Always love Mae , Hank, FiFi and the Laundry Club Ladies. This adventure went to a new part of the National Forest and Mae and her posse all come along. As always this keeps you guessing as to who commits the murder. I also love that they mention Violet and where she has gone to in this story. Look forward to what this group will do next. I do not think that I would enjoy hugging trees as therapy. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH A SMIDGEN OF HOMICIDE
USA Today Bestselling author Tonya Kappes brings you southern and quirky characters in her mystery series. Her stories are charged with humor, friendship, family and life in small southern towns.
Welcome to Normal, Kentucky where nothing is normal!
When Hank Sharpe asked me in the laundry club ladies to join him in an undercover investigation to help find a missing person, me and ladies grabbed our sleuthing notebook without hesitation.
As undercover Forest Bathing Therapist trainees we were bound and determined to find out with happened to Kyra Tenney. When we did find her body in what appeared to be an accidental forest fire, we thought we were finished with our undercover act.
Only the coroner’s report came back that our missing person had been killed before the fire.
Put on your sleuthing caps and join Mae West along with the Laundry Club Ladies as they take their investigation skills to a whole ‘nuther level! Especially after Mae finds herself in the fire!
This is the third book in a series and the first that I have read. I really liked Kate and Cece and how they try to solve this murder using coded messages. Two young children, Reen and Joanie, help solve the murder. This story has many twists and turns and great characters throughout. I hope to read the first two books in the series sometime but I had no problem figuring out who was who. This book is fun. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a four out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Time After Tyme
Author: Kay DiBianca
Genre: Cozy mystery
Release date: November 29, 2021
Time After Tyme is a fun and thought-provoking mystery about secret codes, university intrigue, and two young girls who fancy themselves 21st-century Nancy Drews.
When strange, coded messages turn up in the chapel prayer box at Bellevue University, the minister suspects a recent campus death may have been murder, so he enlists the help of amateur sleuths Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman to decipher the codes and solve the mystery. But when a couple of young girls get wind of it, they decide to find the killer on their own. Almost everyone on campus has something to hide, and the story fluctuates between the rational search for the truth by the adults, and the occasionally misguided, but surprisingly perceptive, insight of the children.
Set on the campus of a modern university, Time After Tyme is both a joyful romp through a cozy mystery and a serious look at the search for truth. The book reminds us of the seasons of our lives, from the irrepressible curiosity of youth to the treasured experience of maturity.
Kay DiBianca is an award-winning author who loves to create literary puzzles in the mystery genre for her readers to solve. Her characters come to life as they struggle to solve murders and create relationships amidst the ongoing themes of faith and family. Her first novel, The Watch on the Fencepost, won an Illumination Award for General Fiction and an Eric Hoffer Award for Mystery. The second book in the Watch series, Dead Man’s Watch, was a Silver Falchion Award finalist.
Kay is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Collierville Christian Writers Group. An avid runner, she can often be found at a nearby track, on the treadmill, or at a large park near her home. Her background in software development fuels her fascination with puzzles and mysteries, and her dedication to running helps supply the endurance and energy she needs to write about them.
Kay and her husband, Frank, live, run, and write in Memphis, Tennessee. You can connect with Kay through her website at https://kaydibianca.com.
More from Kay
When ten-year-old Reen Penterson overhears the words “foul play” in a conversation not meant for her, she jumps to the conclusion that a murder has been committed and says, “Foul play? Murder! My heart pounded and my future life unfolded in front of me like a YouTube video. I could solve the mystery and expose the killer! I’d be famous. I’d be rich. I’d be one of those people who gets a college degree without having to go to school.”
To aid in her “investigation,” Reen enlists the help of her nine-year-old cousin, Joanie Finelson. And the chaos begins.
Writing Time After Tyme was great fun for me. This is the third book in the Watch series of cozy mysteries, and I wanted to add another dimension to the stories. Since I intended to dedicate the book to my best friend from childhood, my cousin Joan, I thought the misadventures of two young girls would be the perfect addition. Although Reen and Joanie are secondary characters in the book, they steal the show from the adults with their misguided attempts to find a killer.
Set on the campus of fictional Bellevue University, the story revolves around the recent death of the university librarian, Mr. Tyme. When strange, coded messages are found in the university chapel prayer box, main characters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman are asked to decipher them. While Kathryn and Cece work to solve the mystery behind the codes, Reen and Joanie are turning things upside down in the search for a killer.
There were several things I particularly enjoyed about writing this book. I loved creating the coded messages, each of which relates to a Biblical proverb. I also liked exploring the secrets many of the adults in the book harbored to avoid being associated with Mr. Tyme’s death.
But more than anything else, I enjoyed the all-out approach to solving the mystery by the two young girls. At times, their unfiltered approach to their quest made me laugh out loud and reminded me of the wonder of that special time of life.
