The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy

This is my third book in the Pot Thief series. In this installment of the series, main character Hubie Schuze is planning another pot heist while sipping margaritas with his best friend Susannah. Hubie does not consider himself a thief because he only takes ancient pots from public lands. However, after Congress passed the Archeological Resources Protection Act his digging for treasures became illegal. Hubie also makes reproductions from original pots. He does not consider them to be fakes, though. 

The publisher's summary:

The pot thief is back, but this time Hubert Schuze' larceny is for a good cause. He wants to recover sacred pots stolen from San Roque, the mysterious New Mexico pueblo closed to outsiders. An easy task for Hubert Schuze, pot digger. Except these pots are not under the ground - they're 150 feet above it. In the top-floor apartment of Rio Grande Lofts, a high-security building which just happens to be one story above Susannah's latest love interest. Hubie's legendary deductive skills lead to a perfect plan which is thwarted when he encounters the beautiful Stella. And when he is arrested for murder. Well, he was in the room where the body was found, everyone heard the shot, and he came out with blood on his hands. Follow Hubie as he stays one step ahead of building security, one step behind Stella, and one step away from a long fall down a garbage chute.

Hubie's shop is located in a dilapidated old building in Albuquerque's Old Town neighborhood. Professor Walter Masoir visited Hubie and stated that he believed retired professor Ognan Gerstner kept a set of pots from the Ma people that were supposed to be sent back to the San Roque Pueblo. Hubie decided to try to recover those pots and return them to their rightful owner.  While reading about Ptolemy's idea that using circles around circles can create a path, he comes up with a plan to break into the building Gerstner lived in in order to steal the pots. It would have been nice for the author to explain how Hubie made this connection. However, while Hubie is attending a party in the building Ognan Gerstner is murdered. Unfortunately the murder didn't occur until midway into the story.  That is way too long for a murder mystery. Most of the dialogue beforehand was humorous musings between Hubie and his friends.

There wasn't much of an investigation into the murder. Hubie gathered his friends and his suspects for a meeting wherein he  posits the name of the killer. The author never tells us how Hubie arrives at his conclusions. 

With many unknowns in the plot, the story falls short on several levels. The book is mainly one humorous dialogue after another from the eccentric main character. He's an interesting character so I hate to rate the book only 2 out of 3 stars. It is what it is.

Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York

Entitled is a biography of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.  For the past couple of years, I have fallen into the trap of reading gossipy books on Britain's royal family. I knew it would be a fast read and would help me relax from a stressful September. 

The publisher's summary:

This explosive biography of the Duke and Duchess of York - - Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson – exposes the secrets and scandals behind their extravagant lives and troubled marriage.

Entitled presents an unvarnished and meticulously researched account of two of the most controversial figures in modern royal history. Based on years of investigation, extensive Freedom of Information requests and more than a hundred interviews with previously silent sources, acclaimed royal expert Andrew Lownie delivers an authoritative and deeply revealing dual portrait of the Duke and Duchess, whose lives and relationship have ben marked by privilege, controversy, and public fascination.

Tracing their stories from childhood through their high-profile courtship and marriage, dramatic divorce, and enduring connection as “the happiest divorced couple in the world,” Entitled digs deeper than ever before into a pair that has long been a source of scrutiny. Lownie examines Prince Andrew’s trajectory from a celebrated naval officer to a disgraced royal accused of sexual assault and stripped of his public duties, and unpacks the truth of his lavish lifestyle and the enduring fallout from his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

More than just a story of personal failings or royal scandal, Entitled examines the broader context of a monarchy navigating public accountability and the pressures of modernity. The result is a compelling and nuanced portrait of a flawed couple whose lives have defined and defied the expectations of royalty in the 21zst century, and whose actions continue to resonate far beyond the palace walls.

Entitled is an appropriate name for the book. I was surprised how entitled Sarah Ferguson became after her marriage to Andrew and how quickly she changed.  I knew Andrew behaved entitled but was not aware that Sarah acted the same way. In many ways she manipulated her husband by appealing to his sense of entitlement. Simularly, Meghan Markle did the same with Prince Harry. Both wives are the dominant partners in their marriages. Andrew and Sarah truly belong with each other. They are two of a kind. 

