What Are We Reading And Reviewing in December 2019?

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What Are We Reading And Reviewing in December 2019?

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1Carol420
Nov. 22, 2019, 11:30 am



Is this considered breaking and entering??? Don't call the cops...just tell us what you're reading in December.

2Carol420
Bearbeitet: Dez. 31, 2019, 12:32 pm



Carol Reads With Rudolph
📌 - ★

Group Reads
📌What Remains of Heaven - C.S. Harris - 4.5★
The Lost Order - Steve Berry - 3★
📌Lost- (a.k.a. Like This Forever) S,J. Bolton - 4.5★

Pick A Winner...Make A Friend
📌Storm Rising - Douglas Schofield - 3.5★

Others
📌American Elsewhere -Robert Jackson Bennett - 4★
📌Blood Harvest - S.J. Bolton - 4.5★
📌Deep Dark - Laura Griffin - 4.5★
📌The Rook - Daniel O'Malley - 4★
📌Liar, Liar - M.J. Arlidge - 3.5★
📌The Christmas Sisters - Sarah Morgan - 2★
📌The Christmas Wishing Tree- Emily March - 3★
📌I Am Watching You Theresa Driscoll - 2★
📌Do Not Murder Before Christmas - Jack Iams - 4★
📌Killing is My Business - Adam Christopher - 2.5★
📌Fat Cat At Large -Janet Cantrell - 3★
📌Holy Terrors - by Mary Daheim - 3★
📌The Child's Child - Barbara Vine- 2★
📌Dead Silence -Wendy Corsi Staub - 3★
📌Touch - Claire North - 4★
📌The Fifth Letter - Nicola Moriarty - 3★
📌A Dog Called Hope - Jason Morgan - 5★
📌The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era - Gareth Russell - 4.5★
📌An Instance of the Fingerpost –Iain Pears - 4★
📌House of Stairs - William Sleater - 2.5★

3Olivermagnus
Bearbeitet: Dez. 22, 2019, 9:50 am



Lynda and Oliver's December Reading Plan

🎁 The Boy - Tami Hoag - 4 Stars
🎁 Bitter Fruits - Alice Clark-Platts - 4 Stars
Caged - Ellison Cooper
🎁 Chef - James Patterson - 3 Stars
🎁 Cop Hater - Ed McBain - 3.5 Stars
Elevator Pitch - Linwood Barclay
🎁 Holiday in Death - J. D. Robb - 5 Stars
🎁 Life We Bury - Allen Eskens - 4.5 Stars
🎁 Live to Tell - Lisa Gardner - 4.5 Stars
🎁 Like This For Ever - Sharon K. Bolton - 4 Stars
Lost Order - Steve Berry
🎁 Minute to Midnight - David Baldacci - 4 Stars
🎁 Mortal Fall - Christine Carbo- 4.5 Stars
🎁 Serena - Ron Rash - 4.5 Stars
🎁 Uncommon Grounds - Sandra Balzo
🎁 What Remains of Heaven - C. S. Harris - 5 Stars

🎁 Feast of the Goat - Mario Vargas Llosa - 3 Stars
🎁 If You Could See Me Now - Cecelia Ahern - 3 Stars
Nothing Girl - Jodi Taylor
🎁 One in a Million Boy - Monica Wood - 5 Stars
🎁 Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs - Steve Brusatte - 3.5 Stars
🎁 Snow Gypsy - Lindsay Jane Ashford - 3.5 Stars
🎁 Unfathomed - Anna Hackett - 3 Stars

4Carol420
Bearbeitet: Dez. 1, 2019, 11:00 am


American Elsewhere - Robert Jackson Bennett
4★

Some places are too good to be true. Under a pink moon, there is a perfect little town not found on any map. In that town, there are quiet streets lined with pretty houses, houses that conceal the strangest things. After a couple years of hard traveling, ex-cop Mona Bright inherits her long-dead mother's home in Wink, New Mexico. And the closer Mona gets to her mother's past, the more she understands that the people of Wink are very, very different .

The story starts out odd and quickly becomes terrifying as we learn more about the people of Wink, New Mexico. Actually we find the town is just plain creepy from the very first chapter and the inhabitants are the strangest...most intimidating folks you've ever met. Time is broken here. No one leaves and everything is done by arrangement. Is it horror or is it sci-fi? I really couldn't say...but it will stay with you long after the last page.

5gaylebutz
Dez. 1, 2019, 12:39 pm

>2 Carol420: I like to read 1 or 2 Christmas/holiday type books in December and look for new ones. I haven't heard of Sarah Morgan or Emily March. Have you read them and liked them or are they new to you?

6Carol420
Dez. 1, 2019, 2:39 pm

>5 gaylebutz: I read an Emily March book ages ago but don't remember much about it. David Baldacci's The Christmas Train is one that I would recommend. The only reason these two are on my list is because I need them for...what else??? A CHALLENGE.

7Carol420
Dez. 1, 2019, 2:45 pm

>5 gaylebutz: I read an Emily March book ages ago but don't remember much about it. David Baldacci's The Christmas Train is one that I would recommend. The only reason these two are on my list is because I need them for...what else??? A CHALLENGE.
Here's a brief summary of The Christmas Train

"Tom Langdon, a weary and cash-strapped journalist, is banned from flying when a particularly thorough airport security search causes him to lose his cool. Now, he must take the train if he has any chance of arriving in Los Angeles in time for Christmas with his girlfriend. To finance the trip, he sells a story about a train ride taken during the Christmas season."

