Janet P. (emilie1) reviewed on 5/20/2025 + 2 more book reviews

I went looking for sardonic humor and found only meanness. Not funny. Disappointing. This will be the last David Sedaris I read.

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Marci (marcijo28) - reviewed on 5/20/2025 + 376 more book reviews

If you're looking for a highly entertaining read about a bounty hunter, her ex-ho partner-in-crime, her on-again-off-again cop boyfriend, her sex-on-a-stick badass mysterious mentor bounty hunter, and her small-town Burg living family with their too-sassy-for-her-own-good grandmother than look no further!

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Melissa B. (dragoneyes) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 876 more book reviews

Religion, conversion and demons... sounds like a scary read. It definitely had its moments but it really wasn't that creepy. It had some good characters and a unusual idea but it did take me a bit to get through it and came somewhat predictable by the end.

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Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 994 more book reviews

I am not a huge reader of the horror genre, but this book was excellent. It is definitely scary, with the pacing of a thriller but it also has a huge heart.

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Melissa B. (dragoneyes) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 876 more book reviews

I liked it! A bit bizarre, a bit disturbing, and a bit hallucinogenic, it was a fever dream of obsession and eyeballs. I liked how the book made it seem like it may be a dream and kept you guessing until the end. Look forward to more by this author.

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Melissa B. (dragoneyes) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 876 more book reviews

Entertaining story with some messed up ideas. I liked this book but it wasn't Mellick's best.

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Karen S. (BoysMom) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 965 more book reviews

Diamond in the Ruff: A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery by Cindy Goyette

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Clever, twisty murder mystery with a great canine theme!

Diamond in the Ruff is the first book in author Cindy Goyette's cozy canine-themed Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery series set on a small island off the Washington coast and featuring a strong young female protagonist and her companion dog, a lovable cocker spaniel named Noah. With its wonderful main characters, both human and canine, and an intriguing, complex plot, I didn't want to put this one down.

When Charlie Calderbank returns to Orca Cove, where she spent many happy childhood visits, it is to help out at her Aunt Jo-Jo's dog hotel while her aunt recuperates and undergoes rehab after a near-fatal car accident. But while walking dogs with her aunt's troubled teenage part-time employee, they discover the body of the owner of a particularly rambunctious charge, floating near the shore, with Jo-Jo's unique handmade necklace clutched in her hand. As the evidence against Jo-Jo starts to stack up, Charlie initiates her own investigation into who murdered Lucy Masanova and is trying to implicate her aunt.

Charlie is such an interesting and relatable character. Although a life-long dog lover and clearly happy to help out with her aunt's business, it had always been her dream to be a police officer back in her home state of New Jersey. However, a recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and symptoms affecting her hands and fine motor skills make her career choice no longer viable. Anyone suffering from this incurable disease will find her experiences relatable and authentic. Suddenly out of work, when the call comes about Jo-Jo's accident, Charlie is able to leave immediately for the Pacific Northwest to help out. The descriptions of her aunt's island home are entrancing.

The plot, with its different concurrent storylines, moves at a fast pace, and the suspense quickly mounts as someone is seen lurking around the hotel in the dark, the orphaned part-timer is threatened by her sleazy uncle and aunt, and the case against Jo-Jo continues to look bleak. The hunky island police officer is a tempting distraction both for Jo-Jo's future freedom and Charlie's heart as she tries to keep him focused on those she pinpoints as better suspects, including Lucy's own nephew, who arrived suspiciously quick from Georgia, for her murder. With the storylines intertwining, there are a couple of good red herrings to knock off the suspect list before arriving at the shocking revelations of some years-old island secrets and real killer.

I recommend DIAMOND IN THE RUFF to mystery readers who enjoy canine themes, Pacific Northwest settings, underlying romantic potential, and a strong female protagonist.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 2681 more book reviews

Good start to the new series. I especially enjoyed learning about a little-known part of the Napoleonic Wars - the imprisonment of British men of fighting age found on French soil immediately after the declaration of war. These civilian men remained in prison for up to eleven years before being released at the end of the war.

Eleven years ago, Jon was the third son of a duke, with little to do but get into trouble. Fed up with his antics, Jon's parents hired Professor Morris to accompany him on a tour of Europe to get him away from bad influences. Unfortunately, Jon and Professor Morris got caught up in the sweep and spent the next eleven years in prison. Those years left a deep mark on Jon's soul, including an intense sense of guilt over the professor's death. He promises to find a husband for the professor's daughter. When Jon finally returns home, he discovers his father and two brothers are dead, leaving him the dukedom. Not only must he adjust to being free, he must also learn how to be the duke. To fulfill his vow, he invents a dowry to assist in finding a suitable match.

After her mother's death, Victoria became a governess for Jon's sister, Chloe. Now that Chloe is grown, Tori has become her companion instead of governess. This also gives Tori time to pursue her love of sculpting.

