Book Cover of the Month: April

I always love seeing the book covers for this coffeehouse mystery series. Cathy Gendron created this illustration for the book. When she graduated from college with a BFA she had a serious desire to draw. Cathy's first job was in the ad department of her local newspaper. It was here that she discovered editorial illustration, which perfectly connected her love of reading with a passion for art. After a short stint as art director for the Detroit Free Press, Cathy determined that she didn’t enjoy the management side of the business. She quit and has been making pictures ever since.

Per her website:  "Working traditionally, Cathy applies thin glazes of oil color over a casein underpainting. Her images have appeared in numerous publications for the editorial, book and corporate markets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, Newsweek, US News and World Reports, Utne Reader, Seventeen, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Kensington Publishing, IBM, Target and Saatchi & Saatchi."

Cathy has won awards from Communications Arts Magazine, Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, Print Magazine, Society of Publications Designers and the Detroit Creative Directors Council. 

Book of the Month: April

No Roast for the Weary is my best book for this month. It takes place in a coffeehouse in New York City and is cozy mystery perfection. I was hooked from the first chapter and loved that the author 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.

One of their regular customers is writing a true crime book that he claims will upset all the politicians and cops in New York City. The mystery to be solved is the one that he is writing about. It happened many years ago in the Writer's  Block Lounge. This was a nice setup for the investigation of a murder.

Endless #1 Through #5

Endless is a 5 volume Comixology Original comic that was published in 2024 and 2025. Author Curt Pires is one of my favorite cartoonist. His stories are always entertaining and this one is no different. It's fantastic.

The publisher's summary:

When a heist to steal an expensive piece of scientific technology goes wrong, Henry Quan, a selfish career criminal, is unmoored in both space and time. Thrown in and out of parallel lives across the multiverse, he struggles to find his way back home and find out what exactly happened to him. 

Endless is a science-fiction story that shows the 5 ways that thief Henry Quan has died. Each of the 5 issues depict Henry in a new life in a new universe but always making the same mistakes and getting killed in the process. 

Henry's story begins with him rushing to deliver a package. If he is late, he has to pay the delivery cost. Henry lives in a not-to-distant future where temperatures are rising, the cost of living is out of control, and folks can’t get by without stealing. In order to earn money to keep his mother in a senior facility, Henry accepts a job from a friend to steal a black box that contains some sort of technology. Of course, the job does not work out well and he is thrust into another universe.

I read all 5 volumes and all of them were entertaining. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Dark

The Dark is a political thriller in comic book format. The plot concerns a worldwide cyberwar the U. S. has with Russia. 

The publisher's summary:

A short time after this international internet shutdown event known as "The Dark", we follow Carver, a former special forces super-soldier who after losing his eyes during this event, gets caught up on a mission hunting down Camille, a NSA analyst who has stolen dangerous information. With a potential war with China on the horizon, Carver and Camille are thrown together to get the world back on track while a shadowy force that is manipulating events is hot on their heels.

I loved this futuristic story. The plot is based on the use of the Stuxnet computer virus that Israel and the U. S. used against Iran several years ago. However, in this novel Russia has used it against the entire world. No more Internet use or electricity. Bioluminescence is used by the characters to tackle the dark. I am assuming the loss of the Net puts everyone in the Dark. Politics also plays a major part in the story. The U.S. is gearing up for war with China and has bombers on the way there. Texas has split from the U.S. Then we see a soldier with a service animal who's eyes glow. The soldier is hunting a transgender woman who just wants to become physically who she truly is. 

You can always tell when the illustrator is a man. The male characters are completely covered with body armor but the female character is always in a bikini. Sometimes she's just wearing underwear. It's unclear why female soldiers don't need to wear body armor. Kristian Donaldson is the artist. The colorist Lee Roughridge used a pallette of blues, teals and purples which I loved. The style of the art has a futuristic feel and I wondered whether it was drawn from a computer. That said, the art matched this futuristic story.

