#BookReview The Day He Left by Frederick Weisel @PPPress #TheDayHeLeft #ViolentCrimeInvestigationsTeamSeries #FrederickWeisel #inkedinpoison

#BookReview The Day He Left by Frederick Weisel @PPPress #TheDayHeLeft #ViolentCrimeInvestigationsTeamSeries #FrederickWeisel #inkedinpoison Title: The Day He Left

Author: Frederick Weisel

Series: Violent Crime Investigations Team #2

Published by: Poisoned Pen Press on Mar. 1, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Poisoned Pen Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

After he was gone, the only things left behind were secrets

Annie has fallen out of the habit of listening to her husband. She and Paul have been married for a long time; it’s easy to nod as he drones on, responding to his voice while completely ignoring every word he says. That becomes a problem, of course, when Paul disappears and the police have questions. Was Paul having issues at work? Is there any reason to think he might harm himself? Annie doesn’t know.

But someone does.

An unsettling photo found amongst Paul’s things turns the investigation toward his job as a middle school teacher and a troubled girl who is hiding secrets of her own. But what exactly happened to Paul on the day he left for work and never made it to the classroom? Is his disappearance related to a local heroin trafficking operation? As Eddie Mahler and the members of the Santa Rosa Violent Crime Investigations Team rush to find the teacher, they discover the members of his family have hidden lives of their own, and that Paul may not have been running away but toward something that could ruin his career and marriage–and even cost his life.


Review:

Menacing, intricate, and engrossing!

In this enthralling second instalment in the VCI Team series, The Day He Left, Detective Eddie Mahler and the VCI team find themselves immersed in a new high-stakes case involving a missing middle-school teacher who is either a victim of infidelity, slander, and misfortune or a predator who enjoys preying on his vulnerable students.

The writing is edgy and tight. The characters are multilayered, meticulous, and persistent. And the plot is a fast-paced, electrifying tale full of twists, turns, familial drama, red herrings, manipulation, secrets, deception, mayhem, danger, and murder.

Overall, The Day He Left is another sinister, addictive, thrilling addition to what is quickly becoming a must-read series for me, with its flawed, complex characters, great pace, and consistent sense of urgency that I can’t seem to get enough of.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

          

 

 

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Frederick Weisel

Frederick Weisel has been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. He graduated from Antioch College and has an MA in Victorian Literature and History from the University of Leicester in England. His short stories were awarded an Artists Fellowship from the Massachusetts Arts and Humanities Foundation, and his articles have appeared in the Boston Globe, Washington Post, and Christian Science Monitor.

The Silenced Women is his debut novel. He is currently at work on the third novel in the VCI series. He lives with his wife in Santa Rosa, California, and shares a birthday with his favorite author, Raymond Chandler.

Photo by Rob Martel.

#BookReview The Therapist by Helene Flood @Mobius_Books #TheTherapist #HeleneFlood #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview The Therapist by Helene Flood @Mobius_Books #TheTherapist #HeleneFlood #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Therapist

Author: Helene Flood

Published by: Mobius on Feb. 1, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8/10

At first it’s the lie that hurts.

A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he’s arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did.

She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients’ deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.

To get to the root of Sigurd’s disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.

Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?

Translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough


Review:

Simmering, tight, and mysterious!

The Therapist is an intense, nordic noir that introduces us to Sara, a young psychologist who specializes in teenage patients and is looking forward to a nice weekend alone, only to have her world turned upside down when she receives a call from her husband’s friends that he never actually turned up for their weekend away, and danger suddenly seems to be lurking around every corner inside and out of the home they shared.

The writing is tight and tense. The characters are flawed, unreliable, and insecure. And the plot using flashbacks and a back-and-forth style intertwines and unravels into a slow-burning tale of twists, turns, lies, deception, manipulation, suspicions, revelations, mayhem, familial drama, and obsession.