Skipping Christmas - John Grisham is good also.

8gaylebutz
Dez. 1, 2019, 9:56 pm

>7 Carol420: I should’ve known it was a challenge! Thanks for the suggestions. Can’t really go wring with Baldacci and Grisham.

9Carol420
Bearbeitet: Dez. 3, 2019, 2:26 pm


What Remains of Heaven - C.S. Harris
Sebastian St. Cyr series Book #5
4.5★

London 1812. When the controversial reform-minded Bishop of London is found bludgeoned to death in an ancient crypt beside the corpse of an unidentified man murdered decades before, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, reluctantly agrees to investigate. As his search for the killer leads him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the power corridors of Whitehall, Sebastian must confront the well-guarded secrets of his own family's past—and a devastating truth that could ultimately force him to question who—and what—he really is.

Family secrets and treachery run rampant throughout this story. To make matters worse, Sebastian St. Cyr...Viscount Devlin...learns something that has the ability to turn his world upside down. The reader can't help but become involved as much with the characters as with the murder, although this one will keep you guessing until the very last chapter. I was partially right and still very much wrong...but hey...it was fun. I would recommend this series to anyone that enjoys a good murder mystery...a hero with outstanding character traits...and a good deal of history thrown into a delightful mix.

10Carol420
Dez. 4, 2019, 8:37 am


Storm Rising - Douglas Schofield
3.5 - ★

It’s been a rough five years for Lucy Hendricks. She hasn’t had an easy time of it since her husband, Jack―a devoted and upstanding Bayonne, New Jersey, cop―was murdered while on an investigation. There were suspicions that he’d been involved with the local Mafia, and the media wouldn’t let it go, making life unbearable, so Lucy moved to Florida to raise her son, Kevin, who was born without ever knowing his father. The distance was healing, but now Lucy is back in New Jersey to pick up the pieces in the same house she and Jack once shared, trying to move on. But the past won’t loosen its grip on the young widow, and it seems to have taken hold of Kevin as well. At first his behavior becomes increasingly erratic; then he begins making statements wise beyond his years, offering specific details about Jack’s murder he couldn’t possibly know. Lucy decides to delve into the mystery surrounding her husband’s death, for her own sanity and for Kevin’s. She can’t trust the cops, it seems, and now the local Don has reached out to her, offering help in clearing Jack’s name. As Hurricane Sandy bears down on Bayonne, Lucy must trust her instincts to save herself and her son from much more than a deadly storm.

The story is told in back and forth flashes between present day Lucy/Kevin and past Jack during his investigation of the dead cop... causing the writing to feel disjointed. The story was interesting enough but there were several things that didn't seem to be reality based wit the story line or maybe just need additional explanation. Kevin had never known his father but he apparently had visions causing him to "know" things that he had no way of knowing about his father. I love supernatural and paranormal elements in a story but I want them to make sense. This just came out of the blue and didn't really fit in. Overall...it was a good story and very interesting. It kept my attention throughout but with a little tweaking it could have been better.

11rhinemaiden
Dez. 5, 2019, 12:58 pm

Found a treasure at the flea market today... An English Murder by Cyril Hare, first published in 1951. Described as "a Golden Age classic set on Christmas Eve." Can't wait to read it!

12Carol420
Dez. 5, 2019, 1:25 pm

>11 rhinemaiden: Good for you. it's always nice to find a treasure. Thriftbooks has a number of his books and the paperbacks are very reasonable.

13gaylebutz
Dez. 6, 2019, 7:58 pm

What Remains of Heaven by C. S. Harris
4 ★

Sebastian St. Cyr's search for the killer of the controversial Bishop of London leads him from the back alleys of Smithfield to the power corridors of Whitehall to the well-guarded secrets of his own family's past.

This is the 3rd book that I have read of this series and it’s another good one. The plot is complex and includes politics, domestic abuse, ambition, and family secrets mingled with some history of the time. There are many interesting characters that are related in various ways and often suspicious. The story moves along at a good pace with the likeable and irreverent Sebastian leading the way to solve the murders. Another enjoyable read.

14Andrew-theQM
Bearbeitet: Dez. 7, 2019, 4:49 am

Schedule for Group Reads

Like This For Ever by Sharon Bolton, #3 in the Lacey Flint Series : Start Friday 13th December

The Lost Order by Steve Berry, #12 in the Cotton Malone Series : Start Thursday 26th December

15Carol420
Dez. 7, 2019, 1:09 pm


The Christmas Wishing Tree - Emily Marsh
Eternity Springs Series Book #15
3★

A man who loves adventure and the open sea, Devin Murphy returns for a short Christmas trip to his small hometown of Eternity Springs. Immersed in the joy and magic of the holiday season all around him, he doesn't hesitate to play along when a young boy phones Santa to ask for a very special wish. Devin never guesses that a wrong number has the potential to make everything in his life so right. Jenna Stockton adopted Reilly when he needed a mother and she intends to keep him safe. A small town across the country called Eternity Springs seems like a good place to hide from their past without any complications, until sexy Santa himself discovers her secrets. When Devin proposes a daring plan to face down the danger together and defeat it once and for all, she is tempted. Maybe Devin really is capable of making wishes come true? Perhaps in a Christmas wish they'll both find the miracle they've been looking for all along.