The Dark is light reading despite the political story. U am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #42

This week I am dying to read a new book from Laura Morrelli, The Keeper of Lost Art. It will be published next week on April 22, 2025. Morrelli writes art themed mysteries. Usually the time period is the Renaissance but this newborn takes place during WWII. Below is the publisher's summary of the plot.

As Allied bombs rain down on Torino in the autumn of 1942, Stella Costa’s mother sends her to safety with distant relatives in a Tuscan villa. There, Stella finds her family tasked with a great responsibility: hiding nearly 300 priceless masterpieces from Florence, including Botticelli’s famous Primavera.

With the arrival of German troops imminent, Stella finds herself a stranger in her family’s villa and she struggles to understand why her aunt doesn’t like her. She knows it has something to do with her parents—and the fact that her father, who is currently fighting at the front, has been largely absent from her life.

When a wave of refugees seeks shelter in the villa, Stella befriends Sandro, an orphaned boy with remarkable artistic talent. Amid the growing threats, Sandro and Stella take refuge in the villa’s “treasure room,” where the paintings are hidden. There, Botticelli’s masterpiece and other works of art become a solace, an inspiration, and the glue that bonds Stella and Sandro as the dangers grow.

A troop of German soldiers requisitions the villa and puts everyone to forced labor. Now, with the villa full of German soldiers, refugees, a secret guest, and hundreds of priceless treasures, no one knows who will emerge unscathed, and whether the paintings will be taken as spoils or become unintended casualties.

Inspired by the incredible true story of a single Tuscan villa used as a hiding place for the treasures of Florentine art during World War II, The Keeper of Lost Art takes readers on a breathtaking journey into one of the darkest chapters of Italy’s history, highlighting the incredible courage of everyday people to protect some of the most important works of art in western civilization. 

I haven't pre-ordered the book yet but have made a note on my calendar to buy it. What book are you anxiously awaiting?

Old Habits Die Hard

I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. It is the first book in a new series called Nun the Wiser. It was published on April 2, 2025.

The publisher's summary:

When retired nun and teacher Sister Bernadette returns with her fellow residents to The Abbey: Senior Living, she is the first to discover the body sprawled in the hallway of the converted school where she once taught English and now lives. Instead of freezing with horror, Sister Bernie has questions. Lots of them. Why does Toni Travi, the bedazzled and bejeweled resident from apartment 218, have so much chest hair? Did anyone at The Abbey know Toni was a man? Was Toni’s death related to allegations that she cheated at cards? Where’s the murder weapon? Who had motive? And did someone kill Toni, or the man hiding beneath the Revlon foundation and blonde wig?

Detective AJ Lewis is in charge of the investigation though Sister Bernie acts as if he is still her student. With unholy stubbornness, she dogs his every step, eavesdrops, sneaks beyond the police tape and offers unsolicited conjecture and clues. He wants to keep her safe, but she’s determined to lend a helping hand—it’s her habit, after all!

Old Habits Die Hard is a cute cozy mystery with a retired nun as the amateur sleuth. The murder of a resident at a senior residence happened early in the story and the investigation began quickly. It was realistic with the police following protocol regardless of how fast it took them to solve the murder. Protocol prioritized over untangling the mystery. The officer charged with the investigation used to be a student of Sister Bernadette/Bernie, our amateur sleuth and he was a little afraid of engaging her with his questions. He also spent alot of time ignoring her questions about the investigation. Their relationship will make this new series unbeatable.

Several of the characters who lived at the residence will make interesting villains, or at least suspects, in future installments of the series. I can even see Bernie as a suspect. She's nosy and knows everyone's business. She also knows where all the secret nooks and crannies are in the senior building because it used to be the school where she taught for 48 years. Bernie used these spaces to eavesdrop on AJ's witness interviews. She then used the information gleaned to further her own investigation.

5 out of 5 stars. Cozy lovers should check this one out.

An Irish Bookshop Murder

Last year I read three books from Lucy Connelly's Scottish Isles series and loved them. When I found out about this new Mercy McCarthy mystery I had to get it. This series takes place in Shamrock Cove, Ireland and I love the setting. 

The publisher's summary:

Meet Ireland’s newest daring detective: she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer. Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case!  After receiving an unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!

Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.  Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the older man—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?

Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.  Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?

Connelly has recently become one of my favorite authors. I am thrilled to have discovered her. An Irish Bookshop Murder is a great start for the series. Many times first novels have too much backstory and character information to the detriment of the actual mystery. Here, however, we have a rich mystery to solve and it has many twists. The pace is fast and with quirky characters it is an engaging story. I can see future installments of the series having a wide variety of plotlines with all of these eccentric characters. 

If there is anything negative to say about the book, it is the suspension of belief required to accept Mercy’s  investigation of the Judge’s murder. It seemed bizarre that she would investigate when she had only lived in the community for one week. Who does that? Most people would be busy unpacking and arranging their new home to their taste. Most people wouldn't be able to remember all the names of their new neighbors yet alone consider whether they are guilty of murder.

The story is a fast read. Cozy mystery lovers will enjoy it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Knife Skills For Beginners

Knife Skills for the Beginner is the first book in a new cozy culinary mystery series. It's fantastic! The plot is about a chef who is talked into substituting for a famous chef/friend who teaches a week long residential cookery course. 

The publisher's summary:

The Chester Square Cookery School in the heart of London offers students a refined setting in which to master the fine art of choux pastry and hone their hollandaise. True, the ornate mansion doesn’t quite sparkle the way it used to—a feeling chef Paul Delamare is familiar with these days. Worn out and newly broke, he’d be tempted to turn down the request to fill in as teacher for a week-long residential course, if anyone other than Christian Wagner were asking.

Christian is one of Paul’s oldest friends, as well as the former recipient of two Michelin stars and host of Pass the Gravy! Thanks to a broken arm, he’s unable to teach the upcoming session himself, and recruits Paul as stand-in. The students are a motley crew, most of whom seem more interested in ogling the surroundings (including handsome Christian) than learning the best ways to temper chocolate.

Yet despite his misgivings, Paul starts to enjoy imparting his extensive knowledge to the recruits—until someone turns up dead, murdered with a cleaver Paul used earlier that day to prep a pair of squabs. Did one of his students take the lesson on knife techniques too much to heart, or was this the result of a long-simmering grudge? In between clearing his own name and teaching his class how to perfectly poach a chicken, he’ll have to figure out who’s the killer, and avoid being the next one to get butchered.

 

Knife Skills is an entertaining story. I loved everything about it. The plot was good and the characters were remarkable. All of them were a little eccentric which made them seem suspicious. This is the first book I have ever read where every character could have been the killer, except Christian, the deceased. When the killer was revealed I was shocked. I wondered what clues I could have missed. How many of these characters return in the next book is questionable and I am wondering if Paul will be teaching classes in future books or if his setting is going to be a restaurant.

This is the author’s debut fiction novel. Orlando Murrin is a former editor of BBC Good Food, founder of Olive Magazine, a semi-finalist on Masterchef and has written seven cookbooks. I guess he knows how to write! Not every one can write fiction though but he has begun the series well. I look forward to reading more from him in the future. 

The Celestial Guardian

I started this book last night and was only going to read a few chapters. The next thing I knew I had read 150 pages. Again, I thought I would finish the chapter and go to bed. I didn't get to sleep until I finished the book. The Celestial Guardian is that good! 

The publisher's summary:  

Dive into the heart of Vatican intrigue with The Celestial Guardian, an adrenaline-pumping thriller that masterfully intertwines the shadowy corridors of religious power with the luminous frontiers of scientific discovery. This captivating narrative follows Father Michael Dominic, the esteemed Prefect of the Vatican’s Secret Archives, as he uncovers a remarkable artifact lost to time—Leonardo da Vinci’s most ingenious invention, the Celestial Guardian. Initially heralded as a divine instrument capable of forecasting a catastrophic asteroid bound for Earth, Father Dominic's discovery soon unravels a more ominous reality: the Guardian’s ability to not just predict, but alter celestial events.

