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the next full length Lord Peter Wimsey book and I'm trying to read my way through them.

My Impression:  Sayers and I have a bit of a rocky relationship.  I tend to either thoroughly enjoy them or find them a bit of a slog (there was one that I was really enjoying until it went off the rails at the end for an added twist).  Unfortunately, this one lands in the slog category for me.  The mystery is brilliant and the premise fantastic.  There's a wide range of rather oddball characters that all have pretty possible motives.  It's fun seeing Wimsey in the middle of an artist colony as well.  

So why was this one a slog?  The book takes place in Scotland - which is great, I love a Scottish setting - but unfortunately Sayers leans heavy into local dialect.  Every line of dialogue spoken by a Scottish person is thick with dialect and there's a lot of dialogue.  I don't mind a bit of this but this was so much that I found myself basically having to translate which pulled me out of the story every single time.  This kept me from enjoying what was really a fantastic mystery.  I think I'll avoid any of Sayers books with a Scottish setting in the future. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I will but I won't read anymore of her books that are set in Scotland.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  Eh - maybe?  If you're a big Sayers fan or if dialect in dialogue doesn't bother you than I'd give it a try.  It also might work better as an audio.  

Friday Fives - Five Series that May Make the List For 2026

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. I've been thinking a little bit about my reading for 2026.  I read and enjoy a lot of series and my list is constantly expanding.  Here are 5 I'm hoping to have on my list for 2026.

1.  The Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien - I have read 2 books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them.  It's definitely a world I want to spend more time in and it's full of characters I'd like to get to know a bit better.

2.  Belles of London by Mimi Matthews - This is only a 4 book series and I've already read 1 (well 2 - but I want to reread that one so I'm not counting it) but I really enjoyed the story I read and want to read the rest.

3.  Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters - Barbara Michaels is one of my absolute favorite authors but I haven't read many of her books under the Elizabeth Peters name and only a couple of books in her super long running Amelia Peabody series.  

4.  Sebastian St. Cyr by C.S. Harris - I have loved the most recent books in this series and am really looking forward to reading it from the beginning.

5.  Ghost Hunters by Jayne Castle - I'm still not entirely sure what I think of this series - or where it really starts - but I'd like to read more so I can make up my mind!

Are you a series reader?  What series are you hoping to read in 2026?

Books from the Backlog - Lost and Found in Paris

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:  Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan

Blurb:  Joan Blakely had an unconventional childhood: the daughter of a globe-trotting supermodel and a world-famous artist. Her artist father died on 9/11, and Joan—an art historian by training—has spent more than a decade maintaining his legacy. Life in the art world is beginning to wear on her—and then one fateful afternoon her husband drops a bombshell: he’s fathered twins with another woman.
Furious but secretly pleased to have a reason to blow up her life, Joan impulsively decides to get out of town, booking a last-minute trip to Paris as an art courier: the person museums hire to fly valuable works of art to potential clients, discreetly stowed in their carry-on luggage. Sipping her champagne in business-class, she chats up her seatmate, Nate, a good-looking tech nerd who invites her to dinner in Paris. He doesn’t know she’s carrying drawings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But after a romantic dinner and an even more romantic night together, Joan wakes up next to her new lover to discover the drawings gone. Even more shocking is what’s been left in their place: a sketch from her father’s journals, which she thought had been lost when he died on 9/11, and a poem that reads like a treasure hunt.

With Nate as a sidekick, Joan will follow the clues all over Paris—from its grand cathedrals to the romantic bistros to the twisty side streets of Montmartre—hoping to recover the lost art, and her own sense of adventure. What she finds is even better than she’d expected.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I haven't had the best reading year and this sounds like one I'd really enjoy.  I'm hoping to shake up my reading a bit for 2026 so it doesn't feel as sluggish.

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2025.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

Blurb:  Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.
At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.

