Everything Bundt the Truth

I received a free copy of this cozy mystery from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.  It is a Dinner Club cozy mystery that was published in 2016. I thought it was OK but it didn't do much for me.

The publisher's summary:

She cheated on dessert. A murderer killed before dinner. If she doesn't dish up the solution, she'll be banned from the club. A recent widow, Jane Marsh, is determined to recapture a rich, full life. She strives for youthful fun by riding a bicycle downtown on her lunch hour in a suit and heels, smoking cigars, eating at hipster restaurants, and re-entering the dating scene, even if her dates prove to be peculiar. Her most fervent desire, though, is to join an exclusive dinner club. She auditions but is barred when her housekeeper is found murdered, and she and her guest list become the suspect list. Her, a killer? So what if her two late husbands died under suspicious circumstances. It doesn't make her a killer. Having passed off a store-bought Bundt cake as her own creation, she may have committed a culinary crime, but never murder! This first in the dinner club murder mystery series is similar to cozies written by authors Jessica Beck, Joanne Fluke, and Leslie Meier. If you like cozy mysteries, tight friendships, and gripping who-done-its, you'll love Whalen's Everything Bundt the Truth. Buy the book now to join the dinner club craze today.

My initial attraction to the book was the inviting red book cover with the bundt cake pan. The cover is gorgeous. However, the writing style was simple and didn't entertain me. There are a few positives though. I thought that the murder occurring in the first chapter was a good idea as then the rest of the book is about the investigation. The plot premise was also good. Murdering the housekeeper was a great idea but being denied entry into a dinner club because she was killed didn't make sense to me. It was a stretch too far. 

Jane was an obvious suspect since the death occurred in her home. The police were also interested in her because both of her husbands died in similar accidents. The author focused alot of attention on Jane's interactions with family and friends. I prefer a storyline that spends most of the pages on the murder investigation. . 

Many cozy lovers will enjoy this traditional cozy but it wasn't my cup of tea. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Chaiwallah

I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. The Chaiwallah will be published on April 15, 2025.

The publisher's summary:

In the heart of bustling Mumbai, three neighbors—each caught in their own struggles—find unexpected solace from a new street vendor, whose quiet wisdom and selfless acts guide them toward paths they never imagined.

Aditi, the only woman in her community with a degree, dreams of climbing the corporate ladder to secure her son's future. But after her latest rejection, self-doubt consumes her.

From a nearby opulent apartment, Sumeet has always followed his father's advice. Now, at the peak of his business career, a toxic work culture begins to make him question the life he's built.

Arjun slumps beneath the bodhi tree by Sumeet's building. Haunted by a troubled past, he drowns in alcohol and debt, desperate for a way out.

When a new tea seller arrives in their neighborhood square, his fragrant chai, warmth, and wisdom draw them in. One cup at a time, he nudges them closer to finding their true purpose.

The Chaiwalah is a heartwarming tale of a street tea seller who intervenes in the lives of three people. He is a wise, elderly man that sets up his tea cart every day at the same place on Chimbai Square. 

The story is told from the perspectives of those three people. All are having problems at work. Arjan is a professional thief who has been unable to establish himself in Mumbai. He moved here for the opportunities available. Aditi is a sales clerk at a call center who is always passed over for promotions. Sumeet is a manager in a vehicle factory but he also teaches underprivileged kids at a local school. As each of them interact with the chaiwalah daily, they receive advice that is necessary for them to deal with their job stress. 

The story captivated me. I was fully invested in where the lives of the three characters were going. Also, the plot lifted me up personally as I read all the advice the chaiwallah gave. We all need one in our lives. 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #41

I recently discovered that Alka Joshi has a new book coming out on 2 weeks. I loved her book The Henna Artist and have high hopes for Six Days in Bombay.

When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and her nurse, Sona, is excited to learn more about the vivacious artist who shares her half-Indian identity. Sona, yearning for a larger life, finds herself carried away by Mira's stories of her travels and exploits and is shocked by accounts of the many lovers the painter has left scattered throughout Europe. When Mira dies quite suddenly and mysteriously, Sona falls under suspicion, and her quiet life is upended. 
 
The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman on a mission to visit the painter's former friends and lovers across a tumultuous Europe teetering toward war. On the precipice of discovering her own identity, Sona learns that the painter's charming facade hid a far more complicated, troubled soul. 
 
I might have time next week to read the book. We shall see.

The Sirens

The Sirens was published two days ago. The book was written by Emilia Hart, author of one of my favorite books Weyward. I have been anxiously awaiting the publication of Hart's newest novel. It is about sisters who are separated by centuries but all four are bound together by the sea.

The publisher's summary: 

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.