I really love to read books by Allison Brennan. This book has lots of action and great psychological suspense. I love getting to know each member of this team of FBI agents. The members of the town that might have planted the bomb are fantastic. I loved the twists and turns and I was not sure who the bad guy was for most of the book. I look forward to many more books by this author so we can learn more about each of the members of this team. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
The Wrong Victim : A Novel
Allison Brennan
On Sale Date: April 26, 2022
9780778312307
Hardcover
$26.99 USD
464 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A bomb explodes on a sunset charter cruise out of Friday Harbor at the height of tourist season and kills everyone on board. Now this fishing and boating community is in shock and asking who would commit such a heinous crime—the largest act of mass murder in the history of the San Juan Islands.
Was the explosion an act of domestic terrorism, or was one of the dead the primary target? That is the first question Special Agent Matt Costa, Detective Kara Quinn, and the rest of the FBI team need to answer, but they have few clues and no witnesses.
Accused of putting profits before people after leaking fuel endangered an environmentally sensitive preserve, the West End Charter company may itself have been the target. As Matt and his team get closer to answers, they find one of their own caught in the crosshairs of a determined killer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over thirty novels. She has been nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers and the Daphne du Maurier Award. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, Allison lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids and assorted pets.
This was my favorite book in this series. This was fast paced and had a few twists and turns. I was not too sure who some of the bad guys really were. I really loved the suspense and the romance. I loved the characters, especially Willow, Tony, Carter and Bee. I love that they have family sticking together to help each other. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Death Valley Hideout
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre: Christian fiction
Release date: April 26, 2022
Running from a murderer
with only the desert as refuge…
Placed in WITSEC while his brother testifies against a terrifying criminal, Tony Ortega must guard his young niece and nephew from the hit man hunting for them. Death Valley local Willow Duke’s hideout might just be the difference between the little family’s life or death. When bullets start flying, can they thwart a killer long enough to survive and become a family for real?
Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and the recipient of a Holt Medallion. She’s written over fifty titles in the suspense, lighthearted romance and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming, and Poisoned Pen Press. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)
More from Dana
Wooty woo! We’re back in Death Valley again! So excited about this fourth book in the series because Papa Bear and I have actually returned to this amazing place. (Our previous return trip was stalled for a while due to the virus that shall not be named!) People have asked me, “Why do you love Death Valley so much?” I can only respond that you just have to go there to understand. Is it the vastness of the place? The enormous topographical variety? Maybe it’s the profound quietness that permeates the national park and environs. Then again, it might be the panorama of nighttime stars. (Death Valley National Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park due to its limited light pollution.) Could it be the tenacity of people who live there and survive the one hundred twenty plus degree temperatures in the summer? And how about those animals? The Death Valley pupfish is a teeny little endangered fish that lives in precisely one spot on the globe (Death Valley) and only two places within that range, Salt Creek and Cottonball Marsh. Imagine that! So why set a six book series in Death Valley? Because there’s no more hostile and incredible place I can think of. I hope you will enjoy taking a fictional trip with me there too. Enjoy the adventure, reader friends!
To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize package of the first four books in the series-Framed in Death Valley, Missing in the Desert, Death Valley Doublecross and Death Valley Hideout (Paperback for U.S. Only) and a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
This book is a wonderful debut novel. Sam is a soldier home from WWll who cannot wait to get home to his wife Annie and their daughter Rose. You can tell that Sam has What we would now know as PTSD. This story shows how he tries to work through it and how his wife Annie feels as the days go by and this is not the Sam she remembers. I love the twists and turns the characters go through with each other and other family and other friends. Sam has to work through how Doc seems to treat his wife and child. This is hard to put down and will make you cry. I received a copy of this book from Read with Audra for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on–responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who’s come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam’s experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand–but that everyone is learning to fear.
Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn’t the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?
Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she’s terrified he’s going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam’s mental wounds–or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?
Debut novelist Janyre Tromp delivers a deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense. Readers of psychological thrillers and historical fiction by Jaime Jo Wright and Sarah Sundin will add Tromp to their favorite authors list.About the Author
Janyre Tromp is a historical novelist whose loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and coauthor of It’s a Wonderful Christmas.
She’s also a book editor, published children’s book author, and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. And if you ever meet in person, you pronounce that first name Jan-ear.
This is a good historical western romance. Ada and Thomas are great characters. Both Ada and Thomas had some obstacles that they needed to work out from when they were younger before they could find each other. Ada has to learn that she is worthy to be loved. Thomas has to get over his previous tries at love. I enjoyed how this book flows and definitely recommend it to people who like historical romance. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
Close to perfection Ada Williamson lived her whole life in the shadow of her charismatic, capricious sister. But when the beautiful Melinda decides to jilt her mail-order groom on the way to meet him in Seattle, Washington Territory, Ada’s conscience demands that she continue the journey and tell Thomas Rankin the truth. After all, she wrote most of the letters the couple exchanged, and she’s already halfway in love with the man herself. Yet somehow, one look at Thomas and the future he offers, and the truth never comes out. Suddenly, Ada finds herself not only out of the shadows, but living the life meant for her sister.