My Thoughts:  This was a seriously unsettling mystery.  Every piece of information adds more uncertainty and distrust of all the characters.  Unger does a fantastic job creating atmosphere and making the Windermere come to life with a fully realized ominous presence.  I had no idea how everything was going to work out but I flew through this book anxious to find the answers.  The solution, like the rest of the book was incredibly unsettling but ultimately satisfying.  I enjoyed this book and the author's writing style.  I'm not sure she qualifies as a must read author for me yet but I will definitely read more from her when the blurb catches my attention.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Top Ten Tuesday - Books Set in Snowy Places

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 Set in Snowy Places.  I don't live in a place that gets much snow and I have no interest in being around snow but I really enjoy reading books that are set in snowy places.  Here are 10 of those books on my TBR.

1.  The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - This takes place in Chicago and the woods in Minnesota which are both pretty cold and snowy places.

2.  Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - This series takes place in Iceland and it's hard to find a setting that's colder and snowier!

3.  Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey - This book is set in Alaska

4.  The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware - The previous book took place on a ship in miserably cold weather and this one takes place in a hotel in Switzerland

5.  An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - Winter in the Catskills sounds pretty snowy

6.  Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict - This takes place on a train from London to Scotland that gets stuck in the snow.

7.  The Broken Girls by Simone St. James - There's snow on the cover and the book takes place in Vermont.

8.  This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong - Rockton is a fictional town that is in the wilds of Canada

9.  The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - This one has been on my TBR for ages and is set in Sweden.

10. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - I'm not sure there's any place snowier than Siberia.  

What books Set in Snowy Places are on your TBR?

A Grave Deception - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  A Grave Deception by Connie Berry

Rating: 
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Kate Hamilton and her husband, Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, have settled into married life in Long Barston. When archaeologists excavating the ruins of a nearby plague village discover the miraculously preserved body of a 14th century woman, Kate and her colleague, Ivor Tweedy, are asked to appraise the grave goods, including a valuable pearl. When tests reveal the woman was pregnant and murdered, the owner of the estate on which the body was found, an amateur historian, asks Kate to identify her and, if possible, her killer. Surprised, Kate agrees to try.

Meanwhile, tensions within the archaeological team erupt when the body of the lead archaeologist turns up at the dig site with fake pearls in his mouth and stomach. Then a third body is found in the excavations. Meanwhile, Kate’s husband Tom is tracking the movements of a killer of his own.

With the help of 700-year-old documents and the unpublished research of a deceased historian, Kate must piece together the past before the grave count reaches four.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I have enjoyed other books in this series and the blurb really caught my attention on this one.

My Impression: I so enjoyed this mystery.  I'm fascinated by archaeology and missing persons cases and the fact that this one had both with the addition of antiques, likable main characters, and a really solid present time mystery.  The book starts off with discussions of a major discovery - a 14th century woman buried under the chapel of a village decimated by the plague.  Along with an amazingly preserved corpse is a stunning array of grave goods.  As well, the owner of the estate where the body was found is interested in not just learning more about the grave goods but wants to know more about the woman - and who she was.  The estate owner also happens to be the center of a more modern mystery as his wife disappeared without a trace several years ago.   The murder victim is the lead archaeologist and while no one deserves to be murdered Sebastian makes a pretty good case for why he needed to be removed.  And if this wasn't enough chaos, Kate's husband, police detective Tom, is busy tracking another murderer who is on the run.

This isn't the fastest paced mystery.  There's lots of details on the places and the antiquities that are woven through the book.  This wasn't one I flew through or stayed up super late to finish.  However, it was always one that I looked forward to picking up and was always a little sad to put down.  I was curious about all the different plots and wasn't quite sure what all was going to happen until the reveal.  This is part of the Kate Hamilton series and is a series best read in order. This isn't a hardship as each book has been enjoyable.  If you are looking for a solid mystery with a bit of history and a main character you can't help but like this book and this series as a whole is a great choice.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I have really enjoyed every book I've read by this author and will definitely read anything I see by her.  I've read every book in this series except the first one which I'm hoping to read that one soon.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy a mystery read I would definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.

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

Monthly Reading Recap - October and November 2025

Monthly Reading Total: 25 - 17 for October and 8 for November.  I was on vacation for the bulk of November and had very little reading time so I'm not surprised my November count is so far below my usual numbers.

