"Death Of A Tart" (#64)

"Death Of A Tart"

by

Kate Borden

"Death of A Tart" is a............whimsical start to a promising new cozy series.

Set in New England ~ Cobb's Landing ~ ..."

"As mayor of the broke New England town of Cobb's Landing, Peggy Jean Turner is thrilled with the idea of creating "Colonial Williamsburg in Cobb's Landing." All goes swimmingly, until the town tart turns up dead--and Peggy must risk everything to solve the crime."

Yet another fun read.  And yet another start to a Series.

To read more, please click here....

  

"Death At Wentwater Court" (#63)

"Death At Wentwater Court"

(A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery)

by

Carola Dunn

"--the first installment of this cozy mystery series, set in 1923 Britain where unflappable flapper and would-be journalist Daisy Dalrymple daringly embarks on her first writing assignment and promptly stumbles across a corpse."

Another delightful read!   Again, I'm so happy that it is first, in a Series.

To read more, please click here........

"Picture Miss Seeton" (#62)

"Picture Miss Seeton"

by

Heron Carvic

"Miss Seeton is a retired, often bemuddled British art teacher with a slight psychic ability for drawing things more accurately than they appear."

"Miss Seeton never "gets a clue", yet provides clues galore. She has a remarkable ability to observe things, but never correctly interprets them. She is surrounded by mayhem and criminal activity but only notices "bad manners" as a punishable crime, for which she delivers a swift swat of an umbrella."

This is the first in a series.  Delightful...  So happy I have more, to look forward to.

For more please click here................

"Cocaine Blues" (#61)

"Cocaine Blues"

(First 'Phryne Fisher Mystery')

by

Kerry Greenwood

"This is where it all started! The first classic Phryne Fisher mystery, featuring our delectable heroine ......... and adventure. Phryne leaves the tedium of English high society for Melbourne, Australia, and never looks back."

"The London season is in full fling at the end of the 1920s, but the Honorable Phryne Fisher--she of the green-grey eyes, diamant garters and outfits that should not be sprung suddenly on those of nervous dispositions--is rapidly tiring of the tedium of arranging flowers, making polite conversations with retired colonels, and dancing with weak-chinned men. Instead, Phryne decides it might be rather amusing to try her hand at being a lady detective in Melbourne, Australia."

Looks like a fun series!!!

To read more reviews, please click here, and go to Good Reads.

"Mrs. Pargeter's Pound Of Flesh" (#60)

 

"Mrs. Pargeter's Pound Of Flesh"

by

Simon Brett

 

Another in the "Mrs. Pargeter Series"...  This time she accompanies her friend to a slimming spa.  The friend is bent on losing weight, but Mrs. P. is not.  So due to her "allergies," she dined on delicious food, by herself.....  While everyone else is chomping lettuce and cottage cheese.  -chuckle-

To read more about this book, please click here and go to "Good Reads" site.

"The Body On The Beach" (#59)

"The Body On The Beach"

by

Simon Brett

First book in the "Fethering Mystery" Series

"In the seaside hamlet of Fethering, Carole Seddon maintains a quiet life and doesn't have the tolerance to deal with her bohemian neighbor, Jude. Carole discovers a dead body on the beach with two wounds to the neck, but police dismiss her story when they can't find the body. When a stranger warns Carole to keep quiet, she confides in Jude."

A Cozy Mystery Series, set in a small English town...  Sounds delightful.  And the Series does get better, since I've already read the second book...  But in this the first, the heroine is quite up-tight and not so loveable....  

But, at least, she isn't into knitting, baking, selling old books, scrap-booking, making her own soaps, etc.  -gigggles-  Seems there are so, so, so many Cozys, which are way-too-themed.  

To read more reviews of this book, please click on this link....   Thank you. 

"Death On The Downs" (#58)

"Death On The Downs"

by

Simon Brett

I'm having fun reading books by Simon Brett.  :-)

"From Simon Brett, "one of today's most literate and witty mystery writers", (Booklist) comes this second mystery featuring the practical Carole Seddon and her bohemian neighbor Jude. While out exploring the South Downs of a wealthy town, Carole discovers the bones of a human skeleton. Jude fears it may be the remains of a young woman who once practiced her alternative therapy.

