FINISHED -

1. "NAKED TRUTH" by Amy J. Fetzer (Dragon #1) (A++++) (New Author For Me) Catch me if you can - Clandestine operative Alexa Gavin has a new mission - stay alive long enough to learn why her memory of the last thirty days has been chemically erased. She has no country, no contracts, nothing let but an unlikely ally in former marine and retreival expert Killian Moore. Blackmailed into hunting down the operative suspected of ruining his career, Killian sees Alexa as nothing more than some sexy vital statistics and the means to clear his name - until he locks horns with the beautiful agent. He knows Alexa's an expert at deception, yet what they share between the sheets is raw, tender and very real. But she's on the run again and Killian knows if he doesn't catch her, the enemy will. From the jungles of Colombia to the sparking metropolis of Hong Kong, as each piece falls into place, Alexa and Killian learn that nothing is as it seems and stopping terrorists set on a collision course will test their precious trust to the absolute limits.
2. "SHE CAN TELL" by Melinda Leigh (She Can #2) (New Author For Me) (A++++++) Rachel Parker never planned on going back home. But when a terrible accident abruptly ends her riding career, she has little choice but to return to Pennsylvania and rebuild the family horse farm. Not everyone is happy to see Rachel though - someone is vandalizing her property, leaving ominous warnings she can't ignore. It's as if the creep knows her. As if he's watching her. Police Chief Mike O'Connell never counted on Rachel Parker getting in his way. Mike is frustrated as his investigation turns up too many suspects and a shockingly turbulent past Rachel refuses to discuss. There's no denying the passion igniting between them, but Mike can't ignore his instincts, or the escalating violence against Rachel. He senses she has a secret, one she refuses to share. A secret that is going to get her killed.
3. "TRICKY TWENTY-TWO" by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum #22) (A++++) (Audible) Stephanie Plum might not be the world’s greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she’s being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren’t adding up, and Stephanie can’t shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college - and it’s not just Zeta fraternity pranks. As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it’s good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long. The only people who care about finding Linken’s killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.
4. "MARRY ME AT CHRISTMAS" by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #19) (A+++++) To bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug, organizing a Christmas wedding sounds like a joy - until she finds out she'll be working closely with the gorgeous brother of the bride, movie star Jonny Blaze. How will a small-town girl like her keep from falling for the world's sexiest guy? Especially with mistletoe lurking around every corner. Jonny came to Fool's Gold looking for normal, not for love. Happily-ever-after only happens in the movies. Still, nothing about this quirky town is quite what he expected, and "ordinary" Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he's ever met. Refreshingly honest, disarmingly sweet. Achingly beautiful. Planning the perfect wedding leads to candlelit dinners and strolls through snow-covered streets. And Madeline finds Jonny in real life even more captivating than her celebrity crush. But will the action star be brave enough to risk his heart and step into the role of a lifetime?
5. "ALL CHAINED UP" by Sophie Jordan (Devil's Rock #1) (New Author For Me) (A++++++) There are bad boys and then there are the men of Devil's Rock...Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis's most secret fantasies. But there's one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way. Knox feels it too - a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar's. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She's too innocent, too sweet and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss - and a taste...until the only crime is denying what feels so right.
6. "PERFECT PARTNERS" by Jayne Ann Krentz (A+++++) She just inherited his company - he wants it back. Executive action: A takeover of the heart. Midwestern librarian Letitia Thornquist didn't have the right stuff to run Thornquist Gear, Inc. That was the bottom-line opinion of Joe Blackstone, the seasoned CEO who had built the small Seattle sporting goods store into an industry giant. But Letty's rich Uncle Charlie willed her the company and now she was bubbling with enthusiasm to have Joel, a perfect mentor, show her the ropes. Teaching her to the business was all Joel grudgingly planned to do...until the sensuous curves under Letty's navy suit and the unabashed ddesire in her wide, innocent eyes left him longing for a personal kind of merger. Soon his sizzling kisses convinced her that she wasn't in Kansas anymore. But no matter how skilled Joel was in the art of love, Letty knew she was at risk in his arms. Behind his tough facade she sensed a world of hurt that cried out for her warmth and understanding. She realized the "L" word might never be spoken if trust didn't make them perfect partners 9 to 5...and in the loving after-hours of midnight to dawn.