Overall, The Therapist is an atmospheric, sinister, satisfying debut by Flood that does a wonderful job of highlighting just how easily people can be psychologically and emotionally manipulated, and reminds us that even those we think we know so well often have darker sides they choose to hide.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Helene Flood

Pseudonym used by Helene Flood Aakvaag

Helene Flood is a psychologist who obtained her doctoral degree on violence, revictimization and trauma-related shame and guilt in 2016. She now works as a psychologist and researcher at the National Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress. She lives in Oslo with her husband and two children. The Therapist is her first adult novel. It has been sold in 27 counties and film rights have been bought by Anonymous Content. Her second novel, The Lover, will be published in English in 2022.

Photo courtesy of Goodreads.

#BookReview In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #InaNewYorkMinute #KateSpencer

#BookReview In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #InaNewYorkMinute #KateSpencer Title: In a New York Minute

Author: Kate Spencer

Published by: Forever on Mar. 15, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 10/10

Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been laid off from her (admittedly mediocre) job, the subway doors ripped her favorite silk dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his (Gucci!) suit jacket. On the not-so-plus side, he can’t get away from her fast enough.

Worse yet? Someone posted their (entirely not) meet-cute online. Suddenly Franny and her knight-in-couture, Hayes Montgomery III, are the newest social media sensation, and all of New York is shipping #SubwayQTs.

Only Franny and Hayes couldn’t be a more disastrous match. She’s fanciful, talkative, and creative. He’s serious, shy, and all about numbers. Luckily, in a city of eight million people, they never have to meet again. Yet somehow, Hayes and Franny keep running into each other—and much to their surprise, they enjoy each other’s company. A lot. But when Franny’s whole world is turned upside down (again!), can she find the courage to trust in herself and finally have the life—and love—she’s always wanted?


Review:

Amusing, flirty, and Charming!

In a New York Minute is a heartwarming, comical tale that takes you into the lives of the quirky, creative Franny and the handsome, successful Hayes Montgomery III as they navigate a relationship that includes a subway meet-cute that goes instantaneously viral, lifestyles that are worlds apart, awkward interactions, romantic moments, and undeniable chemistry.

The writing is whimsical and smooth. The characters are fun-loving, feisty, and endearing. And the plot is an irresistible blend of tricky situations, tender moments, humorous hijinks, self-discovery, light drama, friendship, family, happiness, and swoon-worthy romance.

Overall, In a New York Minute is a funny, enjoyable, highly entertaining treat by Spencer that I not only devoured in one sitting but absolutely loved.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Forever and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Spencer

Kate Spencer is the co-host of the award-winning podcast Forever35 and author of the memoir The Dead Moms Club. In a New York Minute is her first novel. She writes a bi-monthly column for InStyle and her work has been published by the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, and numerous other places. Previously she worked as a senior editor and producer at VH1. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

Photo courtesy of read-forever.com

#BookReview The Heights by Louise Candlish @louise_candlish @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #TheHeights #LouiseCandlish

#BookReview The Heights by Louise Candlish @louise_candlish @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #TheHeights #LouiseCandlish Title: The Heights

Author: Louise Candlish

Published by: Atria Books on Mar. 1, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

He thinks he’s safe up there.
But he’ll never be safe from you.

The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Shad Thames, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren’t standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him.

Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years.

You know this for a fact.

Because you’re the one who killed him.


Review:

Crafty, enthralling, and sinister!

The Heights is an intense, cunning, domestic thrill ride that highlights just how quickly life can spin out of control when you devastatingly lose a child, are driven by a visceral, uncontrollable need for revenge, and will engage in whatever extreme measures are needed to right a wrong.

The prose is dark and twisty. The characters are unreliable, secretive, and consumed. And the plot using flashbacks and a back-and-forth style is a simmering tale of deception, obsession, injustice, despair, family, love, malice, and vengeance.

