Caraval

 Caraval by Stephanie Garber 407 pages

Synopsis: Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful and cruel father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to attend. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season's Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, and her sister disappears forever.

My Thoughts: I finished this book in a day, that was how much I enjoyed this book. This book reminded me of another book I had read, but this one is much more YA friendly. I loved the idea of the Caraval performers doing what Legend (the mastermind behind Caraval) has told them to do. It's magical and mysterious, no one knows who Legend is, everyone is just playing the game and nothing is as it seems. 

JIGSAW-(Alex Delaware #41) by JONATHAN KELLERMAN

 JIGSAW-(Alex Delaware #41) by JONATHAN KELLERMAN (Pg 244)

Goodreads Review: This one looked like a slam a young woman found dead at her kitchen table, DNA on cigarette butts linking quickly to an ex-boyfriend with a criminal record. Or so homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis thought. Then everything changed and a quick close turned into a mind-bending whodunit. That’s when Milo called in psychologist Alex Delaware, his best friend and a long-term consultant on “those cases.” The ones that are different.

Then there’s another an old woman found brutally murdered, her body stashed in a deep freeze and mutilated. And when Milo learns who she is, he’s stunned. This victim is someone he once knew. Complicating matters further, her home is an extreme hoarder’s den, virtually impassable due to years of stored trash and apparently meaningless objects. Except for the envelopes of cash stashed among the garbage. As Alex and Milo dig deeper into the seemingly unrelated crimes, they discover shocking links between the victims and realize they have a labyrinthine—and deadly—puzzle to solve.

Fake it til you Mate it

 Fake it til You Mate it by Sarah Spade 302 pages

Synopsis: When I wake up in the morgue, I know it’s time to move on…When people think of shifters, they always bring up the wolves, bears, big cats. But prey shifters exist, too; the bunnies, the hedgehogs, and my old childhood nemesis, Roxy, who was an adorable raccoon and a huge headache.

Then there’s me. Honey Morgan, one in a long line of Virginia opossums—and who has a tendency to ‘play dead’ at the worst possible moments.

For nearly my whole life, I’ve managed to live among humans who have no clue that I’m a supe. But when I get startled and drop only to wake up in the morgue, I have to admit my mother was us opossums need to be around other shifters, even if the local predators have me hissing.
Or maybe that’s just one.

Max Lobo. To the outsiders who might pass through Moonburrow, he is the scowly sheriff. To the supe residents, he is the all-powerful Alpha of the Moonshadow Pack.
To me? He’s my mate.

He doesn’t seem to recognize me as his, though, and I’m okay with that. After all, I’m too busy taking over my witchy grandmother’s old bakery. With her recipes, my sense of humor and work ethic, and my sidekick, Gus, I focus on making Dough You Believe In Magic a success.

Which probably would’ve been a lot easier if I didn’t stumble upon a dead predator outside my back door—or if it didn’t bring the Alpha repeatedly to my front one.

Thrown together with Max, I have to figure out who targeted my bakery, why it seems like I might’ve been the one they were after, and how to survive being around the Alpha as he begins to realize that I’m not just some newcomer prey bumbling around on his territory that he needs to protect… but the other half of his wolf’s soul he has to claim.
Hey. Fake it ’til you mate it, right?

My Thoughts: This book was just going to be a book I read for fun and that I didn't take seriously. I was wrong, I adored this book. I love the fact that the author decided to write a book about an Opossum shifter, there are Never books about those types of shifters. This book had me laughing and kicking my feet. I love the main character and her tension with Max. 

EVIL BONES (Temperance Brennan #24) by KATHY REICHS

 EVIL BONES (Temperance Brennan #24)  by KATHY REICHS (Pgs 271)

GOODREADS REVIEW: Small creatures—a rat, a rabbit, a squirrel—have been turning up throughout Charlotte, North Carolina, mutilated and displayed in the same bizarre manner. But one day, as Tempe is relaxing at home alongside her aimless, moody great-niece Tory, she’s diverted by a disturbing call. Now, it seems, the perp is upping the ante. This find is larger. Could the remains be human?

Tempe visits the scene and discovers that the victim is a dog. Someone’s pet. As one who has always found animal cruelty deeply abhorrent, Tempe vows to help apprehend the person responsible for the killings, and due to Tory’s especially layered knowledge of animal behavior, the young woman turns out to be a valuable ally in the hunt for answers. Oddly, Tempe discovers that semi-retired homicide detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell is equally outraged and committed. Needing a better understanding of possible motives, Tempe and Skinny seek input from a forensic psychologist. The doctor has no definitive answer but offers several possibilities, warning that the escalating pattern of aggression suggests even more macabre discoveries—and that the perp’s focus may soon shift to humans.

