Life With Leukemia, A Puppy, And Some Reading - May 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:

An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells - I really enjoyed the early Nevada Barr books that were set in National Parks so I was excited to see this one which looks like an intriguing mystery.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Read:  Fatal Flowers by Jess Dylan and The Villa by Nora Roberts

Listening:  Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King

Last weekend we went to Louisiana for the Dream Day Foundation event which is connected to the Baton Rouge affiliate of St Jude Children's Research Hospital.  This is a big event with fishing, a big petting zoo, food and all kinds of different games and crafts for kids and their families who are either in active treatment, through treatment, or the family of those whose fight has ended.  Will's immune system numbers had been trending down and honestly if we had been going anywhere else we wouldn't have been able to go.  We had such a good time!  Pre-pandemic we had spent several months in the New Orleans area so we went down a day early and went to some of our favorite restaurants and the drove over to Mississippi to visit the beaches we spent so much time at.  It was really fun.  The event in Baton Rouge was also so much fun!  We don't really fish but we had a fabulous time at the petting zoo part.  They had a camel, ducklings, chicks, goats, bunnies, a tortoise, an Alpaca, an owl (NOT for petting), some baby alligators and a number of other things.  Will got tired pretty quickly but he had such a good time!  And he ate at his favorite fast food - Raising Cane's 5 times in 4 days.  It's a chicken fingers and fries place and while not healthy I must admit it is pretty tasty.  Unfortunately, his immune system numbers have continued to drop so we are housebound for the week.  Luckily, he's feeling good and not showing any sign of any infection but if something did happen he would really have no defense for it.  This isn't unusual in leukemia patients though he is proving to be extra sensitive to several of the chemo drugs.

While we were in Louisiana, Rover boarded at our vet for the first time.  We love our vet and they kind of a resort boarding area.  Honestly, I expected him to barely notice we were gone but he was so excited to see me when I picked him up I felt a little guilty.  We are starting Manners class again this week.  This is second go round and while he did great he needs a bit more maturity and we are working on him being able to calm down easily.  He's not quite 7 months old so he's still got a puppy brain even though it's in a 60 pound (and growing!) body.

Friday was my birthday and we had such a nice time!  We drove down the beach and stopped in Bay St Louis at this absolutely amazing ice cream place. We stopped at our favorite beach (not the one in the picture) and dipped our toes in the water and just relaxed a bit.  It was such a nice day.  I celebrate a birthday season so I'm still officially celebrating until at least the first week or so of June so I still have lots of plan.  

Have a great week and happy reading!

Ladies' Bane - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Ladies' Bane (A Miss Silver Mystery #22) by Patricia Wentworth

Rating:  Really Liked It
Source:   Purchased

Description:  No one has seen Allegra Trent since she got married. Her husband swept her off her feet and out of London, to a faraway town called Bleake. She has stopped writing letters, and her family has begun to worry. Allegra’s husband is a strange man, consumed with the dream of owning a ramshackle medieval estate, and he intends to use his new wife’s money to do it. Why he wants to live there no one knows, but Josepha Bowden does not want his castle to become her goddaughter’s prison. She asks the help of Maud Silver, the former governess who now makes a living using her reason to unravel the intricacies of murder. There has been no killing in Bleake, but if Miss Silver doesn’t intervene quickly, there could be one soon.

Genre:  Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I'm finishing the Miss Silver series this year.  

My Impression:   This book frustrated me a bit.  A large part of it was absolutely fantastic - easily 5 Star.  The goings on at the Ladies' House were intriguing with lots of dark elements.  Miss Silver is pulled in an intriguing way, has plenty of page time and is playing very much into her strengths.  The mystery kept me interested and guessing until the very end.  Frank Abbott plays a very small role here but I didn't mind that too much as it gave Miss Silver a bit more time to shine.  

What kept this book from being 5 stars for me is a convoluted beginning and a few almost distracted transition points.  It almost feels like the mystery was written in chunks with breaks in between.  I'm not sure if maybe I was distracted without realizing it but there were a couple of times while reading the book that I had to take a step out and figure out just who was who and what was going on.  While this would normally really annoy me the moments were small enough and I was pulled back into story quickly enough that it didn't ruin my reading experience.

All the Miss Silver books are standalones and this one was no difference.  Despite the chaotic moments this was an interesting and entertaining mystery.  I'm looking forward to the next Miss Silver mystery!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  Patricia Wentworth is one of my absolute favorite authors and I always enjoying reading and rereading her books.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries and enjoy Christie's Miss Marple books I think you would love Miss Silver.