The book reads fast. All of the chapters are three pages long. Sarah's story was the most interesting to me, probably because I didn't know much about her. The author begins with her birth and follows Sarah up to the present. It seems that after Sarah's mother left the family for another man when she was four, Sarah blamed herself for what happened and covered up her insecurity with boisterous behavior. She never was able to overcome her new boisterous personality which caused her to make so many mistakes as a member of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth tried to rein her in on several occasions but was unsuccessful. Sarah spent money she didn't have and her debts were paid by the Queen or Andrew at least ten times. She never stopped spending. The family wondered whether she was having a nervous breakdown.

Entitled was a relaxing read. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Highgate Cemetery Murder

I have wanted to read The Highgate Cemetery Murder ever since it was published in February 2024. It is a historical mystery novel about a murdered woman who was strung up on a wooden cross in a cemetery.  It did not disappoint.

The publisher's summary:  

His heart pounding, the man scribbles the words in his notebook as fast as he can: “Woman dead in Highgate. Man in caped coat. Milky way and red streaks. I’m being followed.”

Hours later, the man’s cold body lies in the city mortuary, alongside the woman he couldn’t save. And his sister, unconventional nurse Gemma Tate, tracks down troubled police inspector Sebastian Bell to unravel the truth.

Sebastian has enough pressure to solve the murder of an aristocratic heiress without Gemma meddling in his case. But the cryptic sentences she brings him from her brother’s notebook could be a crucial lead. If only they knew what “milky way” meant. But as the trail of clues takes them away from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobility and into the dangerous slums of London, how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed?

 

The story opened with the discovery of Adelaide Seaborne, a 17 year old girl, tied to a cross in Highgate Cemetery. I was fascinated by this scene and my curiosity kept me reading until I finished the book in one sitting. The man who found her body was killed that same day after seeing a man's face in the cemetery. However, it took a few days for Scotland Yard investigator Sebastian Bell to learn about his demise. Gemma Tate, a nurse, was Victor Tate's sister. Gemma did not make much money even though she had a professional job and she had to consider how she could continue living in Victor's house and pay the bills.

The writing was fast paced. I enjoyed the 1850s London setting with all its glamour. The ladies wore long, demure gowns and lived in magnificent mansions. The reader learns how slow the lives of women were. They were not allowed to work after marriage and must have had dull minds from lack of stimulation. 

Police inspector Bell was shrewd in his dealings with his superiors. Officially his wings were clipped concerning the investigation. His boss did not want him to push the Seaborne family for information as Mr. Seaborne was an aristocrat. However, Bell went ahead and questioned Adelaide's maid and other staff as well as Adelaide's brother and father. Suffice to say  Bell irritated the Seabornes by asking too many questions about Adelaide's lifestyle and the boyfriend whom she wanted to marry. Mr. Parker was not only not an aristocrat he was American. Two strikes against him. Mr. Seaborne refused his daughter's request to marry him. Instead, she was betrothed to someone else. Adelaide had no intention of marrying this person though. She hoped that with time her father would relent. Against this backdrop Adelaide was murdered. 

The Highgate Cemetery Murder is a 

fine example of historical fiction and historical fans will love the book. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

Pain Killers: A Year in the ER

I no sooner posted that I wouldn't be doing much reading this month when I received a message from Book Sirens about a review for the above book coming due. So I read it last night. Last year I read author Rachel Callaghan's Under Water. It was my second best book for 2024, behind a graphic novel, so it was technically my best fiction novel. Callaghan is a former ER physician. The story is in the epistolary form where the plot is revealed through physicians’ notes, ER logbook entries, and letters between the characters. It was published on July 25, 2025.

The publisher's summary:  

The year is 1978. Mary Grace Kelly flees to a new city with a set of scrubs, a nursing license, and a secret. She hopes to hide in this bustling blur of cranky patients and even crankier physicians. Complaining to her sister back home, Mary Grace’s letters describe her arrogant, infuriating colleague Dr. David Korn, who wears his sarcasm like another white coat. But when her therapy sessions land her in a waiting room with this man, her irritation turns into intrigue. Their reluctant bond deepens until her father’s illness yanks Mary Grace back into her unresolved trauma.

David’s sexual frustrations leak out with wry, Jewish humor in notes to his brother. His sibling is quick to point to David’s past relationship failures as evidence that he’s a “self-indulgent bastard.” For all his bluster, David wants something more meaningful but knows his family will never approve of his relationship with Catholic Mary Grace. She’s challenging all his preconceived notions, but does he have the patience to wait for her to find the healing she needs?

