Publisher: Scribner Book Company

Published: August 27, 2002

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Hardback from Personal Library

Available Format: Digital, Audiobook, Hardback, Paperback, and Mass Market Paperback

My Review: I have been a fan of the Regan Reilly series for many years after I read several books CHC write with her mom, Mary Higgins Clark. Over the years my mom tried getting me the entire series. I’m missing three.

In Jinxed, Regan and her boyfriend had to cut their vacation short as soon as they got to the winery in Napa Valley. The next day Regan gets a call from one of the owners asking her to find her daughter or they will lose millions in inheritance. The case goes from missing daughter, to found daughter, to missing daughter again, possible art thief, and an aging actress getting married to a much, much younger man. Can Regan solve this star-studded case before the fire burns them all?

I altered between listening and reading this book. The author is the narrator herself, which I thought was neat but I preferred reading over listening.

The story moves nicely but isn’t as light and airy as some newer cozy mysteries. For some reason I felt I should read the book under the cover of darkness. Not much suspense. I don’t remember any cursing. No sex scenes. Not a hug “aha” moment.

I will continue the series.

From Goodreads: Carol Higgins Clark, bestselling author of Fleeced and co-author with Mary Higgins Clark of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, returns in top form in her new Regan Reilly mystery, blending her talent for intriguing locales, eccentric characters, and fast-paced suspense laced with humor. In Jinxed, smart, saucy sleuth Regan Reilly faces a new challenge — the case of the missing wedding guest. Regan, an L.A.-based private detective, returns to her office after a vacation with her beau, Jack no relation Reilly. Their tour of the wineries in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County is cut short when Jack has to fly back to New York City, where he is the head of the Major Case Squad of the NYPD. Their last stop had been at Altered States, a run-down winery owned by three siblings who are all former hippies — Lilac, Earl, and Leon Weldon. Not knowing how soon it would be put to use, Regan leaves her business card behind. Within minutes of being back to work, Regan gets an excited call from Lilac. The Weldon family has been invited to the wedding of ninety-three-year-old Lucretia Standish, a former silent-screen star, who made a killing in a dot-com before it went bankrupt. Lucretia had been married to the Weldons’ Uncle Haskell and had invested the money she inherited from Haskell in the dot-com. Lucretia’s maid, Phyllis, clues Lilac in on the fact that Lucretia plans to give the Weldons $2 million each — if they all show up at the wedding. The wedding is two days away, and there is only one problem — Lilac’s daughter, Whitney, aka Freshness, a young actress, has taken off on one of her go-with-the-flow weekends. Whitney is out of touch and goes where the wind blows. If itdoesn’t blow her back into town by Sunday morning, the Weldon family will be out $8 million. Regan’s job is to find Whitney. But unbeknownst to Regan, there’s someone else on the hunt. Lucretia’s fiance, the much younger Edward Fields, has hired an accomplice in crime to locate Whitney and keep her away from the wedding. Edward knows Whitney will recognize him as the con man she’d met in acting class in New York. He wants to say I do to Lucretia and her millions before Whitney can protest. When Edward finds out that Regan Reilly has been hired to find the missing Whitney, he gives the order to get rid of her as well. Meanwhile, Lucretia is befriended by a gang of bikers, the story of her upcoming nuptials is featured on national television news, and wildfires are threatening to consume the barn where Whitney is being held captive. As in her previous novels, Carol Higgins Clark has created a novel that is both exciting and vastly entertaining. As no less a master of suspense than Nelson DeMille has said, Clark’s writing is elegantly clear and concise, her characters are witty and engaging, and her plots and pacing are perfect. And in Jinxed, she is at her very considerable best.

Publisher: Barbour Fiction

Published: August 1, 2021

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

Available Formats: Digital, Audiobook, and Paperback

My Review: Have you ever read a book that you didn’t really hate but didn’t really like? It was MEH???