It was a good story but a little too much on the cozy side for me..but hey...I knew that when I got it for the challenge. Nothing at all wrong with any of the characters or the story line. Those looking for something more mellow will more than likely love it 4 or 5 stars worth. The only slightly negative thing I can say about it is that the author needs to curtail the tear jerking a bit....but that will also make it attractive to many.

16Carol420
Dez. 7, 2019, 5:46 pm


I Am Watching You Theresa Driscoll
2★

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared. A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life. Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

The characters in this mystery(??) are one denominational. The plot was so far off base that it almost wasn't any longer in the ballpark. How in heaven's name can a woman on a train who overheard the exchanges between two girls and two guys...be responsible for anything that happened to them? She doesn't know them...only heard their first names in conversation...doesn't know anything about their background...doesn't know any contact information for their parents or even who these irresponsible parents are...be expected to contact them and tell them that their teenage girls are going to go off with two guys that just got out of prison? Ella beats herself up for not phoning the parents, whose names nor phone numbers are known or available to her...she gets notes that she classifies as threatening stuck through her door for over a year but never contacts the police. The entire bunch needed their heads examined. My advice on this one, for what it's worth, is don't waste good reading time on this one

17Carol420
Dez. 9, 2019, 6:46 am


Killing Is My Business - Christopher Adams
Ray Electromatic Mystery series Book #2
2.5★

Another golden morning in a seedy town, and a new memory tape and assignment for intrepid PI-turned-hitman—and last robot left in working order—Raymond Electromatic. But his skills may be rustier than he remembered

Okay...I will admit it right off...I didn't get any of this. It brought back memories for me of Lost In Space but without Will Robinson and Dr. Smith. This robot could have used a Will Robinson. The robot...which really is kinda cute... has a daily memory gap which causes it/him to often repeat and question things...also to tell the same old jokes. The name is rather clever although I kept expecting a vacuum cleaner. I guess when you are the last of your "species" you can be given some literary slack. There was some funny parts. Sci-fi fans and noir fanatics will more than likely like it a lot more than I did.

18Carol420
Dez. 9, 2019, 5:59 pm


Do Not Murder Before Christmas - Jack Iams
Rocky Rockwell series Book #1
4★

The bells pealed murder! A crusading city editor and a beautiful social worker solve the Christmas killing of an old toymaker.

Knowing how much I loved mysteries, a friend gave this book that she found in her uncles things. It was in very good condition and you can imagine how surprised I was to see that it was an original addition and copyrighted 1949. Some of the chapters have rhyming titles and makes you think of the poem "The Night Before Christmas". It was an interesting book...typical of the 1940's writing style. Uncle Poot was a "jolly old elf"...actually he was a toymaker... that the children loved but he was rather careless with wads of cash. Someone was determined to stop the good deeds he was doing like opening his shop to the poorest families in town and giving the children their choice of any of his toys. I know that anyone that is looking for a light mystery for the holidays will like this story. Amazon has it in paperback. Not as special as mine but still a good deal.

19Carol420
Dez. 10, 2019, 4:27 pm


Blood Harvest - S.J. (Sharon) Bolton
4.5★

The Fletchers' beautiful new house is everything they dreamed it would be. Built between two churches in Heptonclough, a small village on the moors that time forgot, it ought to be paradise for this young family of five, but they barely have a chance to settle in before they find that they're anything but welcome. Someone seems to be trying to drive them away―at first with silly pranks but then with threats that become increasingly dangerous, especially to the oldest child, ten-year-old Tom Fletcher, who begins to believe that someone is always watching him.

The entire story revolves around a very simple plot that Bolton manages to twist into an exciting and
chilling adventure that will appeal to any mystery/horror fan. We find the newcomers that move into a small village high in the English moors. Among them is a young Vicar who is sent to reopen the local church and there is also the Fletcher family that builds a new house next to the church...a husband, wife and three children. Someone appears as a vision of a dead child killed in a fire and tries to warn the family to leave the village. Someone also is not too happy to have the Vicar reopening the church. The story is told through short chapters with each character getting an opportunity to tell their perspective of events. I recommend this one to any fan of Sharon Bolton's Lacy Flint series.

20Carol420
Dez. 12, 2019, 11:02 am


Fat Cat At Large - Janet Cantrell
Fat Cat Mystery series Book #1
3★

"When she's not dreaming up irresistible dessert bars for her Minneapolis treatery, Bar None, Charity "Chase" Oliver is running after her cat, Quincy--a tubby tabby with a gift for sniffing out edibles. But what happens when this cat burglar leads Chase to the scene of a real crime?"
The jig is up for Chase's adorable plus-size cat, Quincy. His new vet says "diet"--that means no more cherry cheesecake bars. From now on he gets low-calorie kibble only. But one taste of the stuff is all it takes to drive him in search of better things. Quincy's escape is the last thing Chase needs after the nasty run-in she has with underhanded business rival Gabe Naughtly. Chase tracks Quincy down in a neighbor's kitchen, where he's devouring a meatloaf, unaware of the much more serious crime he's stumbled upon. Gabe's corpse is lying on the kitchen floor, and when Chase is discovered at the murder scene, she becomes suspect number one. Now, with a little help from her friends--both human and feline--she'll have to catch the real killer or wind up behind bars that aren't so sweet.