 It turns out the woman is alive-and living with a charismatic New Age healer. Now Jude and Carole have two mysteries to solve." 

Ahhh the joys of these Cozy Mysteries set in little English villages.  :-)

Read more by clicking here, please....

"Mrs, Presumed Dead" (#57)

"Mrs, Presumed Dead"

by

Simon Brett

"Smithy’s Loam, tastefully designed housing estate - perfect for upwardly-mobile business executives and their model families, and perfect for murder.

Into this epitome of middle-class respectability moves Mrs Pargeter, fresh from her stay at the Devereux Hotel (recounted in Simon Brett's 'A Nice Class of Corpse') and ready to settle down into her new home."

This "Mrs Pargeter" cozy mystery series looks as if it can be a fun read!   To see more reviews, etc., please click here....

(#57)

"A Rather Lovely Inheritance" (#56)

A Rather Lovely Inheritance" by C.A. Belmond is very lovely book!  I enjoyed it "muchly."  One of those books, which you don't want to end...  A mostly gentle, classy read, complete with non-wealthy-at-the-beginning- heroine.

I certainly agree with a reviewer who wrote:  "And this is a rather lovely book, too. Penny Nichols is a historian and researcher for a Hollywood television production company currently on the French Riveria filming a story. She is summoned to London to handle an inheritance for her English-born mother. She encounters wealth, stealth, and a rather lovely man. A sweet book with wonderful characters, riches, and love. Moving back and forth between the French riveria and London is also not too shabby a life for a struggling historian. Very enjoyable."

 

The author is quoted as saying (in back of the book) that: "I have a real fondness for the clever yet wistful songs, movies and theatre of the 1920s and 1930s.  I love the rapid-fire, sassy bantering..." 

 

If you too, enjoy a set-in-the-present book, which has been called:  "A return to the golden age of romantic suspense!"  then I suggest that you find a copy, in your library system.

 

:-)

And look!!!!!!!  There are 3 more books, in this Series!  How delightful!

 

#56

"Dog On It" (#55)

"Dog On It"

by

Spencer Quinn

"...Chet and Bernie. This charming detective duo make their debut in Dog On It, the first volume in Spencer Quinn's new mystery series. The fast-paced and funny tale is narrated by the inimitable Chet, Bernie's best friend and canine partner, whose personality and preferences are never in doubt: "I liked to sleep at the foot of Bernie's bed, but my..."

I've never read a book, written from a dog's point of view before.  It was fun.  

You can read lots of reviews of this book, by clicking here, please.

#55

What The Cat Saw" (#54)

"What The Cat Saw"

by

Carolyn Hart

"Nela, sad young woman who lost (to death) fiance is now substituting as a temporary staffer on behalf of her sister who is off on a tropical jaunt. Local cat seems to transmit emotions or thoughts, to her doubtful mind.

An intruder attempts to rifle through her garage apartment upon her first night. Then as she starts work at the local foundation office, more incidents are..."
 

Mostly enjoyed it, by agree with a reviewer that "The repetition/listing of the possible suspects and opportunities..." was not a high-light.

You can read many reviews of this book, by clicking here, please.

#54

"The Cat, The Quilt And The Corpse" (#53)

 

"The Cat, The Quilt And The Corpse"

by

Leanne Sweeney

 

"Jill's quiet life is shattered when her house is broken into and her Abyssinian, Syrah, goes missing. Jill's convinced her kitty's been catnapped. But when her cat-crime-solving leads her to a murdered body, suddenly all paws are pointing to Jill.

Soon, Jill discovers that Syrah isn't the only purebred who's been stolen. Now she has to find these furry felines before they..."

 

Cute "Cats In Trouble" Mystery.  Read more about it by clicking here, please.

#53

"Sleight Of Paw"

"Sleight Of Paw"

(A Magical Cats Mystery #2)

by

Sofie Kelly

"Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson never wanted to be the crazy cat lady. But after Owen and Hercules followed her home, she realized her mind wasn't playing tricks on her-her cats have magical abilities."

