Introducing the stunning debut RISING SUN FALLING RAIN by Trish Devine. This powerful novel explores the clash between tradition and new ways, weaving a story spanning cultures and generations, celebrating the enduring strength of the human spirit.New Zealand serviceman Mick Mitchell tackles the recovery of Hiroshima with compassion, Kiwi ingenuity and the determination to make a difference.Eighteen-year-old Emiko Tanazawa, determined to break free from the constraints of her traditional upbringing, emerges as a driving force for social reform. Advocating for the rights of marginalised women and children, she embraces modern ideals born from the chaos of war.Drawn together in the wave of change, Mick and Emiko fall in love and furtively marry, but dreams are not enough. Their plans for a better life are thwarted by the controlling influences of others, forcing them into an unforeseen future.Twenty years later their daughter sets out to unlock the mysteries of her past...
Book reviews of mysteries, historical fiction and graphic novels with a smattering of non-fiction books.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Rising Sun Falling Rain
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Black is the Color
Can't Wait Wednesday #38
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Sugar Shack
Jen couldn’t be more excited to spend time on Peapod Farms with her step-sisters, Andy and Reese. For months, Jen has been so focused on trying to figure out how she fits into her new blended family that she hasn’t realized she’s found her place… that is until Reese calls her sister.Excited and content, Jen thought she had figured everything out,but now she’s not so sure. A rift emerges between the girls as Andy doubles down on being Reese’s ACTUAL sister, while Jen is just the STEP sister. With Andy’s attitude bringing a cold front to the farm it seems like it’s going to be a long winter.Maybe between Peapod Farm’s first snow and learning how to tap a tree for sugar, Jen and Andy both will have a chance to truly understand what it means to be family.
Monday, March 3, 2025
The Peacemaker
An Unresolved Mystery Holds an Amish Community in Limbo In book two of A Mifflin County Mystery series, Rosa Petersheim’s disappearance continues to cause suspicion and pain to swirl in the Big Valley. Ada’s best friend, Rosa, disappeared a year ago and still has not been found. In their grief and confusion, Ada and Rosa’s boyfriend, Ephraim, have grown very close. But some in the community feel Ephraim is responsible for Rosa’s disappearance. Now Rosa’s younger sister is making accusations against Ephraim that can’t be true, and he pulls away from Ada, feeling betrayed. A fire set by an arsonist might finally be the thing to reveal secrets that have long been dividing this community of friends and family. But will it be too late for love between the peacemaker and the suspect?
Sunday, March 2, 2025
Shadows of Marrakech
Running a bed and breakfast in Riad Waqi, an old courtyard house in exotic Marrakech, is not the escape it seems for Ramzi, a disillusioned Scottish scientist. He cannot decide who are more exasperating, staff or guests, especially when one of the clients, a young Frenchman Paul Gallisot, is murdered in the city.Up for a challenge, Ramzi turns detective and makes his own investigations into the killing, at a time when Morocco prepares for the festival of Eid and the ritual slaughter of sheep in the nation’s homes.Paul Gallisot’s childhood links to North Africa, his enigmatic wife Nicole, and their relationship with Tahar, who is suspected of being involved in the Casablanca terrorist attacks, lead Ramzi down a path as challenging as the maze of Marrakech’s historic medina.As Ramzi makes headway, he meets the unorthodox Dr Rashida, is bewildered by Inspector Karim, endures the prejudice of Paul’s sister, is confided a mystery by an American Bob Spasoff, and in his role as hotelier, plays havoc with Riad Waqi’s guests.The search for motive and murderer progresses from a traditional exorcism to a journey across the Atlas to the ominous Blue Rocks near the oasis of Tafraoute. There comedy turns to tragedy as he uncovers the facts and realizes that life defies scientific logic.
The setting is the most prominent feature of the book. The sights and sounds of Marrakech are on every page. The author obviously knows Morocco and the city of Marrakech very well. I found myself excitedly perusing online maps during my read to see where all the mentioned towns and sights were located. Brebner easily describes the atmosphere and culture of this exotic setting.
Most of the story centers round a riad, owned by our amateur sleuth Ramzi. His riad is located inside the ancient Marrakech medina. I have always wanted to stay at a riad so it was lovely to read about their decor and placement in a community. So what is a riad? The Marrakech Riads website states that a riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an indoor garden and courtyard. They are located within the old city walls of Medina. Generally, they are fully enclosed inside with an open-ceiling structure. Usually, the indoor courtyard of these buildings are decorated with colored traditional mosaics called “ Zellij” and have marble fountains in the center with plants, trees and flowers all around. The bedrooms are often located on the second floor, while the common areas and dining rooms are located on the ground floor.