A vaudevillian uncle, a retired nun, and an elderly vagrant conspire to help Mary Grace find her way. But she must first learn to trust again.

The fast-paced, epistolary style of Pain Killers allows the reader to eavesdrop on the controlled chaos in emergency care. Before desktop computers, the relentless rhythm of the ER was documented through a heap of administrative paperwork. Callaghan skillfully weaves a story from this patchwork, revealing the humanity behind the charts and clipboards in short snatches dripping with subtext. Like the emergency room it chronicles, Pain Killers taps the vein between protocol and improv.

Rx for busy readers on the go

Prescribe this book to readers jonesing for the insider grit of medical fiction compounded with the warmth of a romantic dramedy microdosed in snippets. Severe to moderate distraction may occur: failing to notice you’ve been called to dinner, you’ve missed your subway stop, or your professor has asked what you’re reading. Take as needed to alleviate symptoms of boredom, existential nausea, or the yearning for human connection.

The story was cute. I enjoyed the epistolary form, especially the doctor and nurse notes on patients.  I know that the notes are true to life because I worked in a hospital way back in the 1970s. The book isn't a mystery as I expected it would be but rather general fiction. It was a nice break from my usual fare but I have to admit that there wasn't much suspense. Even so, I read it in one sitting. Pain Killers was a relaxing way to spend an evening. Mary Grace is the main character. She had something awful happen to her when she was a teen but it wasn't revealed until the middle of the novel. For the remainder of the story she tried dealing with her emotions, somewhat successfully. I noticed that Mary Grace was constantly writing her sister letters but that sister Kathleen never responded. Clue number one. Dr. David Korn annoys her so she tries avoiding him. As I expected, they eventually began dating. Clue number two. They are very different people but their relationship seems to work. Mary Grace is a strong Roman Catholic while Dave is a non-practicing Jew. 

Pain Killers: A Year in the ER is a sweet, uncomplicated story. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

A Slow September

FYI-

I am moving to a new house this month. Consequently, my reading will be significantly reduced. I did not finish the books I planned to read in August because I am too keyed up over the move. In October I will resume my usual reading level and post more reviews.

Book Cover of the Month: August

I love this book cover because it's about baking. Elements of baking such as the lady baker, the towel and the canning jar. Its heartwarming to view the glass jar and it is ingenious to use the words "a novel" on the jar.

The cover design was done by Kathleen Lynch, Principal at Black Kat Design. Lynch holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of  Connecticut School of Fine Arts and has worked as a cover designer for Random House and Art Director for Oxford University Press. Her designs have won acclaim from the Association of University Presses, the New York Book Show, AIGA and Print.

Her website shows additional books covers that she has designed. Many of these books are my favorites such as Jennifer Chiaverini's The World's Fair Quilt and The Museum of Lost Quilts. Lynch also designed book covers for Ellen Gilchrist, Sandra Brown, 

and Kristin Harmel. She makes all of these books enticing for the reader.

August Book of the Month

I didn't read half of the books that I planned to read this month. I am keyed up over a move to a new house. However, I read three books that I rated 5 out of 5 stars:  The List, The Baker of Lost Memories and An Inside Job. Dan Silva's An Inside Job is an art theft mystery which is why I chose it over a Holocaust survivor story and a murder mystery. I love art and read every art theft book I can find.

In Inside Job, retired Israeli spy Gabriel Allon works as an art restorer in Venice. He has been asked to recover a stolen painting by stealing it back. The painting, a portrait of a beautiful young girl, has been gathering dust in a storeroom at the Vatican Museums for more than a century, misattributed and hidden beneath a worthless picture by an unknown artist. Allon uses friends from his old spy network to help him steal the painting. 

An Inside Job is a fast read with plenty of suspense. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers.

Stacking the Shelves #35

There is one new book in my stack this week. Lilac Time was recently published.  It's an anthology of 3 stories by Fern Michaels, Lori Foster and Carolyn Brown. I don't think these three authors have ever written a bad novel so I know the book is going to be a great read.

The title of Ferm Michael's story is Sweet as Honey. Lori Foster's story is called Everything She Ever Wanted and Carolyn Brown wrote The Memory Cabin.  All of them are romances but Michael's also has a mystery plot.