7. "DOWNTOWN GREEN" by Judy Christie (Green #5) (A+++++) Can Louis save Green one more time, even with the demands of a new family? When the short bypass around Green opens with much fanfare, downtown dries up faster than cement on the roadway. While the road is progress to some, it seems to be leading Green toward a national trent - a town that is merely a shadow of itself. With the town going backwards, Lois is both intrigued and scared when a fellow business owner comes up with a strategy to save Green. But can her plan rescue the town from the path it's on?
8. "HEAD OVER HEELS" by Sam and Jenny Bailey (New Author For Me) (audio CD) (A+++++) Sam Bailey wanted a life on the land just like his father. He had it all planned - he'd finish his education, have a few years in the big wide world and then return home to take the reins from his dad, get married and raise a family. His own version of the Australian dream. But when the car Sam was travelling in overturned on a lonely country road one Sunday afternoon, leaving him a quadraplegic, Sam discovered that in a split second your life can change forever, in ways that you never imagined. Head Over Heels is more than the story of how Sam conquered his disability through sheer tenacity and the unstinting support of family, friends and doctors. It is a captivating romance. The day Sam met Jenny, an ABC rural journalist, he discovered love can come from the most unexpected places and overcome all boundaries.
9. "DISCOVERING YOU" by Brenda Novak (Whiskey Creek #10) (A++++) (book I received from the author in exchange for my honest review) Can she ever trust another "bad boy"? India Sommers once had the perfect family - until an ex-boyfriend broke in and shot her husband. Not only did that cost her the man she loved, a respected heart surgeon and the father of her child, but she also feels responsible. Charlie died because of the people she hung out with before she had the strength to change her life.
10. "AMERICAN STAR" by Jackie Collins (A+++) Nick Angel is a cult superstar - a brooding, talented, mesmerizing figure, handsome without being perfect - whose talent and looks - long black hair, hypnotic green eyes, a stubbly chin - have made him the idol of his generation. Nick can have any woman he wants...except the one he loves. Lauren Roberts is a beautiful and special top model - tall, slender, with thick chestnut hair falling below her shoulders. Lauren's features have made her an international symbol of beauty and her life is the envy of every woman. But for all her fame and wealth, she still yearns for the one man she has ever really loved. For Nick and Lauren can never forget each other. Teenage small-town lovers - he from the wrong side of the tracks, she the prettiest girl in town - their lwas the town scandal, forbidden, sizzling and unforgettable, ending abruptly in a tragedy that sent them into separate orbits. Nick pursues his dream of acting and after a series of wild adventures begins the slow rise that will make him one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Lauren goes to New York and enters the modeling world, surprising everyone with a career that takes off in a direction she never expected.
11. "WEDDING BELLES" by Beth Albright (Sassy Belles #2) (New Author For Me) (A++++) The Sassy Belles are back and this time, wedding bells are ringing! Seven months pregnant and head over heels in love, Vivi Ann McFadden is busy pulling together the final details for her wedding to Lewis Heart, famous play-by-play announcer for the Crimson Tide. But with two wedding-planners-gone-wild, a psychic giving her advice and the ceremony happening on the same day as the wildly popular Crimson Tide kickoff game, chaos reigns supreme. Luckily, maid of honor Blake O'Hara Heart is on the job. She'll tackle this wedding if it's the last thing she does! But not everyone is cheering for the happy couple. News of the upcoming nuptias has brought Lewis's old flame back to Tuscaloosa - and she's got a secret that could mean the end of Lewis's marriage...before it even begins.
12. "INTO THE CROSSFIRE" by Lisa Marie Rice (Protector's #1) (A+++++) Former Navy SEAL Sam Reston keeps to himself. His world is dangerous, uncertain, violent...and there is no room in it for the helpless and weak. Then the most beautiful woman in the world moves in next door to him. Nicole Pearce's life is complicated enough - with an ailing father and a new business to worry about, the last thing she needs is to get involved with a secretive, hard-bodied, hardheaded neighbor. Yet Sam leaves her breathless - her body tingling with erotic desire - and it takes every ounce of her fabled control to resist offering herself to him, no strings attached. What she doesn't know is that Sam Reston is on an undercover assignment...and she's about to step into the crossfire. Never has Sam ached for a woman so badly and he's never fallen in love before. Now that Nicole is in grave danger, he will become her shield and guard the tempting body he longs to touch and taste. Because a terrorist plot hatched half a world away is heading to their doorstep - and it can only be derailed by one man and one woman.