I read Wanda Brunstetter for her Amish stories and The Walnut Creek Wish was more Englisch (non-Amish) than Amish focused. The two main characters were selfish individuals who were unlikable. I groaned and Mohamed aloud about their issues than I ever have reading.

I try to write only positive reviews but it was hard to do for this book.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, Inc., through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

From NetGalley: Book 1 in the Creektown Discoveries Series from NYT Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter

An Antique Store Becomes a Place of Healing for Broken Hearts

Welcome to Walnut Creek, Ohio, where Orley and Lois Troyer own an antique store they call “Memory Keepers.” Though knowledgeable in antiques and their repair, their real talent is in mentoring folks who are hurting and don’t even know it. Enter Jeff, a restaurateur, and Rhonda, a hotel manager, who recently moved to Amish country for the slow pace, but the change of scenery puts even more stress on their already strained marriage. Will an antique sled be the last straw, or will it lead to unexpected revelations and the fulfillment of dreams?

Published: Berkley Books

Published: May 25, 2021

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: Paperback from the Author

Available Formats: Digital, Audiobook, and Mass Market Paperback

Review: I have a new favorite Amish book for 2021.

This book is chock full of emotion and love. It will tug at your heart, make you gasp, make you cry, and curl your toes in excitement. Read with tissues on hand.

I enjoyed that it takes place in Tennessee as it gives us Amish genre readers a different view from the traditional Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Indiana.

A very clean read with no sex and no cursing. I would have no issues giving a copy to an older teenager. A great book to show how with determination and faith you can overcome adversity thrown your way.

I’m excited to read more by this author.

From Goodreads: In this moving Amish romance, two broken hearts find hope in each other after a terrible loss.

Unspeakable tragedy strikes the Amish hamlet of Johns Mill when an unstable Englischer opens fire in the Hochstedler’s General Store. In the aftermath, and under the media’s spotlight, Joseph Hochstedler struggles to hold his shattered family together, drawing unexpected comfort from a faithful childhood friend.

Born with a serious heart defect, optimist Naomi Schrock has always longed to live a life of service. She rolls up her sleeves, determined to help Joseph cope with this terrible crisis. But dare she hope that his friendship will finally deepen into love?

As the media’s obsession with the Hochstedler shooting escalates, Joseph and Naomi find themselves caught between tradition and compromise, lingering sorrows and uncertain hopes. And in the end, two people who’ve already lost far too much must find the courage to trust their hearts one last time.

Pages: 213

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

Published: August 10, 2021

Available Formats: Digital, Audio, and Paperback

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: Still Life and Death is great on audio. I lost track of time listening to it. I will miss these characters.

This has been a fun series and I really wish there would be more than 3. Solid mysteries with a hint of romance.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

From NetGalley: A murder at the flower shop.

An uncle suspected by the cops.

Savanna and her sisters are on the case.

Savanna Shepherd, a former art authenticator turned grade school art teacher, is delighted when her Uncle Max and Uncle Freddie move to Carson. Uncle Max takes a job at Libby’s Blooms, where Savanna teaches a still life painting class for adults. But one morning, Uncle Max finds a dead body in the rooftop greenhouse…and even worse, it looks like an inside job.

Savanna and her sisters—Skylar, a lawyer, and Sydney, the owner of a pet shop and grooming salon—dig in to find the real murderer. With their connections to the community and Savanna’s keen eye for details, they uncover longstanding resentments and horticultural clues. Meanwhile, Savanna’s dating local doctor Aidan Gallager, but she worries it’ll cause a scandal, since his daughter is in her class. As Savanna’s investigation leads her into thorny situations, the killer may be arranging another murder: her own.

This cozy mystery includes a free original Hallmark recipe for Chocolate Pecan Brownies.