I don't care much for cozies or books that are filled with recipes but this series has some promise and I may try for another go at it. There was a bit too much animosity among the two store owners. They didn't put much effort into trying to work things out or come to any compromise. But hey...I read it for the cat...Quincy...who was a real charmer. He even was allowed a point of view, which often was...as is the case with all cats...more interesting that that of the human's. Cute story and if anyone wants to bake any of those recipes...I'll email you my address:)

21Carol420
Dez. 12, 2019, 3:33 pm


Liar, Liar - M.J. Arlidge
Helen Grace series Book #4
3.5★

Detective Helen Grace has never seen such destruction. Six fires in twenty-four hours. Two people dead. Several more injured. It’s as if someone wants to burn the city to the ground... With the whole town on high alert, Helen and her team must sift through the rubble to find the arsonist, someone whose thirst for fire—and control—is reducing entire lives to ash. One misstep could mean Helen’s career—and more lives lost. And as the pressure mounts and more buildings burn, Helen’s own dark impulses threaten to consume her.

I have always loved this series but I can't say this was my favorite. It seemed that the investigation aspect was missing a beat somewhere. They found the suspect that was responsible but then released him (???) What's up with that? He not only had set 4 or more fires where 2 people had died, but he also had tried to kill a police officer when she came to bring him in for questioning. The attack on the police officer alone should have been enough to hold him even if they didn't have enough yet to hold him for the fires. This is not a bad story by any means...just not on the same level with the last three.

22Andrew-theQM
Dez. 12, 2019, 5:43 pm

>21 Carol420: I was disappointed with Book 5.

23Carol420
Dez. 13, 2019, 7:01 am

>22 Andrew-theQM: I have book 5 but haven't started it yet. I've read beyond 5 and they were more like the first 3. I guess every author is allowed to have some "off" time. it's just disappointing when they are among your favorite authors.

24Andrew-theQM
Dez. 13, 2019, 1:46 pm

Schedule for Group Read of Like This, For Ever by Sharon Bolton. Book 3 in the Lacey Flint Series.

Fri 13th Dec : Prologue & 1 - 13
Sat 14th Dec : 14 - 28
Sun 15th Dec : 29 - 40
Mon 16th Dec : 41 - 48
Tues 17th Dec : 49 - 61
Wed 18th Dec : 62 - 67

25Carol420
Dez. 13, 2019, 2:03 pm


A Dog Called Hope - Jason Morgan & Damian Lewis
5★

When special forces soldier Jason Morgan awoke from a months-long coma, he was told he'd never walk again. Discovered face-down in a Central American swamp after a jungle mission gone wrong, he had a smashed spine, collapsed lungs and countless broken bones. It was a miracle he'd even survived. Months of painful surgery followed, with Jason's life balanced on a knife-edge. Released from hospital in a wheelchair and plagued by memory loss, Jason's life fell apart. Left alone to raise his three infant sons, all hope seemed gone, until Jason met Napal, a handsome-as-hell black Labrador provided by a very special charity. With this one incredible dog at their side, Jason's life and that of his family would never be the same again.

It's the beautiful story of a Wounded Warrior and his service dog but it also tell the backstory of the man that raised the dog from a puppy. Jason Morgan reveals a great deal of himself and what the unimaginable that he went through to get his life back where he is today. It was, for him, an emotional roller coaster. Then this beautiful black lab came into his life and his world again turned upside down...but this time in a good way. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll thank God for your two good legs, and you will fall in love with Napal. I guarantee that you will absolutely never look at a person in a wheelchair the same way again.

26Carol420
Dez. 14, 2019, 6:14 pm


Assume The Worst - Carl Hiaasen
3★

"This commencement address will never be given, because graduation speakers are supposed to offer encouragement and inspiration. That's not what you need. You need a warning." So begins Carl Hiaasen's attempt to prepare young men and women for their future. And who better to warn them about their precarious paths forward than Carl Hiaasen? The answer, after reading Assume the Worst, is: Nobody.

It's a rather cynical little offering but there are parts of it that are oh so very true. Some of it will bring a chuckle or so and you'll think..."Yeah, I know someone just like that". As the author points out..."assuming the worst is the best and most promising course. it will keep the despair and disillusionment at bay. When faced with a steaming pile of manure, the optimist will say, there has to be a pony in there somewhere."

27Andrew-theQM
Bearbeitet: Dez. 15, 2019, 4:48 am

If you are taking part in the Group Reads please comment on the message on the Group Reads 2019 thread before I plan the schedule for 2020.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/300943

If you do not take part in these group reads we’d love to have you join us, they are great fun!

28gaylebutz
Dez. 16, 2019, 11:26 am

Live Bait by P.J. Tracey
4 ★

Who would kill Morey Gilbert, a man without an enemy, a man who might as well have been a saint? His tiny, cranky little wife, Lily, is no help, and may even be a suspect; his estranged son, Jack, an infamous ambulance-chasing lawyer, has his own enemies; and his son-in-law, former cop Marty Pullman, is so depressed over his wife's death a year ago that he's ready to kill himself, but not Morey. The number of victims - all elderly - grows, and the city is fearful once again. Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth’s investigation threatens to uncover a series of horrendous secrets, some buried within the heart of the police department itself.

There was a lot I liked about this police procedural: the wisecracking banter between the cops, an interesting plot, a variety of feisty characters and a number of twists or surprises. Sure, there were a couple of things that weren’t quite plausible but I enjoyed the telling of the story so much that I didn’t mind. I plan to read more by this author.

29gaylebutz
Bearbeitet: Dez. 16, 2019, 10:52 pm

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
3.5 ★

Coming of age in middle America, eighteen-year-old Rosemary evaluates how her entire youth was defined by the presence of a family member forced to leave who Rosemary loved as a sister.

