'Twas the Night by Kevin Johnson

 

'Twas the Night by Kevin Johnson- 288 pages

You better watch out. You better not cry.

It’s Christmas in the village of Yule, Maine.

In fact, it’s always Christmas in Yule. Here, Santa Claus isn’t a storybook figure. He’s an icon. A god. The villagers don’t just believe in him—they worship him. And the world is better for it.

Halley Belanger hates Christmas, and she doesn’t have much love for Santa either. But when a string of child disappearances across Maine seems to spare only the village of Yule, Halley—a sharp, skeptical reporter—decides to investigate.

What she finds is a town that guards its secrets with gingerbread smiles and a snow globe sheen. Outsiders aren’t welcome. She isn’t welcome. And something sinister is keeping the Christmas spirit alive.

As Halley digs deeper, she begins to uncover the horrifying truth behind Yule’s eternal cheer. Christmas comes at a grisly cost. And Santa Claus is no saint.

An interesting twist on Christmas and Santa Claus.  I really liked the plot of this but some of it wasn't really cohesive.  The ending was ok, I'd give 3 stars

Off Season by Jack Ketchum

 

Off Season by Jack Ketchum - 320 pages

September. A beautiful New York editor retreats to a lonely cabin on a hill in the quiet Maine beach town of Dead River—off season—awaiting her sister and friends. Nearby, a savage human family with a taste for flesh lurks in the darkening woods, watching, waiting for the moon to rise and night to fall...

And before too many hours pass, five civilized, sophisticated people and one tired old country sheriff will learn just how primitive we all are beneath the surface...and that there are no limits at all to the will to survive.

Holy moly, what a ride...this one definitely made me cringe a bit, it got pretty gross.  And the ending...nice.  I read the note from the author that this was a re-write on the ending.  The publishers originally wanted one of the characters to live, but Jack didn't want it that way, so this edition is how he wanted it.  And might I say, bravo Mr. Ketchum, bravo.  This was the first book I've read by this author, but it probably won't be the last.  After this one I definitely needed a nice quiet palate cleansing book.  

The Crash by Freida McFadden

 

The Crash by Freida McFadden - 338 pages

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.

Wow, a great read!  I loved the multi-character points of view; it allows the reader to see the assumptions some characters are making about others.  I think this one could be one of my favorites of hers; it was wonderful!

Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

                                                          

                                                  Happy Place by Emily Henry-388 pages

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?
I found this cute, but boring and predictable.  Maybe 3 out of 5 stars!

Happy Place by Emily Henry

 Happy Place by Emily Henry-385 pages

Harriet is looking forward to going to her Happy Place (which is a cottage on the coast of Maine) and seeing her college friends (Sabrina, Cleo, Parth, and Kimmy). However, she doesn't expect to see her ex-fiance, Wyn. She and Wyn haven't told their friends about their break-up yet and decide to wait until the end of the week when Sabrina and Parth announce that they're getting married while they're all together. Also, the cottage is being sold by Sabrina's father, so this could be their last week together in Maine. As you can imagine, this makes for a very awkward start to the week for Wyn and Harriet. However, so much happens during the week and it's a very emotional ride for all of the friends. Will Wyn and Harriet get back together and can they make each other happy? Will Sabrina and Parth go through with the wedding? Will the friends still be together after this week? This is a really good exploration of what it means to be happy and dealing with depression, pressure, and expectations. I really enjoyed reading this book and I especially like the ending. I didn't know what to expect going into reading this because I don't usually read romance. Emily Henry has been a popular author recently, though, so I thought I'd try out her latest. I am glad that I did. 

The Barking Ghost (Goosebumps #32) by R.L. Stine

 The Barking Ghost (Goosebumps #32) by R.L. Stine-131 pages 

Cooper is easily spooked and his brother, Mickey, loves scaring him. Cooper and his family move from Boston to rural Maine. The nearby woods are spooky and haunted by ghost dogs. No one believes Cooper or his new friend, Fergie when they tell them, though. What do the ghost dogs want with Cooper and Fergie?

In the Study with the Wrench (Clue Mystery #2) by Diana Peterfreund

 In the Study with the Wrench (Clue Mystery #2) by Diana Peterfreund-327 pages

This is the second book of an expected trilogy based on the "Clue" board game. In the aftermath of the events of the first book ("In the Hall with the Knife"), the newly named "Murder Crew" (Orchid, Green, Scarlett, Plum, et al.) returns to Blackbrook for the second semester. A new murder has happened unbeknownst to the student body and teachers. The janitor, Rusty, has been murdered in secret. Who is the new murderer? Why was Rusty murdered? The students and faculty of Blackbrook finally figure out that Rusty died when his body falls on Finn Plum while he's in one of the secret passages in the Tudor House. More secrets are revealed and more deaths occur in this follow-up to "In the Hall With the Knife." A third book is coming soon and I look forward to finishing this trilogy when it arrives. 