Pages: 310

Publisher: Kensington

Published: August 24, 2021

Available Formats: Digital and Paperback

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:

It’s time for an annual trip to South Lick, Indiana. This time we visit during spring and wedding season. Robbie is preparing for her wedding to Abe and not everyone is happy with the wedding. Mainly, Abe’s ex who is Sean’s mom and a relation to the new antique shop owners across the street. When a Pans and Pancakes customer dies, Robbie is the prime suspect. As she starts investigating she learns of the tangled family web. Can she find out what is going on before she spends her wedding night in jail?

This series always makes me smile as I love the descriptions of the Bloomington, Indiana area. It is a beautiful area to visit. The real Story Inn is mentioned and if you ever get a chance to visit you must.

My only issue with the book (and I had the same issue in the previous book) is there a small political agenda feel. I read cozy to escape the real world. It wasn’t bad but it is there. I did appreciate the author writing the story as after the pandemic shut down and not during.

I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: Robbie Jordan’s Pans ‘N Pancakes boasts delicious eats and the best vintage cookware finds in South Lick, Indiana. And now, for a limited time, there’s a new special featured on the menu–murder!

Ever since meeting the wary owners of an antique shop opening across the street, Robbie has been scrambling to manage weird incidences plaguing her café and country store. Pricey items vanish from shelves without explanation, a fully equipped breakfast food truck starts lingering around the area each morning, and loyal diners mysteriously fall ill. When an elderly man dies after devouring an omelet packed with poisonous mushrooms, Robbie must temporarily close down Pans ‘N Pancakes and search for the killer with a real zest for running her out of business–or else.

Pages: 304

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Published: August 24, 2021

Available Formats: Digital, Audio, and Hardback

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: In The Secret Staircase we join Kate as she works with the town renovation board of directors as they begin work on the Barton mansion. Before they can even get started a body shows up then someone is murdered on the property. Kate has more suspects than trusted workers.

If I’m being honest, this was a series that I wasn’t going to continue after the second book. The concept of renovating a town to be similar to a place like Colonial Williamsburg was interesting but the books moved very slowly for me. I requested the third book from NetGalley after I learned of the passing of Sheila Connolly in 2020. I wanted to see if the book ended on a “finished “ note or left the reader hanging. I was satisfied with the ending. Even if another author picks up the series I don’t think I’ll continue.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

From NetGalley: From New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly, The Secret Staircase is the third Victorian Village Mystery, which finds Kate Hamilton discovering a long-dead body in a hidden staircase.

Kate Hamilton is feeling good about her plans to recreate Asheboro, Maryland as the Victorian village it once was. The town is finally on her side, and the finances are coming together.

Kate’s first goal is to renovate the Barton Mansion on the outskirts of town. Luckily, it’s been well maintained in the century since the wealthy Henry Barton lived and died there. The only substantial change she’s planning is to update the original kitchen so that it can be used to cater events in the building. But when the contractor gets started, he discovers a hidden staircase that had been walled in years earlier. And as Kate’s luck would have it, in the stairwell is a body.

After her initial shock wears off, Kate is relieved when the autopsy reveals that the man had died around 1880. Unfortunately, it also reveals that his was not a natural death—he was murdered. And serious questions remain: who was he and what was he doing there?

Kate begins a hunt to identify the man and figure out what he was doing at the Barton Mansion. But when a second body is found—this time from the present day—Kate realizes that real dangers lie in digging up the past…

Pages: 320

Publisher: Kensington

Published: August 31, 2021

Source: NetGalley

Available Formats: Digital and Paperback

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review: Laura Bradford has done it again…made me ugly cry. Good ugly cry though. Her trilogy of books centered Miss Lottie will move the reader in ways they never expected.

Her New Story shows us how holding on to anger and fear can ruin our chance at happiness that is waiting for us. Anger is an emotion that takes from us and never gives us peace. We are human and anger is a human emotion but we must learn to forgive to find the peace needed to move forward. This is a lesson I need to practice more in my own life.