Friday Fives - Five Mini Reviews

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  Second Sight by Amanda Quick - This is the first book in the Arcane Society and is the story of Gabriel Jones and Venetia Milton.  Gabriel is in charge of the Arcane Society that has hired Venetia Milton to photograph and document the Society's collection.   Their time together is interrupted by an attack and Venetia is left to rebuild her life as a "widow" running a photography business.  This was an entertaining story with  a likable and practical heroine.  Gabriel is a bit flat and a bit heavy handed on the alpha male side of thing but never got annoying.  This wouldn't be an Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz without it being an entertaining read and it didn't disappoint.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the series continues.  My Rating: Liked It

2.  The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman - I picked this book up because I picked up the 3rd book in the series without realizing it was the 3rd book in the series so obviously I had to read the first 2 books.  This was a delight!  I really enjoy historical mysteries and I'm so excited to find a new series that I really enjoy.  Lily Adler is an interesting and likable main character with common sense and a dash of daring.  I also love a team element and Ophelia Oswald and Captain Jack Hartley make a fun team and work really well with Lily.   The mystery was interesting and while I did guess the reveal a little before Lily I was curious as to how she would pull everything together.  I'm so excited to have discovered this series and can't wait to continue with it!  My Rating: Really Liked It!

3. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber - This book gave me strong Sarah Addison Allen vibes. It could be because the premise was vaguely similar to a book by that author that I had just read.  Regardless, this is a story set in a small Southern town with a focus on community and healing.  There are strong elements of magical realism and two strong main characters who are connected but have had very different paths.  I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end and wish there were more books to be set in the town of Wicklow, Alabama as there are so many memorable characters in the town that I would love to see again.  My Rating: Loved It!

4.  Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis - This police procedural set in the UK has been on my TBR for ages and I just finally got around to listening to the audio and I'm so glad I do.  I mostly read cozy mysteries but every once in awhile I want something a little grittier and this was perfect.  While the subject matter is dark and there is violence it isn't overly detailed or grisly.  I really liked DI Nikki Galena.  She's driven and on a mission but not of her own ambition.   The addition of DS Joseph Easter softened the edges without going romantic (and I'm hoping it stays that way) and humanized her.  The rest of the team is capable and interesting.  This is a procedural series I'm really excited to continue with.  My Rating: Loved It!

5.  Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas - It's been a long time since I read a historical romance and I wasn't sure what I was going to think when I picked this one up.  I ended up absolutely loving it.  Helen is a delightful character.  She's kind natured with a warm heart and is not naturally confrontational but is learning to express herself and stand up for herself.   Rhys is a little harder to like.  He's a kind man with a fair and generous nature but because of his past is used to keeping up his defenses and using arrogance as a shield.  The relationship between the two feels authentic and genuine and it is easy to believe that their relationship is lasting.  There is a Secret in this book which is one of my least favorite plot devices.  However, in this case I can understand why it is kept and not shared.  I'm looking forward to reading more historical romance and more of Kleypas's Ravenal books in the future!  My Rating: Loved It!

What have you read recently?

Books from the Backlog - Deadly Appraisal

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: Deadly Appraisal by Jane K. Cleland

Blurb:  Josie Prescott is settling into her new life in New Hampshire. Her antiques business is thriving, she's beginning to make some close friends, and her relationship with the local police chief is becoming more interesting. Not bad for someone who has completely uprooted her life as a New York City auction house expert in order to get a fresh start in a small New England town. 

 With so much suddenly to lose, Josie can't help but worry when murder invades her seemingly quiet community. Josie is sponsoring the Portsmouth Women's Guild Annual Black and Gold Gala and is looking forward to receiving a kindly worded thank-you for her efforts. Instead, the Guild representative, Maisy Gaylor, dies a horrible death in the midst of the banquet. Who could have wanted to kill earnest, drab little Maisy? "Funny, isn't it," muses the hostile Detective Rowcliff, "how a lot of people end up dead when no one has any enemies."

Everyone who had access to the wine Maisy drank, including Josie herself, soon comes under suspicion. Can Josie manage to ferret out the truth, keep her business running smoothly, and continue to put down roots in her new town, or will everything prove too much for her to handle on her own?

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Because it's going to have to go back to the library soon!  I've had it for just over two months and I only have one renewal left on it.

The Shadow of Memory - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Shadow of Memory (Kate Hamilton Mysteries #4) by Connie Berry

Rating: Loved It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  As Kate Hamilton plans her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, she is also assisting her colleague Ivor Tweedy with a project at the Netherfield Sanatorium, which is being converted into luxury townhouses. Kate and Ivor must appraise a fifteenth-century painting and verify that its provenance is the Dutch master Jan Van Eyck. But when retired criminal inspector Will Parker is found dead, Kate learns that the halls of the sanatorium housed much more than priceless art.

Kate is surprised to learn that Will had been the first boyfriend of her friend Vivian Bunn, who hasn’t seen him in fifty-eight years. At a seaside holiday camp over sixty years ago, Will, Vivian, and three other teens broke into an abandoned house where a doctor and his wife had died under bizarre circumstances two years earlier. Now, when a second member of the childhood gang dies unexpectedly—and then a third—it becomes clear that the teens had discovered more in the house than they had realized.

Had Will returned to warn his old love? When Kate makes a shocking connection between a sixty-year-old murder and the long-buried secrets of the sanatorium, she suddenly understands that time is running out for Vivian—and anyone connected to her.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I have read the last two books in this series and really enjoyed them both so of course I had to pick this one up!