I'm enjoying these Cozy Mysteries.  The second in the "A Magical Cats Mystery Series."  The heroine has no idea "how" her cats "do" what they do.  Nor does she have any special "abilities," herself.  It's a refreshing take on the "Cozy Paranormal Mystery" genre. 

To read reviews by others, please click here...

#52

"The Duck Commander Family"

"The Duck Commander Family"

by

Willie & Korie Robertson

If you enjoy watching "Duck Dynasty" on tv, then you will enjoy this book.  And others, written by family members.

I am loving them.

To read what others have said, please click here...

#51

"Summers In France"

"Summers In France"

by

Kathryn M. Ireland

Delightful coffee-table-kind of a book.  Beautiful photos, interesting prose,  gathered from near 20 years of summers lived in France.  In the old farm house, which the author renovated, inside and out. 

To read more, please click here.....

#50

"If Books Could Kill"

"If Books Could Kill"

by

Kate Carlisle

-sigh-  Seduced by this particular cover art.  -sigh-  And it did sound promising.  But....  T'was way too much romantic chick-lit for me.  ("Dare" I say, kinda' too-good-to-be-true, and silly, chick-lit...)  

So I didn't really enjoy it, as a "cozy," for me, that is.  But!  To read other reader's takes on this book, please click here.

#49

"Murder By Mocha"

"Murder By Mocha"

by

Cleo Coyle

This is #10 in the "Coffeehouse Mystery" Series.  But the first one, I have read.  So I may well not have enjoyed the book, in the satisfying way, in which a Series Follower would.  I did enjoy the read, just not like others have. 

Another possibility (for my not being thrilled with it) is the sad fact that I can no longer enjoy real coffee or chocolate.  (Guess I liked the Coffeehouse atmosphere....)   But the choice of this book topic, was rather silly of me.   

All you who can enjoy both coffee and chocolate, have a ball with this cozy.  :-)  Read more of what others have said, by clicking here....

#48

"Happy, Happy, Happy"

 "Happy, Happy, Happy"

by

Phil Robertson

I love the show so I wanted to read this book.  And enjoyed it.  But it really is a "no holds barred" book.  Wow!

Read more, by clicking here, and going to Good Reads site.

#47

"A Deadly Grind"

"A Deadly Grind"

by

Victoria Hamilton

"When vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton spies an original 1920s Hoosier brand kitchen cabinet at an estate auction, it’s love at first sight. Despite the protests of her sister that the 19th-century yellow-brick house they share in Michigan is already too cluttered with Jaymie’s “junk,” she successfully outbids the other buyers and........."

Another "Cozy," but this one could have been made better, by some editing...  For me, at least...

Read what other's say about this book, by clicking here....

#46

"Out Of Circulation"

"Out Of Circulation"

by

Miranda James

This is the 4th in a series (Cat In The Stacks Mysteries) and the first, I have read.  

A Maine Coon Cat is a great plot idea.  I love them.  But I actually got tired of hearing all about how he accompanied the hero, everywhere...  And hearing how every one doted on him.  Just me........

I'm sure the character growth, in the whole Series, is great.  Perhaps I should have begin, at the beginning....?

#45

"Curiosity Thrilled The Cat"

"Curiosity Thrilled The Cat"

by

Sofie Kelly

Another fun "Cozy" Mystery.  

"When librarian Kathleen Paulson moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life."
 

Another librarian, and cats...  But these cats seem to have *interesting* abilities...  Also "but", they remain quite cat-like.  Which is refreshing.

Fun read...  Other than the "nit-pick" that the author named one cat "Owen," and then named a human character "Oren."  -sigh-  Had to concentrate, to keep the two names/cat/character straight.

Read more about this book, by clicking here and going to "Good Reads."

#44

"The Hangman's Row Enquiry"

"The Hangman's Row Enquiry"

by

Ann Purser

The first book in "An Ivy Beasley Mystery Series"...

A fun Cozy Mystery...