I can’t pick a favorite in this trilogy as I’ve learned something from each. Definitely stories I will be re-reading time and time again. Each book can be read as a stand-alone but to get the full Miss Lottie experience start with Portrait of a Sister, then move to A Daughter’s Truth, and finish with Her New Story. These are Women’s Fiction with Amish characters so even if you never read Amish genre you will like these stories. Who knows, maybe you will want to read more Amish stories.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

From NetGalley: From nationally bestselling author Laura Bradford comes a poignant, uplifting novel about a down-on-her-luck journalist whose less than ideal assignment to Pennsylvania’s Amish country forces her to re-think her priorities, and her life…

Tess Baker thought she had the perfect everything–until her best friend, and (now ex) husband, betrayed her, leaving her with nothing, except her career as an investigative reporter. In her work for a leading magazine, Tess can lose herself in whatever story she’s chasing. So she’s devastated when her next assignment is far from the exciting location or action-packed quest she anticipated.

Thanks to a recent misstep, Tess is handed a bus ticket to Pennsylvania–to Amish country. The story? Write about living in the past in a modern-day world. Determined to prove herself by coming up with something juicier than a run-of-the-mill human-interest piece, Tess makes her way through this strange place, digging for dirt…

Yet no matter where she turns, scandal eludes her. Instead, Tess encounters kindness and grace, even striking up unexpected friendships with women who bear a wisdom and capacity for forgiveness she can’t imagine. It’s only when she meets eighty-something Miss Lottie, beloved by the community even after decades away, that Tess realizes she may have hit upon the story she was looking for. But can she betray the people who have opened their arms–and their hearts–for the sake of a scoop?

Publisher: Kensington

Published: January 1, 2004

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Amazon Digital

Available Formats: Digital, Hardcover, Mass Market Paperback

My Review: In looking for a book with an orange cover I found this book on my kindle. I don’t remember buying it. I’m glad I did though. Charlotte LaRue is fiesty and finds herself in interesting places.

Death Tidies Up is book 2 in the series and Charlotte is fretting about turning 60. Her son wants her to retire from her cleaning business but she refuses. During a job, her crew finds a body but the confusing thing is Charlotte has already attended his funeral once two years prior. Can Charlotte find out the truth and stay out of hot water?

This series seems like it will be a good one. It impressed me that even though I have not read book one I had no issues keeping up. There was no foul language and no sex scenes. Just murder.

If you are looking for a virtual visit to NOLA this is a series for you.

From Goodreads: Between running her maid service (the successful Maid-for-a-Day) and fretting about her upcoming birthday (the dreaded 6-0), Charlotte LaRue doesn’t have much time for gossip. But New Orleans’s latest dust-up is hard to ignore–especially since it involves Marian Hebert, one of Charlotte’s new clients. Turns out Marian’s now-deceased husband once worked for his best friend Drew Bergeron’s real-estate agency–and when the business deal soured, so did the friendship. The whole sordid affair came to an unfortunate end when Drew died in a plane crash–and Bill Hebert was killed in what some people insist on calling an accident. Others are convinced it was murder.
Pretty juicy stuff, right? Charlotte doesn’t think so. She’s trying her best to forget all the rumors–she has more important things to worry about these days. Like vacuuming, window-washing. . .and her new job at the old Devilier house. The gorgeous historic home is being transformed into luxury apartments, and Maid-for-a-Day is in charge of the cleanup. Should be easy enough, Charlotte thinks–until she finds a barely-cold corpse in one of the closets.

The police are sure the dead man is Drew Bergeron. Funny, considering Drew supposedly died years ago–and Charlotte distinctly remembers attending his funeral. Talk about messy. Suddenly all that gossip about the Heberts and Bergerons seems incredibly timely–and Charlotte wishes she’d listened just a little bit closer. . .

With old rivalries flaring–and past secrets suddenly back in the present–Charlotte has a feeling this job will involve some real dirty work. Good thing she has a knack for cleaning up crimes.