As the revelation of its true potential threatens to shake the foundations of faith and science, the narrative propels readers into a high-stakes race against time. Father Dominic finds himself ensnared in a dangerous web of ambition and power, with factions including a power-hungry Vatican cardinal, vying for control of the Guardian’s world-altering abilities. Set against the backdrop of a Church grappling with transformative doctrines and the scrutiny of the world, Father Dominic must navigate his own inner turmoil while thwarting a global catastrophe.

The Celestial Guardian is a riveting exploration of the delicate balance between belief and science, power and morality. It’s a story that delves deep into the heart of human vulnerability, ambition, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. With a narrative rich in historical enigma, scientific wonder, and human drama, this novel promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats, questioning where the boundary between miraculous and scientific truly lies. Prepare for a journey that spans the secretive vaults of the Vatican to the cutting edge of astronomy, all woven into a suspense-filled saga that guarantees to captivate from the first page to the last.

I loved the story but I felt it was a little different from other books on the series. The others were thrillers but this one I would categorize as a mystery. There's nothing wrong with that. There was no urgency in the resolution of the plot, at least I didn't see any. There was no murder to resolve. Instead, there is a race between one group who want to control the Guardian for good and another group wanting to use it to gain power. I had a disconnect with the idea that there was an urgency among these two groups within the Vatican. That said, I was eager to know how this would all play out.

As usual, the author created an amazing plot premise. He took one of DaVinci device drawings and decided to have his characters build it. Lo and behold the machine can predict celestial events and even change those events. The villain is a Cardinal who plans to use the machine to create the face of Jesus in the sky. He hopes it will result in people returning to the church and strictly following his instructions. Father Dominic prefers to only use the Guardian to change the path of an asteroid tumbling toward earth.

The Celestial Guardian is an easy reading and I'm rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Wife Upstairs

I selected this book for the Key Word Reading Challenge. Upstairs is one of the words allowed this month. When I selected it I knew it was going to be great because Freida McFadden is the author. She is a stellar writer.

The publisher's summary:

Victoria Barnett has it all.

A great career as a nurse practitioner. A handsome and loving husband. A beautiful home in the suburbs and a plan to fill it with children. Life is perfect—or so it seems.

Then she’s in a terrible accident… and her life is forever changed.

Sylvia Robinson is hired as a caregiver for Victoria. Sylvia moves into a spare room, feeds Victoria, and takes her on long walks. The two women become friends.

But as it turns out, this simple nursing job is more than what it seems. As Sylvia and Victoria's friendship grows, Sylvia realizes that Victoria is desperately trying to tell her something.

If only she could speak.

My first reaction to this book is WOW!  Talk about being on a wild ride. This story started off fast and the pace kept increasing. When negative things happened, the rural setting made them seem worse. There were no neighbors for a mile, no nearby stores or police protection. The city was 2 or 3 hours away.

The characters are what made the book successful. Victoria's husband Adam is the main villain but there are other characters that acted just as bad. Victoria's friend Maggie had ulterior motives, all while giving the appearance of protecting her. Her betrayal of Victoria isn't shown until the end. She was jealous of Victoria because Adam seemed like a great guy. He was rich, brought her flowers and took her to dinner at high priced restaurants. Adam also bought her a house, without telling her, but it was obvious to me that he was a possessive man and the relationship would deteriorate. On the surface Adam was an attentive husband, catering to his wife's every whim. Privately, he was a tyrant who frequently cheated on Victoria.

When Sylvia is hired she is overwhelmed at the opportunity to live in their mansion. Sylvia couldn't believe how lucky she was to sleep in a huge bed made up with luxury linens. Adam gave her Victoria's Honda Civic to use when she wanted to go out. All she saw was the riches she was given by Adam and Sylvia ignored all the signs of his misconduct. She didn't ask questions because she wanted to continue living the high life. Her downfall, though,  was her loyalty to her patient.

How Victoria sustained her injuries is unknown. Everyone believes whatever Adam tells them. I think they only believed him because he was rich and they wanted him for themselves. Why the wealthy get away with so much has always felt wrong but it happens in real life all the time. I still don't understand why.