I enjoyed watching Jon and Tori's relationship develop. The beginning is a little rough, as Jon doesn't expect Tori's independent nature. He plans to find her a husband, while Tori isn't interested in marriage. She wants to use her dowry to fund a school for women artists. I loved their interactions as each fights for their own plans until they work out a compromise. I liked how Tori held Jon to his promise. I laughed out loud at some of the art lessons.

Neither expects the sparks of attraction that flare between them. Tori doesn't intend to marry, as experience has convinced her that men are unreliable. She has another compelling reason to avoid marriage that she has kept secret from everyone. I understood her concerns and loved her protectiveness. At the same time, Jon finds himself increasingly drawn to Tori. However, he is wracked with guilt over her father's death and fears that she will hate him if she learns the truth. I liked seeing both finally trust each other and themselves enough to open up.

The ending was excellent, and I loved seeing how everything worked out.

There is also a hint of mystery in this book that I suspect will run through the entire trilogy. When Jon and his friends were captives in France, they planned an escape. Unfortunately, they were betrayed and recaptured. Now, they want to find out who was responsible. There is an interesting twist involving one of their suspects.

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Rachel A. (ra7) reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 1045 more book reviews

Things are slow with Mel's company, so she is able to help out Graham at his job site. He has a ghost problem. He happens to be working on the reconstruction of a Scottish castle that has come with its own ghost.
The biggest thing in this was Mel and Graham's relationship progressing (she calls him her boyfriend). I thought the mystery was okay; nice little twist with the stones (someone might have lied to get money and the business).

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Rachel A. (ra7) reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 1045 more book reviews

I would classify this as more women's fiction with a dose of (light) romance on the side.
Indiana (Ana) works in a male dominated industry. She's smart and calls things out when needed. After she speaks out after being passed over for a promotion (go figure, the guy she trained got it), she gets transferred to a remote team. During an interaction, she gets mis-gendered and decides to not correct it (at least not right away).
As you would correctly guess, things quickly snowball from there with help from her friends who lie and cover up for her. I did think the friends were annoying at times and overstepped. Things do (as you know) work out nicely and people aren't always as one would assume. Ana made assumptions about the people she worked with and they had ways of pleasantly surprising her. And she met a nice guy, Shane.

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Sallianne D. (traveller) reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 83 more book reviews

After reading such glowing reviews about this book I tried, with difficulty, to understand it. Perhaps it was the translation that somehow did not do justice to the original. As one reviewer mentioned, the whole narrative seemed silly and pointless.

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Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 2805 more book reviews

While there are a lot of twists and turns in this book, I have to agree with another reviewer that there is also a lot of filler. In fact, there is way too much filler. This series doesn't even begin to compare with "Block's "The Burglar Who..." series.

If you had a friend who discussed things with you Ad Infinitum, like Keller nd Dot do, you would eventually avoid that person as if they had the plague.

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Marci (marcijo28) - reviewed on 5/19/2025 + 376 more book reviews

I've been reading the 87th Precinct novels in chronological order. I never read McBain in my earlier years, so I'm reading them now. This one is especially good - and particularly grisly, even for McBain.

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Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 2805 more book reviews

I enjoy good space opera. Starfire is a series of eight books, of which this is the sixth book. However, the fourth book was written before the first three. For me, the first four books were page turners. And I was disappointed when the series ended. So I was excited years later when I discovered there were four more books in the series This was because there were several years between books #4 and #5.

But book #5 was a giant bomb. This was because David Weber, a very respected sci-fi author was the co-author of the first four books. But they got a different co-author for #5, Exodus. That co-author apparently forgot this was a space opera series, and got overly involved in an alien culture and its philosophy. I gave that book a very negative review. Others must have agreed with me as she was dropped as co-author and someone else helped write the last three books in the series. While the alien culture still had a prominent place in this book, it was many levels better than the previous book, as there was more space opera.

Still this book has problems. I dislike it when a sci-fi author stages huge space battles and has scores, if not hundreds, of ships destroyed in each one, along with all their crews. And that often happens in this book when a fusion missile explodes 50,000 kilometers from the ships. This cheapens the book. Hey, even in "Star Trek" the only ones to die were those stupid enough to put on red-shirts before beaming down to a planet with only a phaser. While the rest of the Enterprise crew only had to experience being tossed around the bridge and getting excited when their shields starting losing power. I know this is fiction, but it helps if an author sticks to some degree of reality. In this book, hundreds of ships are destroyed in each battle, but in the next battle the two sides have just as many as before, if not more. Makes you wonder where they were coming from, as ships take time to build. Is Amazon still there in the far future? Do Star Fleet commanders have Prime? Do they just order more ships from Amazon with next day delivery?