This story is told from Rosemary’s perspective about a difficult situation this family goes through. The story jumps around in time and has some surprises as it’s revealed. The first surprise is fairly early in the story and it’s a big one if you don’t read reviews that tell you about it. It was different and I thought it was interesting.

30Carol420
Dez. 17, 2019, 3:22 pm


The Fifth Letter - Nicola Moriarty

Best friends from high school, Joni, Deb, Eden, and Trina had always looked forward to the vacations they spent together. But the demands of careers, husbands, and babies gradually pulled them apart, and now their annual getaways may be a thing of the past. Joni doesn’t want to lose her friends, and this year she’s coaxed them all back together for some fun at a beach house. Late on a laughter and wine-filled night, the women dare one another to write anonymous letters, spilling her most intimate thoughts like they did as teenagers. But the fun game meant to bring them closer together turns painfully serious, exposing cracks in their lives and their relationships. Each letter is a confession revealing disturbing information. A rocky marriage. A harrowing addiction. A hidden pregnancy. A heartbreaking diagnosis.
Days later, Joni notices something in the fireplace—a crumpled and partially burned fifth letter that holds the most shattering admission of all. Best friends are supposed to keep your darkest secrets. But the revelations Joni, Deb, Eden and Trina have shared will have unforeseen consequences . . . and none of them will ever be the same.


The twists and turns of friendship...especially those from high school are unpredictable and often times slippery. It will leave you wondering how well you really know the best friends that you have known seemingly forever. The story is built on dark secrets...lies...and how those said lies can set off a chain of events that can change a life in an instant. Overall a fairly good read..not spectacular but acceptable and worthy of 3 stars.

31Carol420
Dez. 18, 2019, 7:59 am


Dead Silence Wendy Corsi Staub
Foundlings Trilogy Book #2
3★

No Such Thing as Coincidence . . . Staring into his frightened blue eyes, investigative genealogist Amelia Crenshaw Haines vows to help this silent little boy who is unable—or unwilling—to communicate his past. Though her own roots remain shrouded in mystery, she relies on tangible DNA evidence to help fellow foundlings uncover theirs . . . until a remarkable twist of fate presents a stranger bearing an eerily familiar childhood souvenir.

I don't mind reading out of order but I have found with trilogies that they are best understood if they are read in order... so I waited, and waited, and waited for the 2nd book in this trilogy, Dead Silence. I waited so long that I had actually forgotten almost everything about book #1.Little Girl Lost. Some short recap would have been helpful. The story here was good IF you didn't have to rely on information from the first book... so the best I can say about it was the it seemed jumbled and actually had no ending... but I'm sure that will depend on the 3rd book which will more than likely be another long wait. (P.S. My sincere apologies to Ms. Staub...I see the 3rd book came out September 24th.)

32rhinemaiden
Dez. 18, 2019, 1:16 pm

Re-reading: Happy Never After by Kathy Hogan Trocheck (a Callahan Garrity mystery)

next re-read: Midnight Clear by Kathy Hogan Trocheck (a Callahan Garrity Christmas mystery)

33Carol420
Bearbeitet: Dez. 18, 2019, 1:29 pm


Touch - Claire North
4★

He tried to take my life. Instead, I took his. It was a long time ago. I remember it was dark, and I didn't see my killer until it was too late. As I died, my hand touched his. That's when the first switch took place. Suddenly, I was looking through the eyes of my killer, and I was watching myself die. Now watching is easy. I can jump from body to body, have any life, be anyone. Some people touch lives. Others take them. I do both.

I really like Claire North as an author and, as the one other of her books that I've read, I found this one to be imaginative and inventive, Imagine if you had the ability to move from body to body with just a mere touch. Our protagonist...Kepler, is a being that is able to occupy the body of any person simply by touching them and jumping into their skin. As a result, Kepler...we never learn if the character is male or female... has been able to survive for many lifetimes as a variety of hosts. Unfortunately not everyone is thrilled that there are beings with this ability and Kepler finds that he is hunted constantly and jumping bodies is something that "It" must do often. As a result the body is not always that of a law abiding citizen. Kepler must continue with whatever path the now occupied body chooses to take until he jumps again. The entire idea made this a page turner and well worth the time to read.

34Carol420
Dez. 19, 2019, 10:34 am


Holy Terrors - Mary Daheim
Bed and Breakfast Mystery Series Book #3
3★

When a scissors-wielding Easter bunny kills one of Judith McGonigle's neighbors during the annual Easter egg hunt that she is catering, Judith teams up with her former beau, police lieutenant Joe Flynn, and her cousin Renie to investigate the crime.

The scissors-wielding Easter Bunny was the best part of the entire book...plus the green cover that I needed for...you guessed it...another challenge. The book description sounded fun and interesting...a murder by a bunny-suit clad perpetrator to be solved by the Bed-and Breakfast owner. Had the look of a laugh out loud book because a few reviewers described the book as hilarious. I was wrong or we were all reading a different book. There were way too many characters and keeping up with them was cumbersome. It still got 3 stars for a novel idea and a really cute rabbit even if it was a bit psychotic.

