Thursday, August 1, 2019

Books Read - July 2019

Anderson, Amorette
  • The Case of the Love Spell ***
Fiction.  A private eye gets drawn into a case of murder, but when she is gifted a box of items from the murder victim that contains a book on witchcraft, she starts noticing changes in her life.

Barz, Vivian
  • Forgotten Bones ****
Fiction.  A child’s body has been uncovered at the site of a car accident, and when his body leads to the discovery of dozens more, a local sexual predator is suspected.

Berneathy, Sally
  • Death by Chocolate ****
Fiction.  First in the Death by Chocolate cozy mystery series.  A woman running from her past is befriended by a chocolatier who helps her with shelter, a job, and the end of a nightmare.

Booth, Stephen
  • Black Dog ****
Fiction.  First in the Cooper and Fry mystery series.  A girl has gone missing, and when her body is found there are multiple possible suspects.  Cooper and Fry are determined to solve the mystery.

Charles, Ann
  • In Cahoots with the Prickly Pear Posse ****
Fiction.  Sixth in the Jackrabbit Junction cozy mystery series.  Natalie is visiting her cousins in the Winnebago park, while she tries to figure out her relationship with Coop.  Diamond thieves are still after the sisters, and the girls can’t stay out of trouble.

Christian, Claudia Hall
  • The Fey *****
Fiction.  First in the Alex the Fey thriller series.  Alex has lost her team and suffers agonizing injuries.  After over 40 surgeries, she is finally able to walk again and goes back into training.  Eleazar is coming after her soon, but he’ll destroy everything she loves before he kills her.

Crowley, Harper
  • Pretty in Pink *
Fiction.  First in the Brady Investigation paranormal. Three members of a ghost hunting team find that there are no ghosts in the pink house.

Diede, Kimberly
  • Whispering Pines ****
Fiction.  First in the Whispering Pines series.  Renee is raising two teenagers on her own, and when she loses her job, she re-evaluates her life.  She wasn’t happy working in the corporate world but isn’t sure what will make her happy.

Galenorn, Yasmine
  • Witching Hour *****
Fiction.  Seventh in the Wild Hunt urban fantasy series and first in the Witching Hour series.  Raven BoneTalker is hired by a woman who believes her house to be haunted, though her live-in boyfriend is not a fan of Raven and resents her interference.  Raven is determined to help the woman, even if it means losing her friendship.

Garrett, Danielle 
  • A Royal Witch ****
Fiction.  Eleventh in the Beechwood Harbor paranormal cozy mystery series.  When a princess is placed in the manor as a safe house but then is kidnapped, Holly and her friends set out to find her.

Henry, Angela
  • The Company You Keep ****
Fiction.  First in the Kendra Clayton cozy mystery series.  Kendra’s friend is accused of murder, but Kendra believes she is innocent and goes out of her way to prove it.

McGowan, Claire
  • What You Did *****
Fiction.  A group of college friends is gathering at Ali’s house for a reunion weekend, but when a woman starts screaming in the middle of the night and accuses Ali’s husband of rape, a lifetime of secrets unravels drawing them all down.

McGurl, Kathleen
  • The Forgotten Secret *****
Fiction.  A woman leaves her husband and retires to an Irish farm she has inherited.  The farm has secrets from the past when another young woman falls in love with an Irish Volunteer who is fighting to gain Irreland’s independence.

Patterbee, Kee
  • The Death of a Celebrity Chef ***
Fiction.  First in the Hannah Starvling cozy mystery series.  Hannah and her friends travel to a small town where a celebrity chef has died.  In investigating her death, they seek to prove that it was murder.

Pepper, Angela
  • Wolves of Wisteria ***
Fiction.  First in the Wisteria Witches City Hall paranormal cozy mystery series.  Zinnia works at City Hall, and when she gets to work she finds out that one of her co-workers has been murdered.  The co-worker has written a tell-all book lightly disguising her co-workers  as characters in the book, and she has told all her secrets there.  Secrets someone is willing to kill for..

Selfman, Sylvia & Leigh
  • Eclair Case of Murder ****
Fiction.  Second in the Rosie Kale cozy mystery series.  Rosie volunteers at the local crisis center, when she receives a call from a woman who wants to commit suicide.  By the end of the call Rosie has gotten the woman to promise to call back the next night, but by chance the bakery is catering an anniversary party, and Rosie realizes the woman caller is the woman whose anniversary it is.  But the next day the woman is dead, and everyone is convinced she committed suicide.  Everyone except Rosie.

  • Haunt Flashes ****
Fiction.  First in The Ghost paranormal cozy mystery series.  Arden moves into a Hollywood bungalow that happens to be haunted by a man who died in the 40’s.  She is convinced he is evil until the whole story of his love life is played out, and she realizes why he can’t move on.

  • Murder by the Book ****
Fiction.  Second in the Izzy Greene cozy mystery series.  Izzy’s friend Flo is to be interviewed for her novel on TV, which is to be followed by the prime spot in the book fair.  But when her spot is taken by a competitor who ends up dead, Izzy realizes her book was full of secrets nobody wants to be let out.

  • Murder Over Miami ****
Fiction.  Fourth in the Izzy Greene cozy mystery series.  Izzy travels to Miami to attend the wedding of her college roommate, but when the bride is killed on her way to the ceremony, Izzy becomes the prime suspect.

  • Murder She Typed ****
Fiction.  First in the Izzy Greene cozy mystery series.  Izzy belongs to a writing group, and a newcomer, Sondra, joins, looking like she just stepped out of a magazine.  While out hiking, Sondra passes Izzy on the trail, and after a scream, Izzy believes she has been murdered, but without any proof, the police won’t believe her.  She sets out to discover the truth.

  • Murder Takes a Holiday ****
Fiction.  Third in the Izzy Greene cozy mystery series.  Izzy is invited to a posh Christmas party, and when the hostess asks for her help in determining if her boyfriend is cheating on her, Izzy is happy to help.  But when someone breaks into her condo, she realizes she, herself, is a target and goes on the offensive.

  • Nothing Bundt Murder ****
Fiction.  First in the Rosie Kale cozy mystery series.  Rosie works at a bundt cake bakery, and when she and her boss cater an event and her boss’s rival ends up poisoned, Rosie is determined to prove her boss is innocent.

Strang, Phillip
  • Death Unholy ****
Fiction.  First in the DI Tremayne thriller series.  Clare and Tremayne are drawn into a murder case involving an ancient pagan cult and a small village that practices the old ways.

  • Murder is a Tricky Business ***
Fiction.  First in the DCI Cook thriller series.  Cook and Ahmed are trying to find a missing woman, but when three people are killed, supposedly because they know a secret she has been keeping and a high-level governmental personality gets involved, they realize they might never learn the answers.

Weiss, Kirsten
  • Bound ****

Fiction.  First in the Doyle Witches paranormal cozy mystery series.  The three sisters are grieving the upcoming loss of their beloved aunt, but when Jayce is arrested for murder, Karin is determined to find the real killer.