No Paw to Stand On - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  No Paw to Stand On (Bookmobile Cat Mystery #12) by Laurie Cass

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

Description:  There’s no rest for the whiskered as librarian Minnie Hamilton and her rescue cat, Eddie, have to investigate a poisoning—and a murder—in the newest installment of the national bestselling Bookmobile Cat Mysteries.When a heat wave hits northern Michigan, Minnie, Eddie, and their bookmobile head to the beach to catch some rays and some customers. But library business is put on hold when Minnie’s restaurant-owning best friend, Kristen, calls. The specialty ice cream cone treat she'd been serving to patrons was sabotaged, making some customers horribly sick. Kristen needs Minnie to sniff out the culprit fast, or the restaurant's reputation will be destroyed forever. Minnie and Eddie are hot on the tail of the suspect when an employee from another restaurant is found dead. Could the poisoning and the murder be related? It’ll take a feline to catch a felon...

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This series has been on my TBR for ages and I enjoyed the previous book.

My Impression:   We are back to northern Michigan and smack in the middle of the summer.  Minnie and Eddie are taking the library to patrons all while trying not to melt in the heat.  That is until Miinie's best friend, Kristen calls.  In addition to working for the library, driving the bookmobile, keeping her cat, Eddie, out of trouble, and planning a wedding Minnie is pulled into an investigation at just who could have sabotauged Kristen's restaurants and are they the same person that is leaving scathing reviews about restaurants around town.  

I enjoyed this mystery.  While I never fully warmed to Minnie I like the rest of the characters (especially Eddie) and the Bookmobile world.  However, this is a slice of life cozy mystery which means there is a lot of non-mystery related information and the pace is a little slower.  This makes it a bit more difficult to just jump into the mystery mid-series.  I'm just not invested enough in the characters to thoroughly enjoy time just spent in their lives.  

I did like the mystery and was with Minnie on worrying about Kristen and trying to figure out just what was going on.  While this isn't perfect I enjoyed it enough that it confirmed that I want to read the rest of the series - starting at book 1.  I'm looking forward to meeting Minnie, Eddie, Rafe, and everyone else at the beginning!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would but I want to start with the earlier books in this series before I continue with the newer books.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes though I recommend starting earlier in tht eseries.

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

Close Knit - Contemporary Fiction Review

Goodreads: Close Knit by Jenny Colgan

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

Description:  Follow Gertie MacIntyre from knitting circle to air stewardess in this glorious and romantic summer novel set in Scotland’s windswept Northern isles, by beloved New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan.

In the northernmost reaches of Scotland, where a string of little islands in the North Sea stretches towards Norway, lives Gertie MacIntyre, a proud island girl by birth. Her social circle is small but tight: family and friends, particularly the women in her knitting circle. In the whitewashed cottages of their hometown, everyone knows everyone, and the ladies of the knitting circle know more than most. In a place of long dark winters and geographic isolation, the knitting circle is a precious source of gossip, home, laughter, and comfort for them all. And while she knits, Gertie’s busily plotting what to do with the rest of her life.

When Gertie develops a crush on Callum Frost, who owns the local airline, she dares herself to take a job as an air stewardess on the little plane that serves the local islands. Terrifying at first, the sixteen-seat puddle jumper also offers the first taste of real freedom she’s ever known. Will Gertie’s future lie in the skies? Or will she need to go further afield to find the adventure she craves?

Genre: Fiction - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  I have enjoyed a number of Colgan's books and I was looking forward to visiting the islands in Scotland again.

My Impression:   First the positives - I really love a finding yourself kind of story where the main characters starts out unhappy and unsettled and gradually becomes part of a community and figures out what they really want etc.  I also loved checking back in with Morag and the world we were introduced to in last year's Summer Skies.  I loved how Gertie connected with Morag and Nalitha and how she ended up with the job at MacIntyre Air.  Gertie has a lot of skill but isn't really aware of it so to see that appreciation by those around her was really lovely.  Colgan does a fantastic job of setting the scene and makes the beauty and spareness of the land come alive.  Her writing style is also well paced and one I very much enjoyed reading.  I felt like good progress was made in the story from the beginning which isn't always the case with her books I've found. 

And now for the negative - While I love Gertie and understood her shyness and dreaminess her focus on her crushes was a little uncomfortable.    Not only did she get intense crushes but at times the direction her daydreams went made her feel at best very immature and at worst unstable.  This took my enjoyment of the book down because I'd be happily reading along and then one of those thoughts would pop up and it was instant cringe.  

Despite my issue I did really enjoy this.  I loved seeing Gertie come into her own and I adore the setting.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes!  While not everything by this author's books are total winners for me I have enjoyed the bulk of them and am looking forward to reading more from her.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy main characters figuring out what they want in life this is a good choice -as long as you can overlook Gertie's crushes.