"Ivy Beasley, the beloved cantankerous spinster from the Lois Meade mysteries, has found a silver lining in her golden years as an amateur sleuth.

She teams up with Gus, a mysterious newcomer to the small English village of Barrington who can't resist a little excitement even as he strives to........"

You can read more, by going to Good Reads........

#43

"Bweitched, Bothered, and Biscotti"

"Bweitched, Bothered, and Biscotti"

by

Bailey Cates

The 2nd book in the new "A Magical Bakery Mystery" Series, and I'm continuing to love it.

Elizabeth commented;

 "I absolutely love the world that Bailey Cates has created in the Magical Bakery series and how Katie's relationships are with all the other characters in the novels."

I agree!!!  And I like how the main characters are being more fleshed out, as well.  Making a standard plot line (of "heroine-has-two-guys-to-choose-from") much more interesting. 

Read more by clicking here..........

#42

 

"Buried In A Bog"

"Buried In A Bog"

by

Sheila Connolly

I loved it!  And it's the first in a new series, called "A County Cork Mystery Series."  Hooray!  More to look forward to.

Obviously set in Ireland, in a tiny little village, from whence came our heroine's Gran.  Who made her promise to visit there, after Gran's death.

Twists and turns...  Keep the reader interested...  Lots of background info, on Ireland and the Irish, given...

To read more reviews of this book, please click here...  And go to "Good Reads."

And many thanks to the Dear Reader, whom I don't remember...  But who mentioned reading this book, and thus, led me to it.  :-)

#41

"Entwined"

"Entwined" by Heather Dixon

Who could resist that cover???  :-)

It's a book, based on the old faerie tale "The 12 Dancing Princesses."  

Actually, it was too long, for me.  Too much discription of all the dances, they learned.  Too many *trials* for our heroine.   It was like too many "Perils Of Pauline," and I get tired of books, which put the heroine through too many icky happenings.

To read more about this book, with varying reviews, please click here...............

#40

"The Ocean At The End Of The Lane"

"The Ocean At The End Of The Lane"
by
Neil Gaiman

Who could resist that Title and Cover Art?!?!?!?

From:  Good Reads site...

"Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and..."

This is the 2nd book by this author, I have read.  He writes in a very different and quirky way.


Below, from another review...
"Once again, Neil does what he does so well: he takes us by the hand and introduces us to a dark, tangled corner of the universe full of things that make us shiver and hold our breath in the dark."  


A rather short book, btw....  :-)

#39

"A Death In The Small Hours"

"A Death In The Small Hours"

by

Charles Finch

To quote a review; "This is a tidy little mystery set in Victorian England."   Another "Cozy," played out in a small English town.  Nice.  But I didn't enjoy the Cricket description.  -pout-

Me thinks' I should try an earlier book, in this Series...  When the main man is still sleuthing more...  

You can read more about this book, by clicking here...  Please and thank you.

#38

"Brownies and Broomsticks"

"Brownies and Broomsticks"

by

Bailey Cates

 

Delightful First, in the new "A Magical Bakery Mystery" Series.  Hooray!

Loved it.  Another gentle Magical Mystery Cozy.  Set in (and around) opening a Bakery, in Savannah's quaint downtown district.

 

While getting ready to open the Honeybee Bakery...  Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren't just tasty...  It seems that Aunt Lucy is  a gentle Witch.

 

And it turns out that Katie too, has inherited magical powers.  

 

Another gentle cozy.  I recommend it.  :-)

 

Read more reviews, by clicking here.......  

#37

"A Killer Read"

"A Killer Read" by Erika Chase

Delightful Cozy Mystery.  Just delightful.  I so enjoyed the heroine, the town she lives in, her home, her friends, homes of her friends, etc., etc., etc.  Each time I picked the book up again, it was like returning to a great place to visit.  As it were.  :-)

Good story line.  Kept me guessing.  And the author has an interesting way of describing most everything...  Like the outfit, "Lizzie" chooses.  And the colors, decor of places "Lizzie" visits, etc.  I really enjoyed this aspect of the book.

To read more, please click here, and go to the 'Good Reads' book site. 