After making his fortune on the goldfields, Thomas “Scout” Rankin found he could buy almost anything he wanted, including the perfect mail-order bride in a territory where women are still few and far between. But past betrayals have left him wary, so he immediately notices that the woman who claims to be his mail-order bride doesn’t quite act the part. Still, someone wrote those letters that spoke to his heart. If getting to know Ada better will reveal the truth, he’s willing to try, even if he must protect his own secrets along the way.
But someone knows both their secrets and aims to use them to advantage. Can Thomas and Ada discover the truth, about their enemy, about their pasts, and about the love they both yearn to share?
If you like warm, witty historical romances, then you’ll love this frontier historical romance by an award-winning author that continues her popular Frontier Bachelors series.
“Regina Scott writes some of today’s best Historical Romance novels!” Huntress Reviews
I am so glad that Violet is getting her own series. It was fun to see how she ends up in another small town and helps to solve a murder. I love St. Patrick’s day but this town might go a little overboard. It will be fun to see how each holiday is celebrated and how Violet will be involved with the celebrations and maybe more murders. I enjoyed how some of the characters from the Camper Series were incorporated into this story. I am looking forward to many more books in this new series. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
CELEBRATE GOOD CRIMES!
Holiday Cozy Mystery Series is a spin-off of Tonya Kappes’s popular A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery Series! You do not want to miss Violet Rhinehammer’s journey and some appearances from our beloved Laundry Club Ladies and favorite characters from A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery crossover series!
Smiling eyes aren’t shining upon Violet Rhinehammer!
Violet Rhinehammer finally got the big break she’s been waiting for. She got the interview of a lifetime and it is only a plane ride away.
Things take a twisty turn after Violet discovers a dead body in the airplane’s bathroom. With a forced emergency landing she finds herself stranded in the tiny seaside mountain town of Holiday Junction.
Holiday Junction loves all things holiday and currently the town is painted green for their annual Shamrock Festival. Unfortunately the NTSB has grounded any flights in or out of Holiday Junction until the crime scene is wrapped up, leaving Violet scrambling to get to her interview.
Violet takes on the investigation and enlists the help of some of the locals, new friends, and a cute security guard to help her solve the mystery.
Join Violet, Cherise, Rhett, and a lineup of new as well as familiar characters from A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series, as they try to catch a killer and get Violet to her dream job.
I really enjoyed this tale of a live in nanny. Nurse May graduated from a special school and her second job tending for children was not easy. The parents of the children were odd. I did enjoy learning about some of the area around where this took place. I also felt sorry for the children that had to work in the mills around that time period. This will make you laugh and cry and feel awful. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Stacey Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, the Independent, the Sun and Fabulous. Both of her first two novels, The Familiars and The Lost Orphan, were Sunday Times bestsellers, Mrs England is her third novel.
Book Summary:
Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs. England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, an enthralling tale of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception.
West Yorkshire, 1904. When recently graduated Ruby May takes a nanny position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear something is not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England.
Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband and is far from the angel of the house Ruby was expecting.
As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracized by the servants and increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family—she should know.
This captivating new feminist novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls is her third work of fiction and proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our time.
I really enjoyed this WWll book that takes place in a small French town. This showed how some of the French citizens just wanted to stay alive during this horrible time. I loved the characters. This showed that not all the Germans were awful people. Some of them really just wanted to survive and go back home. This book showed that people needed to work together to end the war. This will show that you can laugh even when there is tragedy all around you and it will make you cry when the tragedy hits you. I received a copy of this book from Barbour and Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
A French Woman and German Soldier Create a Truce Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII. With her father in a German POW camp and her home in Ste Mere Eglise, France, under Nazi occupation, Rosalie Barrieau will do anything to keep her younger brother safe. . .even from his desire to join the French resistance. Until she falls into the debt of a German solder—one who delivers a wounded British pilot to her door. Though not sure what to make of her German ally, Rosalie is thrust deep into the heart of the local underground. As tensions build toward the allied invasion of Normandy, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for freedom. Other books in the series you may also enjoy:The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie AlexanderPicture of Hope by Liz TolsmaSaving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue PattersonMrs. Witherspoon Goes to War by Mary Davis
This book would be a nice book to use to show children how different but also how alike we all are. This talks about the science behind the colors of our skin and hair. I really like the activities that are included. I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook and Multnomah for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this childrens book a four out of five stars.
Help children celebrate the incredible range of hues all around them with this activity book that provides an interactive, engaging, and age-appropriate way to navigate conversations around skin tone, race, and racism.
Every person’s skin has a particular shade—or hue—that we can appreciate. Children naturally wonder: Why are there so many skin colors? Why do I look a lot like some people and different from others? Which words best describe my skin color?
But sometimes we feel uncomfortable talking about skin tone, ethnicity, and race. That’s about to change! Inside these pages, kids will get to explore the ways each of us is uniquely designed and discover positive, creative ways to think and talk about the wonderful diversity of hues found in humanity.
Crafted by an experienced educator and advocate for antiracism, Hues of You is divided into four main sections: Hues of You, Hues of Your Family, Hues of Your Ancestors, and Hues of Your Friends. This activity book offers a smart and honest starting point to spark natural, effective, and meaningful conversations in our families, schools, and communities.
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