And then it happens. A woman is found disfigured and posed in a manner that mimics the earlier killings.

As Tempe and Slidell follow the horrifying clues to a shocking conclusion, they’re forced to confront an increasingly terrifying question: “What is pure evil?”

Not my favorite from this series. Main character make some very unprofessional decisions, in my opinion. 

GARDENS OF SECRETS PAST by ANTHONY ELGIN

 GARDENS OF SECRETS PAST by ANTHONY ELGIN  (Pgs 295)

Goodreads Review:  Can Lawrence Kingston unearth the key to a deadly secret hidden by a mysterious ancient garden inscription in the newest English Garden Mystery?

Codebreakers have tried for centuries to decipher the enigmatic inscription on a strange monument in the garden at Sturminster Hall, but no one has ever succeeded. When a murder occurs on the garden grounds, the intellectual puzzle becomes all too real, and Dr. Lawrence Kingston—retired professor of botany and reluctant sleuth—is called in to investigate.

Other than a scrap of paper bearing a random sequence of letters found on the victim, the police have no meaningful clues. Convinced that the crime must be linked to the seemingly unbreakable centuries-old code, Kingston begins hunting for clues that will help him unmask the murderer's identity as well as the arcane mystery of the monument. But he quickly finds himself swept along in the dangerous undertow of a centuries' old family conflict and a second murder, by poisoning. What could be so valuable, so important to justify such extreme measures and complex codes to keep sacrosanct for over two centuries?

To unlock the garden's dark secret, Kingston must delve into the brilliant minds of three famous men to fathom what part each may have played in masterminding the an Admiral hailed as father of Britain's navy, the author of England's most celebrated poem, and Great Britain's first Prime Minister. But as Kingston's investigation into an England's past leads him closer to a killer in the very dangerous present, his own prospects for survival start to look less and less assured.

THE LAST DEATH OF THE YEAR by SOPHIE HANNAH

THE LAST DEATH OF THE YEAR by SOPHIE HANNAH  (Pgs 274)

Goodreads Review: New Year’s Eve, 1932. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the tiny Greek island of Lamperos to celebrate the holiday with what turns out to be a rather odd community of locals living in a dilapidated house. A dark sense of foreboding overshadows the beautiful island getaway when the guests play a New Year’s Resolutions game after dinner and one written resolution gleefully threatens to perform “the last and first death of the year.”

Hours later, one of the home’s residents is found dead on the terrace.

In light of the shocking murder, Poirot reveals to Catchpool the real reason he’s brought him to the island—the life of another community member has been threatened. Now both men resolve to ensure that the first murder will be the last.

The Christie Affair

 The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont 320 pages

Summary: In 1925, Miss Nan O’Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life––first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan became Archie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan’s plot didn’t begin the day she met Archie and Agatha.

It began decades before, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together––until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. Then acts of unspeakable cruelty kept them separated.

What drives someone to murder? What will someone do in the name of love? What kind of crime can someone never forgive? Nina de Gramont’s brilliant, unforgettable novel explores these questions and more.

My Thoughts: This book was interesting, but very confusing. The way this author wrote, we changed character views in the middle of a chapter and it took forever to figure out who was the "I" person talking. I enjoyed reading about Nan O'Dea's life before meeting the Christies. Learning about Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance was also interesting (researched it more once I finished reading this book). Overall, it was an interesting read, but would not read it again.

THE CANAL MURDERS: (A YORKSHIRE MURDER MYSTERY BOOK 10) by J.R. ELLIS

 THE  CANAL MURDERS: (A YORKSHIRE MURDER MYSTERY BOOK 10) by J.R. ELLIS 

(Pgs 285)

Goodreads Review: Life moves at a slower pace on the canals. But death always comes when you least expect it. The last thing DS Stephanie Johnson and DS Andy Carter expected during their much-needed canal holiday was a murder. When retired folk musician Annie Shipton is found stabbed through the neck at the helm of her barge, the couple can’t help investigating the seemingly impossible crime. Nobody else boarded Annie’s boat—so how was she killed from behind? With the method a perplexing mystery, DCI Oldroyd is summoned from Harrogate, and it’s not long before the detectives have a long list of potential suspects with a motive to want Annie dead. There’s the young cyclist she argued with over access to the towpath, an ambitious and arrogant local developer she clashed with repeatedly, an estranged husband…and more than a few lingering issues with her former bandmates, most of whom live along the canal. When a second shocking murder sends shockwaves through the community, the locals start talking about a curse on the waterway. It seems the killer will go to any lengths to avoid detection. But can Oldroyd hunt them down before someone else becomes the next target?