The writing style is light and humorous making the book a fast read. The murder investigation centered on Ramzi's conversations with all of the characters. He doesn't allow his sleuthing to be noticed during the conversations so it seems to the other parties that Ramzi is just visiting with them. No one is aware that he is investigating the murder. The ending was a surprise and, again, the setting is the main clue.
I enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to reading the additional books in the series. 5 out of 5 stars.
The Medici Return
Cotton Malone is on the hunt for a forgotten 16th century Pledge of Christ—a sworn promise made by Pope Julius II that evidences a monetary debt owed by the Vatican, still valid after five centuries—now worth in the trillions of dollars. But collecting that debt centers around what happened to the famed Medici of Florence—a family that history says died out, without heirs, centuries ago.Who will become the next prime minister of Italy, and who will be the next pope? Finding answers proves difficult until Cotton realizes that everything hinges on when, and if, the Medici return.Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, has been asked to assist the Swiss guard with determining whether Cardinal Jason Richter has engaged in bribery and theft. It’s a favor for Stephanie Nelle, once his boss at the Magellan Billet, who is doing a favor for the Vatican. But nothing is as it seems. Four hundred thousand euros are found, a Swiss Guardsman is murdered, and a killer sets his sights on both Cotton and the cardinal.Together they are thrust into a search for a forgotten document, a 16th century Pledge of Christ executed by Pope Julius II that reveals a debt owed by the Vatican, still valid after five centuries, now worth in the trillions of dollars. But when the trail to collecting that debt leads Cotton to the famed Medici of Florence—a family that history says died out, without heirs, centuries ago—he realizes that two more things also hang in the balance. Who will be the next prime minister of Italy, and who will become the next pope.From a quiet hilltop village in central Germany, to the ancient city of Siena with its famed Palio horse race, and finally to the historic piazzas, churches, and crypts of Florence, Cotton Malone uncovers the answers, one by one, everything hinging on when, and if, the Medici return.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Can’t Wait Wednesday #37
A new book in Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series will be published in September 2025. The Secret of Secrets is the 7th book in the series and at 704 pages it's a chunkster. It is always hard to summarize Brown's novels so here is the publisher's summary.
Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript. Langdon finds himself targeted by a powerful organization and hunted by a chilling assailant sprung from Prague’s most ancient mythology. As the plot expands into London and New York, Langdon desperately searches for Katherine . . . and for answers. In a thrilling race through the dual worlds of futuristic science and mystical lore, he uncovers a shocking truth about a secret project that will forever change the way we think about the human mind.
We readers wait a year or more for our favorite authors to publish new books. Then we read them in a flourish and must wait a long time for the next one. I fear this will happen with The Secret of Secrets. What book(s) are you waiting to read?
Book Cover of the Month: February
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Book of the Month: February
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Dumb
This graphic memoir is about how the author copes with her loss of voice due to a severe injury. Part memoir, part medical cautionary tale, Dumb tells the story of how an urban twentysomething copes with the everyday challenges that come with voicelessness. Webber adroitly uses the comics medium to convey the practical hurdles she faced as well as the fear and dread that accompanied her increasingly lonely journey to regain her life. Her raw cartooning style, occasionally devolving into chaotic scribbles, splotches of ink, and overlapping montages, perfectly captures her frustration and anxiety. But her ordeal ultimately becomes a hopeful story. Throughout, she learns to lean on the support of her close friends, finds self-expression in creating comics, and comes to understand and appreciate how deeply her voice and identity are intertwined.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Can't Wait Wednesday #36
The Librarians of Lisbon is a WWII story based upon historical figures. What I like about the book is the take on the war from Portugal, a setting that I never knew was connected with the war. The book was published earlier this month and I cannot wait to read it.
Saturday, February 15, 2025
The Petrus Prophecy
Father Jonah Barlow is dead. The respected Jesuit scholar of apocalyptic studies might have died from a fall in his apartment . . . or was he pushed? All that is known for sure is that the provocative manuscript he was working on—a book that promised to reveal the upcoming fulfillment of ancient and recent prophecies, including the ghastly and shocking Third Secret of Fatima—is missing.
