Good advice doesn’t age, and as life starts to look brighter, Beth begins to wonder if she could track down Evelyn and thank her for her help. But as Beth uncovers more about Evelyn’s story, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems. And now Beth is determined to bring peace to Evelyn as she has to her.

A spell-binding, heart-warming story of friendship, love and being brave enough to be yourself.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Rob’s betrayal had taken more from me than just him, and I didn’t think I’d ever forgive him for that.

I recognised the pattern from my parents’ house, where the tea set was always locked away in a cabinet ‘for best’, as if they were waiting for the Queen to come for tea.

When it came down to it, things didn’t change as much over the decades as we might think. Love– with friends, family or lovers– had always been the glue that held everything together. It was merely the details that changed.

My Review:

My first Clare Swatman experience and I picked an excellent one to start on my path to enlightenment. Her writing style was emotive and thoughtful yet easy to follow with a unique premise and well-nuanced storylines and narratives that pulled me in and held me close.

Beth was forced to start over while navigating a painful divorce, realistic single-parenting problems, and unexpected life lessons. She gradually worked her way towards healing by anonymously helping others as an agony aunt on her newly developed website after finding inspiration from a stash of old letters written and answered some thirty years prior.

I felt every bump of Beth’s journey and reveled in her successes and was well pleased and satisfied by the story’s end. I will most definitely be perusing Ms. Swatman’s listings for similar gems.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Sometimes, I could feel you toying with the latch to your heart, but never once did you dare to open it.

Do you plan to dishonour us with your presence for much longer, John?

John, please, spare me your clichés! I’m thirty- three years old and I’ve been single for thirty- four of them.

Emma exuded a proud, confident elegance. She had always been like this: imbued with a flawless balance between strength and fragility, conviction and doubt, the woman she became and the girl she would forever be.

My Review:

I was captivated by this cleverly woven tale. The storytelling was brilliant, easy to follow, emotive, and cunningly paced with storylines populated by unique yet knowable and authentic inhabitants. Despite the loathsomeness of the main character I had a hard time putting my Kindle down as I was curious as to where his path was going to take him.

John Fisher was as an absolute ogre of an individual, so any change in his behavior could only be an improvement. I enjoyed his journey and the powerful epiphanies that rocked his world during his forced leave of absence. I was delighted by the conclusion and found the reading experience fully satisfying. Richard Plourde is crafty scribbler with undeniably strong word voodoo.

My Rating:

My Review: 

I rarely read paranormal stories but I was intrigued by the blurb and fell right into this tale shortly after starting page one. The characters and storylines were complicated, multi-layered, and difficult to get a bead on, causing the little pea in my brain to rattle non-stop. I was a willing victim to Ms. Merriman’s addictive storytelling and tumbled into an oddly disconcerting vortex that sucked me deeper and deeper into a misty plain of lost and/or helpful spirits.

The writing was so absorbing and easy to follow, that I felt I was as if I were fully present alongside the restless Rylan as she interacted with the living and departed. Despite diving into the series with the third installment, I felt no confusion or difficulties, but rather an intense yen to gather the two previous books for my reading enjoyment as well as to slate my curiosity about her previous adventures that led to her current state of affairs.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Of course, my dear, we are British. We don’t make a fuss. It’s unbecoming and makes for awkward situations. We don’t want another Titanic on our hands.

She looks like the village milkmaid next to you, because you look like a queen.

My Review:

This was an active tale placing Mona Moon and her new royal husband aboard an ocean liner containing jewel thieves, murderers, Pinkerton agents, pirates, a sinking ship, fascists, socialites, and Noel Coward. I revel in the clever and entertaining manner in which Ms. Keam weaves historical figures and events into her compelling stories. I tend to keep Mr. Google busy during perusal.

When a body turns up at a glamorous séance, Mabel Canning’s sleuthing skills are put to the test. Because it appears the victim died twice…

London, 1921: As a winter wind blows through the streets of London, Mabel Canning is hired by the Useful Women’s Agency to attend a séance at the home of famous medium Madame Pushkana. But when Mabel hears a choking noise and a loud thud, she quickly turns on the lights to find herself at the scene of a murder.

The victim is none other than Stamford Plomley, whose widow arranged the séance after he died in a fire eight months ago. How did he come back from the dead without a scorch mark on him? And could one of their assembled party of gentlewomen have killed him… again?

When Scotland Yard arrive, the police try to stop Mabel from interfering. But having just formed the London Ladies’ Murder Club, Mabel isn’t going anywhere. And with the help of former detective Park Winstone, she begins to piece together what really happened at the ghostly gathering.

But when Mabel receives a threatening letter warning her to stay away from the case, she realises the murderer may have another victim in mind. With time running out, will she hit a dead end? Or can she keep herself from becoming the next one to be sent to an early grave?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Tollerton gave her one of those policeman looks in which he searched for an answer to a question that wasn’t asked.

Nervous or excited. I suppose they’re much of a muchness.

Mabel saw the importance of having compassionate friends you could trust who knew other people who had friends. The circle widened from there, but it started here in her flat with these three friends whose value was greater than gold.

Mr Trenchard is never late… He makes his own time.

My Review:

I am enjoying this cleverly cobbled series, the uniquely contrived characters were sublimely nuanced and deviously detailed with perceptive observations that just weren’t quite complete and kept me ever curious for more. The little pea in my brain was rattling throughout while devising and casting aside multiple theories on “who done it.” And even as jaded as I am, I would have never reached the actual conclusion this wily scribbler had concocted.

Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…

London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.

As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?

As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.

As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

She agreed that the vicar needed a wife, but it certainly wouldn’t be her…

My Review:

I like to switch gears and genres to avoid feeling like I’m reading the same book over and over. With that in mind, I decided to dive into some cozy mysteries for a pleasant and fun diversion from the tense thrillers I have been submerged in of late. I was extremely lucky to fall into a new to me author who just happened to be starting a new series based in the 1920’s. What fun! The series features an earnest and plucky gal who is considerably ahead of her time and striking out on her own to be “an independent woman.” I just had to love this for the premise alone!

Mabel has hit her thirties and despite her papa’s misgivings, has finally made her way out of her small village to the Big Smoke of London. She has set her sites on becoming one of Miss Kerr’s main go-to gals at Miss Kerr’s Agency of Useful Women. And no, they aren’t escorts but they do run all manner of errands. Mabel is soon proving her worth and making friends with a diverse group who would most likely make her papa’s and the local vicar’s hair fall out.

The engaging writing style was easy to follow with interesting characters and unexpected conundrums. I enjoyed Mabel’s unusual escapades and am looking forward to the next installment, which is already idling on my Kindle. I expect Mabel is going to be one of those people with a high rate of individuals inexplicably dropping dead in her vicinity.

A young woman has vanished into thin air.

When much-loved Annabeth Dillon is reported missing during a snow storm in Kearney, Wyoming, Detective Delaney Pace is called in. The search leads to a remote woodland cabin, and Delaney is distraught to find Annabeth’s lifeless body on the bed, dark red ties gripping her tight, long black hair covering her face. Searching the scene, she spots a dark figure at the window and rushes to give chase, but he gets away. Could it have been the killer?

Another victim is about to be taken.

As a local activist, Annabeth had a lot of enemies and she was no stranger to death threats. So why was she alone in an isolated cabin? And when one of Annabeth’s colleagues is found dead in her own home, Delaney fears that the murders are linked. Were the women hiding a secret that someone killed to keep?

A twisted killer is in town and they’re only just getting started.

Days later, Delaney discovers that the murderer left DNA evidence on the body, and she’s shocked to her core when she learns who it belongs to. She knows the killer. As she jumps to action, another call comes in—someone close to her has gone missing. Delaney knows just how dangerous the killer is, but she’s prepared to risk everything, even her own life, to save the life of another innocent victim. Will she find them in time?

If you’re a fan of Mary Stone, Kendra Elliot, Robert Dugoni and C.J. Box you won’t be able to put down this absolutely nail-biting crime thriller from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

She was poison on relationships, plain and simple. And theirs would be no casual fling, of that she was certain. It would be a barn burning, take-no-prisoners relationship with a capital R ending in destruction with a capital D.

Carrie shot Delaney a look so snake-like that Delaney expected to see a forked tongue when she opened her mouth to speak.

She had champagne and caviar tastes. He had a ramen and Busch Light job.

These cases are like one of those thousand-piece puzzles of gray clouds where every piece looks the same and half of them are nearly interchangeable. And it’s not until you find the right piece that you even see you’ve forced a wrong piece in.

Ignorance is always the best defense, and I’ve perfected that one.

My Review:

This wily author has mad skills as I felt like a passenger in their vehicles while holding on for dear life as Delaney raced around like a Grand Prix driver. The storylines were easy to follow yet complex and multi-layered with hits of well-placed humor and amusing observations. The characters themselves were complicated, deeply damaged, and intriguing. Everyone is guilty of something. I adore Sheriff Leo and hope the next installment goes a bit easier on him and allows him to catch his breath… and Delaney.

Someone is preying on the town’s teenagers.

When Detective Delaney Pace is called to a local high school in her small hometown of Kearney, Wyoming, she is devastated to find the body of star football player Noah Pinehurst slumped in the changing room, his team shirt hanging behind his lifeless body. Days later, two of his friends vanish from Noah’s memorial. Haunted by memories of her own father’s murder, Delaney is convinced that another twisted killer is stalking Kearney looking for victims.

More innocent lives are about to be taken.

As one of the missing teenagers stumbles into town, covered in blood and dirt, she tells Delaney she was kidnapped and buried alive. Delaney’s heart pounds in her chest as she recognises the kidnapper’s description. It sounds like someone close to her—someone she thought was dead…

She will stop at nothing to catch the killer.

If Delaney’s suspicions are correct, she’s about to face a ruthless murderer: but she’s prepared to put herself in unthinkable danger to catch them. She made a vow to keep the people of Kearney safe, even if it means taking the life of someone she loves…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I would have made it faster, but sadly I can’t twitch my nose and magically appear.

She smiled, showing lipstick on her teeth. It made her look like a vampire.

She wanted to sublimate into the atmosphere, as invisible as snow turning into water vapor.

My Review:

Book two maintains the smartly paced, near-constant action, and busy flinch-worthy storylines that began in book one. There is a staggering amount of murder occurring for a small town in Wyoming and I devised and cast off a multitude of theories concerning the guilty parties during perusal, but everyone was suspect and up to something. I couldn’t read fast enough to keep up with the dynamo of Delaney and enjoyed getting to know her better.