13. "COME AWAY WITH ME" by Karma Brown (New Author For Me) (A+++++++) One minute, Tegan Lawson has everything she could hope for: an adoring husband, Gabe, and a baby on the way. The next, a patch of black ice causes a devastating accident that will change her life in ways she never could have imagined. Tegan is consumed by grief - not to mention her anger toward Gabe, who was driving on the night of the crash. But just when she thinks she's hit rock bottom, Gabe reminds her of their Jar of Spontaneity, a collection of their dream destinations and experiences and so begins an adventure of a lifetime. From the bustling markets to Thailand to the flavors of Italy to the ocean waves in Hawaii, Tegan and Gabe embark on a journey to escape the tragedy and search for forgiveness. But they soon learn that grief follows you no matter how far away you run, and that acceptance comes when you least expect it.
14. "BROKEN" by Shiloh Walker (Rafferty Brothers #2) (A++++++) Shattered - Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter for a private detective agency in St. Louis when his new neighbor catches his eye. He's drawn to her - but he knows from past experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else. Desperate - Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She's not an abused wife and she's not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can't risk telling him the secrets she's hiding. There's just too much at stake. Driven to desire...But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case. He discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous about her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings - as well as their fragile hearts - for their love to survive.
15. "KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE" by Bella Andre (Sullivan's #9 - according to her website) (A+++++) For Mary Sullivan, Christmas is, and always has been about family. This year is no different. As she awaits the arrival of her eight children and their partners at the cottage in Lake Tahoe, she hangs the ornaments that they hae made for her over the years. Each decoration brings with it a tide of memories, all of which she holds dear to her heart. But when she comes across the oldest ornament, the one her beloved husband, Jack, gave her on their very first Christmas together, Mary is immediately swept back to the first days of their whirlwind romance, to the love that would be the foundation on which they built the family she is so proud to call her own.
16. "SAVED BY THE BRIDE" by Fiona Lowe (Wedding Fever #1) (A++++++) Welcome to Whitetail, Wisconsin, future home of Weddings that WOW! As acting mayor, Annika will do anything to revive the economy of the town that's been her refuge every since her art career imploded and her fiance walked out. Even if it means crashing an engagement party to talk business with the bride's billionaire father. But the evening starts with a kiss from a gorgeous stranger - and ends with a night in jail. Finn Callahan can't believe his sister is getting married, not after their parents' disastrous track record. And he'd rather be anywhere than working from his family's vacation home. Until he catches a leggy blonde sneaking in the window and suddenly telecommuting for the season is very appealing. Unable to resist their mutual attraction, Annika and Finn are soon mixing business and pleasure - just for the summer. Too bad Annika's heart missed the memo about not falling in love.
17. "A REASON TO LOVE" by Alexis Morgan (Snowberry Creek #3) (A++++++) All roads lead home in Snowberry Creek...After a deastating tour in Afghanistan, all Spencer Langs wants is for life to return to normal. But when he rides into his hometown on his Harley, he learns that his friends and family have tried to move past their heartbreak since he was reported killed in action - and that the woman he loved is about to marry his best friend. Now all he can do is pick up the pieces of his life. Years ago, Melanie Wolfe left town with no intention of ever coming back. But when her father dies, she reluctantly returns home to salvage the family business. Reuniting with Spencer, her high school crush, complicates the already thorny situation - especially when she begins losing her heart to him all over again. As Spencer and Melanie work to restore order to her family's company, two damaged hearts face an unexpected new future that is filled with possibilities...and love.

