Category Archives: Rated B

November 22, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Marrying Matthew by Kelly Long

Title: Marrying Matthew by Kelly Long
The Amish Mail Order Grooms Series Book One
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance
Length: 272 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Captivating Amish romance set in a tiny Appalachian community—where some young women are determined to wed on their own terms . . .

Wanted: An Amish mail-order groom willing to live in remote Appalachia. Appearance must be tolerable, though bride would favor a gut mind over looks . . .

Everyone in Blackberry Falls knows that Tabitha Stolfus is heir to her daed’s wood carving company. To find a man who values more than her purse, Tabitha creates an ad and sends it far from home. But from her first meeting with handsome would-be groom Matthew King, Tabitha realizes this may not be the uncomplicated arrangement she expected.

Matthew’s true desire is an apprenticeship, not a frau. A talented woodworker, he longs to study with the great Herr Stolfus. Yet it’s more than the kindness and warmth of this mountain community that makes Matthew regret his deception. Tabitha—beautiful, intelligent, resourceful—is all he could ever want in a wife. Can a real marriage ever take root when there are so many secrets between them?

Review:

Marrying Matthew is a charming first installment in Kelly Long’s The Amish Mail Order Grooms series.

Tabitha Stolfus is the twenty year old daughter of a successful owner of a woodworking business.  She wants to marry a man of her own choosing and who does not know about her family business. Strong-willed and creative, Tabitha places an ad for a mail-order Amish husband. Keeping her plans secret from her father, John, she is aided by her friend/bodyguard Abner Mast and her friend/housekeeper Anke. Tabitha is pleasantly surprised by her intended, but will she and her new groom live happily ever after?

Matthew King is really not interested in marriage but answering Tabitha’s ad is a means to an end. He is a woodworker who wants to apprentice under his bride-to-be’s father so that is his impetus for marrying Tabitha. Matthew is taken aback by how quickly Tabitha wants to marry since he believed they would have a bit of a courtship before their marriage. He goes along with marrying quickly but he stymies her plans to consummate their marriage before they take the time to get know each other.

John is surprised but thrilled by Tabitha’s marriage and he does not hesitate to welcome Matthew into the family and the business. But the townspeople are a somewhat superstitious and when a couple of incidents occur, they try to distance themselves from the newcomer. After tragedy strikes, most everyone believes Matthew is to blame. Then, just as Matthew and Tabitha fully commit themselves to their marriage, their future is threatened by a series  of events that put not only their happiness, but their lives, in danger.

Marrying Matthew is a fast-paced romance that is not typical of Amish fiction. John and Tabitha are delightful characters whose attraction to each other is not downplayed. Readers of clean romances might be uncomfortable due to descriptions of their mutual desire. A lovely romance between Abner and Anke slowly unfolds and adds depth and substance to the storyline. With a somewhat predictable plot twist late in the story, Kelly Long brings this engaging romance to a dramatic conclusion.  I am looking forward to the next book in The Amish Mail Order Grooms series.

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Filed under Amish, Contemporary, Kelly Long, Marrying Matthew, Rated B, Review, Romance, The Amish Mail Order Grooms Series, Zebra Books

November 18, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Last Sailor by Sarah Anne Johnson

Title: The Last Sailor by Sarah Anne Johnson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Length: 280 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the author of The Lightkeeper’s Wife comes a poignant and powerful historical novel about grief, redemption, and brotherhood set on the shores of Cape Cod.

Cape Cod, 1898: All that Nathaniel Boyd wants is to be left alone. His hopes of marriage died years ago, not long after the storms and the seas and the sails took away his youngest brother. He’d rather be in the marshes of Cape Cod, with their predictable rhythms and no emotion. The Cape doesn’t blame him for the accident.

The other Boyd brother, Finn, dives headlong into his fish trading company, trying to prove something to himself. When their father asks the brothers to sail a schooner down from Boston to their harbor village, he didn’t expect them to bring back a young girl fleeing her home, much less a girl who slips off the boat and nearly drowns. The Boyd men take Rachel to the nearest home to the harbor—that of Nathaniel’s first love, Meredith.

As Rachel’s recovery brings Nathaniel back into Meredith’s world, nothing will be the same. And when their father dies and upends the world as they know it, Finn spins into a violent rage. Nathaniel will be forced to sail his own ship, taking command of his family and of his future.

For fans of Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris and Lost Boy Found by Kirsten Alexander, The Last Sailor is the painful, but hopeful story of two boys scarred by the loss of their brother, and the men they know they must become.

Review:

The Last Sailor by Sarah Anne Johnson is a heartfelt historical novel of family, healing and love.

Nathaniel Boyd Sr. has high expectations of his sons Nathaniel and Phinneas “Finn”.  Ten years ago, the death of his youngest son, Jacob, devastated their family.  In the intervening years, Nathaniel Sr. has become even more successful in business but his relationships with Nathaniel and Finn are strained.  He continues to hold out hope Nathaniel will finally take up the reins of his businesses. At the same time, Nathaniel Sr. continues to dismiss Finn’s requests to help him begin a new business. After convincing his sons travel to Boston and sail back in an associate’s schooner, all of their lives take startling turns.

Nathaniel retreated after Jacob’s death. He broke off his engagement to his childhood sweetheart Meredith. He then moved onto the marsh and spends most of his time by himself. Nathaniel is content to earn enough money to live on and he sells fish to Finn. His relationship with Finn is strained and their only interactions take place at Finn’s fish shop. Nathaniel rarely sees his father due to the pressure to return home and join Nathaniel Sr.’s businesses.   He reluctantly agrees to accompany Finn to Boston and he is very uneasy when his brother agrees to bring a stranger on board the schooner.