As I started reading, I was trying to figure out what the heck this book was about. When I realized that it was part magical realism, part historical fiction I understood. The language for both of these parts was magical and that threw me off. While I was figuring all of this out and not sure if I liked the book, I could not stop reading. That's a good sign that I was enjoying it. The story is so compelling that I finished the book in one sitting. The 1800s narrative was the most enjoyable with the 2019 narrative my second choice. 

The setting is the sea even though many of the events take place in Australia. There is also an eeriness associated with it that enhances the magical realism part of the novel. The plot does not tell the reader who or what was responsible for 8 Australian men who are missing. Their names are mentioned several times but there is an illusion, though, to them all abusing women at some time and their victims getting revenge. This tells us that sisterhood is the theme. Only when women get together to fight an enemy can they be successful.

This story was based on one of the author’s paternal ancestors who had actually captained a convict ship. He transported Irish prisoners, both men and women, to Australia. The author created a complex and interesting plot from this fact in her ancestry. It gives me the idea that I should start writing because I have a huge family tree with plenty of interesting ancestors.

All in all, this is a great book. I feel like I need to re-read it, though, in order to catch all of the details that I may have missed. I am going to publish this review but re-read the book in a few weeks. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

No Roast for the Weary

This coffeehouse mystery series by husband and wife writing team Cleo Coyle is my favorite cozy mystery series. In No Roast for the Weary the tables are turned on protagonist Clare Cosi and her Village Blend staff after opening a Writer's Block Lounge on the second floor of the coffeehouse.

The publisher's summary:  

When the Village Blend opens a Writer's Block Lounge, a cold case crime turns up the heat on Clare and her crew in this gripping new entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

As much as master roaster Clare Cosi adores coffee, the landmark shop she manages won't survive if she doesn't sell enough of it. So when the Village Blend's customer traffic grinds to a halt, she turns to her staff for creative ideas, and the Writer's Block Lounge is born.

Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the shop, is upset by this news. Years ago, a group of accomplished writers used the shop's second-floor lounge to inspire each other, but the group disbanded when something dark occurred. Though that history is shrouded in mystery, Clare presses forward...

Soon the Village Blend tables are filled with aspiring novelists, playwrights, and poets, all happy to be coaxed, cajoled, and caffeinated by her coffeehouse crew. Clare admires the stamina of these scribes, many of them toiling at night jobs—driving taxis, tending bar, ushering for Broadway—while penning projects during the day.

Then one of their fictions turns fatal when a shocking secret leads to a deadly end. Unless Clare can untangle this mystery, uncover the truth, and stop a desperate killer, she fears more of these weary writers may be marked for eternal rest. ~ Includes a knockout menu of recipes.

No Roast for the Weary is cozy mystery perfection! I was hooked from the first chapter and loved that she incorporated current events into the story. The Village Blend is suffering financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic shut-down. Customer traffic hasn’t recovered from the pandemic. In order to increase business, the coffeehouse team brainstorms and decides to reopen the Writer’s Block Lounge, a second floor lounge that the coffeehouse hosted a few decades ago. With ads on social media sites, the crowds return.

There is an incident, though, with a regular customer who begins shouting and fighting against someone who is invisible to everyone but him. The staff call him Mr. Scrib because he spends hours every day drinking coffee and writing in a notebook. Scrib tells barrista Esther that he is writing a true crime book that will upset all the politicians and cops in New York City. The mystery to be solved concerns Mr. Scrib whose real name is Jensen Van Dyne. There is a murder to solve in the current time period but the one that happened years ago in the Writer's  Block Lounge is the main mystery.

This is another fun, fast-paced contemporary mystery. I love that this story delved into a mystery that occurred decades ago in the coffeehouse. It keeps the series fresh when the authors write about both current and former murders that happened at the Village Blend.

5 out of 5 stars. 

The Versailles Formula

This is the third book in Nancy Bilyeau's 18th-century Genevieve Planché series. While it probably can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend beginning with the first book in the trilogy The Blue and then The Fugitive Colours. There is too much backstory that a reader needs to know in order to understand the current story. Please note that I received an advanced review copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on April 17, 2025.

The publisher's summary:

Genevieve Sturbridge was never meant for a quiet life in the English countryside. Once an artist in the heart of London, she now spends her days in restless solitude. But when a familiar figure from her past arrives with an urgent request, she is thrust into a perilous world of spies and a formula that could shift the balance of power between France and England.

The thrill of the chase is intoxicating—the cryptic clues hidden in plain sight, the challenge of ferreting secrets from dangerous opponents, the undeniable rush of being needed again. But with every step deeper into the mystery, the danger grows. Someone is watching. Someone is hunting. And the more she uncovers, the more she wonders: Has she walked willingly into a trap?

The story started out well but as I reached Part 2, I wondered when art and pigments would enter the plot. Almost simultaneously with my thoughts, Genevieve is asked to return to France to investigate who is using the forbidden blue color that her husband created. While there, Genevieve will do a little spying for her country. 