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO - 

1. "Christmas on Bellevue Lane" by Anna DeStefano (Echoes of the Heart #1.5)
2. "Switch" by Meagan Hart (New Author For Me)  
3. "Return to Me" by Shannon McKenna

CURRENTLY READING - 

1. "Noah's Compass" by Anne Tyler (unabridged audio CD) (New Author For Me)  

Tonight I will be starting:

The Italian Summer by Roland Merullo, one of my favorite authors.

A Sudden Light by Garth Stein, narrated by Seth Numrich.

Enjoyed both of those books, and am now reading:

The Kept by James Scott

On Agate Hill by Lee Smith narrated by various readers.

Carry Yourself Back to Me by Tanya Eby.  I gave it one disk and quit it due to FOR ME what was overdramatized narration.

I have just requested 2 books by Marie Darrieussecq. one is Pig Tales and the other is The Phantom Husband. The books are fairly short I think so hopefully I will be able to get through them even if I don't like them. I saw Pig Tales mentioned in a review about a different book. never heard of this woman before.

these two requests never did work out.

Currently reading "Batavia Places and the People Who Called Them Home" by Marilyn Robinson

Will be starting "All The Light We Cannot See"  by: Anthony Doerr for book club

Also hope to get to "Eden Burning" by: Belva Plain

FINISHED -

1. Rise / Karen Bliss 5 stars  Acclaimed literary biographer Elizabeth Winston writes about long-dead heroes.  So bad-boy rock icon Zander Freedman couldn’t possibly tempt her to write his memoir.  Except the man is a mass of fascinating contradictions–manipulative, honest, gifted, charismatic and morally ambiguous.  In short, everything she seeks in a biography subject.
   When in her life will she get another chance to work with a living legend? But saying yes to one temptation soon leads to another.
   Suddenly she’s having heated fantasies about her subject, fantasies this blue-eyed devil is only too willing to stoke.
   This is part of a series.  I think this might be the third.  I read it as a stand alone.  Though I did like it the series doesn't insterest me.
2. City of Echoes / Robert Ellis  5 stars  This is the first Matt Jones, Detective series.  Detective Matt Jones was assigned to the homicide squad in Hollywood, California . He has worked hard for this position. His first assignment, a shooting just down the block from where he was waiting for his friend.  The story starts out hard and fast. Gruesome murders, police officers killed, crazy people, over looked clues, coverups keep the story moving at a fast pace. The story is intertwined with several unsolved murders which come together nicely.  The characters were well developed. The villains were extremely dangerous. They even made me anxious. Matt Jones did not know who, if anyone, he could trust. The story is riveting and is definitely a page turner.  With an ending that leaves you hanging!
3. Trick or Deadly Treat / Livia Washburn  4 stars and being a bit generous.  I love this series this newest book, threw me off a bit.  Sam is the main focus where normally it's Phyliss. Sam's dialogue rang a bit untrue to me; I don't recall him being so unpolished in previousr books. He might have been playing a role to gather information to solve the crime.  Mike, her son, also played a very minor role in this book.  It was a light, fun read and I am looking forward to future adventures with Buck, the new family member a Dalmation.
4. Tapestry of Lies /  Carol Ann Martin 3.5 stars  This is the second in a series.  The characters are multi-dimensional, and the MC Della Wright, has friends to support and encourage her. A budding romance with an old friend, Matthew, is barely moving, especially since the've known each other since childhood.  A celebrity designer wants some tapestry for a job at Bernard Whitby's mansion>  Della knows this job will definitely make a name for her and Dream Weaver. As Della is leaving a party at Whitby's mansion, she picks up the wrong purse.  I have never dropped my purse on a table at a party and found that to be a bit off.  I've never seen purses laying around at any party I've attended.  But, when Della visits the coffee shop owned by the other woman and her husband to exchange purses, she finds the husband dead from a gunshot. Della's friend Jenny, who also runs a tea and coffee shop in Della's store becomes a person interest.  It's a cozy Della must prove Jenny's is innocent.