Oh, best of all...  This is a first book in a Series!  Must get the 2nd book, quickly.  :-)

#36

"White Nights"

"White Nights" by Ann Cleeves

This is the second book I've read, by Ann Cleeves.  The cover art seems to draw me in.  :-)  And she does write thrillers!  Mysteries!  And keeps me guessing!  

Set in the Shetland Islands off of Scotland, the books are very atmospheric and rather dark and stark and the like.  Which I've enjoyed......

In "White Nights," the main character got a wee bit irritatingly "emo" though.  He kept "second guessing" himself and "thinking too much," in regard to personal things.  It irritated me.  But!  Not enough, to put me off of finishing the book!  I HAD to know, how it all played out!!!!!!!!!!!! 

So, what more could you ask of a thriller, hu?  :-)

You can read more about this book, by clicking here.....

#35

"A Room Full of Bones"

"A Room Full of Bones" by Elly Griffiths

The 4th book in the 'Ruth Galloway Mystery Series'...  I've been reading this "Ruth Galloway Mystery Series" in all sorts of hap-hazard fashion!  LOL.  Read the 2nd one, before the 1st.  Now read the 4th, after reading the 5th.

I love the whole series, and have been able to follow along, even with my random method.  No, I don't suggest that anyone else do it this way!  

Get "The Crossing Places."  And I bet you'll be intrigued by "Ruth," not your usual gorgeous heroine.  And doesn't that, sound like a great idea???

Click here, to go to a list of these books...

#34

"Bayou Moon"

"Bayou Moon"  by C.L. Bevill

Loved this book and it kept me guessing, guessing, guessing.  Hometown girl (Mignon) returns to her hometown of LaValle, Louisiana to investigate what really happened to her mother, years ago.

You've got that intriguing title... set in the deep south...  an antebellum mansion... the "have's" and the "have not's"...  how they interact... years ago and to this day... murder... secrets... revenge... etc.  Oh, and add a ghostly touch too.

Deeeeelicious!!!!!!!!!!

You can read more, by clicking here-->Good Reads... 

#33

"Haunted Ground"

"Haunted Ground"

by

Erin Hart

From review on 'Good Reads'...

"A dazzling debut -- already an international publishing sensation -- combining forensics, history, archaeology, and suspense.
Introducing Erin Hart, who brings the beauty, poignancy, mystery, and romance of the Irish countryside to her richly nuanced first novel."

(To read more at "Good Reads", please click here......)

The beginning was slower going, even though I'm very interested, in the topic of body preservation, in peat bogs.  But the story progressed, I was hooked.  (There are actually 3 mysteries, contained in this book!)  I read the whole book, in 2 days.  Just *had* to keep reading!!! 

In "Good Reads Reviews", I found this bit, which I pass on to you....  How to pronounce a name used, in the book.  "how to pronounce Aiofe - that would be "EE-fah..."  I wish I had that info, before reading.  Because a character name like 'Aiofe' had me stumbling over it...  -sigh-  I agree with the reviewer...  Authors should give the pronunciation, of unique names.

There are 2 more books in this series, and my library system has both!  :-)

#32

"The Next Wave"

"The Next Wave"  by Catherine Herridge

Written in 2011.  Sooooo...  So how can we say; "We didn't know it was coming!"???

From "Good Reads"...

"TERROR WALKS AMONG US. Born here, raised here, plotting here, the terrorists of al Qaeda 2.0 aim to kill Americans. And our government helps.

Who are the recruits for the next wave? They live next door."

......

Very interesting book, based on investigative reporting, which rings-even-truer, after the Boston Bombing Massacre.  Should any of us have been surprised, at that?  Hardly...!!!!!!!!!

......

Should everyone be more aware, of their surroundings?  Yes!!!  Your life may depend on it.

#31

"A Hat Full of Sky"

"A Hat Full of Sky"

by Terry Pratchet

From: Good Reads...

"Tiffany Aching, a (very young) hag from a long line of hags, is trying out her witchy talents again as she is plunged into yet another adventure when she leaves home and is apprenticed to a “real” witch. This time, will the thievin’, fightin’ and drinkin’ skills of the Nac Mac Feegle — the Wee Free Men — be of use, or must Tiffany rely on her own abilities?"