I was disappointed with the book. It is advertised as a historical thriller but it isn't a thriller. I would categorize it as a historical mystery; a good one. A big part of my disappointment was the extremely high expectations that I held. Each of the author’s earlier eight novels were spectacular. Another blockbuster was expected. That said, it is a fairly good mystery. I would not want this installment of the series to be the end though. I believe that the series is only three books and, if so, The Versailles Formula is not the best ending. Another problem I have is that the story wasn't about the chemical formula for blue but rather the possibility that it is being misused. It took alot of pages before the identity of this mystery was given. 

Approximately one third of the book gave background information from the first two books. It was done well with equal amounts of dialogue and narrative but unless you've read those books, the level of drama from the backstory is missing. Also, Genevieve's career as an artist is not part of the plot. That's a departure from the earlier two books in the series. 

Enough with the negatives. What is positive about the book? Genevieve and Captain Howard's mission in France was fraught with plenty of twists and I was often afraid for both of them. It didn't appear that they would succeed in their quest to determine who was using the forbidden blue color. Almost daily they were accosted by enemies of England but the two were not always aware of the identity of these enemies. Part of the mission was to figure out who was who. If they could return to England with the name of the forger of blue then they were successful. Along the way these two met interesting Frenchmen who added "color" to the story. Pun intended. 

The book reads like a historical spy story. However, my impression of the series was something else. If this was a standalone novel I would rate it highly. It is part of a series, though, so I can only rate it based upon this fact. 3.7 stars out of 5 stars.

High Tea and Misdemeanors

The Indigo Teashop mysteries are one of my top three cozy mystery series. High Tea and Misdemeanors is the 29th installment of the series and it is one of the best to date. If you haven't yet read the series, you simply must. It's magnificent and has the fastest pace of all 29 books.

The publisher's summary: 

When a wedding is tragically averted by the death of the bridesmaid, Theodosia is determined to prove that it was murder in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.

Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping a bridesmaid and the groom. He will pull through but the bridesmaid is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

I always have a good laugh at some of the rhyming two word adjectives that author Laura Childs uses; eg, a florist shop in Charleston is called Flora Dora and a sound was thump-thumpering. What I particularly noticed in this novel was that tea sommelier Drayton Conneley was described as being sixtysomething. He has been this age for 29 years! I must acknowledge, though, that if the characters aged throughout the series, none of them would still be alive and there would be no books anymore. We can't have that.

The murder occurred in the first chapter which I always appreciate because the rest of the story can be about the investigation. I noticed how well written the first chapter was compared to earlier books in the series. The story opens with the killer doing his thing. I don't believe Childs has written this chapter with a hook before. Usually we see setting descriptions and introductions to the main characters. The hook is the reason the chapter was so fast paced. 

The pace was maintained throughout the story. Theodosia didn't think about investigating, she just started to do so. While cozies require a suspension of belief, I thought it was bizarre that Theo's boyfriend, police detective Pete Riley, followed her ideas on how to investigate the murder. He did what he was told. Then again, with a long series it becomes dry reading about the amateur sleuth always scratching for leads from the police. I guess in this case the suspension of belief is appropriate.

High Tea and Misdemeanors is a wonderful entry into the Indigo Teashop series. 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Cover of the Month: March

Andrew Fielding is a freelance illustrator based in Edinburgh. He designed this book cover for Philip Brebner's Shadows of Marrakech.What I love about the cover is the bright colors but also the scene depicted. It is the interior of a souk where one can find find all types of items to buy. It  certainly gives a proper backdrop for the story.

In the book Ramzi, a disillusioned Scottish scientist, is running a riad in Marrakech. After a customer, Frenchman Paul Gallisot, is murdered in the city, Ramzi decides to play detective and investigates the death. The setting is most prominent feature of the story so this scene on the cover is most appropriate.

Andrew Fielding is highly creative. In addition to illustration he has also worked on character creation, scriptwriting and animation for a UK TV station. He studied at BBC Scotland CBeebies & Scottish Book Trust Lab in 2010.

Book of the Month: March

The Confessions of Pope Joan is by far my best book of the month. In this installment of the Vatican Secret Archives series, author Gary McAvoy marries theological arguments with historical objects and adventure. He is an expert at it. In this installment of the series McAvoy addresses married priests and women’s roles in the Church.

The story follows Father Michael Dominic, the main character, and his friend Hana Sinclair as they travel to England to see an ancient Bible.From there they are led to a diary written by Joan Anglicus. Joan is believed by some to be the only female pope in church history. Others believe that she is a myth. From the diary the two are led to an ancient gospel of Salome. 

This was an exciting novel and mystery lovers should read the series if they haven't done so yet.