Perfect

Perfect bk 3 by Sara Shepard 298 pages

Summary: Aria can't resist her forbidden ex. Hanna is on the verge of losing her BFF. Emily is freaking out over a simple kiss. And Spencer can't keep her hands off anything that belongs to her sister.

Lucky me. I know these pretty little liars better than they know themselves. But it's hard keeping all of their secrets to myself. They better do as I say... or else!

My thoughts: Oof I'm still hating all these main characters, but in this book several of them are starting to realize how horrible Allison actually was and that they weren't very good people either. This book focuses on tearing down the Liars even more so than usual and it's entertaining watching their lives blow up. However, Emily's family not accepting she's gay was the heart-wrenching and trying to "fix" her is so stupid. Can't wait to read book 4. LOL

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson (Senior Sleuths #1), 304 pages                   

Rose Donovan looks for the good in everyone. With her sister-in-law, Peg, that sometimes requires a lot of searching. Even a sixty-something former nun like Rose has her limits, and gruff Peg Turnbull sure knows how to push them. But after forty years of bickering, they’re attempting to start over, partnering up to join the local bridge club.

Peg and Rose barely have a chance to celebrate their first win before one of the club’s players is killed in his home. As the newest members, the sisters-in-law come under scrutiny and decide to start some digging of their own. Bridge is typically seen as a wholesome pastime, yet this group of senior citizens harbors a wealth of vices, including gambling, cheating, and adultery . . .

By comparison, Peg and Rose’s fractious relationship is starting to feel almost functional. But as their suspect list narrows, they’re unaware that their logic has a dangerous flaw. And they’ll have to hope that their teamwork holds steady when they’re confronted by a killer who’s through with playing games . . .

I read this for the Mystery/Suspense Book Club. I felt like Rose was kind of judgy. However, both Rose and Peg grew throughout the book as they got to know each other better. It was a little difficult to keep all the members of the bridge club straight, and I've never played bridge, so I wasn't familiar with some of the terms. Peg shows poodles and judges dog competitions, so the book includes a lot about dogs. There weren't a lot of red herrings, so it was easier to guess the killer than in other mysteries I've read.
   

 

Flawless

 Flawless bk 2 by Sara Shepard 330 pages

Summary: Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya . . . as much more than a friend. And Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives.

And someone named "A" is threatening to do just that.

At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago . . . but then Alison turned up dead. So could A be Melissa, Spencer's ultracompetitive sister? Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself? What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?

One thing's for certain: A's got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.

My Thoughts: Holy cow. It's amazing how much I connect more with these teen liars in the tv show than in the books. The books have them more shallow and mean like the popular mean you see in movie and shows. It's much harder to really care that they are being stalked by "A" but I want to keep going to see if i start to like them and see how much different it is from the show.

Pretty Little Liars

 Pretty Little Liars Book 1 by Sara Shepard 286 pages

Summary: EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE - ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS SPENCER, ARIA, EMILY, AND HANNA

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.

My Thoughts: I watched the show Pretty Little Liars when it first came out and I was a fan of it, even though at times it's very unbelievable and cheesy. Still a die hard fan though. However, I have never read the books and I decided, why not. The book was a great start to the series and of course those types of popular girls make me want to smack them, so the author did great with making me not like them at the beginning of the book. 

The Stolen Queen

 The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis  352 pages

Summary: Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.

My Thoughts: I truly enjoyed this book. I love reading about ancient Egypt and the artifacts found there! Even though the book switches points of view between Charlotte(60 ish years old) and Annie, (plus Charlotte as a 19yr old) it was easy to follow and I quite enjoyed learning about the artifacts. Excellent read if you like Historical Novels

 

Going Dark by Melissa De La Cruz

336 Pages

I ate this book up. I wanted to consume it all in one sitting, from the first few pages...and I did. 

It reminded me a lot of my favorite thriller/mystery author, Natasha Preston, highly suggest her if you like stand-alone books. 

Years ago, a family was hit with something that destroyed them. One of their two daughters went missing. Now, years later, the remaining daughter does the same... or does she? From the beginning, I thought I had my mind made up about what would happen. Little did I know the slightly psychotic roller coaster I was boarding. People are not who they say, things are not as they seem, and Harper is the best character, in my opinion. 