I like the title chosen for the anthology. Lilac Time reminds us of the springtime romances that we all have had. Lilacs are some of my favorite flowers and I also love their purplish color. 

The book was published on April 29, 2025 but I just discovered it. I cannot wait to start reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday #45

Freida McFadden is the queen of psychological thrillers. On October 7, 2025 her newest book will be published. The Intruder is a tale of survival where our protagonist Casey has to determine how far she will go to save herself.

The publisher's summary:

Who knows what the storm will blow in… Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window. She's young. She's alone. And she's covered in blood. The girl won't explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse. The girl has a dark secret. One she'll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

 

This sounds pretty eerie to me and I wonder if the book will give me nightmares.

What books are you waiting for?

The Baker of Lost Memories

The Baker of Lost Memories is a Holocaust survivor story. It is an epic family saga that spans several decades and has multiple timelines. The author is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and is well qualified to write about the subject.

The publisher's summary:

From the author of A Castle in Brooklyn comes an epic novel spanning decades about the broken bonds of family, memories of war, and redemption and hope in the face of heartbreaking loss.

Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.

The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness―and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.

Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.

The story is told in dual timelines. There is the 1930s and 1940s Poland and 1960s America. The 1930s saga is the most compelling. Anya and her husband Josef owned a bakery in Lodz. We read about Anya's family gradually losing civil rights and their heroic move to the U. S. after losing their disabled daughter to the Nazis. Anya, however, brought her baking skills with her and began passing them on to Lena.

Lena had a career path and began attending college to bring her dreams to fruition. Boyfriend Luke stopped her in her tracks and Lena gave up everything to live with him. She stopped seeing her parents and dropped our of college. Lena thought that when you fall in love you give everything up for your mate. She was not as strong as her mother and I am not sure why. She was raised to be a tough woman.

The story is both Anya and Lena's. Lena longs to bake as expertly as her mother and dreams of owning her own bakery someday. Her distant mother discourages her. Lena believes that she is a reminder of the loss of her sister Ruby. Since this is a story about Jewish bakers the reader gets to see the characters making Jewish dishes as well as baked treats. 

I loved this bittersweet novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The List

The List is a standalone novel by Steve Berry. Berry has written nineteen Cotton Malone novels, six stand-alone thrillers, two Luke Daniels adventures, and several works of short fiction. This novel is a murder mystery and I loved it.

The publisher's summary:

After a ten-year self-imposed exile, Brent Walker is returning home to Concord, a quaint town in central Georgia nestled close to the Savannah River. Two years ago his father died and now Brent, hired by Southern Republic Pulp and Paper Company as its assistant general counsel, is returning to care for his ailing mother.

For decades Southern Republic has invested heavily in Concord, creating a thriving community where its employees live, work, and retire. But the genteel sheen of this quiet town is deceiving, and when a list of cryptic code surfaces, Brent starts to see the cracks.

Southern Republic’s success is based largely on a highly unorthodox and deadly system to control costs, known only to the three owners of the company. Now, one of them, Christopher Bozin, has had a change of heart. Brent’s return to Concord, a move Bozin personally orchestrated, provides his conscience with a chance at redemption. So a plan is set into motion, one that will not only criminally implicate Bozin’s two partners, but also place Brent Walker square in the crosshairs of men who want him dead—with only one course left available.

Find and reveal the shocking secret of the list.

This story is a page turner. In fact, I believe it has a faster pace than Berry's Cotton Malone books and that is saying something. The book opens with the first murder of the story and then moves to the main character, Brent Walker, returning to his hometown Concord, Georgia from Atlanta. Walker was an attorney working for the Fulton County State's Attorney where he prosecuted murders. His mother's poor health prompted his return. As Walker assimilates back into his rural community, he becomes involved with union negotiations for a new contract at the paper mill. This time, he represents the mill. 

I enjoyed reading about the Middle Georgia setting. Having visited it myself once or twice, I had a trip down memory lane. Even reading the author’s words "middle Georgia" brought a smile. What I didn't know was that author Steve Berry grew up in a similar paper town in Middle Georgia, which is why his descriptions are spot on. 

The characters are complex. The two main protagonists are Brent Walker and his childhood buddy Hank. Hank has been the union president for 20 odd years and always gets what he wants. He was even the mayor if Concord for awhile. There are several villains. It is hard to choose just one as being the baddest. The paper mill's three owners were the masterminds behind the list. However, their security hires are the folks who do the dirty work concerning the list. I am not going to be a spoiler but you may be able to determine what the list is from the review I've given.