The Confessions of Pope Joan

The Confessions of Pope Joan is the 7th book in the Vatican Secret Archives Mystery series. I have read every other book in this series and can honestly that all of them were fantastic. In this installment of the series Father Michael Dominic comes across the diary of Pope Joan, proving the existence of this female Pope.

The publisher's summary:

In the heart of the English countryside, a discovery is made that threatens to overturn centuries of Church history. When Father Michael Dominic uncovers a cryptic diary leading to a lost 1st century Gospel, he is thrust into a labyrinth of deceit, murder, and controversy. Alongside Hana Sinclair, a savvy journalist, Michael sets out to unravel a mystery buried deep within the Church's past. The Confessions of Pope Joan is a gripping tale of courage and faith, charting their quest against a powerful adversary seeking to keep the truth hidden.

Their journey reveals the existence of Pope Joan, the first and only female Pope whose reign has been obscured by time and conspiracy. As they traverse the intricate tapestry of deceit and power, they must confront a society unwilling to relinquish its patriarchal hold. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Grace Dempsey, assigned to a seemingly unrelated murder case in England, stumbles upon a thread that binds her to the historic revelation. Their paths converge, creating a thrilling narrative that intertwines past and present, fact and fiction.

As the Vatican's secrets unfold, Pope Ignatius, Michael's ailing father, battles his own legacy. Torn between preserving the Church's past and shaping its future, his decisions become paramount in the struggle for truth. The Pope’s radical stand for change, embodied in two Apostolic Constitutions, sets the stage for a new era in the Church while challenging long-standing beliefs and traditions.

The Confessions of Pope Joan is an intriguing blend of historical revelation, suspenseful mystery, and human resilience. It delves deep into the heart of the Catholic Church, unearthing secrets hidden for centuries. Through engaging characters, intertwined plotlines, and poignant insights, this novel offers readers an engrossing journey through a world where the past bleeds into the present, reshaping the future. With every turn of the page, The Confessions of Pope Joan forces readers to question the known and grapple with the unimagined, making it a must-read for fans of historical thrillers.

McAvoy presents a good case for the existence of a female Pope. It was exciting to read about regardless of whether Pope Joan existed or not. His extensive research into this subject is apparent. I love how McAvoy marries theological arguments with historical objects and adventure. He is an expert at it. In this installment of the series McAvoy addresses married priests and women’s roles in the Church

As usual, the story follows Father Michael Dominic and his friend Hana Sinclair as they travel to England to see an ancient Bible. A sheet of paper falls out. It is a poem that has clues to the location of a  diary written by Joan Anglicus. Joan is believed by some to be the only female pope in church history.  Others believe that she is a myth. Within this diary, Dominic and Sinclair find another document that leads them to the ancient gospel of Salome. Salome is believed to be Jesus's aunt who was at both the crucifuxion and resurrection. These two documents show that there were influential women who shaped the Catholic Church’s history. We then see Dominic and Sinclair travel to ancient religious sites and museums in order to protect these ancient documents and solve a murder along the way.

The author’s note at the back of the book explains what is fact in the story and what is fiction. I have always found these notes to be just as exciting as the novels. If you haven't read McAvoy yet, you simply must. 

5 out of 5 stars.

This Family Lies

J.M. Cannon is one of my favorite authors. In 2023 he published Blood Oranges which was one of my top 5 books for that year. He expertly writes suspense novels so I know that I need to read the two books that he published last year.

The publisher's summary:

Iris Adler was supposed to be killed.

In their home in Southern Louisiana, Iris and her husband Joseph are both shot point-blank in the head by an unknown assailant.

While her husband is killed, Iris survives, but only by a ricochet.

She wakes with her memory fractured. She doesn’t remember her husband’s family, eager as they are to take her into their world of marble, maids and prim Southern manners.

Not long after Iris goes to heal at the family’s historic plantation, a girl is found dead in the sugarcane stalks nearby. And of these wealthy, strange people Iris is surrounded by, she realizes one of them might still be trying to kill her.

The only thing certain is not everyone is getting out of this alive.

I LOVED this novel. I was hooked from the first chapter and had to read it all at once. This Family Lies is a psychological thriller on steroids. The pacing is fast and there are so many twists that I was spinning. The constant back and forth between the possible identity of the villain was exhilarating. Every chapter or two showed a dark side of a character and it was difficult to determine who the real villain was. In fact, you don't know until the final chapter.

Iris is main character and, as such, she is very sympathetic. I was rooting for her. However, several of the twists point to her being the one who killed her husband and wounded herself. Other probable villains were mother-in-law Augusta and sister-in-law Annabelle. These two ladies make great adversaries. Both are ambitious and aggressive in reaching their goals so their actions are always suspicious. Iris, on the other hand, is physically unstable and fragile and is at their mercy. Every once in a while Iris attempts to be independent but is shut down quickly by her in laws.