Two female detectives—one from Chicago, the other from Rome—take on the investigation as a possible homicide, turning to Vatican archivist Father Michael Dominic for his help, since Barlow sent the young priest the only other copy of the manuscript.
Newly elected Pope Ignatius, Enrico Petrini, intent on verifying the content of the manuscript against the original handwritten version of the Third Secret—which has been kept sequestered in the Pope’s personal vault for decades—discovers that the keys have been stolen. The search is on for the only other set, kept safely in the hands of a trusted monk in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, a sinister ancient order known as the Knights of the Apocalypse seem to be using the predictions of the manuscript to create fear and chaos as the prophecies appear to be coming fulfilled. Is the end of the world imminent?
From Chicago to Jerusalem to Scotland, from Rome to the ancient island nation of Malta, join Father Dominic, journalist Hana Sinclair, their trusted team of Swiss Guards, a French commando, and the two detectives as they solve the bewildering puzzles of the Petrus Prophecy.
Friday, February 14, 2025
Bible Translations for Everyone
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Budding Crisis #1
Sacred Heart
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Can't Wait Wednesday #35
2019: Lucy awakens from a dream to find her hands around her ex-lover’s throat. Horrified, she flees to her older sister’s house on the Australian coast, hoping she can help explain the strangely vivid nightmare that preceded the attack―but Jess is nowhere to be found.As Lucy awaits her return, the rumors surrounding Jess’s strange small town start to emerge. Numerous men have gone missing at sea, spread over decades. A tiny baby was found hidden in a cave. And sailors tell of hearing women’s voices on the waves. Desperate for answers, Lucy finds and begins to read her sister’s adolescent diary.1999: Jess is a lonely sixteen-year-old in a rural town in the middle of the continent. Diagnosed with a rare allergy to water, she has always felt different, until her young, charming art teacher takes an interest in her drawings, seeing a power and maturity in them―and in her―that no one else has.1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been torn from their loving father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. For their entire lives, they’ve feared the ocean, as their mother tragically drowned when they were just girls. Yet as the boat bears them further and further from all they know, they begin to notice changes in their bodies that they can’t explain, and they feel the sea beginning to call to them…A breathtaking tale of female resilience and the bonds of sisterhood across time and space, The Sirens captures the power of dreams, and the mystery and magic of the sea.
I like reading stories with dual timelines but cannot remember whether I have read one with a triple timeline. It's going to be fun finding out because Hart is a phenominal author. Weyward was one of my top books for 2023 so my expectations for The Siren are high.
Lava Cakes and Lies
High-powered criminal attorney Ginny Malone never expected to swap her designer suits for flour-dusted aprons, but a twist of fate sends her fleeing to the quaint coastal town of Moonstone Bay, California. With her spirited—and mischievous—cat Shortcake by her side, Ginny sets her sights on starting a bakery on the boardwalk, armed only with her grandmother's secret recipes and a dash of determination.
But Ginny's dream of sweet success crumbles when a dead body is discovered during renovations, and her gruff yet oh-so-intriguing landlord, P.I. Vince Rinaldi, becomes the prime suspect. The ovens are cold, the drywall is crumbling, and now danger is lurking behind every display case.
With the help of her hammer-wielding new BFF Lois, a sprinkle of legal know-how, and a heaping spoonful of wit, Ginny sets out to fix more than just ovens and drywall. As she digs into the case, the quirky townsfolk begin to look less neighborly and more suspect—and Vince might need as much rescuing as her broken heater.
Between perfecting her luscious lava cakes and untangling lies, Ginny must race to clear Vince's name before her fresh start becomes a recipe for disaster. Can she serve up justice and save a budding romance before the real killer strikes again?
Lava Cake and Lies is a charming and witty cozy mystery filled with heartwarming friendships, banter-filled clean romance, cat antics, and recipes you'll be dying to try. Perfect for fans of Ellie Alexander and Joanne Fluke, this book is a culinary cozy mystery that promises to be a real treat.
Usually a new cozy mystery series opens with a long description of the setting and introduces the characters. We read about their backstories from long narratives. Not so with Lava Cakes and Lies. The story opened with Ginny signing a lease for her bakery. The next morning she meets with her general contactor Lois and they find a dead body in the space. The mystery began quickly which is how I like my mysteries.
The investigation of the murder consisted of Ginny reading old newspapers and talking with her new friends. There wasn't any big build up to the reveal of the identity of the whodunnit. It just happened haphazardly when someone confessed while Ginny and Vince visited them. Romance was a large part of the story. Ginny and her landlord Vince hit it off from the start and were soon hugging and kissing.