5. Gone With the Witch / Heather Blake  5 stars.  This is the sixthe in this series.  When I pick up one of Heather Blake’s Wishcraft books, I'm transported to the Enchanted Village. Even though there is always a murder, I can smile, laugh and feel like I'm among friends. I love how a cleverly disguised witch themed tourist destination allows mortals and Wishcraters to live side by side in the Enchanted Village, unbeknownst to the mortals. The murder mystery kept me speculating until the end. Of course, there are several secondary mysteries, puzzling behaviors, and relationship developments that also kept me engaged in the well entwined plot. The Elder is finally revealed, I had figured that out in book five.  Despite the Enchanted Village’s murder rate escalating since Darcy’s and Harper’s arrival, I wish I could grab a coffee and pastry (from the Gingerbread Shack) and visit with all these fun characters on the green as Archie serenades us with show tunes.
6. Jack Knifed / Christopher Greyson  4 stars  A follow up to the first Jack Stratton mystery/ thriller, "Girl Jacked". This picks up right where Girl Jacked ended, but can be read without reading it.  Jack, and his foster sister "Replacement"- AKA Alice are off to visit Jack's biological mother in the mental institute. Jack wants to see what's become of the woman who gave him up at age 7. While visiting his birth mother, Jack is drawn into the mystery that surrounds the death of his biological father.  Steve Ritter was murdered 26 years earlier and the case is unsolved. Jack, and Replacement are off to the town his birth parents grew up ,and graduated high school from. It seems nobody really wants this case cracked. Jack's mother, Patty, was the town tramp at the time of the murder. Jack and Replacement must battle several horrible, and deadly situations while investigating this case. 
7. Lucificer Messiah / Frank Cavallo  3 Stars  It's classified as a thriller, sci/fi historical and horror.  I  guess for those who enjoy this genre it's a good one.  Highly recommended on Amazon.  Not my regular type reading so difficult for me.  Sean Mulcahy went off to war in 1917 and disappeared. Now, he has returned in 1946, wounded, to the doorstep of the childhood friend who stole his girl. Vince and his estranged wife Maggie try to nurse him back to health despite an obvious bullet wound. Sean's condition seems to be related to the changing criminal element in the neighborhood (Hell's Kitchen).  There is more going on than just a change in criminal bosses. Strange creatures have fled Europe and taken refuge in the city. They usually look like men or women but are very different. Sean might be one of them. A prophesy and a power struggle put Sean in a position he refuses to accept. Meanwhile, Vince tries to make sense of it all. Eventually it all comes to a boil and gets worked out to some degree. This is a strange and confusing book. The real problem is that you seldom see things from a human viewpoint. For the most part you're stuck watching the action through the eyes of creatures we cannot connect with. Because their nature is kept secret to build tension, understanding their views is pretty much impossible. There are some interesting ideas buried in the confusion. There is also some oddities in the timeline.
8. Catch as Cat Can / Claire Donally 5 stars  This is #6 is th eSunny and Shadow series.  The story continues, MC has returned home to be with her father who has had a heart attack.  She lost her job in NY city because she did this.  Now she has a job, a boyfirend and helps him investigate murders since he's the chief investigator, the ony investigator in their small town.  This one iinvolves someone in the witness protection program, gun running too.  
9. Wildcard / Rachel Lee  4.5 stars   Senator Grant Lawrence becomes the Democratic Party's nominee for president with primary victories in Florida, Texas and Louisiana . After he thanks the voters on national TV, he walks in the crowd to thank th epeople outside the hall.  Someone in the crowd shoots him. The FBI begins investigating the assassination attempt.  Tom Lawton is assigned work to keep him out of the prime inquiries. He feels the Los Angeles incident with his superior has turned him into a persona non grata maverick in the minds of his supervisors, but that won't stop him from doing the job.  Tom still manages to find important information.  As his reward he is yanked from the case. He digs into who and why the removal.  As he uncovers links to a Guatemala group that recently killed the American ambassador and CIA actions in the 1950s, he finds he is now the target of his bosses. He flees with only Agent Renate Bachle willing to help him as long as his needs fit her secret agenda.  This is supposed to be the first of a series but doesn't read that way to me.  Many references to what Tom did in California with no real explanation when reference is made to the incidents.  Like punching his boss in the nose.