In the Hall with the Knife (Clue Mystery #1) by Diana Peterfreund

In the Hall with the Knife (Clue Mystery #1) by Diana Peterfreund-298 pages

 I saw this in a read alike list for Agatha Christie (I think it was her, anyway) and I was instantly intrigued. I enjoy Clue the board game and Clue: The Movie and this is based on the board game. It's a modern take on the story. It is set in Rocky Point, Maine, which is a coastal town. The setting is Blackbrook Academy and the characters all have a name from the board game in the form of either nicknames or as part of their given names. There's Green, Mustard, Mrs. White, Peacock, Mr. Boddy, Plum, and Scarlett. Also, there's other characters named Orchid and Rusty. Most are students, except for Mr. Boddy, the headmaster of the school, Mrs. White, who is the proctor of the historic Tudor House, and Rusty, who is the janitor. A big winter storm hits the school and surrounding area and makes it impossible to leave Blackbrook. Everyone left is instructed to hole up at the Tudor House. All of the above mentioned characters end up at the Tudor House together to wait out the storm and floods. The first night while they are in the house Orchid accidentally discovers Mr. Boddy's corpse in the conservatory. Who killed Mr. Boddy and why? Where was he killed (in the conservatory where he was found or elsewhere)? Secrets are revealed and some could be motive for murder. I found this to be a fun new twist on Clue. I am reading the second book in the expected trilogy next. It is called "In the Study with the Wrench."

Claw Enforcement by Sofie Ryan

Claw Enforcement by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #7)
304 pages

"Sarah Grayson owns a delightful secondhand shop in the small town of North Harbor, Maine, where she and her rescue cat, Elvis, are always finding themselves up to their whiskers in trouble. With the help of a quirky group of senior citizens--who call themselves Charlotte's Angels and work out of the store--they solve crimes both new and vintage.

"Local squabbles about property development have the town in quite a state of drama--and it seems like someone may even be upset enough to kill. When a local man involved in the real estate quagmire falls over dead at a reception to celebrate the harbor front's redevelopment, Sarah gets roped in to investigate by her own IT expert, Mr. P., who has long known the victim's stepfather. Between Sarah, Elvis and Charlotte's Angels, the killer is sure to have claws for concern."  --from the publisher

Although the series has minimized the involvement of the cat, the writing is good and the quirky characters are delightful. I give this one four out of five stars.

Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews

Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews
(Meg Langslow #2)
288 pages / 9 hrs, 19 mins

"Meg Langslow and her boyfriend, Michael, are searching for some romantic alone time. She knows the perfect place for a private getaway: her aunt's cottage on the tiny island Monhegan. But when a series of events leads to the couple being trapped in the cottage with her entire family, their private getaway vacation slowly turns into a disaster.

"Meg doesn't think anything more could go wrong until a resident of the island with close ties to her mother is murdered. When her father becomes the chief suspect, she knows she can no longer sit by the cozy fireplace. In a dash to save her father and her weekend, Meg finds herself knee deep in murder once again."  --from the publisher

This was a good cozy mystery: well written, the usual cast of quirky characters, and an interesting setting.  I gave it four out of five stars.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

                                         

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout-289 pages

Well, I thought I had better read this because of all the hype.  I am not sure what I was expecting but I did not care for it.  Full disclosure..I had not read the first one. There were many lives that were touched by Olive.  I only cared for one of the people and that was a retired librarian.  Way too brash and fleshly for me.  I would not recomend it.

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda-343 pages

The story takes place in Maine.  An ideal summer vacation spot for the wealthy.  Over the summer, two girls become best friends.  But then one of them is found dead, and everyone is blaming the other one.  There are alot of twists and turns.  The main character does not know who to trust.  Definitely keeps you guessing until the end.  It was an enjoyable read.

No Escape Claws by Sofie Ryan

No Escape Claws by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #6)
304 pages / 7 hrs, 17 mins

"Sarah Grayson and her feline ally Elvis get a chance to see if their sleuthing skills are up to scratch in the sixth installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.

"It's fall in North Harbor, Maine, where Sarah owns a charming secondhand shop. A cold case heats up when Mallory Pearson appears at Sarah's doorstep. Mallory's father is in prison for negligence after her stepmother's mysterious death in a house fire, but Mallory believes he's innocent and asks the quirky team of senior citizen detectives who work out of Sarah's shop to take on the case. With Sarah and Elvis lending a paw, they decide to try to give Mallory's father a second chance of his own..."  --from the publisher

I sure enjoy these characters so even though the story was pretty average, it was worth reading.

The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan

The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #5)
273 pages / 6 hrs, 55 mins

"Sarah Grayson owns Second Chance, a shop that sells lovingly refurbished items in the charming town of North Harbor, Maine. But she couldn't run the store without the help of her right-hand man, Mac--or her dashing rescue cat, Elvis.