The book lacks twists and turns and the investigation was lackluster. However, I didn't mind. The story read well. Maybe I have the genre wrong. It might not be a cozy mystery but just a cozy. I think cozy is the right description but the book is advertised as a cozy culinary mystery.
While I found some issues with the writing I loved this novel. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars and have pre-ordered the second book in the series which will be published on February 25, 2025.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
The Vanishing Bookstore
1692. On the outskirts of Salem, a bookstore stands covered in overgrown vines. Inside, a young woman hides a linen-wrapped journal under a loose floorboard and runs away, panicked by the sound of hounds barking in the distance. The bookstore vanishes into thin air…
Present day. Stepping inside a pale-pink house on one of the oldest streets in Salem, Dora can’t believe she’s about to finally meet the mother she thought died tragically when she was just a child. But the excitement is short-lived. Dora’s mother has fear in her eyes, and with a trembling voice she whispers: ‘my life is in danger, and now so is yours…’
Desperate not to lose her mother all over again, Dora digs into her family’s mysterious past, and stumbles upon a seemingly impossible secret: the key to their survival is hidden in a bookstore that no one has seen for generations.
Losing herself amongst thorny brackens and twisted ferns, Dora eventually finds the path that leads to the bookstore. But someone is watching her. They’ve been waiting for her.
As she pushes open the beautiful blue door hidden amongst the sharp brambles, and stands in front of rows of crumbling leatherbound books with faded pages, she has no idea of the secrets she is about to uncover. Or that her life is in more danger than ever before…
To my surprise I enjoyed this book. I am not a fantasy fan but the book reads more like a mystery. It is fast paced and kept my attention well. Given the title, I was expecting the story to be about a bookstore. It isn't. It is an engaging story about sisterhood that spans centuries. The witchcraft the sisters were known to practice doesn't become a part of the story until the last 50 pages. I felt uncomfortable reading the specific spells that the characters spoke and their request for Hecate to help them. Hecate originated in Thrace, an area that includes parts of Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. She was originally a mother goddess of wilderness and childbirth and is the goddess of crossroads, the underworld, magic, witchcraft, and the moon.
Up until the point where witchcraft became prominent, I loved this story. It reads fast and was engaging. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars. I cannot fault the author for writing about witchcraft when the book description stated it was magical.
Monday, February 10, 2025
First Lie Wins
Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.
Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn't like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there's still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . .
Saturday, February 8, 2025
The Amish Quiltmaker's Unconventional Niece
2025 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge
It’s back for another year! This challenge is focused on finally finishing those series that you’ve started but not yet completed. It was previously hosted by Bea’s Book Nook, then by Celebrity Readers since 2018. Now we, Carla Loves to Read & Blue Mood Café, are the new hosts for this year and excited to keep the challenge going! I am signing up at the Recurring Series Level which requires me to read 9 - 12 different series. I have already read and reviewed books from three series so I am on a roll.
1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. Books must be read during this time frame to count.
2. Series can be already completed as well as still ongoing series, the goal is to catch up to the most recent book published by the end of 2025.
3. It doesn’t matter if you have only 1 book or 10 books to read in order to finish your series, as long as you’ve started the series before 2025 (i.e., read at least one book in the series), it counts. Rereads are not required.
4. Any format and length of book counts (print, ebook, audio, etc.)
5. Crossovers from other challenges are totally acceptable!
6. Reviews are not required, but highly encouraged.
How to Play
1. Post your intentions to participate in this challenge (blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.).
2. You do not need to be a blogger to participate but do need to create a challenge record/page (blog post, Goodreads shelf or topic, etc.) with the series you hope to finish or get up to date listed and tracking your progress.
3. Post your progress on social media (Facebook, BlueSky, X, Mastodon, Instagram, etc.). Include the hashtag #FinishingTheSeries2025 on your posts.
4. Include a link to this page so that others may find us and join the fun as well (feel free to download the graphic to use in your posts.
5. Feel free to be creative in developing your series lists and posts! Don’t forget to include the level you’re targeting.
6. Sign up for the challenge at the challenge post by leaving a comment with your link to your challenge page/post.
The Levels
1. Limited Series: 1 – 4
2. Mini Series: 5 – 8
3. Recurring Series: 9 – 12
4. Syndication Series: 13 – 16
5. Primetime Series: 17+