35Carol420
Dez. 19, 2019, 1:54 pm


The Child's Child - Ruth Randall writing as Barbara Vine
2★

Ruth Rendell, writing here under her Barbara Vine pseudonym, an ingenious novel-within-a-novel about brothers and sisters and the violence lurking behind our society’s taboos. When their grandmother dies, Grace and Andrew Easton inherit her sprawling, book-filled London home, Dinmont House. Rather than sell it, the adult siblings move in together, splitting the numerous bedrooms and studies. The arrangement is unusual, but ideal for the affectionate pair—until the day Andrew brings home a new boyfriend. A devilishly handsome novelist, James Derain resembles Cary Grant, but his strident comments about Grace’s doctoral thesis soon puncture the house’s idyllic atmosphere. When he and Andrew witness their friend’s murder outside a London nightclub, James begins to unravel, and what happens next will change the lives of everyone in the house.

I usually like Ruth Randall's writing but I didn't really care for this one and confess that i almost quit reading several times. It was more like reading a text book than a fiction novel. The Child's Child gets right to the very misery of life for an unmarried mother and her gay brother in the mid 20th century. To further confuse the plot the story starts in the 1930's and switches to more modern times with a brother and and a sister that fit the descriptions and mirror the antics of the earlier couple. Redemption in a minor form is presented at the end...but it's out of place and contrived. For me...the entire thing just didn't work.

36Carol420
Bearbeitet: Dez. 19, 2019, 4:12 pm


Lost - S.J. (Sharon) Bolton - (a.k.a. Like This Forever - in the UK
Lacey Flint series Book #3
4.5★

Like everyone reading the newspapers these days, 10-year-old Barney Roberts knows the killer will strike again soon. The victim will be another boy, just like him. The body will be drained of blood, and left somewhere on a Thames beach. There will be no clues for London detectives Dana Tulloch and Mark Joesbury to find. There will be no warning about who will be next. There will be no real reason for Barney's friend and neighbor, Lacey Flint, on leave from her job as a London police detective, to become involved…and no chance that she can stay away. With the clock ticking, the violence escalating, and young lives at stake, Lacey and Barney both know they can't afford a single wrong step if they hope to make it through alive.

The leading character in this novel is eleven-year-old Barney who is a neighbor of Lacey’s and observant beyond his years. His mother has been missing for years and his father is too busy disappearing a few times a week to notice much about what is happening with his son. On top of all this he just happens to live in the area where the kids are turning up dead. It is his obsession, and possible connection, with the murders that eventually draws a reluctant Lacey into the case. Lacey herself is an interesting character...although she isn't very likable, She seems to be stuck in this period of her her life with her hang-ups and her relationships. There is only one more book in the series so maybe something unforeseen will occur to get her going. I would hate to see her remain in the pages of the next book like this.

37gaylebutz
Dez. 20, 2019, 4:59 pm

A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott
3 ★

After being moved by the letters of two Civil War soldiers--one Union and the other Confederate—Grace, Hannah, and Amelia track down the soldiers' descendants and invite them to a Christmas reunion in Covington, where the letters will serve as holiday gifts.

Mildly interesting story of the hardships of life during and after the Civil War and the kindness of people in present day bringing long lost relatives together. There was a sub-plot of conflicts with an inter-racial relationship in town that was interesting. Just so-so for me.

38Carol420
Dez. 21, 2019, 3:23 pm


The Christmas Sisters - Sarah Morgan
2★

In the snowy Highlands of Scotland, Suzanne McBride is dreaming of the perfect cozy Christmas. Her three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays and she can’t wait to see them. But tensions are running high. Workaholic Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her—it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. Stay-at-home mom Beth is having a personal crisis. All she wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work—seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky. But not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke. As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together. But will this new togetherness teach the sisters that their close-knit bond is strong enough to withstand anything—including a family Christmas?

if you are looking for a light, fun, Christmas story I have to tell you that this is not it. In fact, it's not even a Christmas story...it's only set around the Christmas season. I didn't care for the sisters and how they treated each other...nor did I care for Luke. On second thought they all deserved one another. The story was mostly about the tragedy they experienced and how it affected them. The dog was nice though and I'm sure the Scottish countryside was beautiful.

39Carol420
Dez. 22, 2019, 8:54 am


The Rook - Daniel O'Malley
4★

Myfanwy Thomas awakens in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, she must trust the instructions left by her former in order to survive. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization, and this person wants her dead. Battling to save herself, Myfanwy will encounter a person with four bodies, a woman who can enter her dreams, children transformed into deadly fighters, and terrifyingly vast conspiracy.

"The body you are wearing used to be mine." If that doesn't get your attention then probably noting will. I picked up this book for two reasons. #1 was that opening line...and #2 was that Daniel O'Malley was a graduate of Michigan State...Go Spartans!. O'Malley does a wonderful job of giving each of his characters equal time...building them into individuals with different but important talents and people that the reader can like...some more than others. The entire book and the plot is well thought out and well presented. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was that the female characters were not portrayed on the same level as their male counterparts. O'Malley spent way too much time making them worry about their appearances instead of doing what they were destined to do. In a nutshell... It's a paranormal version of Britain's MI5. Seems there may be more to come...so some flaws can be expected and forgiven.