10. Ring in the Holidays / Katie Lane.  3.5  This is a romance that I zipped through.  The couple meet on New Years Eve in Vegas.  A different twist, they fall into bed and she wakes first in the monring.  Scoots out of the room.  They don't know each others name.  Have no way of fnding ach other until the book she wrote becomes a best seller.  She's on a book signing tour and he shows up.  
11. Black Beans and Vice / J B Stanley  4 Stars.  #6 and the last of the series.  All the loose ends are tied up.  The Flab Five all have romantic partners now.  The Fitzgerald boys also have partners as well.  I'm going to miss this series.
12. Death of a Dapper Snowman / Angela Pepper  3 Stars  A cozy, a first in series with a silly story.  MC moves back to home town because her father is having hip surgery.  Meanwhile his girlfriend has moved into his house, bosses the one daughter that came home.  She's decided to stay and she's buying property all over town while figuring out who murdered her father's neighbor.
13. The Goldfish Bowl / Laurence Gough 4 Stars.  A thriller.  A seriel killer is shooting people with a rifle.  Described as a woman, driving different cars.  As two detectives are going through one of the apartments of a victim the killer shoots one of the detectives.  The two were in different bedrooms looking for clues.  Then a wild ride of more victims.  Apparently people who went to a social club.  The killer leaves clues leading to his next victim.  The lead detectives finally catch on to that, which I sure didn't.  And then without a spoiler here they manage to set a trap for the killer.  I never had a clue!  Left with my mouth hanging open.  This was a Kindle Unlimited so it's a free book if you have that through Amazon.
14. The Beautiful Widow / Helen Brooks 4 stars.  A Brit romance, no sex, no language.  A very nice light read, Widow meets multimillionaire and he's immediately smitten.  With the usual I can't, I want and a HEA.
15. Murder Off the Books / Evelyn David  5 stars.  A fun mystery.!  An embezzlement. a murder or three, seniot citizen on a scooter, three young people trying to solve the crimes, a retired cop with a PI business.  And an Irish Wolfhound named Whiskey.
16. Anchors Aweigh / Kathleen Bacus  3 stars  Part of series with the usual cast only this time they're on a cruise for dieters!  Booked it by mistake and there is only diet food for passengers.  MC is being persued by two men, one a long time relationship and the other new.  This had a finally! ending.  Not the end of the series just closure for that long term relationship.
17. Death by Pink Flamingo / Elisabeth Crabtree  3 Stars  A cozy mystery with som romance thrown in.  No good, not bad.  I suspected, no not that one, yeah, no.  The Pink Flamingo is a hotel in Florida.  The owner has died, was h pushed down thos stairs?  One of his heirs is missing, has she been killed?  Surprise killer.
18.  Sinister / Jana DeLeon 5 stars.  This is the second in the Shaye Archer series.  Shaye is a PI who has opened her own agency in New Orleans.  A street kid who helped her with her first case comes to her for help.  A friend has gone missing.  He wants to hire Shaye to find her.  After hearing the story Shaye goes looking.  Discovers a total of five kids are missing.  They range in age from 10 to 17.  A wild ride for finds answers in this one and leaves you panting for the next in the series.
19. Einsteins Secret / Irving Belateche  4 stars  A sci fi book that involved time travel.  The MC goes through the portal more than once to "fix" things tht have changed.
20. Time Heals No Wounds / Henrick Falkenberg 4 stars Translated from German the MC is a new detective working on a murder case with an older detective who has a record if solving crimes.  The reveal was a jaw dropper!  Never suspected and at first it didn't sink in as to who the murderer was.
21. Cropped to Death / Christina Fraburn 3.5 stars  A cozy involving scrapbooking. 
22. Devil's Dawn / Charlotte Raine  3.5 stars The second of a series.  I didn't care for it as much as the first.  The first kept me on the edge of my seat the second to me is a bit predictable and I don't know if I'll go for the third.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. Murder on Old Main Street / Judith Ivie
2. Black Irish / Stephen Talty
3. Folly /Bill Noel