Mystery fans simply must read this book. I am looking forward to reading the sequel This Blood Runs. 5 out of 5 stars 

Bad Mother

Bad Mother is a 2021 comic series featuring April Walters and her teenaged daughter Taylor. The story opens with April grocery shopping when armed robbers appear. All the staff and shoppers are on the floor hoping not to get shot when the police arrive. A shootout ensues in favor of the cops. When April gets home she realizes that Taylor is not home. She reviews her text messages from Taylor and sees Taylor's response to leave her alone. The next morning Taylor is still not home so April tries to make a missing persons report at the police station. She is told to wait 48 hours but instead April embarks on a harrowing mission to find her. April's journey that takes her through the underworld of her suburban community and sets her on a collision course with a massive crime syndicate and its lethal matriarch. Tested to her limits and beyond, April discovers that hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.

I loved this story! I read it in one sitting because it was so intriguing. April is not your ordinary soccer mom. She will go to any extreme to keep her kids safe. She also is one hell of a fighter who gets in rumbles with crime figures but manages to come out on top. The pacing was fast and with the colorful comic book panels this book is fantastic. The plot was very well thought out with plenty of twists and turns and the characters were realistic. This book is a winner.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Bard's Trail

I received a free copy of this book from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club in exchange for an honest review. It is a UK political thriller from Andy Regan. Regan is well qualified to write this genre as his day job dealt with international affairs research in the House of Commons. He also  managed high profile elections in the UK. The book was published in February 2025.

The main character is Shay Mason. Shay presumed that he had left military bureaucracy far behind after his retirement. However, he is unexpectedly recalled to Whitehall and assigned to investigate the death of leading microbiologist Stewart Tyler. Shay teams up with his former girlfriend, Siobhan Andersson, which only adds to his pressure. The question to be resolved is whether Tyler's death was accidental or the result of past indiscretions. In the story we read about the drama and ambition that is normal in international politics and which forms the backdrop for dangerous alliances and the emergence of career-ending secrets. Some overseas governments have a stake in the outcome of the investigation. The setting is in several international and UK locations. 

The book started slowly. I had a hard time putting together the opening scene with what Shay was investigating, rather supposed to be investigating. After 100 pages the investigation had still not begun. There were long narratives and later lengthy dialogues. It should have been a nice mix. Shay is supposed to be a top notch spy but we don't see him in action. Instead, the reader is told he was good at his old job in intelligence. Remember the old adage, show don't tell. As far as being stressed out from getting reacquainted with Siobhan, I did not see him feeling any pressure. In fact, the two of them exchanged pleasantries for several chapters. 

The book has many problems which is why I was bored reading it. I am sorry to say that I just didn't like it.

2 out of 5 stars.

Adora and the Distance

Adora and the Distance is a 2021 Comixology Original YA fantasy graphic novel following the epic adventures of Adora, a brave young woman of color who lives in a fantastical world with underground pirates, ghosts, and a mysterious force called "The Distance" which threatens to destroy it all.

Adora's adventures were magical as advertised. She is a nine-year-old adopted princess who left home to avoid being obliterated by the Distance. Her father Raphael assigns several of his employees to protect her throughout her travels. Her maid Esperanza, of course, travels with her as does Gregoire, Antonio from Roma, Jaffar from Arabia, Mur Rey from Turkey and El Moor. Along the way the group encounters bandits, puzzles and the walking dead whose homeland was destroyed by the Distance. The ending had a surprise twist that I did not see coming. I have debated whether I should explain the ending, which was quite profound. It's impossible to write a decent review without delving into the weighty issue the author gives us. Some reviewers have done so but I will not.

This comic is a must read. You will not be disappointed. There is no foul language, sex or violence so it is appropriate for young readers. 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #40

My favorite cozy mystery author has a new book coming out on April 1, 2025. Cleo Coyle's No Roast for the Weary is the 21st installment of her coffeehouse mystery series. Coyle is the pen name of husband and wife writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. The main character is Clare Cosi. Along with her ex-husband Clare operates her mother-in-law's Village Blend coffeehouse.

The publisher's summary: When the Village Blend opens a Writer's Block Lounge, a cold case crime turns up the heat on Clare and her crew in this gripping new entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

As much as master roaster Clare Cosi adores coffee, the landmark shop she manages won't survive if she doesn't sell enough of it. So when the Village Blend's customer traffic grinds to a halt, she turns to her staff for creative ideas, and the Writer's Block Lounge is born. Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the shop, is upset by this news. Years ago, a group of accomplished writers used the shop's second-floor lounge to inspire each other, but the group disbanded when something dark occurred. Though that history is shrouded in mystery, Clare presses forward...