40Carol420
Dez. 25, 2019, 6:25 am


Deep Dark - Laura Griffin
Tracer series Book #10
4.5★

The moment detective Reed Novak steps onto the crime scene, he knows the case is going to rock his world. A beautiful young woman murdered at home. No sign of forced entry. No motive. She’s obviously not the killer’s first victim, and Reed’s instincts tell him she won’t be his last. Reed’s first clue comes via a mysterious text that links to a dating profile, but even more intriguing than the clue is the person who sent it. Is it a white-hat hacker in the Delphi Center’s cyber investigation unit? Laney Knox sneaks into some of the deepest, darkest corners of the Internet looking for predators. Laney would prefer to stay away from Austin PD’s most recent murder case, but she can’t ignore the chilling similarities between that crime and her own brutal attack years ago. Laney offers to help the sexy lead detective, but he wants more from her than just a promising tip—Reed wants her trust. Laney resists, but as their relationship deepens she’s tempted to reveal the closely guarded secrets that could make her a key witness…or the killer’s next victim.

This book starts off on a high and doesn't stop until the very last page. "CIS", "NCIS" and "Criminal Minds" fans will absolutely love this series. The research is well done and the characters are believable and even likable...well at least the good guys. The only thing that kept it from 5 stars was the romance aspect. It was almost like the author said "Oh my...no romance ...better write in some. Who cares if it has nothing to do with the plot or adds anything to the storyline?" I will be looking for the rest of this series since of course I read it out of order:)

41Andrew-theQM
Dez. 25, 2019, 12:03 pm

Schedule for the Group Read of The Lost Order by Steve Berry, #12 in the Cotton Malone Series!

I have set the schedule up so we will finish it before the end of the year for our yearly total of books Read.

Thurs 26th Dec : Prologue , Chapter 1 - 11
Fri 27th Dec : Chapter 12 - 24
Sat 28th Dec : Chapter 25 - 39
Sun 29th Dec : Chapter 40 - 55
Mon 30th Dec : Chapter 56 - 70
Tues 31st Dec : Chapter 71 - 85

42Carol420
Dez. 26, 2019, 7:04 pm


The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era - Gareth Russell
4.5★

In April 1912, six notable people were among those privileged to experience the height of luxury—first class passage on “the ship of dreams,” the RMS Titanic: Lucy Leslie, Countess of Rothes; son of the British Empire, Tommy Andrews; American captain of industry John Thayer and his son Jack; Jewish-American immigrant Ida Straus; and American model and movie star Dorothy Gibson. Within a week of setting sail, they were all caught up in the horrifying disaster of the Titanic’s sinking, one of the biggest news stories of the century. Today, we can see their stories and the Titanic’s voyage as the beginning of the end of the established hierarchy of the Edwardian era.

I've always been interested in the Titanic. My grandfather worked 8 years after it sank, in Belfast in the ship yard where the great...thought to be unsinkable...ship was constructed. I thought I had read and seen every documentary about the fatal voyage until reading Mr. Russell's account. This is a fascinating book, Gareth Russell tells the story of the fatal ship’s sole journey through the eyes of six very different first-class passengers, from the Irish engineer Thomas Andrews to early film star Dorothy Gibson. The English Captain was blamed and stood trial for the disaster but the blame really lies with the Swedish radio operator who received, but fail to give the message to the captain who had already retired for the night. You can't try a dead man so history stands in error as of yet today. Don't think I want to take any cruises anytime soon.

43rhinemaiden
Bearbeitet: Dez. 26, 2019, 9:06 pm

>42 Carol420: Carol - I, too, have long been fascinated by the Titanic. Have you read: Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage by Hugh Brewster? It's another account of the Titanic's first class passengers and their world. Your grandfather worked for Harland and Wolff in Belfast?

44Carol420
Bearbeitet: Dez. 27, 2019, 7:32 am

>43 rhinemaiden: I haven't read that one but I see the library has it so I will pick it up. My Granddad worked for Harland and Wolff from 1920 up until 1926 when he and my grandmother deceided they need to leave Northern Ireland and brought my aunt and my mother and migrated to America. He previously worked for a shipbuilder in Scotland...J & G Thomson's shipyard - Clydebank. He learned the woodcraft trade from his father and grandfather and had build stairways, cabinets and fancy wood trims in the ships that were built there. He did the same thing for Harlan & Wolff. He did beautiful work and could make a piece of wood literally speak to you. He worked in a shipyard in the Tampa port until he started his own cabinet shop where he worked until he died.

45rhinemaiden
Dez. 27, 2019, 7:53 am

>44 Carol420: what interesting info on your grandfather, thank you for sharing. When I think of the Titanic, I think of all that wonderful carved woodwork on the ship, especially the clock on the grand staircase... honor and glory crowning time. Do you have any of your grandfather's work? In 1988 I went to England to see an exhibit of Titanic artifacts at a maritime museum in Liverpool... on display was the actual builder's model, that was used for the ship in the 1958 movie "A Night to Remember." (or so I was told by a museum guard)

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/visit/floor-plan/titanic/titanic-mo...

46Carol420
Dez. 27, 2019, 2:55 pm

>45 rhinemaiden: Thank you for the web link. Things like the grand staircase is what my grandfather worked on. He built my grandmother a room full of beautiful mahogany bookcases for the thousands of books that she not only brought from Ireland with her but that she collected during her lifetime. It was a huge room that she filled with her treasured books and I believe I read every single one of them. I have several of the shelves and the cornices from some of them. I have lots of her books also.

47rhinemaiden
Dez. 27, 2019, 3:05 pm

>46 Carol420: What treasures you have, Carol... your grandfather's wood work and your grandmother's books... on a quick google search, I found this:

https://www.titanicclock.com/

48Carol420
Dez. 28, 2019, 9:02 am

>47 rhinemaiden: That is beautiful. They just don't make or treasure things like this any more. Jast think what generations are losing.