As for the trained crews, where are they coming from? I was just a ground Marine, but I had almost a year of training before the Fleet Marine Force let me command a platoon.

I have the last two books in this series, but I don't plan on reading them any time soon. There are too many other good books awaiting my time.

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Robin M. (robinmy) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 2155 more book reviews

Nate Beckett has been fighting wildfires since he left his hometown fourteen years ago. Back then he was the son of the town drunk, and he was in love with Brenna Strickland, the daughter of the local preacher. When Rev. Strickland learns that his daughter is seeing Nate, he makes his way to the local bar and insists that Roy Beckett make his son stay away from his daughter. A few hours later, the Reverend was found murdered, and Roy was arrested and sent to prison. Now Nate's father has been pardoned and is back home. Nate visits him while being off work due to injuries suffered in a fire. His father is still insisting that he is innocent and asking for help to clear his name.

While back in his hometown, Nate goes to see Brenna. She is happy to see him and doesn't blame him for what happened to her father. Her life has been crazy lately. Her husband left her for another woman and is now fighting for custody of their two children. Brenna is not dealing well with that fact and has started drinking. Nate volunteers to help her fight for custody of her kids.

This story was billed as Christian Suspense. To me it read like a clean contemporary romance with a couple of mystery elements. There really wasn't any suspense. I liked Nate and thought he was a good character. Brenna was her own worst enemy. She was great with the kids. But as soon as they left to stay with their father on the weekend, she would start crying, drinking and feeling sorry for herself. Instead of working with her attorney to get the kids back, she would just stick her head in the sand and moan about her life.

There was a lot happening in this story. Who killed Reverend Strickland and set up Roy Beckett? Will Brenna lose custody of her kids? Will Nate and Brenna rekindle their romance? Not much time was spent on the murder. The most interesting part of the story was about Brenna and her custody battle. The romance between Nate and Brenna was tepid at best.

I listened to the audio version of the story narrated by Sarah Zimmerman. She really didn't change her voice so we could tell the difference between the characters. I didn't know who was speaking a couple of times. My rating: 3 Stars.

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Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 2351 more book reviews

Sheriff's Detective Stilwell is a welcome addition to the Harry Bosch School of Policing. A former sheriff's dive team member, he's a good fit for the quieter pace of Catalina Island in Michael Connelly's Nightshade.

A new addition to the Connelly canon calls for a new setting, and I really enjoyed getting to know Catalina Island, which-- in Stilwell's world-- is known as "the Island of Misfit Toys" because police officers with blotches on their records are sent there if they can't be fired outright. Naturally, boating plays a big part in life on the island. Stilwell has gotten to know his fellow officers, their strengths and weaknesses, and he's in a relationship with a woman who's always lived on Catalina. Her very different perspective means that they don't always see eye-to-eye.

The investigations are what we've come to expect from Michael Connelly-- intriguing, engrossing, and filled with interesting factoids (like Prada's RFI chips). I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about Stilwell in the next book. Bring it on!

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)

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Regina C. (flyinggems) reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 480 more book reviews

A story about how families do not have to be "normal"

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Sallie M. (oldrockandroll) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 319 more book reviews

I was very disappointed in this book. This is no where near up to the par of the Kay Scarpetta character. Andy Brazil's character was okay, noting to write home about. For me, the book dragged a lot and was more about the characters than the murder story line. I will read the next book in the series, Southern Cross, and see if it is any better. I really prefer the Kay Scarpetta series.

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Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 2805 more book reviews

As I'm well read in World War II history, I wasn't expecting a lot from this book. It is mainly a "popular history" book about the Normandy landings, and follows several men from just before the invasion until many years later. But I was pleasantly surprised due to the details the author gave about the men and the battles they fought in. I learned a lot, including about some aspects of the Normandy landings I was never aware of.

I thought I had caught two mistakes the author made, but it turned out it was only one. On one page the author refers to the German Panzer Lehr division as a SS division. I didn't think that was right. So I checked Wikipedia and found, "It was the only Wehrmacht Panzer division to be fully equipped with tanks and with halftracks to transport its mechanized infantry." So it wasn't an SS division.

On another page the author refers to "Queen Elizabeth" touring the hospitals visiting the wounded after the invasion. So I "knew" there were only two Queen Elizabeths and the second--- Princess Elizabeth---didn't become queen until years after the war. Some research showed I was amiss, as he was referring to the Queen Elizabeth who was the wife of King George and the mother of Princess Elizabeth. You never stop learning.

This was an easy and fun read, and I enjoyed the book. But as the author spends a lot of time discussing the terrible casualties many of the Allied units took, there is also a sober---and yes, a depressing side---to the book.

