Category Archives: Book Talk

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Last week, I read:

The Dark Tide by Simon McCleave: This first installment in the Anglesey series is a an action-filled crime drama. The current day events are interspersed by flashbacks to the death of lead character DCI Laura Hart’s beloved husband, Sam. In the present, drug smugglers take a tourist boat hostage in hopes of evading arrest. The two storylines are intriguing but I am much more invested in finding out what happened to Sam. The Welsh island of Anglesey is vividly brought to life throughout the mystery and I am eager to revisit it and the characters again.

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister: In this compelling mystery, Jen travels back to various times in her life in an attempt to save her teenage son, Todd, from becoming a murderer. In each time period she visits, she picks up on vital information that takes on new meaning considering what happened just before she entered the time loop. Jen also begins to view her husband, Kelly, in a who new light. The storyline is well-developed and the characters are easy to relate to. I absolutely loved this unique mystery and highly recommend it!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

The books I read last week:

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman: I so wanted to love Ove, but I was just unable to muster up much more than a tepid 3 out of 5 stars rating. Curmudgeon I can deal with and grow to love. But Ove was sooo hard to like and ultimately, I found him to be a one dimensional chararacter for much of the story. I did enjoy the neighbors and I admire them for not giving up on Ove. Despite my lact of overall enthusiam for Ove, I shed a few tears at the novel’s conclusion. The book has excellent ratings so obviously others saw charm that I just couldn’t uncover.

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica: Short chapters that alternate between points of view keep this domestic mystery moving at a fast pace. The characters are well-drawn and easy to relate to. I greatly enjoyed the fact that a husband is missing instead of the typical wife gone missing storyline. Just when readers think they know who did it and why, Mary Kubica throws in deliciously stunning plot-twists. And I particularly liked the epilogue!

The Marriage Act by John Marrs: In the not too distant future, Britain uses monetary and health care incentives to convince its citizens to marry their partners for the “greater good”. Written from different perspectives, the short chapters make it impossible to put down this well-plotted novel that offers a scary future with AI deciding couples’ fates. The characters are interesting and the storyline is exceptionally well developed and quite clever. John Marrs’ delivers another finely crafted technothriller that I stayed up way past my bedtime reading!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Woo hoo! I read three books last week!

I read the 3rd installment in Fiona McIntosh’s DCI Jack Hawksworth series, Mirror Man. I read the previous books last summer and lost my momentum while I was waiting for Mirror Man to arrive. Since the 4th book releases Tuesday, I decided to get ready to read it on release day. Mirror Man is like the two previous books in the series: the pacing is fast, the characters are brilliant and the storyline is well-executed. I like DCI Hawksworth more and more with each mystery. And the supporting cast of characters is just as superb as he is.

My second read of the week was A Rancher Worth Remembering, a delightful romance by Anna Grace. This small town romance is the first book in the Love, Oregon series and features the close-knit Wallace siblings as they fall love. You can read my thoughts on this marvelous romance HERE.

In Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins, I returned to Britain for an outstanding domestic mystery. Short chapters that weave back and forth in time keep the pages turning at a blistering pace. The plot is ingenious and keeps readers guessing from beginning to end. I hope we will meet DS Saul Anguish again in a future mystery because he is an intriguing character.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

I had a pretty good week of reading. Ok, two of the books were challenge books and I was trying to complete my Goodread Reading Challenge (I did! I read 165 books in 2022). It also helps that I was in the mood to read!

The first book I read is All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers. This debut has an intriguing storyline but I ended up giving it just 3 (of 5) stars. The lead character was so annoying! And prone to jumping to conclusions. Sigh. The pacing is a little slow and I had a hard time getting into the book. I also had a pretty good idea of whodunit but there were enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I was fully prepared to give it 3.5 stars until the very abrupt and frustrating ending. ARGH!

Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart is a completely captivating mystery that I absolutely loved. A long unsolved mystery with a flawed but appealing lead character trying to rectify past mistakes makes for a fast-paced read. Seamlessly weaving back and forth in time, this brilliant mystery wraps up with completely satifying conclusion.

My thoughts on This Place of Wonder and Where the Blue Sky Begins can be found HERE.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Since we took the month off from Book Talk, let’s talk about your favorite reads from the month of December! My selections are:

The Blame Game by Sandie Jones is another outstanding mytery that I truly enjoyed. Great plot twists and super fast paced. I greatly enjoyed it.

Debut author Kathleen M. Willett’s Mother of All Secrets is a great read. The storyline is compelling and there are some great twists. My only complaint is it was a little repetitive.

Shelter in the Storm is the first romance I’ve read by Laurel Blount and I loved it so much I immediately bought the next book in the Johns Mill Amish Romance series. I adore Amish romances so I was hooked from the very first page. The storyline is quite unique and quickly drew me. The characters are endearing and the issues they are facing are relatable. I am very much looking forward to the third installment which releases in 2023.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Woo hoo! My reading mojo is BACK! I read four books this week.

My thoughts on each of the books:

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger: I’ve been eagerly awaiting this release! A remote cabin in the woods sets the stage for this intriguing mystery that unfolds from multiple points of view. Well-written with a unique storyline but I felt a little let down by the ending.

The Other People by C.J. Tudor: This brilliant mystery follows a father searching for his daughter in the aftermath of tragedy. The story is narracted by different characters and while the connection is not obvious at first, the storylines do intersect. The plot is compelling with intriuging elements. A page-turner that kept me up reading later that I had planned since I could not wait to reach the conclusion!

Treasure State by C.J. Box: The Cassie Dewell series is one of my favorites! Her character has evolved quite a bit over the course of the series so I always look forward to reading the latest mystery. Cassie is a PI in Montana and her latest case is interestomg and takes her to small towns in Montana. She is met with resitance from local law enforcement so she has to watch her back throughout the investigation. Another outstanding novel in a fanatstic series in which the setting is also a character.

Keep It in the Family by John Marrs: I am a huge fan of John Marrs and I absolutely loved this engrossing mystery. With perspectives changing with each chapter, a dark story that follows a couple whose new house hides a twisted past. I HIGHLY recommend this outstanding mystery!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!