My Impression:  This has essentially all of my favorite things in one book.  There's potential art forgery, antiques, and an old mystery involving an abandoned house that was left fully intact.   Kate's dear friend and housemate, Vivian's past is front and center in this book as she has to remember details of one pivotal week of a teenage summer vacation.  As well, Kate and her business associate Ivor have been called to appraise and auction off contents of a sanatorium that is changing purposes.  

I enjoyed this book from the beginning though as soon as the abandoned house entered the plot I was absolutely hooked.  The mystery was engaging and really kept me guessing.  The fact that so many aspects are connected did feel a bit contrived but not enough to temper my enjoyment of the book.

As well, I have really come to love these characters.  Kate is the kind of woman I would like to be friends with.  She's intelligent with common sense and a bit of a sense of humor.  She is struggling with some decisions as her relationship with Tom is evolving but the in a realistic way that never interferes with the plots.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end and was sad to see the last page.  If you enjoy solid mysteries with likable characters and plots that dig into the past this is a must read!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope the series continues.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy mysteries I highly recommend this book!

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Characters

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 Bookish Characters.  I love a bookish character and here are some of my favorites from recent reads.

1.  Jordan Bingham from The Hammett Hex by Victoria Abbott - Not only does Jordan work as a curator for her eccentric employer's book collection but she is also discovering Golden Age mystery authors and I really enjoyed her mentions of the different ones that each book focuses on.

2.  Jill Gardner from Wedding Bell Blues by Lynn Cahoon - Not only does Jill own a bookstore but she also spends all of her spare time (and quite a bit of her work time) which I very much enjoy.

3.  Nina Redmond from The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - Nina has a gift for finding the right book for the right person - and a bookstore on wheels in Scotland.

4.  Nora Pennington from The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams - Nora also has a gift for finding the right book for the right person but with a lot more issues and some magical realism - and lots more murder.

5.  Carrie Singleton from Death on the Shelf by Allison Brook - Carrie is in charge of events at a library that just happens to be haunted.  She doesn't talk about reading all that much but most of the books take place in the library so I'll give her a pass.

6.  George Devonshire from Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan - George sees the world through books and his love of Narnia was the foundation for this wonderful novel.

7.  Lindsey from Killer Research by Jenn McKinlay - Not only is Lindsey a librarian but she loves to read so I how can I resist her.  

8.  Grace Bennett from The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin - Grace isn't particularly bookish at the beginning but her developing a love of reading is the focus of this story and it was wonderful.

9.  Ariadne Oliver from The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie - I adore Ariadne Oliver with her apples and her marked dislike of her fictional detective.  I can't help but wonder how much of her own personal opinions Agatha funneled into her.  

10. Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - In reality I probably should have chosen Emily as she is the most bookish of Montgomery's characters but honestly I've never really cared for Emily so I choose Anne.  

Who are some of your favorite bookish characters?

Claws for Suspicions - Cozy Mystery

Goodreads: Claws for Suspicion (A Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery #3) by Deborah Blake

Rating:  Really Liked It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Kari Stuart is finally starting to relax into her role as the new owner of the Serenity Sanctuary and is looking forward to the various fun autumn activities in the beautiful Catskills town of Lakeview, like the annual Oktoberfest celebration. It's time for friends and quality bonding with handsome vet Angus McCoy. Until the unexpected arrival of her unpleasant ex-husband, Charlie Smith.

He comes bearing a shocking revelation--the paperwork on their divorce never went through, and they are still married. Worse yet, he thinks this entitles him to half of her lottery winnings--although he'll happily take partial ownership of the sanctuary instead. Kari isn't sure if he's telling the truth, or if it's just another one of Charlie's lies.

But things go from bad to worse when an unexpected death makes Kari the main suspect in a murder investigation. Will she and Queenie be able to find the real killer and keep the home they've built at the sanctuary safe, or is their string of luck finally tapped out?

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I have really enjoyed the two previous books in this series and can never resist a cozy with animals.  

My Impression: Today's cozy mystery lesson is always make sure you are completely divorced  - especially if your ex is a money grubbing horrible person.  And especially if you decide to start playing the lottery.  In this book Kari Stuart learned that lesson is spades - especially when her horrible ex Charlie shows up.  

As usual, the little black kitten Queenie is the star of the show and steals every page that she happens to grace.  I'm not really that much of a cat person but she always makes me smile.  The victim is one that no one is sorry to see go but Kari has a very vested interest in figuring out the whos and whys of what happened.  

This was a fun cozy with likable characters and lots of animal mentions.  The day to day business of running a rescue is something I always find interesting and this is no exception.  I did find the pacing a bit uneven and was definitely a bit slower until the murder and the investigation really started.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I have really enjoyed all 3 books in this series and am looking forward to see what adventures Kari falls into next.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you love animals and cozies this whole series is a must read.

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