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Robyn H. (byrd1956) reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 49 more book reviews

I've read a number of positives and negatives about this book. Overall, I liked the book and was drawn into some of the situations. The chapters were short-reads and somewhat seemed blog-like; sort of random and mixed up. I have witnessed many of the characteristics of the main characters, and parts of the book gave a little insight and increased my compassion for people I have previously met or worked with. As with most books, I read this aloud to my husband. I do not think he liked the book as much as I did. Some of his reactions were, that wouldn't really happen, it's sappy, too religious, no one would act like that. Sometimes I will ask him what he thinks before writing a little review; I didn't think time because I did not want to hear any more negative comments.

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Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 994 more book reviews

It took me a while to get into this book, but about a third of the way through it became a real page turner. Unfortunately it was a disappointment in the end, as the main charater was insufferable and at the end I had so many questions. The twist at the end was so dark and seemed to come out of nowhere.

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Karen S. (BoysMom) - , reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 965 more book reviews

When Sparks Fly by Libby Kay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A satisfying story of hope and healing ushers in this new Southern romantic series.

When Sparks Fly is the first book in author Libby Kay's new southern romance series set in Pinegrove, Georgia, and features two broken but good-hearted people who both need hope, healing, and a new love. Recently disappointed in love, Fire Lieutenant Trevor Mays receives the news that his rival in love has also gotten the promotion to Captain that Trevor deserved. His dream job as a firefighter, following in the footsteps of his father to eventually become chief, suddenly becomes grim as the new captain deliberately tries to make his life as miserable as possible.

Meanwhile, in nearby Savannah, Whitney Kerr discovers the long-time boyfriend, who just dumped her less than a month before, proposing to another woman, captured on live television during a baseball game. At a loss for what to do with her life, she embarks on an impromptu road trip, ending up in Pinegrove, the site of many happy childhood memories. Tired and needing a hotel room, Whitney is dismayed to learn every hotel in the small town is completely booked due to its renowned 4th of July celebrations that are just kicking off. However, she is drawn under the wing of the kind, widowed Daisy Mays, who happens to have a handsome and eligible firefighter son who needs a breath of fresh air, just like Whitney, to breeze into his life.

Whitney and Trevor have much in common when it comes to their recent and unfortunate love lives. It was lovely seeing these two hurt souls find their way to each other with the help of Daisy and others. Both are kind and generous people who you can't help but root for to find their happily ever after with each other while growing individually into better people at the same time.

The plot is well-paced, and the story is easy to enjoy. It is also a little lighthearted as both recognize that their stories are the perfect fodder for a romance novel. The tale unfolds from both Whitney's and Trevor's points of view, so readers get to see both sides of their story. This couple seems made for each other, and their cautious but strong attraction to each other is almost palpable. This was an interesting and satisfying story to sink into and just enjoy.

I recommend WHEN SPARKS FLY to romance readers who enjoy second-chance romances or small-town Georgia settings.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Silver Dagger Book Tours.

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Karen S. (CacaoBear) reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 92 more book reviews

I grew up reading Lawrence Block, and only stopped reading the Matthew Scudder novels when he took a decidedly darker turn around book #9 & #10. But I eventually got past those and I'm happy to say that this book was pretty darned good!! Matt Scudder is a retired police detective, a recovering alcoholic, and an unlicensed private investigator. He is an eminently flawed character, which makes him absolutely real. I'm not saying I'd like to hang out with him - he's a little too glum for me - but he makes for great reading. In A long Line of Dead Men, there is a club formed of 31 gentlemen, and the whole purpose of the club is too meet one day each year and remember those members who have passed. When there is only one member remaining, he selects 30 new members from a younger generation, and the whole thing starts anew. One day, one of the club's members approaches Matt with some concerns. It seems that the current roster of members is dying off at an alarming rate - some homicides, some suicides, some accidents - and Matt is tasked with determining if there is something sinister in the works. This is a fabulous vehicle for character studies - 30 men who really don't know each other all that well, and they must face the possibility that one of them is much more than what he seems. I'm afraid I figured out what was going on before Matt did, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. It posed an interesting conundrum: how to resolve the situation. And I'll admit that I didn't see the resolution coming. This is a mystery of the best kind - not a silly cozy, not a gory thriller - it's a combination whodunnit/whydunnit. It's crafty and detailed, engaging and thought-provoking. That's a LOT to ask from a mystery novel. Recommended.

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Dianne (gardngal) reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 276 more book reviews

Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air. It has strong, believable and intelligent female characters. There is a mystery and the interactions of members in a small community as the clues begin to unravel. And a good bit of the historical period keeps it interesting as well, about life in the very early twentieth century, with excellent prose from a gifted author! I loved it! I look forward to following the rest of the series. D.

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Marcia C. reviewed on 5/18/2025 + 695 more book reviews

It was very hard to reconcile the potential crime being investigated with common sense. I don't believe North American governments have the amount of corruption that Penny's plots require, especially this one. Also her portentous tone gets wearying.

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