 Second book, of 4.  LOVING this Series!!!

Read these books,

beginning with "The Wee Free Men"...

Please!!!!!!!!!!  :-))))))))))

#30

"Snow White Must Die"

"Snow White Must Die"  by Nele Neuhaus

I read that this was an international best seller, so i was hooked.

from good reads:

"Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus isa tremendous new contemporary mystery series and huge international bestseller—with more than3.5 million copies in print!"  ...

 not being used to this type of book, i didn't "get into it" right away.  but stuck with it and glad i did.  

From another review, on good reads"

"With "Snow White Must Die" (Minotaur Books 2013), Nele Neuhaus shows the reading world that she can spin a tale steeped in small town politics, local culture, European geography, and that places the reader at the epicenter of a grisly mystery. Does that sound easy? It's not, proven by how many failed authors litter..."

#29

"Raven Black"

"Raven Black"  by  Ann Cleeves

From Good Reads...

"Raven Black begins on New Year’s Eve with a lonely outcast named Magnus Tait, who stays home waiting for visitors who never come. But the next morning the body of a murdered teenage girl is discovered nearby, and suspicion falls on Magnus."

A thriller!  Yes, a thriller!  I enjoyed it.  I admit that the author kept me guessing...  Which for me, is a good read.   

It seemed to sort of slow down, in the middle.  But once the story "got wind in its sails" again, it whipped along.

If you enjoy a mystery, set in another part of the world, which lets the atmosphere-of-place seep into your bones, you'll enjoy this book. 

#28

"Knots And Crosses"

"Knots And Crosses"  by Ian Rankin

First book in his "Inspector Rebus" series

I recently read the last book, in this series.  Wanted to know how it all began.  So I got this First in the Series.  Liked it, as well.  Not light or hippity-happy-reading.  Gritty.  But I like "Rebus," and I've now enjoyed reading 2 books about him.  Want the next one...

From a "Good Reads" Review:

"Detective John Rebus: His city is being terrorized by a baffling series of murders...and he's tied to a maniac ................. Once John Rebus served in Britain's elite SAS. Now he's an Edinburgh cop who hides from his memories, misses promotions and ignores a series of crank letters. But as the ........................ killings mount and the tabloid headlines scream, Rebus........."

You can read more about this book, by clicking on this link, and going to "Good Reads."

#27

"Truly, Madly"

"Truly, Madly"  by Heather Webber

Yes, it's "chick-lit"!  Of course it is.  You can tell by the cover art.  :-)  But it's not irritatingly so.

From a Review:

"Lucy Valentine is ....   a little bit quirky protagonist who never got on my nerves. It's nice to have a main character who isn't totally self-absorbed, ditzy, neurotic, clumsy and just plain irritating, basically just about every female you run across in lighter fiction books these days. All the other characters added to the story seamlessly..."

It's the First in the "Lucy Valentine Series," and since I like this one, I have a hold on the next one.  I think that says as much about a book, as can be said.  :-)

Get it.  I'm sure you will have fun, with a light read.

Btw, I had the entire book cover pic up, when I noticed that...  There is a blurb, at the bottom of the pic of the book cover, by the author of the "Sookie Stackhouse" books.  I quickly cut off THAT line, at the bottom of the book cover.  I would NOT  READ or  RECOMMEND something, which I thought was like "Sookie Stackhouse" books.  Blahhhhhhhhhh...  You know I'm no prude, but I couldn't get interested in those books!  Blahhhhhhhh....

Click here at Good Reads, for more info...

#26

"Thornyhold"

"Thornyhold"

 by

Mary Stewart

From a Review:

"There was one thing in Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood that she enjoyed; the visits from her Godmother, Geillis, an extraordinary woman with unusual powers. When Geillis suddenly died, the adult Gilly inherited her charming little cottage, Thornyhold, and went to live there in the English countryside."...

I love books by Mary Stewart, but this one is not quite the same...  Which is fine....

