Books from the Backlog - Enchanted Hill

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:  Enchanted Hill by Emily Bain Murphy

Blurb:  Escape to Enchanted Hill in this historical mystery where two people with a dark, shared past collide while working undercover at a glittering mansion on the California coast.
The year is 1930 and Cora McCavanagh is posing as a maid at Hollywood magnate Truman Byrd’s legendary estate. She’s closing in on the damning evidence she needs for a high-profile client.

An aspiring PI, Cora was trained by her father, a former prison guard at the notorious Pelican Island, where Cora grew up surrounded by hardened criminals.

Which is why she recognizes Jack Yates as soon as he walks through the door. The last time she saw him was on an ill-fated night that changed the course of her life and still haunts her more than a decade later. Cora never expected to see Jack again—and now a single misstep could cause both their secret identities to come crashing down.

They strike a tentative truce to help each other during a week of parties overflowing with champagne and caviar. But there are puzzles hidden in every corner of Truman Byrd’s labyrinthine estate, and if Cora is to finally learn the truth about Jack Yates, she must unravel a sinister history that the rich and powerful will do anything to keep concealed.

Filled with intrigue and Old Hollywood glamour, Enchanted Hill is an unforgettable, sweepingly romantic novel set in a world you won’t want to leave.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This looks absolutely fantastic and I definitely want to read it soon.

St. Patrick's Day Book Tag

 

I found this fun St. Patrick's Day Book Tag on a Booktuber named Taylor's channel.  It doesn't look like she's still active but I loved this tag so much I just had to do it!

1.  Your Favorite Green Colored Book

The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly - Not my favorite of all time but it's the most recent green book I really enjoyed.

2.  Your Favorite St. Patrick's Day Themed Book

I couldn't come up with a single St. Patrick's Day themed book but Four Leaf Cleaver by Maddie Day is in a cozy mystery series I'm looking forward to reading and I do love the title pun.

3.  Corned Beef and Cabbage: A book that made you hungry

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - I actually couldn't eat a lot of what described because of a shellfish allergy but the food was so lovingly and wonderfully described that it made my mouth water.  

4.  Four Leaf Clover:  A book or item that was a rare good find

The Homefront Sleuths cozy mystery series by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley.  I'm not someone who can really binge a series because I find myself getting annoyed by the characters or the writing style or just losing interest in the story itself.  However, I listened to the bulk of this series back to back and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  The characters were delightful and I really loved how they worked together.  The mysteries were interesting and the narrator did a great job.

5.  Irish Whiskey: A book so bad you need a drink to get over it

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten - This wasn't terrible but it was a bit slow and a bit too gruesome for me so I frequently needed to read something lighter after I finished a chapter or two.

6.  Irish Dancing: A book so good it made you want to dance in excitement

When in Rome by Sarah Adams - I thoroughly enjoyed this one and looked forward to picking it up every time I had a moment to read.

7.  Ireland: A book that made you travel to a different country (armchair or real life)

The two big ones are Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and all of Agatha Christie's books. They have put Prince Edward Island in Canada and a number of specific areas in England on my must visit list.

8.  The Pub: A meeting place in a book you'd love to go to.

Torte in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. Between the food, the coffee and the general feel of the place I would love to go visit.  

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Green Covers On My 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 in honor of St. Patrick's Day - books with green covers.

1.  Murder in Miniature by Kate Tietjen

2.  Introducing Mrs. Collins by Rachel Parris

3.  The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick

4.  Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

5.  The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 1 by Beth Brower

6.  Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

7.  The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

8.  Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly

9.  Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

10. Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

Reading What I Love - The Lost Book of First Loves

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.  My focus in 2026 is reading books I think I'll love - or at least really enjoy.

Goodreads:  The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne

Blurb:  Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Allison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister that she’s never heard about before, it’s clear there are things her father never told her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…
Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives in the small town, her life will never be the same.

Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters.

Why I Think I'll Love This One:  So many reasons!  This is an author I usually really enjoy and I love the long lost sisters plot - and books about sisters in general.  

My Thoughts:  This was a nice read with nice characters set in a beautiful area. I liked Allison and June right away and enjoyed watching them get to know each other - and themselves.   I loved the Wyoming setting and the outdoor descriptions.  I liked how June handled information - she didn't blow up or dismiss it but instead retreated a bit and considered context.  I also really liked Allison.  She's grieving and a little lost but a genuinely kind person.  I would have liked more.  There was a storyline with Allison and old crush that I would have liked to have seen explored more and I would have liked to see more of Allison and June together.  This was a nice light read by an author I always enjoy and this was no exception.  I would have liked a bit more depth to the story but I enjoyed the read.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars) 

This Week in Reading - March 15

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:

Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney - I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I've enjoyed the other books I've read by this author so I'm really excited about this book.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly and Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

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

Listening:  Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern

Watching:  The Formula 1 season has started so my TV time has mostly been taken up with that.  It's been a crazy start to the season and while I have some issues with the new regulations it's still been fun to watch.