The List is spellbinding. You simply must read this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

All The Words We Know

I selected this book for the Key Word Reading Challenge. August has the word "word" as one of the six options in a book title. It is a suspense novel by Bruce Nash who has written three books. Words is the first book of his to be published in the United States.

The publisher's summary:

Rose may be in her eighties and suffering from dementia, but she’s not done with life just yet. Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, she spends her days roaming the corridors of her assisted living facility, musing on the staff and residents, and enduring visits form her emotionally distant children and granddaughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and determined investigation to discover the truth and uncover all manner of secrets…even some from her own past.

The story is not what I expected.  The publisher's summary indicates that Rose investigates the death of a friend who lives in a nearby room in their assisted living facility. It's not like investigations we see in murder mysteries. Rose has severe dementia. She mispronounces almost every word and understands nothing. However, when her friend who uses a wheelchair dies after jumping out of her window onto the parking lot, she knows that's impossible. Her friend could not walk on her own. A few days later Rose sees a nurse enter another person's room with a pillow. The next morning this person is found to have died in their sleep. She now knows how her friend died. Rose uses the diary given to her to keep track of events to secretly write down the clues she discovers.  It seems that when patients run out of money that the "angry nurse" comes by with a pillow and that patient dies "in their sleep."  That this happens is not surprising to me.

The author did a good job of describing how people with dementia behave and speak. However, he went too far. The book wasn't readable with all of the babbling. It became annoying after a few chapters. The more I have thought about it, the more it seems condescending and not funny as the author intended. On top of that Rose's investigation began more than halfway after the first chapter. That is way too late for a mystery.

Words was a disappointment. The premise of an assisted living resident solving a murder was interesting which is why I picked the book to read. No rating. 

The Patchwork Players

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 14, 2026! It’s another entry into the Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini. This series is probably my favorite of all time so I was thrilled to get a copy of it.

The publisher's summary:

The cast of a smash TV show arrives at a quilter’s retreat for week of camaraderie and creativity that takes some surprising twists in this heartwarming new installment of Jennifer Chiaverini’s much-beloved Elm Creek Quilts series.

Acclaimed TV actress Julia Merchaud almost can’t believe her good fortune. Her beloved historical drama, A Patchwork Life, revived her career and made stars of several younger actors. But Julia’s happiness turns to dismay when she learns that the hit show will have only one more season. Can she convince everyone to stay just a little longer?

Inspiration comes after a conversation with Summer Sullivan, one of the expert quilters who helped Julia prepare for her role. When Summer confides that Elm Creek Quilt Camp is in financial trouble, Julia concocts a brilliant plan that will help the Elm Creek Quilters and herself.

Julia sets about persuading the cast and crew to join her for what she promises will be a marvelous week at a luxurious nineteenth-century mansion amid the autumnal splendor of central Pennsylvania, a creative and dynamic working vacation they’ll never forget. Secretly, she hopes the bonding experience will convince them to abandon their other plans and sign on for another few seasons. But after several joyful days of quilting and camaraderie, Julia’s scheme takes an unexpected turn. Soon she’ll have to make hard choices about which matters more—career or friendship.

I thought the beginning was slow. It was different from how earlier books in the series opened so maybe my expectations contributed to my less than ideal enjoyment of the beginning. I must admit,  though, that the information we get from those early chapters was integral to the plot. It just caught me off guard. 

When the story moved to the Elm Creek Quilters I became fully engaged. However, these scenes did not last long. The main character was not from Elm Creek Quilters but rather Julia Marchand, an actress in the A Patchwork Life TV show. There were several new characters. All of them worked with Julia on the show. There was some mystery whether the shows 6th season would be the last. Julia was the only person who wanted the show to continue. The Elm Creek Quilters scenes constituted about half of the story.

I did not feel the usual glow after finishing an Elm Creek Quilters novel. Most of the prominent characters were new. I was hoping to reconnect with the regular Elm Creek characters but they did not have much of a role. 

If you want to learn how to quilt then this book is for you. The classes that Julia’s group signed up for explained all of the basics on how to pick fabrics, including values, to sewing tips. As a lifelong quilter, I concur with their methods. 

3 out of 5 stars.