Books from the Backlog - The Crepes of Wrath

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 Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox

Blurb:  When Marley McKinney's aging cousin, Jimmy, is hospitalized with pneumonia, she agrees to help run his pancake house while he recovers. With its rustic interior and syrupy scent, the Flip Side Pancake House is just as she pictured it--and the surly chef is a wizard with crêpes. Marley expects to spend a leisurely week or two in Wildwood Cove, the quaint, coastal community where she used to spend her summers, but then Cousin Jimmy is found murdered, sprawled on the rocks beneath a nearby cliff. After she stumbles across evidence of stolen goods in Jimmy's workshop, Marley is determined to find out what's really going on in the not-so-quiet town of Wildwood Cove. With help from her childhood crush and her adopted cat, Flapjack, Marley sinks her teeth into the investigation. But if she's not careful, she's going to get burned by a killer who's only interested in serving up trouble.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I love the title and I've enjoyed other books by this author.  Plus I'm a big fan of pancakes and crepes so what could go wrong!

Books I'm Excited to Read - The Reef + Death by Dumpling

 

Goodreads:  The Reef by Nora Roberts

Blurb:  Tate Beaumont has a passion for treasure-hunting. Over the years, she and her father have uncovered many fabulous riches, but one treasure has always eluded them: Angelique’s Curse—a jeweled amulet heavy with history, dark with legend, and tainted with blood. In order to find this precious artifact, the Beaumonts reluctantly form a partnership with salvagers Buck and Matthew Lassiter.
As the Beaumonts and Lassiters pool their resources to locate Angelique’s Curse, the Caribbean waters darken with shadowy deceptions and hidden threats. Their partnership is placed in jeopardy when Matthew refuses to share information—including the truth behind his father’s mysterious death. For now, Tate and Matthew continue their uneasy alliance—until danger and desire begin to rise to the surface…

My Thoughts:  This was an enjoyable light romantic suspense read that was perfect for summer reading - or wishing it was summer reading.  There is a typical Roberts' villain who has a whole bunch of money and an equal helping of madness as well as a fairly common treasure hunting plot.  However, the marine archeology was a bit unique and thoroughly enjoyable as was the history of the wrecks and the treasure.  I liked Tate and Matthew as well as Buck Lassister and the Beaumonts.  There was a character that threw me for a loop and I wasn't quite sure what to think for a little bit which was fun.  I loved that the setting is mostly at sea and despite the book being an older Roberts book it really didn't feel too dated.  This is a fun read if you're looking for a suspense title with a bit of romance and a dash of adventure.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)  

Goodreads:  Death by Dumpling (Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien

Blurb:  The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.
Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.

My Thoughts:  I have heard raves about this series for ages and have been so wanting to pick up this series so I was so excited to finally read the first book.  And it didn't let me down.  Lana is not super thrilled to be back working at her family's restaurant but the need to pay rent and her dog's food makes that her only option.  She's getting back in the swing of things when an order delivery ends in a suspicious death.  Most of the shop owners around the restaurant have a history together and the possibility for motives abound - and more than a few people are acting suspicious.  Lana was a fun main character.  She's smart but more than a bit impulsive and when paired with her roommate Meghan they are very likely to get in over their heads.  I did kind of guess the who but not the why and I enjoyed following along with Lana's investigation from the first page to the last.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Popular Authors I Still Haven't Read

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 Popular Authors I Still Haven't Read.  I probably could have made this a Top One Hundred list (though that doesn't have quite the same ring) as there are so many authors I mean to read that I don't seem to quite get to though I'm hoping to make some progress on this list in 2024.

1.  Ann Patchett 

2.  Kirstin Hannah

3.  Taylor Jenkins Reid

4.  J.R.R. Tolkien

5.  Riley Sager

6.  Kelley Armstrong

7.  Alice Feeney

8.  Emily Henry

9.  Gillian McAllister

10. Jane Harper

What popular authors have you not read?

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord (Lady Petra Inquires #1) by Celeste Connally

Rating: Just Okay (2.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When Lady Petra Forsyth’s fiancé and soulmate dies just weeks ahead of their wedding, she makes the shocking proclamation—in front of London’s loosest lips—that she will never remarry. A woman of independent means, Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life has passed, nor does she intend to become confined to her country home. Instead, she uses her title to gain access to elite spaces and enjoy the best of society without expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper—uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Lady Petra has reason to believe her friend is not dead, but a prisoner, her own headstrong actions and thirst for independence are used to put her own freedom in jeopardy.

Genre: Mystery - Historical    

Why I Picked This Book:  The blurb called this Agatha Christie meets Bridgerton so how could I resist?

My Impression:  I went into this with high hopes but unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me.  At first I liked Lady Petra as she rather neatly avoided spending time with her dreadful uncle by using his snobbery against him.  However, as soon as she got to London the pace seemed to slow to a crawl.  I got to know everything Lady Petra and those around her felt and thought and believed because they spoke about it in long detailed grand speeches.  

Once the first murder happened the pacing did speed up a bit and I enjoyed the book a bit more though the pace did lag from time to time as the book went on.  If I really love the characters I don't mind a slower paced book but unfortunately in this book I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and felt like their personalities were fairly surface level.  The ending was okay though some aspects could have been settled a bit more thoroughly.  

I enjoy historical mysteries but this one just didn't work for me.  So much of the book felt dialogue heavy and it all ran to rather long speeches.  Reading through other reviews I am very much in the minority with not enjoying this book so there's always the possibility I was just not in the right mood for this one.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Maybe?  I might pick up the next book in this series but it won't be on the top of my TBR.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you love historical mysteries you might want to give this a try.  It didn't work for me but the concept is fun so it may be worth a try.