"Mac's life before North Harbor has always been a little bit mysterious, but it becomes a lot more intriguing when a woman from his past shows up in town, and then turns up dead. Suspicion falls on Mac, but Sarah--and Elvis--know he can't be the killer, and they hope they can prove his innocence quick as a whisker."  --from the publisher

Another good installment in the series.   The mystery was well written, but the dialogue was a little too predictable for me.  Time to read something else and come back to the series later.

Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan

Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #4)
372 pages / 6 hrs, 56 mins

"When Sarah Grayson opened a secondhand shop in the quaint town of North Harbor, Maine, she was expecting peace and quiet. Then she was adopted by a rescue cat named Elvis and a kooky trio of senior sleuths known as Charlotte's Angels. Now she has nine lives worth of excitement...

"Sarah's friend and employee Rose is delivering a customer's purchase when the quick errand becomes a deadly escapade. Rose arrives just in time to see the customer murdered by his wife, but before she can call the police, she is knocked out cold. When she wakes up, no one believes her, especially after the woman claims her husband is very much alive and has left her for someone else--and has a text message and empty bank account to prove it."  --from the publisher

Another good installment in the series with less focus on Elvis and more on the private investigating team.  I gave it four out of five starts (rounding up from 3.5).

A Whisker of Trouble by Sofie Ryan

A Whisker of Trouble by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #3)
336 pages / 8 hrs, 12 mins

"Spring has come to charming North Harbor, Maine, and with the new season comes a new haul for Second Chance, the shop where Sarah Garyson sells lovingly refurbished and repurposed items. Sarah is turning her keen eye to the estate of collector Edison Hall, hoping for fabulous finds for Second Chance--but when her rescue cat Elvis discovers a body in the kitchen, everything goes paws up.

"The body belongs to an appraiser who had been hired to check out Edison's wine collection. When Edison's sister shows up at Second Chance, she hires Sarah's friends--the kooky and charismatic trio of ladies who call themselves Charlotte's Angels and work out of the shop--to solve the murder, Sarah knows she and Elvis are only going to get deeper into the case. But as it becomes a cat and mouse game of lies, cons, cheats, and family squabbles, can Elvis and Sarah claw their way to the truth before the killer slinks away forever?"  --from the publisher

This series of cozy mysteries is well written and a lot of fun!  Great summer reading!

Buy a Whisker by Sofie Ryan

Buy a Whisker by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #2)
336 pages

"Things have been quiet in the coastal town of North Harbor, Maine, since Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, solved their first murder. Sarah is happy running Second Chance, the shop where she sells lovingly refurbished and repurposed items. But then she gets dragged into a controversy over developing the waterfront. Most of the residents--including Sarah--are for it, but there is one holdout--baker Lily Carter.

"So when Lily is found murdered in her bakery, it looks like somebody wanted to remove the only obstacle to the development. But Sarah soon discovers that nothing is as simple as it seems. Now, with the help of her cat's uncanny ability to detect a lie, Sarah is narrowing down the suspects. But can she collar the culprit before the ruthless killer pounces again?"  (from the publisher)

This is another fun installment in the series.  For some reason the publisher's summary doesn't include the elderly ladies' "Charlotte's Angels" private investigation agency, but they are a hoot!  Ryan knows how to craft a great cozy mystery.  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan

The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan
(Second Chance Cat Mystery #1)
336 pages / 8 hrs, 16 mins

"Sarah Grayson is the hapy proprietor of Second Chance, a charming shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. At the shop, she sells used items that she has lovingly refurbished and repurposed. But her favorite pet project so far has been adopting a stray cat she names Elvis...

"But when Sarah's elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, the kindly old lady becomes the prime suspect in the murder... So it's up to Sarah and Elvis to clear her friend's name and make sure the real murderer doesn't get a second chance."  --from the publisher

This description doesn't include "Charlotte's Angels."  Maddie's elderly friends who are determined to help out with the investigation.  They are wonderful characters.  The book is well written, but a little slow/repetitive in a few places.  Elvis is a key player in solving the mystery reminding me of "The Cat Who" series by Lilian Jackson Braun (which I LOVED).

Stay Hidden by Paul Doiron

Stay Hidden by Paul Doiron – 328 p.

Game warden Mike Bowditch has been promoted to Warden Investigator. He lands his first hunting homicide (don’t call them accidents – at best they are referred to as “incidents”). Bowditch ends up being the only real law enforcement officer on a foggy Maine island where the insular residents prefer to handle their problems without outside help. Mike has realistically matured as these books progress. While his dangerous impulsiveness often has me wanting to shake sense into him, I’ll continue to follow his exploits in this excellent series.

Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble

Twilight at Blueberry Barrens  by Colleen Coble  pages 341


Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living.
Renting out the small cottage on her property seems an obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is—because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family