Overall, The Heights is a taut, relentless, devious tale by Candlish that is unbelievably the first novel I’ve read by this author, but with this kind of imagination, I’m excited to go back and read some of her backlist titles to see what other disturbingly shocking tales she managed to come up with before.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Louise Candlish

Louise Candlish is the Sunday Times (London) bestselling author of fourteen novels. Our House, a #1 bestseller, won the Crime & Thriller Book of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards, was longlisted for the 2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award. It is now in development for a major TV series with Red Planet Pictures, producers of Death in Paradise. Louise lives in London with her husband and daughter.

Photo by Jonny Ring.

#BookReview Moment in Time by Suzanne Redfearn @SuzanneRedfearn @AmazonPub @LUAuthors #MomentinTime #SuzanneRedfearn

#BookReview Moment in Time by Suzanne Redfearn @SuzanneRedfearn @AmazonPub @LUAuthors #MomentinTime #SuzanneRedfearn Title: Moment in Time

Author: Suzanne Redfearn

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Mar. 8, 2022

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 288

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

From the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a heartrending story about the power of friendship during the most challenging moments in life.

It’s been eight years since a tragic accident changed Mo Kaminski’s and Chloe Miller’s lives forever. Now in their midtwenties, they’re sharing an apartment in San Francisco and navigating the normal challenges of early adulthood. Along with their roommate, Hazel, they are making their marks on the world—Mo revolutionizing the news with her media start-up, Hazel using her big brain to anticipate the future, and Chloe rescuing abandoned strays in the city.

But when Hazel disappears after being sexually assaulted, Mo’s and Chloe’s lives are again suddenly ripped apart. And when the perpetrator turns up drugged and beaten, the mystery of where Hazel is deepens. Intensely worried and desperate to discover the truth, they set out to find Hazel and bring her home.

Mo and Chloe are no strangers to tragedy, but this journey will test them in ways they never imagined. The stakes are high; the future uncertain; the need for justice essential.

Will their commitment to their friend bring them closer together—or ultimately drive them apart?


Review:

Intricate, compelling, and dark!

Moment in Time is a complex, sobering novel that takes you into the lives of Mo and Chloe, two young women who, after their roommate is drugged and sexually assaulted, careen down a path of retribution, revenge, and recovery that involves a misogynistic police officer with aggressive and obsessive tendencies, a perpetrator with no conscious and a history littered with allegations, and a victim running to find peace and quiet after her world has been violently shattered.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are impulsive, troubled, and naive. And the plot is a taut, twisty tale of life, love, friendship, grief, guilt, drama, tragedy, justice, and introspection.

Overall, Moment in Time allowed me to step back into the lives of some of the characters from Redfearn’s other books, and even though it didn’t pack the emotional punch of In An Instant, which was one of my favourite books of 2020, it still tackled some difficult themes and kept me engaged and entertained from start to finish.

 

This book is available now. 

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Suzanne Redfearn for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Suzanne Redfearn

Suzanne Redfearn is the award-winning author of three novels: Hush Little Baby, No Ordinary Life, and In an Instant. In addition to being an author, she’s also an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. She lives in Laguna Beach, California, where she and her husband own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza and Beer.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #KamilaKnowsBest #FarahHeron

#BookReview Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #KamilaKnowsBest #FarahHeron Title: Kamila Knows Best

Author: Farah Heron

Published by: Forever on Mar. 8, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 9/10

Kamila Hussain’s life might not be perfect, but, whew, it’s close. She lives a life of comfort, filled with her elaborate Bollywood movie parties, a dog with more Instagram followers than most reality stars, a job she loves, and an endless array of friends who clearly need her help finding love. In fact, Kamila is so busy with her friends’ love lives, she’s hardly given any thought to her own . . .

Fortunately, Kamila has Rohan Nasser. A longtime friend of the family, he’s hugely successful, with the deliciously lean, firm body of a rock climber. Only lately, Kamila’s “harmless flirting” with Rohan is making her insides do a little bhangra dance.