Soon the Village Blend tables are filled with aspiring novelists, playwrights, and poets, all happy to be coaxed, cajoled, and caffeinated by her coffeehouse crew. Clare admires the stamina of these scribes, many of them toiling at night jobs—driving taxis, tending bar, ushering for Broadway—while penning projects during the day. Then one of their fictions turns fatal when a shocking secret leads to a deadly end. Unless Clare can untangle this mystery, uncover the truth, and stop a desperate killer, she fears more of these weary writers may be marked for eternal rest. 

I pre-ordered a copy of the book awhile ago and cannot wait to start reading.

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits was published on New Year's Day 2025. The novel is co-authored by Wanda Brunstetter and Martha Bolton. It’s interesting that the cover states the book is "a cozy Amish mystery." Is the book classified as within the cozy genre or does the reader just have the feel of being cozy while they are reading it? I have wondered for awhile whether Amish fiction can be considered to be a cozy sub-genre and am still befuddled by it. Brunstetter has written 78 books to date and Bolton has written 88 inspirational books. 

The story opens with Fannie Miller deciding to enter the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest. After making the finals of the competition some of the contestants begin disappearing. Fannie calls on her old friend Foster Bates, a retired cop and part-time private investigator, to determine who is responsible. They wonder whether other finalists are responsible for these disappearances in order to thin out the competition. Possible whodunnits include the couple on verge of divorce who need the prize money or the three Beiler sisters who are always in a huddle whispering. We don't get the names of the missing folks until 70% into the story. One person is named but she returns to watch the baking finals competition after a multiple personality blackout.

 

The story moved slowly and I got bored. I didn't like the characters at all. Fannie is a bossy woman who no one wants to be with, including me. It’s hard to believe that she is Amish because she behaves like an Englisher from the inner city. Foster Bates is just plain dull. I can't believe that he got involved in the investigation based merely on a bossy woman demanding his participation. He was not interested in joining Fannie's investigation and always tries to avoid her so his decision to help her isn’t realistic. Foster is a low energy guy who doesn't really want to work. In addition, I did not believe their interpretation of events. The missing contestants didn't make the finals so why wouldn't they just go home? Halfway through the story Foster even wondered whether anyone was really missing and the reader isn't given the names of the so-called missing people. Another problem I had was the huge amount of narrative. There wasn't much dialogue, mainly narrative. It's impossible to know each character's motives without dialogue. Also, the Amish bishop was quite accommodating to Foster. He answered every question and also offered more information. This just isn't realistic and the suspension of belief went too far. 

I wonder whether Wanda Brunstetter contributed anything to this book other than her name. The writing was not in her style. With most of the characters being Amish, I expected an Amish setting. There was nothing Amish about the book or the characters dialogue or behavior. Likewise, I expected to read about the characters as they baked their goods. None of that was in the book.

This book was a disappointment. 2 out of 5 stars. 

Delicious

Delicious, the Life and Art of Wayne Thiebaud was published in 2007. When I purchased it I was expecting the 9 x 12 official art history book of the same title. The book I received is approximately 8 x 8 with 108 pages. It contains a short biography of artist Wayne Thiebaud as well as his development as an artist from age 8 until his death in 2021 at the age of 101. I was not aware that this book is a children's book for kids aged 9 to 14. However, I still learned alot about the artist. Thiebaud is known for his paintings of cakes, pies, cupcakes,  hamburgers and hot dogs. He is one of my favorite artists of the 20th century.

The book has full page copies of Thiebaud's art along with some history concerning the methods used to make the painting. Thiebaud was a contemporary and friend of Willem de Kooning. He utilized Kooning's technique of making brushstrokes in his dessert paintings and painted many layers in each painting. He also copied the methods of the Old Masters. Thiebaud was a skilled cartoonist who could draw Popeye simultaneously with both hands. While he married twice and had a family, he went to college and earned a MS degree in art history. Thiebaud's day job was a professionor of art at Sacramento Junior College. 

During the 1960s he was thought to be a Pop Artist like Andy Warhol. However, Thiebaud used different ways of painting that were more complex than Warhol’s. He began each painting with a thumbnail sketch and then drew triangles or squares that he later drew into the pies, cakes, etc... Although Thiebaud is famous for his desserts, he also drew cityscapes and landscapes. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will be thumbing through it alot in the future just to view those gorgeous paintings. 5 out of 5 stars.

40 Seconds

40 Seconds is a 2022 Comixology Original comic. This 120 page edition collects releases 1 through 5 of the comic. The book is a science fiction story about a team of science explorers. They are traveling in space through a series of alien gateways using Forge Gate Technology in order to answer a distress call from a galaxy away. The scientists jump across the universe through strange and beautiful landscapes only to be hunted by a vast inexplicably unstoppable horde. They can only learn the truth surrounding the distress call if they make it through the final gate in time.