Finished:  Tool & Die by Sarah Graves --- A fun 'cozy' series.  Jake Tiptree and her friend, Ellie, find themselves, once again, trying to help solve a murder.  Who killed Jake's housecleaner's husband and who has been sending the housekeeper threatening letters? There's a moose on the loose, several relatives are coming for the Fourth of July celebration and nowhere to put them and Jake's son is 'in love' with someone Jake finds totally unsuitable. 

Shattered Secrets by Karen Harper ---Tess Lockwood was abducted as a young child but safely found her way home. Now she's come back to Cold Creek, Ohio to sell the family home and finds out two [possibly three] other young girls have gone missing. Is it the same abductor and if so why start again after all these years? Gabe McCord, now the local police chief, always felt responsible for Tess's abduction since he was babysitting her and some other children when she was taken. Interesting story line, enjoyed the book.

Magic Hour by Susan Isaacs -- [I'm having a hard time getting into this one] I just couldn't finish this book, didn't like the main charcter and the story line was taking too long to get interesting.

Quicksand by Iris Johansen --- A serial killer is taunting Eve, telling her he's the one who killed her daughter, Bonnie, and he will tell her where to find her body...but only if Eve will play his game.  One of the better books of this series.

The Clinic by Jonathan Kellerman --- I think one of Kellerman's better books. Alex Delaware is helping his friend, Detective Milo Sturgis solve a cold case, a college professor, Hope Devane, was brutally murdered and there are no clues and no valid suspects. Lots of twists and turns and surprising developments as the story unfolds. Good book!!

No Escape by Heather Lowell --- Tessa Jacobi is an Assistant DA in Los Angeles when she meets Kelly Martin who claims she was raped by a high profile football player.  When Kelly disappears before Tessa can help her, Tessa works with private investigator Luke Novak to find her.  What they find is an underworld of teenage prostitution, gambling, money laundering and more.  This book started out slow but developed into a very intriguing story.

One Coffee With by Margaret Maron --- I've been wanting to read this older series by Margaret Maron for some time, but just got around to reading the first of the series. I was not disappointed!! Sigrid Harald is an NYPD detective investigating the murder of an art professor.  Sigrid is a complex person in her private life and an excellent detective, which has caused problems with the men she works with. Looking forward to seeing how Sigrid develops in the series.

If Wishes Were Horses by Curtis Ann Matlock --- Etta Rivers is a recent widow [unfortunately her husband died in another woman's bed] who is pregnant with his child and in danger of losing everything due to his irresponsible life-style.  Then Johnny Bellah shows up at her ranch thinking he's going to collect the $800 Etta's husband owes him. They work out a deal that will benefit them both.... I really liked this book, likable characters and an interesting look at horse raising and training.

Cold River by Carla Neggers --- 2nd in the Black Falls series.  Warning: if you haven't already read Cold Pursuit don't read this one until you do as it is basically a continuation of that book and you will be lost as to what is going on.  I read Cold Pursuit some time ago and I still had a hard time getting into the flow of the story line even though it continually referred back to that story.  But that's the way most of Neggers books are and I should have remembered that.  The Camerons and the secret service are still trying to find out why Drew Cameron was murdered along with the two hired assassisins and who is the mastermind behind it all.

Crime School by Carol O'Connell --- A really good series, Kathy Mallory [just Mallory!], along with her partner Riker are investigating the murder of a prostitute named Sparrow who was the young Kathy's friend and protector when Kathy was a homeless child on the streets.  Then a cold case seems to fit the same MO. Mallory is a complex person, sometimes a little hard to like, but always intriguing.

Seeing A Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters  --- Amelia Peabody and her husband, Emerson, are excavating a tomb in Egypt when they find a mummified body.  Only it isn't the kind of body that should be in an ancient tomb, this one is only a few years dead. Ramses and his friend, David, are growing up and Nefret is becoming a young lady, and because of that there are growing problems from outside sources. Always a fun read.

In Plain Sight by Tara Taylor Quinn --- the 1st in the Ivory Nation series, prosecutor Janet McNeil is determined to get a conviction for Jacob Hall, who she believes is a member of the Ivory Nation, a white supremist group in Arizona. When she begins to get threatening letters, she's convinced she's on the right track.  Her next-door neighbor,Simon Green, seems to want to help her, but she's not sure she can trust him, or anyone else.  Interesting plot, especially with the ways things are going today.

Currently reading: Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts

Up next:  undecided

The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton - not sure about this one yet.

Reading:

The Red: First Light by Linda Nagata.  First book in a trilogy, just a few pages in.