But between planning the local shelter’s puppy prom, throwing a huge work event, and proving to everyone that she’s got it all figured out, Kamila isn’t letting herself get distracted—until her secret nemesis returns to town with an eye for Rohan. Suddenly, it seems like the more Kamila tries to plan, the more things are starting to unravel—and her perfectly ordered life is about to be turned upside down.


Review:

Heartwarming, witty, and romantic!

Kamila Knows Best is a charming, playful tale that transports you to Toronto, Canada and into the lives of the responsible, handsome Rohan Nasser and the spirited, intelligent Kamila Hussain as they discover that even though they’ve known each other forever and are the best of friends perhaps there’s a little something more underneath all that innocent flirting and casual embraces than they’ve ever cared to admit.

The writing is humorous and light. The characters are kind, supportive, and genuine. And the plot is an entertaining mix of friendship, family, snappy banter, shameless flirting, red-hot chemistry, tender moments, responsibilities, community, and culture.

Overall, Kamila Knows Best is a sexy, sweet, uplifting tale by Heron with a whole cast of characters I couldn’t help but fall in love with, an inclusive, diverse storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish, and a happy-ever-after ending that made me swoon.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Forever and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Farah Heron

After a childhood raised on Bollywood, Monty Python, and Jane Austen, Farah Heron wove complicated story arcs and uplifting happily ever afters in her daydreams while pursuing careers in human resources and psychology. She started writing those stories down a few years ago, and never looked back. She writes romantic comedies and women’s fiction full of huge South Asian families, delectable food, and most importantly, brown people falling stupidly in love. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two children, and a rabbit named Strawberry. She is considering getting a cat.

Photo by James Heron.

#BookReview One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle @RebeccaASerle @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #OneItalianSummer #RebeccaSerle

#BookReview One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle @RebeccaASerle @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #OneItalianSummer #RebeccaSerle Title: One Italian Summer

Author: Rebecca Serle

Published by: Atria Books on Mar. 1, 2022

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 272

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.


Review:

Charming, touching, and hopeful!

One Italian Summer is a tender, uplifting tale that takes you into the life of grief-stricken Katy Silver as she embarks on a journey to Positano, Italy, the place her mother loved, and where she will have a chance to revisit the past, face some truths she’d rather not, discover her true self, and start to come to grips with moving on without the one person who has always been her everything.

The prose is heartfelt and smooth. The characters are multilayered, conflicted, and genuine. And the plot is an absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, family, friendship, marriage, relationship dynamics, introspection, heartbreak, and the special bonds that exist between a mother and daughter, all interwoven with a thread of magical realism.

Overall, One Italian Summer is one of those books that tugs at the heartstrings, makes you dream of sandy beaches, lazy days, and crystal blue water, and reminds you that love is powerful and everlasting, and that life should always be lived to the fullest.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Rebecca Serle

Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles.

Photo by Ann Molen.

#BookReview The Texas Job by Reavis Z. Wortham @ReavisZWortham @PPPress #TheTexasJob #ReavisZWortham #TexasRedRiverMysteries #inkedinpoison

#BookReview The Texas Job by Reavis Z. Wortham @ReavisZWortham @PPPress #TheTexasJob #ReavisZWortham #TexasRedRiverMysteries #inkedinpoison Title: The Texas Job

Author: Reavis Z. Wortham

Series: Texas Red River Mysteries #9

Published by: Poisoned Pen Press on Feb. 15, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 272

Format: Paperback

Source: Poisoned Pen Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Some men are destined for danger

Texas Ranger Tom Bell is simply tracking a fugitive killer in 1931 when he rides into Kilgore, a hastily erected shanty town crawling with rough and desperate men―oil drillers who’ve come by the thousands in search of work. The sheriff of the boomtown is overwhelmed and offers no help, nor are any of the roughnecks inclined to assist the young Ranger in his search for the wanted man.