49gaylebutz
Dez. 29, 2019, 5:44 pm

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
4 ★
Tom Langdon, a weary and cash-strapped journalist, is banned from flying when a particularly thorough airport security search causes him to lose his cool. Now, he must take the train if he has any chance of arriving in Los Angeles in time for Christmas with his girlfriend. Things change rapidly when he finds the only woman he ever loved and hasn’t seen in years is also on the same train.

This was an entertaining Christmas story and a bit of an adventure. A lot of things happened on the train with quite a variety of characters, which moved the story along at a good pace. There were also several surprises along the way which made for a fun, feel-good story for the holiday season.

50Carol420
Dez. 30, 2019, 6:48 am

>49 gaylebutz: Glad you enjoyed it. I don't think I have ever read anything that David Baldacci wrote that I didn't like.

51Carol420
Dez. 30, 2019, 7:44 am


An Instance of the Fingerpost – Iain Pears
4★

We are in England in the 1660s. Charles II has been restored to the throne following years of civil war and Cromwell's short-lived republic. Oxford is the intellectual seat of the country, a place of great scientific, religious, and political ferment. A fellow of New College is found dead in suspicious circumstances. A young woman is accused of his murder. We hear the story of the death from four witnesses: an Italian physician intent on claiming credit for the invention of blood transfusion; the son of an alleged Royalist traitor; a master cryptographer who has worked for both Cromwell and the king; and a renowned Oxford antiquarian. Each tells his own version of what happened. Only one reveals the extraordinary truth.

The four narrators in this story clearly show that there is indeed two sides…or more… to every story and that an event can be interpreted in a multitude of different ways. Set largely in Oxford, the main thing the novel has going for it is how the author has constructed the plot and chose to tell the defendants story. It’s different from others like it in that it is actually a single story told four times…by four different narrators. Each of them has their own reasons for not telling the truth. The end result will leave you wondering if they are just simply all quiet mad…one sandwich short of a picnic. The characters are a strange, mixed lot. The first to testify is an intelligent, curious fellow that only says he wants to see justice done …only to be followed by the two that are so unlikable and insufferable that you just hope someone will squash them and be done with it…and the last one gives a great deal of strength to the “mad as hater’ theory. All have an eye for the defendant…Sarah Blundy… a servant with strangely mystical qualities. Although she never narrates she is a overwhelming presence that influences and incites each narrator with her beauty…insolence and “free-thinking” notions. You have to remember that this all takes place in the 1600’s. It won’t please everyone but I found the entire way this was presented to the reader fascinating.

52gaylebutz
Dez. 30, 2019, 5:52 pm

>50 Carol420: Thanks for the recommendation! It's hard to find a good Christmas story that isn't overly sappy, overly romantic, overly silly or all 3! I've read a couple others of Baldacci and enjoyed those too.

53Carol420
Dez. 31, 2019, 11:49 am

>52 gaylebutz: You're welcome.


House of Stairs - William Sleator
2.5★

One by one, five sixteen-year-old orphans are brought to a strange building. It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere--except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill their souls?

The concept was interesting but the reality of this book was that it was disappointing...to be polite. The characters were boring and the chances of this ever being able to happen would be extremely low if not impossible. What I couldn't figure out was why none of these 5 kids...in the absence of any adults...ever tried to escape. I guess you might view it differently if you were 13-15 years old.

54Carol420
Dez. 31, 2019, 1:26 pm


The Lost Order - Steve Berry
Cotton Malone series Book #12
3★

The Knights of the Golden Circle was the largest and most dangerous clandestine organization in American history. It amassed billions in stolen gold and silver, all buried in hidden caches across the United States. Since 1865 treasure hunters have searched, but little of that immense wealth has ever been found. Now, one hundred and sixty years later, two factions of what remains of the Knights of the Golden Circle want that lost treasure―one to spend it for their own ends, the other to preserve it.

Let me begin by saying that I found the first ten books in this series to be absolutely fascinating...real page turners with good story lines and just enough historical facts to make them interesting. The last two...and this one in particular...had all the makings of continuing in that vein EXCEPT so much of it seemed to be repeating the things that had already taken place and there was page after page of small print initialized history...that really added nothing more to the story. Far be it from me to tell a celebrated author with the talent of Steve Berry how to write a novel but I would like to suggest that he reduce the history to just enough to let the reader work it into the story and get these wonderful characters that he has created back into working to solve the mystery.

55gaylebutz
Bearbeitet: Jan. 1, 2020, 6:18 pm

Death in Brittany by Jean-Luc Bannalec
3.5 ★

Commissaire Georges Dupin, a cantankerous, Parisian-born caffeine junkie recently relocated from the glamour of Paris to the remote (if picturesque) Breton coast, is called to the scene of a curious murder. The local village of Pont-Aven—a sleepy community by the sea where everyone knows one another—is in shock. The legendary ninety-one-year-old hotelier Pierre-Louis Pennec, owner of the Central Hotel, has been found dead. As Dupin delves into the lives of the victim and the suspects, he uncovers a web of secrecy and silence that belies the village's quaint image.

This was a solid police procedural with cranky Dupin calling all the shots about what to do but often not keeping his officers up-to-date. The story was interesting and revolved around a Gaugin painting that Pennec owned and who wanted the painting enough to kill for it. The setting was picturesque with several quaint villages by the sea. I can’t say that I liked Dupin but I did like the story.

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