* 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 Where I Wanted More Of The Story

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 Ten Books I Want More/Less of Whatever your topic.  I'm doing a little twist and going with ten books I just wanted more from it.  Being I wanted more from the story after going in with high expectations or I just wanted more of as I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters or the world.

1.  15 Summer Later by RaeAnne Thayne - I really loved this book and I was sad to say goodbye to the characters.  I also could have used more animal hijinks!

2.  The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig - I really enjoyed this book but I wanted more from Tess's storyline and to have it wrapped up a bit better.

3.  The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton - Another book I enjoyed but I wanted more about the house.  I never felt like I got a good sense of it.

4.  The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett - I was so sad when this book ended and didn't want to read the last page and be done with the world she created.  

5.  The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman - I would not be sad if the author published a short story just letting us check up on what Nina and her new family is doing.

6.  The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis - I enjoyed this book but I think I would have enjoyed it more if there was more about life in the library.  

7.  What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - I just want more stories.  There could be a new series of stories around this library every 6 months and I would happily buy them and read them immediately.

8.  Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker - This is another one where I just want to check in with the characters.  I feel like I spent so much time with them that I'd like a visit.

9.  Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller - This was one of my favorite books last year.  I'd love another book in this world - or really something else from this atuhor.

10. Dead in a Flash by Brynn Bonner - This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series of all times involving a genealogist and deep dives into family mysteries.  The series ended with this book and I would love to have more either in this series or from this author in general.  

What books did you want more of or more from?

A Murder at the Movies - Cozy Mystery Review

 Goodreads: A Murder at the Moviews (A Secret Bookcase Mystery #2) by Ellie Alexander

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

Description:  After the success of her first event, which revived the fortunes of the bookstore she loves so dearly, Annie is excited to launch Redwood Grove’s first film festival. But when an infamous film critic plunges to his death during the premiere of a Hitchcock-inspired thriller, Annie’s instincts tell her that this was no accident. She soon discovers that many of the cast, crew and guests are harboring dark secrets; from the lead actress with a scandalous past, to a film historian obsessed with protecting his vintage reel collection.

Determined to unravel the mystery, Annie must sift through a tangled web of hidden agendas and deception to expose the killer before they strike again. Can she crack the case and save her film festival – or will she find herself in the spotlight?

Genre:  Mystery - Cozies

Why I Picked This Book:   I love this author and really enjoyed the first book in the series.

My Impression: This is the second visit to the small town of Redwood Grove, California and this time Hollywood is in town for a premiere.  When an indie director wants to work with Annie and the crew at the Secret Bookcase Annie knows she's in for a chaotic week of dinners, movie premeieres and all kinds of Hollywood politics.  But she had no real idea just how much chaos and conflict she was setting herself up for - and when the dead body makes a dramatic entrance things get really busy.

I really enjoyed the mystery and while I had some ideas of how things would turn out I wasn't sure on all the details and there were more than a few surprises.  There is a little setup for the next mystery which I'mvery excited about and a bit more information on the mystery that is part of Annie's backstory.  There's also a little bit of some romance brewing - maybe!  

I really love the setting here and the cast of characters is a lot of fun.  And did I mention that the bookshop Annie works at is Agatha Christie themed complete with a secret room? 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I have the third book in this series and the upcoming book in another series by this author and I cannot wait to read both of them.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a series I think you'd really enjoy!

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

The Man in Lower Ten - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart

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

Description:  A happy bachelor in Washington, DC, Lawrence “Lollie” Blakeley is just the right age to dance with the grown-up little sisters of the girls he used to know. He is without sentiment—so he claims—but is ruled and frequently routed by his elderly housekeeper. All he really wants is to relax with a round of golf and a trip out on the yacht.

But when his law partner asks him to deliver important legal documents to a client in Pittsburgh, Lollie finds his cheerful life tremendously disturbed. In the course of one overnight trip, he ends up in the wrong berth, falls in love, and is accused of murder.

The Man in Lower Ten was the first detective novel to appear on national bestseller lists and is just as deliciously thrilling today as when it was published more than a century ago.

Genre: Mystery - Classic 

Why I Picked This Book:  I'm trying to read more classic mysteries and I have been really enjoying Rinehart's books.

My Impression:  I really enjoy this author's books and this was a fun one!  There's a murder on a train with all kinds of mistaken identities, confusion, and accusations.  The story is told completely in Lollie's point of view and there is a lot of time spent in his head.  