In fact, it soon becomes apparent that the lawman’s presence has irritated the wrong people, and when two failed attempts are made on his life, Bell knows he’s getting closer to finding out who is responsible for cheating and murdering local landowners to access the rich oil fields flowing beneath their farms. When they ambush him for a third time, they make the fatal mistake of killing someone close to him and leaving the Ranger alive.

Armed with his trademark 1911 Colt .45 and the Browning automatic he liberated from a gangster’s corpse, Tom Bell cuts a swath of devastation through the heart of East Texas in search of the consortium behind the lethal land-grab scheme.


Review:

Astute, sinister, and immersive!

The Texas Job is an absorbing, highly authentic western that takes you into the life of Texas Ranger Tom Bell during 1931, as he heads to Pine Top, Texas to hunt a fugitive wanted for murder in a town bursting with oil, booming with riffraff, and home to a group of men who have happily made their bed with the devil and will do whatever it takes, even murder, to acquire prestige, power, and riches.

The prose is vivid and descriptive. The characters are rugged, intimidating, and resolute. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of deception, manipulation, community, greed, corruption, profiteering, mayhem, violence, and murder.

I’m not usually a huge western mystery type of gal, and yet every time I read a Wortham novel, I’m blown away by how much I love the characters and the atmosphere, and The Texas Job is no exception. In fact, it’s probably one of my favourites. It’s suspenseful, gritty, and downright thrilling, and I can’t do anything other than highly recommend it.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

       

 

 

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Reavis Z. Wortham

Spur Award winner Reavis Z. Wortham retired in 2011 and now works harder than before as the author of the critically acclaimed Red River historical mystery series. Kirkus Reviews listed his first novel, The Rock Hole, as one of their Top 12 Mysteries of 2011. True West Magazine included Dark Places as one of 2015’s Top 12 Modern Westerns. The Providence Journal writes, “This year’s Unraveled is a hidden gem of a book that reads like Craig Johnson’s Longmire on steroids.” Wortham’s new high octane contemporary western series from Kensington Publishing featuring Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke kicked off in 2017 with the publication of Hawke’s Prey. The fourth Sonny Hawke thriller, Hawke’s Fury, was published in June 2020. In 2019, the Western Writers Association presented Hawke’s War with the Spur Award in the WWA Best Mass Market Paperback category. The next Red River Mystery, Laying Bones, will be published in January 2021.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly @LindaSReilly7 @PPPress #UpToNoGouda #LindaReilly #GrilledCheeseMysteries #inkedinpoison

#BookReview Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly @LindaSReilly7 @PPPress #UpToNoGouda #LindaReilly #GrilledCheeseMysteries #inkedinpoison Title: Up to No Gouda

Author: Linda Reilly

Series: Grilled Cheese Mysteries #1

Published by: Poisoned Pen Press on Jan. 25, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 312

Format: Paperback

Source: Poisoned Pen Press

Book Rating: 8/10

The first in a delicious new culinary cozy series featuring a grilled cheese eatery owner who must solve murders in her small town before she is put under lock and brie

Back in Balsam Dell to heal after the death of her husband, Carly Hale is finally pursuing her lifelong dream—opening Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. After only five months, business is booming as Vermont vacationers and townspeople alike flock to lunch on her Party Havartis and other grilled cheese concoctions. All but Lyle Bagley, Carly’s one-time high school boyfriend and now town bully who just bought the building that houses her eatery and wants Carly out. After a muenster of a fight, Carly’s forced to put her nose to the rind and find a solution to keep her business afloat.

That is…until Lyle is discovered dead behind the dumpster of Carly’s shop, and one of her employees becomes the prime suspect. In order to save her eatery and prove her friend’s innocence, Carly must sleuth out the killer before she’s the one who gets grilled.