While the story was gripping and fast paced, the first thing I noticed was the color palette of the comic strip panels. They are gorgeous. The first gateway has a beautiful pink landscape. The second was done in browns but the buildings were Asian inspired. I couldn’t tell if they were Japanese or Chinese. Colorist Brett Weldele did a fabulous job here. The next gateway was pink, lavender, green, blue, teal, orange and brown. The drawings of these worlds included ruins, jungle, urban areas along with strange creatures and enemies. The artwork made this story a fun one to read.

What does the title reveal about the story? The explorers have forty seconds to jump through the gates before they close and they are lost forever. I loved this comic and immediately re-read it. It's a fun story suitable for kids as there is no foul language, sex or violence. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Guests

I selected this book for the Key Word Reading Challenge this month. The plot is interesting. Six guests are invited to the private Stonecliffe Island in Lake Michigan for the reading of a will and some of them are going to die.

The story opens with Ryleigh, a struggling artist whose been invited by her best friend, Kerrigan, to spend a week on Kerrigan's family’s private island on Lake Michigan. Kerrigan is a housewife with a perfect life. She has a seemingly loving husband, Kip, and a glamorous downtown Chicago apartment. However, her husband hates her. Their marriage is a sham. Cole is the caretaker of the estate and his job is to make sure the guests of the estate have everything they want but he has private aspirations that he needs to accomplish before the summer is over. Also in attendance are newlyweds Stavros and Mika.

On the estate each guest has their own villa. There are staff on-call twenty-four hours a day, including a masseuse, chefs to make dinner every night, and waiters pouring endless champagne. Their stay is expected to be perfect. However, a violent storm arrives and there is no way off of the island. Then one of the guests disappears.

The story started off well but for half of the book there was mainly bickering among the characters. The first disappearance didn't happen until halfway through the story so I tired of this dialogue. The story took off though and the pace kept ratcheting up until the final pages. The guests pointed fingers at each other, accusing everyone of commandeering the disappearance of Mika and later the disappearance of Kerrigan. This back and forth continued to the end of the story which had me reeling from the frequent twists and turns.

Despite the slow start this was an exciting novel and I am glad that I stuck with it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Two Spinsters and a Madman

Eve Tarrington's Two Spinsters and a Madman was published on March 1, 2025. It is my selection for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. My initial thought about the book is that I have no idea what I just read.

The publisher's summary: 

A foundling, a murder, and a home full of people society has deemed mad. Can two intrepid spinsters save themselves and this rare refuge?

Wealthy Louisa-Margaretta Haddington is spending a London season in the company of Mr Fortescue, a notorious rake and spendthrift. She knows she should not seek him out, but she finds him intriguing. Meanwhile, her old friend Judith St Clair has left her home to work in the Home, a refuge for men and women who are thought to be mad. The resident doctor is Mr Ludlow Fortescue, who is as serious as his London brother is irreverent. Though Judith finds the Quaker beliefs strange, the work is meaningful. When a foundling child is abandoned at the Home, its residents band together to care for her.

Then Mr Ludlow Fortescue is killed.

Suspicion quickly falls on the men and women who are residents of the Home, though Judith knows that not one of them would have intentionally harmed the doctor. Louisa-Margaretta, in order to escape her suitor, promises to solve the murder. But neither of the two friends knows where to start. And when a second foundling is left outside the Home, they begin to wonder if death and new life might be connected.

I must say right off the bat that I don't normally read regency stories. This type of writing was a little strange for me but that is not what bothered me. When I reached page 85 (out of 248) there still had not been a murder. Instead there was 85 pages of characters behaving oh so proper. At this point in the story an infant had been discretely dropped off on the premises. The staff and patients of this upper class psychiatric facility decided to keep the baby instead of taking it to the foundling home. Strange. However, the resident physician and superintendent are supposed to be murdered so I stopped reading for a few days. When I picked up the book again the murder finally occurred.

The investigation was done by two main characters: Judith St. Clair and Louisa Margaretta Harrington. They are friends even though they come from different classes. Louisa Margaretta is an aristocrat who isn't sure that she wants to marry. She has left her family's London manor to stay with Judith at the facility. Strange again. Who vacations in a psychiatric hospital? Louisa offers her hand in marriage to one of the facility's superintendents who just happens to be the brother of the deceased. Louisa Margaretta made a deal with him:  if she discovered the identity of the killer first, she wouldn't have to marry. If she didn't then she would marry Mr. Fortescue. Judith is also on the lookout for a husband. Their investigation consisted of a search of the house belonging to their suspect. The identity of the whodunnit was announced but I have no idea how these two ladies figured it all out. It was surprising though.