5 stars all around. 

BLACK COFFEE (Hercule Poirot Series #7.5) by AGATHA CHRISTIE Adapted by Charles Osborne

 BLACK COFFEE (Hercule Poirot Series #7.5) by AGATHA CHRISTIE Adapted by Charles Osborne (Pgs 304)

An urgent call from physicist Sir Claud Amory sends famed detective Hercule Poirot rushing from London to a sprawling country estate. Sir Claud fears a member of his own household wants to steal a secret formula destined for the Ministry of Defense. But Poirot arrives too late. The formula is missing. Worse, Sir Claud has been poisoned by his after-dinner coffee. Poirot soon identifies a potent brew of despair, treachery, and deception amid the mansion's occupants. Now he must find the formula and the killer...while letting no poison slip 'twix his low lips.

Adapted from an Agatha Christie play, it is one of the few Hercule Poirot books that I hadn't ever read before.

Assistant to the Villain

 Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer 342 pages

Summary: ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.
After all, a good job is hard to find.

My Thoughts: I Loved this book! The humor and banter between the Villain and Evie was the Best! I liked the flow of the story and the mystery behind it. It's hard to describe this book, but if you enjoy fantasy and humor and a devilishly handsome Villain, I would recommend it. 

THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN (Hercule Poirot Book 6) by AGATHA CHRISTIE

 THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN (Hercule Poirot Book 6) by AGATHA CHRISTIE  (Pgs 317)

A mysterious woman, a legendary cursed jewel, and a night train from London to the French Riviera -- ingredients for the perfect romance or the perfect crime?

When the Blue Train stops, the jewel is missing, and the woman is found dead in her compartment. It's the perfect mystery, filled with passion, greed, deceit, and confusion.

Is Hercule Poirot the perfect detective to solve it?

I love all books in the Hercule Poirot series!

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje

 

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje 368 pages

Summary: The library is under lock and key. But its secrets can't be contained. 1896. After he brought her home from Jamaica as a baby, Florence's father had her hair hot-combed to make her look like the other girls. But as a young woman, Florence is not so easy to tame—and when she brings scandal to his door, the bookbinder throws her onto the streets of Manchester.

Intercepting her father's latest commission, Florence talks her way into the remote, forbidding Rose Hall to restore its collection of rare books. Lord Francis Belfield's library is old and full of secrets—but none so intriguing as the whispers about his late wife.
Then one night, the library is broken into. Strangely, all the priceless tomes remain untouched. Florence is puzzled, until she discovers a half-burned book in the fireplace. She realizes with horror that someone has found and set fire to the secret diary of Lord Belfield's wife–which may hold the clue to her fate…
Evocative, arresting and tightly plotted, The Library Thief is at once a propulsive Gothic mystery and a striking exploration of race, gender and self-discovery in Victorian England.

My Thoughts: What I truly enjoyed about this book was learning about bookbinding. I enjoyed the main character being a female bookbinder in a male dominated Victorian England 1896 world. I'm not going to lie, I only gave this book 3 stars on Good Reads because when we get to the heart of the whole story, it just got to a point where it seemed too much to be true. The characters were excellent and flamboyant, but it felt like the author was trying to shove in too many things into the novel at once. I loved the fact that this book explored race, gender and self-discovery during this time period. 

A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS (Hamish Macbeth 15.5) by M.C. BEATON

 A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS by M.C. BEATON (130 PAGES)

Christmas is an ancient Roman festival, not to be celebrated by decent folk in the Scottish Highlands. Police Constable Hamish Macbeth has always loved the festivities, but this year his family is vacationing in sunny Florida. He is stuck with the long, lonely Christmas shift in freezing Lochdubh. A cranky old lady kicks off the holidays by reporting her cat missing. Then the Christmas lights and tree in a nearby village disappear soon after the local council voted to allow decorations. As Hamish finds a way to bring Christmas to the Highlands and make a little girl's dreams come true, he finds -- to his delight -- that he has the best Christmas ever.

I love the Hamish Macbeth series. This was an enjoyable little novella, an easy read for the holidays.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 433 pages

Summary: Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

My Thoughts: I read this book because there's now a TV series on Netflix based off of this book. The book and the TV Show follow each other very well. Trigger warning... a beloved animal dies and I dislike books like that so much, but i powered through and sobbed both with the book and show.