From another Review:

"Lovely story ingredients for a Cinderella-style comfort read." 

And from another:

"I love reading about magic in a story when it’s so subtle that you're not sure if what you're seeing is really magic."

I enjoyed it.  You can read more about "Thornyhold" by clicking here, for Good Reads site.

#25

"Standing In Another Man's Grave"

"Standing In Another Man's Grave"

by

Ian Rankin

From  a review:

"Rebus, retired but on loan from SCRU (a group of former detectives looking into cold cases) happens into an investigation of multiple MisPers, women gone missing along the A9 highway. Working partly within channels and mostly outside channels, Rebus is as bull-headed and irascible as usual as he digs deeper and finds links others have missed............."

And from another review:

".......he's still a cantankerous iconoclast, playing by his own rules and nobody else's, and relentless in searching out the truth, even if the result is not always satisfying."

I LOVE the old guy!!!!!!!!   

This is the 18th book in the "Inspector Rebus" Series....  I'm going back and starting with the FIRST!  -grin-

Reviews can be found by clicking here.........

#24

"Vampires In The Lemon Grove"

"Vampires In The Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell

The Good Reads Review calls this a "magical new collection of stories that showcases Karen Russell’s gifts at their inimitable best."...  (sigh)  Well, I guess I just don't "get" all of Russell's idea of magical.  This is the 2nd book by her, that I have read.  ("Swamplandia" first)  And I didn't really like that one, either.  

Funny, but the beginnings of both these books, were promising.  But..... Later......  Not my kind of reads.....

#23

"The Blue Zones"

"The Blue Zones"  by Dan Buettner

"National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives."

Yes, another book on how to live a longer, HAPPIER life.  I high-light "happier," because it's not just about living to 110, if the last 20 years are spent in a nursing home.  If we can add years to our life, we want them to be good years.  

So the author and a team, visit these pockets of long-lived people, around the globe.  No particular "Fountain Of Youth" found.  Of course not!  These people are not "youths," later in life.  They are simply healthier, than most of the world.

I like a book, which "whispers" that "It Will Share A Secret With Me".  :-)  Like a little kid, I like to find Secrets.  The author doesn't promise a Secret, but I guess I tend to hope there will be one, hidden inside.   :-)  Not!  There is a lot of wisdom about living.  Sadly, such is hard to adapt, in our weirdly-on-speed-world, though...   But I enjoyed reading the book.     

Read more here, in 'Good Reads'...

# 22

"The Wee Free Men"

"The Wee Free Men"

by Terry Pratchett

Oh good grief, this is soooooooooooo much fun!!!!!!!  I 'ken' you'll enjoy reading it.

You can read reviews by clicking here...................... 

And the best part is, there are more books.

-gigggggles-

#21

"Swamplandia"

"Swamplandia"  by Karen Russell

From a review:

"Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia!, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. But when illness fells Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, the family is plunged into chaos; her father..."

This book begins with such a weirdly different premise, that I had hoped it would be fun, fun, fun.  But...   Nope.  The fun part ran out and the far-from-fun parts set in.  

So I'm sorry to say, I did not really enjoy the book. 

See more, at 'Good Reads'...  By clicking here......... 

"Dragon's Keep"

"Dragon's Keep"

by Janet Lee Carey

Look at that marvelous cover art!    And with the word "dragon" in the title!  How could this book miss?

Yes, how.....?

But it did.  -sigh-

"Far away on Wilde Island, Princess Rosalind is born with a dragon claw where her ring finger should be. To hide the secret, the Queen forces her to wear gloves at all times until a cure can be found,so Rosalind can fulfill the prophecy to restore the family to their rightful throne.But Rosalind’s flaw cannot be separated from her fate. When she is........"

Beautiful Princess, horrible flaw, wonderful prophecy...  Great aspects.  But the plot turned into a series of "The Perils Of Pauline"...   Troubles, after troubles, after troubles, after troubles, each one worse than the last...  Befall our heroine.  

Sure, a plot has to have "bad-stuff-happen," or it would be dull.  But this book has just too many "bad-stuffs-happening," for my taste.  

-sigh-