Type:

Print: 7

Ebook:  10

Audio: 8

Genre:

Mystery - 17

Fiction - 7

Romance - 1

Favorite Books of the Month:

October:  

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - This is one of my favorite subjects and an author I typically enjoy so I'm not shocked that I really enjoyed this one.  The Audio was really fantastic.

Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connolly - This mystery series involving an American doctor in Scotland is quickly becoming one of my favorites and this one was really enjoyable.

November:

The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber - I didn't read many books in November but even if I had read 100 I'm betting this would have still been a favorite.  I thoroughly enjoyed this one from beginning to end.

Bookish Armchair Travel

Domestic Travel:  In October I visited Pennsylvania for the first time and revisited Wisconsin, South Carolina and Massachusetts (3 times)

In November I visited Alabama for the first time (which is a bit odd as I live there), Virginia, Tennessee, New York (twice), Maine, and Texas

International Travel:  In October I had quite a lot of international travel with trips to Scotland, England (4 times), Portugal, and Egypt (in multiple time periods).  In November my travel was a little less though I did go to England twice.  

How was your reading in October and November?  Where did your books take you?

Friday Fives - December 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. Since this is the first Friday in December I'm planning my December TBR.  Since this is the last TBR of the year most of these books are ones in challenges I haven't gotten to yet.  As well, most of my reading this month will be trying to hit my goals as this has not been my best reading year and I'm behind by quite a bit on several.

1.  A Grave Deception by Connie Berry - One last eARC for the month and it's one I'm really looking forward to starting.

2.  Keeper of the Castle by Juliet Blackwell - This is the last one on my series challenge list and I know will be a quick read.

3.  Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh - I loved the previous book I read by Marsh so I'm really looking forward to this one.  Fingers crossed it's as enjoyable.

4.  Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart - I'm expecting this one to be a bit of a slower read but I do love Stewart's ability to create atmosphere.

5.  Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod - I've enjoyed other books by MacLeod and this one is in season which makes it extra fun.

I also have the November and December Read Christie Challenge books to read as well as 2 more of the Authors I'm Going to Read in 2025.  I have both Authors books on audio and I normally get through Christie's books at a pretty good pace so I'm not too worried.

What's on your reading list for December?  How are you doing with your reading goals?  

Books from the Backlog - The One-in-a-Million Boy

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 One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood

Blurb:  The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don't they teach you anything at school?

So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who's been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she's confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.

One Saturday, the boy doesn't show up. Ona starts to think he's not so special after all, but then his father arrives on her doorstep, determined to finish his son's good deed. The boy's mother is not so far behind. Ona is set to discover that the world can surprise us at any age, and that sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find ourselves again.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I picked this up a number of years ago but when Will got sick I couldn't read it.  I think now is the time to give it a try.  It had absolutely glowing reviews.

All My Bones - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  All My Bones (An Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries #2) by P.J. Nelson

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months.

When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren't many people in town who hadn't wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm's Fairy Tales—ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt's best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer—before she becomes the next victim.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it.  

My Impression:  This has all the hallmarks of a cozy - small town setting, main character owns a bookstore, amateur sleuth, cat sidekick, and a community of unusual characters.  But it doesn't quite read as a cozy to me.  The topics touched on are a bit darker and the setting and characters are a bit grimmer.  As well, while I enjoyed this book, Madeline's world isn't one I'd like to visit nor are the characters people I'd like to be friends with.

The mystery was an interesting one involving a skeleton buried in a front yard, a beloved character maybe not being who they seemed.   There's also some family pressure for a quick arrest that spurs Madeline into investigative action with a little help from her friends.  The pacing was great and kept me engaged from beginning to end.  I wasn't sure just who would end up being the killer - and why but motives and suspects definitely kept me guessing.

This is one you could really start with this one though there is a bit of setup that will help a few non-plot related things make a bit more sense.  If you're looking for a good read somewhere between regular mystery and cozies this would be a good pick.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I've enjoyed the first two books in the series and look forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're a mystery reader this is a good series and a good one to pick up.

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