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: August 25, 2015

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Amazon Digital

Available Formats: Digital, Audiobook, Hardcover, and Paperback

My Review: I am fascinated with Plain life. Could I live it? No, but I love the premise of it. Sometimes I wish I could live without all the “noise” modern-day living brings with it. Go days without picking up my phone for one reason or another.

I learned of Sherry Gore through a 3 book fiction series set in Pinecraft, FL written by her and Tricia Goyer. So when I saw this book I was very interested. I knew she had a daughter who died young but didn’t understand why.

This book also hit home as I didn’t realize she lived in Kentucky for a few years and Felicity, Ohio. My college roommate went to school in Felicity. Such a small world. Sherry also lost close friends in the horrific accident on 65 when a semi hit a van full of Plain people. I remember hearing about it that day and crying. So many beautiful lives lost.

This book is not for the faint of heart as there are triggers (abortion, drug overdose, death of a child) but is a very moving read.

From Goodreads: Raised in a broken family and emotionally overlooked, Sherry Gore grew up without a solid foundation, a prisoner of her own poor choices, and at times without hope.  A series of terrible mistakes left her feeling wrecked and alone and a sudden tragedy threw Sherry into an emotional tailspin too powerful to escape.

Sherry hangs by a thread, unable to see how she can go on living, until it happens: on a morning of no particular significance, she walks into a church and BAM the truth of Jesus’ forgiving love shatters her world and cleaves her life in two:  She goes to bed stunned; she wakes up a Christian.

Unwilling to return to the darkness of her former life, Sherry attacks her faith head on.  Soon the life Sherry Gore remakes for herself and her children as she seeks to follow the teachings of the Bible features head coverings, simple dress, and a focus on Jesus Christ.  Only then does she realize, in a fit of excitement, that there are others like her.  They are called Amish and Mennonite, and she realizes she has found her people.

The plain choice that Sherry makes is not easy – and life still brings unexpected pain and heartache – but it changes everything for her, as she becomes one of the few people on earth to have successfully joined the Amish from the outside. 

She has found her place. And her story proves that one can return from the darkest depths to the purest light with the power of God.

Publisher: Kensington

Published: September 28, 2021

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

Available Formats: Digital, Mass Market Paperback, and Audiobook

My Review:

I came into this series on the second book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I keep telling myself to go back and read the first one.

In book 4 we join Lilly and the Garden Squad on Thanksgiving weekend as they attend a memorial for a dear friend who owned the local theater. One thing leads to another and murder takes center stage.

I like the clean reading this series provides and how open and accepting the characters are of each other’s lives. They just genuinely love each other for who they are.

The author does a phenomenal job of writing that you can start with any book in the series and be ok.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley. All opinions expressed above are my own.

From NetGalley: There’s nothing like autumn in picturesque Goosebush, Massachusetts, but beneath the season’s sun-dappled foliage, Lilly Jayne and her Garden Squad must investigate a shadowy murder mystery after a theater owner’s sudden death sows as much drama behind the scenes as on any stage…
 
Lilly Jayne typically spends the harvest season baking festive pies and crafting colorful wreaths to enter in the library’s annual fundraising contest. But this year, autumn opens on a somber note when beloved local theater owner, Leon Tompkin, dies unexpectedly. His memorial sets the scene for a mini reunion of The Goosebush Players’ best and brightest alumni, including Hollywood star, Jeremy Nolan…until someone plucks Jeremy from the spotlight, permanently.
 
Now, as dedicated theater volunteer, Scooter McGee, falls under suspicion, Lilly and her Garden Squad must spring into action. They quickly discover a cornucopia of potential suspects in Jeremy’s murder. Was it an embittered ex…or a jilted lover? A rival thespian…or an overly ambitious artist? Lilly rakes through the piles of clues, but if she doesn’t uncover the real killer soon, more than autumn leaves will be dropping in Goosebush…