The Wife Upstairs shows us the age old story of domestic violence committed by men. Freida McFadden writes it exquisitely and it's an engrossing read. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Lindens

I received a free copy of this book from the Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club. The story spans 150 years in the life of a house in the English countryside weaving together the tales of its inhabitants over the decades. There is a dairymaid with big dreams, a lonely evacuee, a damaged army veteran and aging hippies. We also have teenagers partying on midsummer’s night eve, grown-up kids coming home for Christmas and a bored Slovakian housewife receiving some unexpected visitors. This is an epic novel about home and family, love and loss, vengeful goats and mushroom trips.

I particularly love reading long sagas so I knew I would enjoy this book. It did not disappoint.  Each era told a new story with new characters and new plot. They were basically different books to read. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research into each era. I enjoyed reading about the details of life in each time period. What didn't I like? There wasn't much to dislike but at times the story was sad. 

The first era was my favorite. Here we have a rich boy who falls in love with a beautiful but poor girl. His family is dead set against them getting married but they go ahead and marry anyway. To everyone's chagrin, it's a successful marriage. This story was super sweet.

All in all, The Lindens is a fantastic novel. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

This Blood Runs

This Blood Runs is the sequel to J. M. Cannon's This Family Lies. It is a psychological thriller at its best and mystery fans will love it. Note that parts of the novel are gruesome but it matches the storyline. However, if you are squeamish you might want to pass on reading the book. The story involves the Mexican cartel and descriptions of human trafficking are prominent.

The publisher's summary:

Iris is being hunted.

Through the burning sugarcane fields she must flee Sweet Blood and the country.

But in the blue hills of Mexico awaits a new set of horrors. Blood trails and missing girls tell a story: what Iris was told about her past might not be true.

The game is on for her to stay alive and find the person she loves. The challenge is the truth because that's the thing about lies, Iris has learned...

They multiply.

This Blood Burns picks up with the intensity, twists and the shock that left readers of This Family Lies enthralled. Coming late summer.

 

It took me a few chapters to become familiar with the action that occurred in the first book. In a perfect world I would have read these novels consecutively. I felt awful that Iris experienced so many tramatic events while she was on the lam. She believed that law enforcement was searching for her in order to charge her with killing her husband so she put up with alot. SPOILER ALERT We find out later that this was false. Every person who helped her run was actually an enemy of her but she didn't know it. These reveals were all shocking but part of the many twists and turns in this story. Iris's run covers most of the pages but at one point she agrees to help the FBI catch the leaders of the cartel. This is where the story becomes gruesome. As Iris uncovers information about the trafficking trade, it's ugliness is shown. 

I recommend beginning with This Family Lies before reading this book. There are clues that eminate from the earlier novel and these clues are not explained. The reader really needs to have read This Family Lies in order to understand what the clues refer to.

I loved reading the novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Delver Season 1

Delver Season 1 is a Comixology Original comic. It collects releases 1 through 5 and there are 5 seasons of this 2019 comic. It is kid friendly; no foul language, violence or sex. 

The publisher's summary:

When the door to a living dungeon surfaces in the tiny hamlet of Oddgoat, village girl Temerity Aster has two choices: abandon the only home she's ever known to carpet baggers and sellswords, or carve out a place for herself and her family in the new and dangerous world of delving. 

The story opens with a boy being sent to the family's root cellar for ingredients needed for dinner. He finds an entrance to the Dungeon and tells the family when he returns. Soon neighbors are talking about it and the gossip spreads. People begin coming from all over the world to try and gain their fortunes in this dangerous place. The story focuses on Merit, a fifteen year old girl who decides to try her fortune as a Delver as the Dungeon irrevocably changes the life of those in the community. 

The first thing I noticed was that the main family of the series is dark skinned while the people who come out of the dungeon are crazy looking white people. This theme is carried out throughout the 141 pages of the comic. I thought it was hilarious. So what is delving? It is searching for treasure in the dungeon. In order to enter and exit the dungeon you have to find the door. To make matters difficult, the doors move and close frequently. Most of the time you are rich beyond belief when you exit the dungeon so everyone wants to enter. 

I cannot wait to read all 5 seasons! Delver is a cute comic for all ages. 5 out of 5 stars.