The dialogue was particularly old-fashioned because the Quakers running the hospital insisted on everyone speaking with thees and thous. I am not opposed to reading more regency novels but if they are mysteries I want a good pace. I don't know what the standard formula is for regency stories so I don't know what to expect from them. I am not even sure what genre applies here. Initially I thought the book was a cozy mystery. After finishing the book I wondered whether it's a historical mystery. I guess it could be both. 

I enjoyed reading this novel regardless of the problems I mentioned above. I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars. 

Can't Wait Wednesday #39

I have been in a reading slump all week so it's hard to think about any book I might want to read in the future. However, Sue Hincenberg's The Retirement Plan sounds like a good story. Three wives approaching retirement with three husbands in the way. This novel will be published on May 6, 2025 and with 544 pages it's definitely a chunkster.

The story concerns three middle-aged best friends who turn to murder in order to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies. The ladies, though, are unaware that their husbands have a devious plan of their own. After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands, until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong, and their dreams of beachfront condos and a sunny, carefree retirement vanish. When one husband dies in a freak accident, the other three women are shocked to see his widow rebound with a huge life insurance payout and a new life in Florida. In the aftermath, the women discover that their husbands have identical, seven-figure life insurance policies. A new dream forms, and this time, it involves a hitman.

Meanwhile, their husbands have a secret retirement plan of their own. So, when things begin to go awry, they fear their own scheme may have backfired with deadly consequences. The husbands scramble to stay alive, but they may not be fast enough to outmaneuver their wives. What follows is a high-stakes tale of cat and mouse, both laugh-out-loud funny and unbearably tense, while ultimately a bighearted look at marriage, friendship, and middle-age. 

I retired a year ago so this book sounds fabulous.

Rising Sun Falling Rain

I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. The book was published on January 30, 2025 and the story is set in post-WWII Japan after the atomic bombs were dropped.

The publisher's summary:

 

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...

I was expecting more from this novel than what I got. Mick's work as a truck driver was dull. He gave rides to folks going to and from a local hospital and work, if there was any. The beginning of the story described each day of Mick's but with a boring job comes a boring story. We read alot of sentences stating Mick drove here or he turned left. It might have been interesting if life on the military base was described in more detail. Early in the story Mick decides to help a young boy named Kazu learn English in exchange for help building wooden steps for buildings. When Mick sees a friend of Kazu's grandmother, he is smitten. Kazu is the link to Emiko, his grandmother's friend.

Once Mick and Emiko become a couple the pace picks up. This is around page 90 of this 256 page novel. However, for me the story was still slow. I wasn't engaged in the story until Karina, Mick and Emiko's daughter, came into the picture. Karina is the only character with emotion. All the others fell flat. When Karina found out that Mick was her father the story  became compelling and the pace was at lightening speed. The second half of the book was devoted to her and her search for her biological mother It was exciting. The only other problem I had was how the story ended. SPOILER ALERT. After Emiko recognized that Karina was her daughter there wasn't even another sentence.

This book was a disappointment. I am rating it 2 out of 5 stars.

Black is the Color

I loved the cover of this graphic novel and decided to get a copy. I wondered whether the comic strip panels inside would have some color or whether they would be black and white. Unfortunately for me, they're black and white. 

The story opens with a 17th-century sailor abandoned at sea by his shipmates. It was cruel for the captain to pick Xavier and Warren to offload in order to protect the ship from damaging winds. Xavier is ill and can't stop coughing. The sound annoys Warren so much that he pushes Xavier out of their lifeboat. As the story progresses Warren endures, and eventually succumbs to both his lingering death sentence and the advances of a cruel and amorous mermaid; a nakedness and voluptuous mermaid of course. The narrative also delves into the experiences of the loved ones he left behind, both on his ship and at home, as well as of the mermaids who witness his destruction. Most of this was about the mermaids though. Per the author, the story is about "the value of maintaining dignity to the detriment of intimacy, and the erotic potential of the worst-case scenario."

The story didn't grab my attention. I couldn't figure out why the plot premise was something to write about. There wasn't much action. Many of the comic strip panels had no dialogue. However, it was easy to determine what was happening. While there are many comic fans who would love this type of book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. 3 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #38

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at the Wishful Endings blog to spotlight the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released. 

This week I am excited about the newest installment of the Indigo Teashop series by Laura Childs. High Tea and Misdemeanors was published yesterday and I will most likely be reading it in a few days.

The story is about a wedding where the amateur sleuth Theodosia Browning is catering the reception. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Theo owns a teashop in Charleston. Her tea sommelier Drayton helps her investigate murders. Sometimes they occur on the premises. In this installment of the series she and Drayton are setting up their catering area when they hear a crash coming from a greenhouse. You guessed it, the greenhouse roof collapsed on a bridesmaid and groom. I am assuming the two of them should not be together but we shall see.

What book(s) are you looking forward to read?