Rinehart's tone is completely unique with a bit of a noir feel but a touch of cozy and a little bit of humor.  There is some datedness to her descriptions of people and her language but at least in this story it was fairly minor.  I love the vintage feel ofthe train journey, wreck, and investigation as Lollie tries to figure out what's going on to keep himself out of jail.  

My main issue with this is the issue I have with pretty much every Mary Roberts Rinehart book I've read - the ending.  While the solution always makes sense and is explained it somehow always comes off as a bit anti-climatic.  This was no different but with the added issue that there are a lot of characters and I found it a bit difficult to keep everyone straight sometimes.  I think part of that problem was I went with the audio versus the print version of this one and I think print just works better for her books.  

If you're looking for a middle ground in classic mystery between Christie and Hammett but with a bit of a fun twist than Roberts is a great choice.  I don't think this was my favorite but it was a lot of fun!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I've enjoyed all her books and am looking forward to reading more by her.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would definitely recommend this author but maybe start with The Circular Staircase or The Bat before this book.

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

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

1.  The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White - I've read and enjoyed books by all of these authors and this is the second collab book I've read.  I enjoyed this one.  It's hard to beat a Lusitania setting with a modern day timeline involving an author who is trying to solve a family mystery and revive her career.   All the characters were interesting and I enjoyed getting to know them.  The start was a bit slow but the second half really hooked me.  I did want more from Tess's timeline as the other two were fleshed out a bit more and I felt like there were a number of aspects of Tess's story that were left unexplained.  I went with the audio of this book and enjoyed all three narrators.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost - This is the story of a guy who because of his wife's job got used to living in out of the way places and writing about them.  When they move to California he now has to go out on his own and so he decides to go wander around China for a bit.  And he does and then he writes a book about it.  He doesn't speak Mandarin or any other language spoken in China and definitely can't read it so he's pretty much just winging it which leads to some interesting situations.  He does have some awareness of the culture and history and brings context to his experiences while still pretty much flying blind.  It was an interesting read that had me laughing a time or two and explored regions of China that I knew very little to nothing about.  His tone is not for everyone so if you haven't read anything from this author I recommed going the library route to make sure you can tolerate his writing style.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

3.  Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy - Well this was lovely!  The day of a tragedy in a small coastal village in Greece, four strangers (plus a hanger on) from different countries find themselves in a cafe on a hill watching things unfold from afar.  The four become immersed in the life of the village as they try to figure out their own personal battles.   Vonni and Andreas become involved in helping the four foreigners - Elsa, Fiona, David, and Thomas - come to terms with their struggles and what they are running from.  At times the actions or decisions of the characters made me want to shake them but I never got frustrated with the book.  Despite the serious topics dealt with Binchy's writing style has a soothing quality to it that made it a peaceful feeling read.  I'm so glad I picked this one up and am looking forward to reading more from her.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst - This mystery takes place in a living history village in Wisconsin that sounds absolutely amazing.  The setting of the book takes place in the early 1980s and Chloe Ellefson is just starting her new job as collections curator.  Honestly, Chloe drove me crazy.  She's struggling a bit with her mental health but she comes off as so incompetent I had a hard time taking her seriously.  The book had a bit of a slow start and the murder isn't the typical murder but I did get interested in the story after about a third of the way through and it was interesting to see how everything played out.  I have a later book iin the series on my review shelf and I will read that but I don't see myself reading all the books in the series.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

5.  Secrets of the Greek Revival by Eva Pohler - Three friends decide to give themselves a project to put all the HGTV watching skills to the test and give themselves a bit of a distraction as they deal with aging parents and marriages that haven't always turned out how they want them to go.  So they buy a house - a house that might be haunted and has a tumoltuous history.  What's really going on in the spooky abandoned house in San Antonio and does the rumored gold really exist.  This was an entertaining read with a bit of mystery and ghostly atmosphere.  The writing was a bit clunky and I had some issues with aspects of the story but overall it was an entertaining distraction.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

What have you read recently?

Books from the Backlog - Mountains Wild

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 Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Blurb:  Twenty-three years ago, Maggie D'arcy's family received a call from the Dublin police. Her cousin Erin has been missing for several days. Maggie herself spent weeks in Ireland, trying to track Erin's movements, working beside the police. But it was to no avail: no trace of her was ever found.

The experience inspired Maggie to become a cop. Now, back on Long Island, more than 20 years have passed. Maggie is a detective and a divorced mother of a teenager. When the Gardaí call to say that Erin's scarf has been found and another young woman has gone missing, Maggie returns to Ireland, awakening all the complicated feelings from the first trip. The despair and frustration of not knowing what happened to Erin. Her attraction to Erin's coworker, now a professor, who never fully explained their relationship. And her determination to solve the case, once and for all.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I've been wanting to read this series since this first book came out and just haven't managed to pick it up yet!