Youth and the Bright Medusa by Willa Cather.  Short story book, only just getting started.

Finished:

The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly.  I really liked her first book and this is another good one.  I started & finished in a day, I don't normally do this because I am reading a few books at at time but got hooked & stayed on it.  I enjoy the writer's style and story.  I will have to keep watching out for what is next.  

A Vast & Fiendish Plot by Clint Johnson.  About attempt by Confederates to destroy New York City by a series of fires during Civil War.  Interesting read, end was a little too much "what if" for my tastes but topic was probably stretched to be a book so some of that was kind of needed I guess.

Legends, Lies & Cherished Myths of American History by Richard Shenkman.  Interesting tidbits on history, nothing great or indepth but generally interesting.

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve.  I have a few books by author but haven't read any till now.  I liked the story within a story and some of the themes and characters but overall just kind of okay.  Not sure I agree with how this would have all turned out and some of the characters were just a little too easy or just out there.  It was still an easy read and the story one of the characters was writing was probably more interesting to me than the action going on with regular characters.  I liked it enough that I will try other books by author at some point but overall this one was just okay.

White Palace by Glenn Savan.  A book where most happens in St Louis from late '80s, same time I came here for college.  Fun in that standpoint to read about the town when I first arrived.  I had seen this movie years ago, in fact I remember seeing the movie being filmed when I was at college--seeing the cars drive down Grand Ave when I was at SLU.  Basically, a young white collar rising star type ad executive tragically his young beautiful wife dies in a car accident.  A year later finally meets up with a white trash, hard drinking, chain smoking type--the old opposites attract thing and they go through a relationship with turmoil.  She walks out on it and at end of book sounds like getting back together.  A strange book, strange relationship but I guess makes an interesting read.

Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher.  A look at some more unconventional conservatives.  A little preachy but like & agree with much of what he is saying.  Interesting with this election cycle to see if conservative/republican groups facture or main some degree of togetherness.

I am reading:

Gulp by Mary Roach (love her)

         And

Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton (great series but it can lag in parts)

FINISHED

Skink--No Surrender: Carl Hiaasen           I really enjoy the YA books by Carl Hiaasen.

Silent Creed : Alex Kava         These books with the search and rescue dogs are really good.

Cash Landing: James Grippando     I didn't think this was one of his best, but not bad.

Rivers: A Novel: Michael Farris Smith         This one was definitely different for me.  Not the best, but not bad.

Here, the cast of characters features the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (he who abdicated the British throne and she, Wallis Simpson, now exiled to the Bahamas and rumored to harbor pro-Nazi sympathies), various businessmen and dignitaries, and a very drunken Errol Flynn! Mrs. Roosevelt demurely works to solve a murder that occurs while on an official visit during the months before WW2,while war rages around the world, but the U.S. was still struggling to remain neutral. Her skills at protocol are put to the test!

I have no doubt son Elliott enjoyed writing these novels immensely. His mother is portrayed as savvy, level-headed and always disarmingly polite. But he is not above depicting her taking a spill off a bicycle into a mud puddle. I enjoyed every page of this mystery and recommend this series very highly!

Reading: The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill - good so far

I Love You More -by Jennifer Murphy,  a who done it about a man with 3 families who was murdered. Nothing gory, I liked it

The Vegetarian by Han Kang, woman has a dream and suddenly won't eat any meat or fish. This takes place in Korea where apparently men still rule all the family women. Didn't much like it. She was really not a voice at all, just a disturbed woman in the background, more about her husband and brother- in - law.

the House At Riverton by Kate Morton, her first novel set in Britain between the wars about servants and secrets. I liked it a lot, not as much as some of her others though.

Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson, the forth in the Jackson Brodie series. Still reading, but I don't like her style of going between different voices. Not her best. Maybe I'll change my mind when I finish.

I loved the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson.  Read the whole series one book after another like they were all one book.

Pamela, this last one is so different in style. Still havec100 pages left to go. I will certainly finish it but I don't like it nearly as much as the others. Does it get better?

Finished : Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss - 4 to 4.5 stars

Reading: Time To Murder and Create by Lawrence Block - i'm liking the Matthew Scudder Series