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

The Turn of the Screw - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  A very young woman's first job: governess for two weirdly beautiful, strangely distant, oddly silent children, Miles and Flora, at a forlorn estate... An estate haunted by a beckoning evil. Half-seen figures who glare from dark towers and dusty windows- silent, foul phantoms who, day by day, night by night, come closer, ever closer. With growing horror, the helpless governess realizes the fiendish creatures want the children, seeking to corrupt their bodies, possess their minds, own their souls. But worse-much worse- the governess discovers that Miles and Flora have no terror of the lurking evil. For they want the walking dead as badly as the dead want them.

Genre: Classic - Horror

Why I Picked This Book:  This is a classic which I have seen referenced many times as being a scary story - and to be honest the page count wasn't terrifying.

My Impression: This is my first book by Henry James and the main thing I learned is that Henry James never met an adjective he couldn't throw into a description.  I couldn't help but compare this to Wilkie Collins' Woman in White which is the other creepy classic I have read in the last few years.  But while Collins' descriptions were rich and vivid, James' left me a bit confused and distracted me from the plot.  

The story itself is creepy with sinister apparitions, an isolated estate, and children who are a bit too angelic.  However, I found that the plot frequently got lost as James spend more of his time illustrating the housekeeper's handwringing or the governess's mental diatribes.  

This would perhaps be fantastic in play form as I did enjoy the story but I don't think Henry James is the author for me.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Probably not.  While I did enjoy the basic plot the writing style wasn't for me.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  Unless you really want to read this I would suggest a play or audio adaptation.  The story is good but the writing style hasn't aged well for casual reading.

Friday Fives - Five Short Reviews for Series I'm Reading

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.  I'm working on catching up on series and decided to put a few reviews of them all together here.

1.  Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle - I really enjoy this series and this was no exception.  Shannon has finally started working on renovating Mac's home when she and her crew find an unpleasant surprise in the dumb waiter - skeletal remains.  This hits close to home for one of Shannon's employees.  Sean's older sister, Lily, went missing when they were all in high school never to be heard from again.  As the police and Shannon dig into Lily's disappearance and life old secrets come to life.  While I usually am not a fan of adults living in high school drama other than Shannon and Whitney's arch nemesis relationship (not my favorite part of the series) this is more digging back into old memories which worked well.  I did find a teacher/student relationship to be a bit of an ick but it was pretty minor.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  Dolled Up for Murder by Jane K. Cleland - I've really enjoyed the last couple of books in this series.  The first few books weren't the strongest but the last few have been really delightful cozies.  Josie is appraising a doll collection which is complicated by the fact that one of the people who wants to buy the collection is under investigation for running a Ponzi scheme.  When the woman is shot in the parking lot right in front of Josie and one of Josie's employees is kidnapped the investigation is on.  I really enjoyed the investigation and was fascinated by history of the dolls and how the author tied them into the investigation.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series! My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  Beer and Loathing by Ellie Alexander - I enjoyed this latest Sloan Kraus book.  This was kind of a surprise book as the series technically ended on the previous book but the author got so many requests from fans that she brought it back and self-published this new entry into the series.  Why the previous books have focused on Sloan's family and her past this book focuses more on Garrett's.  We meet his family and get to know a bit more about his life back in Seattle.  The mystery involves the local hospital which isn't an element of Leavenworth that we've seen much of in previous books.  While this wasn't my favorite in the series I did really enjoy it.  Alexander's writing is well paced and never fails to pull me in to the story.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  Lethal Treasure by Jane K. Cleland - I enjoyed the previous book in the series so much that I couldn't wait very long to pick up the next book.  This book was just as enjoyable with Josie bidding on storage units and discovering a mystery and a murder along the way.  I found the investigation of the silent movie posters and other contents of the storage locker almost as fascinating as the murder investigation though both kept me hooked.  I was a bit meh on this series at the beginning but I've really enjoyed these most recent books and am already looking forward to the next one.  If you enjoy cozy mysteries and like a bit of history this is a great series to try. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz - I've read all of this author's Food Village mystery series and really enjoyed them so I was super excited to start this series involving a Seattle Spice Shop.  I did love the Seattle setting which was really worked into the feel of the book and not just window dressing and I loved all the spice talk.  The mystery was intriguing with lots of possible suspects and motives and did keep me guessing especially for the why until the very end.  My only real issue is that there were a lot of side characters from those in Pepper's life to the fixtures at Pike Place Market to those in the victim's life and a few others.  At times and especially at the end I had a hard time remembering who everyone was though this didn't impact my understanding of how the mystery itself played out.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - How to Find Love in a Bookshop

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:  How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

Blurb:  Nightingale Books, nestled on the main street in an idyllic little village, is a dream come true for book lovers--a cozy haven and welcoming getaway for the literary-minded locals. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open after her beloved father's death, and the temptation to sell is getting stronger. The property developers are circling, yet Emilia's loyal customers have become like family, and she can't imagine breaking the promise she made to her father to keep the store alive.
There's Sarah, owner of the stately Peasebrook Manor, who has used the bookshop as an escape in the past few years, but it now seems there's a very specific reason for all those frequent visits. Next is roguish Jackson, who, after making a complete mess of his marriage, now looks to Emilia for advice on books for the son he misses so much. And the forever shy Thomasina, who runs a pop-up restaurant for two in her tiny cottage--she has a crush on a man she met in the cookbook section, but can hardly dream of working up the courage to admit her true feelings.

Enter the world of Nightingale Books for a serving of romance, long-held secrets, and unexpected hopes for the future--and not just within the pages on the shelves. How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia, the unforgettable cast of customers whose lives she has touched, and the books they all cherish.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf: It looks like a lovely fall read and it has been sitting on my shelf for far too long.