Not much to report.  I'm reading a decent amount, teaching dog training classes, and training my dog.  Will's school is taking up a lot of my time.  He's homeschooled but we have been trying this new group this semester.  I don't love their focus (heavy on the AI even for art) but dealing with people you don't agree with is a necessary skill and I like the class interactions.  We use it as a supplement and discussion points but not for his real curriculum.   They're making some changes I don't really like or feel will benefit him for next school year so I've been doing a lot of research on replacements.  I'm also trying to make sure he's prepped for the SAT and ACT and getting his transcript for dual enrollment ready.  It's crazy to believe we are at this point!

I'm finally getting adjusted to the time change.  I hate the spring change even though I do like the extra daylight.  I'd rather have my hour back!  

Have a great week and happy reading!

The Blind Side - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth

Rating: Really Liked It!  (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased
 
Description:  “Anybody could have told you what Ross was like.” “They did tell me,” said Mavis tearfully. “ That’s why I did it.” Ross Craddock was just the type to be murdered. The new landlord of Craddock house, he begins by giving eviction notice to his aunt Lucy. He threatens the doorman with dismissal. He makes a violent and unwelcome pass to his cousin Mavis. He is vindictive and spiteful and ends up dead. The suspects include Lee who may have walked in her sleep and killed him out of unconscious fear. Or Peter who may have found Ross’ advances to Mavis unbearable. Or aunt Lucy who unexpectedly came back. Or possibly Bobby who was still in love with Mavis and furious that she was seen with Ross. The answer will be yet another Wentworth twist.

 

Genre:  Mystery - Classic 

Why I Picked This Book:  Now that I've finished Wentworth's Miss Silver books I'm reading through her standalones and Ernest Lamb books.

My Impression:  This is the first book featuring Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Ernest Lamb who is a frequently reoccurring character on his own and in the Miss Silver books.  As usual, he is paired with his sergeant and frequent source of aggravation, Frank Abbott.  I love Lamb's character.  He frequently comes off as a bit dull-witted and unsympathetic, but it hides a quick mind, a wry sense of humor and a fatherly air.

The victim in this one is an incredibly unlikable and has a wide variety of people who are not sad to see him gone.  There's a variety of family members around as well as some staff who make up for a pretty wide cast of characters that aren't always easy to keep track of.  That said the mystery is a good one that kept me engaged and reading.  This was a quick read with a fun classic feel and a solid mystery.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I'm looking forward to reading more from her though I am running out of Wentworth books that I haven't read.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would - especially if you're a fan of Patricia Wentworth or just classic mysteries in general.  

Friday Fives - Five Books I've Recently DNF'd

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.   Today I'm talking about 5 books I DNF'd recently.  I'm not much of a DNFer but it's a habit I'm trying to get better as since it does me no good to unhappily trudge through a book.

1.  Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks - I was so excited about this one.  It's set in Ireland, has a character that is getting on their feet, and sounds a bit quirky.  Unfortunately, after a few weeks with zero interest in picking it back up I finally had to admit it wasn't working for me.  I liked Callum and Lark but never connected with them and couldn't make myself root for them one way or another.  Part of the problem for me was there was just too much going on.  There's the generally awkward characters with the added awkwardness of the funeral home, there's figuring out how an asexual character can function best in a relationship, there's a tragic past, there's work issues, and there's the pressure of a needed fake marriage.  It just felt a bit too much and at about 20% I finally had to admit that I just didn't care.  DNF'd at 21%

2.  Drop Dead by Lily Chu - I gave this a try when I was trying to finish off all the books I had put in my library before I cancelled Audible Plus.  I love the premise of two rival journalists working together to figure out a famous author's life story.  However, when it came to actually listening to after the first few hopeful attempts, I just couldn't make myself restart it.  I didn't care about the characters, how they got along or the premise itself.  Both characters came across as stunningly immature and I realized I'd rather listen to anything other than this book.  DNF'd at 18%

3.   Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams - I usually enjoy Williams' books so I was excited to pick this one up.  I tried the audio twice on it and absolutely could not get into the story.  The characters felt a bit flat and ultimately I decided I just didn't care enough to try and push through.  DNF'd at 11%

4.  Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse by Lee Goldberg - I normally don't gravitate to books based on TV shows but I've had good luck with the Murder, She Wrote series so I figured I'd give this one a try.  Unfortunately, while Monk is quirky and endearing (and at times annoying or heartbreaking) on the show I found him mostly tedious in the book.  As well, this mystery involves the murder of a dog which just isn't a plot I enjoy - especially in my cozies.  DNF'd at 20%

5.  Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiofalo - I pulled this off my overdue review shelf because I love family secrets and dual timelines and pretty much everything that was in the premise.  Unfortunately, not every book is for everyone and this was the case with this one. I never connected to any of the characters and I found the story to be so overwrought and grim that I dreaded picking it up.   DNF'd at 29%