With a delightful cast of characters, an inventive amateur sleuth, and a whole host of cheesy hijinks, Up to No Gouda is the perfect cozy murder mystery to melt into.


Review:

Whimsical, engaging, and delightfully satisfying!

Up to No Gouda is a well-paced, amusing murder mystery that takes you into the life of Carly Hale, a young woman who, after losing her husband and heading back to Balsam Dell to fulfil her dream of opening a speciality grilled cheese restaurant, finds her life turned upside down when the owner of the building winds up murdered right outside the back door, and one of her employees quickly becomes the prime suspect for committing the crime.

The writing is playful and light. The characters are unique, clever, and supportive. And the plot develops nicely and has just the right mix of misdirection, deduction, clues, suspects, mishaps, drama, amateur sleuthing, and murder.

Up to No Gouda is the first book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series, and if you’re a fan of cosy mysteries this novel won’t disappoint. It’s a fun, quirky, entertaining read by Reilly, and I can’t wait to read what she cooks up next in No Parm No Foul, releasing later this year.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

 

       

 

 

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Linda Reilly

Armed with a degree in Criminal Justice, Linda Reilly once contemplated a career in law enforcement. But life took a twist, and instead she found her niche in real estate closings and title examinations, where the dusty tomes in the Registry of Deeds enticed her into solving mysteries of a different sort. A dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, Linda lives in southern New Hampshire with her husband and cats. A member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Cat Writers' Association, she loves solving mysteries of the cozy type. When she's not pounding away at her keyboard, she can usually be found prowling the shelves of a local bookstore or library.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb @msheatherwebb @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheNextShipHome #HeatherWebb #bookmarkedbylandmark

#BookReview The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb @msheatherwebb @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheNextShipHome #HeatherWebb #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: The Next Ship Home

Author: Heather Webb

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Feb. 8, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Ellis Island, 1902: Two women band together to hold America to its promise: “Give me your tired, your poor…”

Ellis Island, 1902. Francesca arrives on the shores of America, her sights set on a better life than the one she left in Italy. That same day, aspiring linguist Alma reports to her first day of work at the immigrant processing center. Ellis, though, is not the refuge it first appears thanks to President Roosevelt’s attempts to deter crime. Francesca and Alma will have to rely on each other to escape its corruption and claim the American dreams they were promised.

A thoughtful historical inspired by true events, this novel probes America’s history of prejudice and exclusion—when entry at Ellis Island promised a better life but often delivered something drastically different, immigrants needed strength, resilience, and friendship to fight for their futures.


Review:

Fascinating, compelling, and memorable!

The Next Ship Home is an immersive tale that sweeps you away to New York City during 1902 and into the life of two women, Francesca Ricci, a young Italian girl who dreams of a better life in America only to suffer persecution and unimaginable loss in the shadows of the statue of liberty, and Alma Brauer, a young American woman with a passion for languages and a new job on Elis Island that, she quickly learns is not a place for immigrants to feel welcome and supported, but rather a building where corruption is rampant and abuse is prolific.

The prose is vivid and rich. The characters are flawed, driven, and engaging. And the plot is a poignant, tender tale of life, loss, love, hope, prejudice, politics, family, sacrifices, tragedy, abusive power, successes, and female friendship.

Overall, The Next Ship Home is an absorbing, moving, beautifully written tale by Webb inspired by real-life events that, at its heart, highlights that sometimes a little kindness, a bit of luck, and a lot of hard work and determination can make a world of difference, and reminds us that even though we’ve come so far when it comes to exclusion and racism, we still have a ways to go.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Heather Webb

Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of seven historical novels. In 2015, Rodin’s Lover was a Goodread’s Top Pick, and in 2018, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. Meet Me in Monaco, was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Goldsboro RNA award in the UK, as well as the 2019 Digital Book World’s Fiction prize. To date, Heather’s books have been translated to sixteen languages. She lives in New England with her family, a mischievous kitten, and one feisty rabbit.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.