Finn is married with three young children.  His marriage is faltering under the stress of his long hours at work. He is constantly trying to prove himself to his father and he is resentful of his dad’s refusal to help him with his dream of owning a fishing fleet. Everything becomes even more complicated after Finn takes on seventeen year old Rachel as a passenger on the schooner he and Nathaniel are sailing home.

Rachel is eager to start a new life after escaping from her miserable home with her father.  She is enjoying her journey on the schooner when the trip takes a decidedly dangerous turn. Safely rescued but injured,  Rachel is nursed back to health by Meredith.  During her recovery, she delights in spending time with Meredith and Nathaniel, whose love has not waned during their years apart. After leaving Meredith’s house, Rachel tires of Finn’s refusal to return her property. Rachel’s final altercation with him is just the beginning of his rage-filled and increasingly violent attacks on those around him.

The Last Sailor is a family drama that is quite engrossing. The characters are well-developed with all too human frailties. The setting is richly detailed and springs vibrantly to life. The storyline is engaging and flows at an even pace. With a few unanticipated twists and turns, Sarah Anne Johnson brings this deeply affecting historical novel to a very satisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Fiction, Historical, Rated B, Review, Sarah Anne Johnson, Sourcebooks Landmark, The Last Sailor

November 15, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke

Title: Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke
Under Suspicion Series Book Seven
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In the latest thrilling collaboration from #1 New York Times bestselling author and “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, television producer Laurie Moran must solve the kidnapping of her fiancée’s nephew—just days before her wedding.

Television producer Laurie Moran and her fiancée, Alex Buckley, the former host of her investigative television show, are just days away from their mid-summer wedding, when things take a dark turn. Alex’s seven-year-old nephew, Johnny, vanishes from the beach. A search party begins and witnesses recall Johnny playing in the water and collecting shells behind the beach shack, but no one remembers seeing him after the morning. As the sun sets, Johnny’s skim board washes up to shore, and everyone realizes that he could be anywhere, even under water.

A ticking clock, a sinister stalker, and fresh romance combine in this exhilarating follow up to the bestselling You Don’t Own Me—another riveting page-turner from the “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and her dazzling partner-in-crime Alafair Burke.

Review:

Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke is an intriguing mystery. This seventh installment in the Under Suspicion series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the previous novels.

TV producer Laurie Moran and her soon to be husband Alex Buckley are celebrating his birthday with their families in the Hamptons.  Laurie and her ten year old son Timmy arrive before her father, retired NYPD policeman Leo Farley. Alex and his brother Andrew, his wife Marcy, seven year old Johnny and their twin daughters are eager for the upcoming celebrations. But their joy turns to fear when Johnny disappears from the beach in the split second he is out of view of his babysitter.  Although the local police are soon on the case, Laurie, Leo and Alex believe one of their enemies might be responsible for taking Johnny. Will they figure out the kidnapper’s identity and rescue Johnny before it is too late?

Laurie cannot help but wonder if someone whose path she crossed while producing her show might be out for revenge. As she is trying to narrow down a suspect, Leo is worried Johnny’s kidnapping has something to do with an old case of his. Eighteen years ago, Darren Gunther was convicted of stabbing a popular bar owner to death. However, Gunther is attempting to overturn the conviction based on new evidence and false accusations against Leo.  Laurie and Leo are working together to investigate this angle but will their efforts prove successful?

Chapters from young Johnny’s perspective provide an intimate peek into his experiences with the kidnapper. Johnny manages to keep calm as he obeys the kidnapper’s demands.  He is frightened but cool under pressure during extremely their stressful exchanges. Johnny remains hopeful his loved ones with soon rescue him but his situation takes a dire turn.

Piece of My Heart is an engrossing mystery with a fantastic cast of regular characters. The secondary  characters are well drawn and life-like. The search for Johnny moves at a brisk pace as Laurie and Leo leave no stone unturned during their quest for answers. With unexpected plot twists,  Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke bring this suspenseful mystery to a dramatic conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to enjoy this  newest addition to the Under Suspicion series.

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Filed under Alafair Burke, Contemporary, Mary Higgins Clark, Mystery, Piece of My Heart, Rated B, Review, Simon & Schuster Inc, Suspense, Under Suspicion Series

November 11, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Why the Rock Falls by J.E. Barnard

Title: Why the Rock Falls by J.E. Barnard
The Falls Mysteries Series Book Three
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 424 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Danger lurks in the wilderness of the Rockies.

After a dinner-party clash between entrenched oil interests and liberal Hollywood insiders, only Michael and Tyrone, the two children at the disastrous event, remain friends. But soon one dinner guest dinner guest is dead and two more are missing in the Alberta wilds.

As Jan Brenner comforts the newly-bereaved Michael, Lacey McCrae infiltrates the Caine oil dynasty to learn which of Tyrone’s older half-brothers and their scheming mothers most want him gone. With the search for the missing heading into its third night, Lacey uncovers a massive hole in the Caine ranch’s security network as well as evidence of previous attacks on Tyrone. Then Jan discovers a long-buried connection between the two families that threatens Michael, too.

As thunderstorms roll over the vast limestone cliffs of the Ghost Wilderness, danger stalks Michael, Tyrone, and the women who struggle to keep them safe.

Review:

The third installment in The Falls Mysteries series, Why the Rock Falls by J.E. Barnard is a perplexing mystery.

Former Mountie Lacey McCrae is still working security as she works on obtaining her private investigator license.  While taking care of security for Jake Wyman, she saves Hollywood director Mylo Matheson’s wife, Kitrin Devine, from drowning. In a cruel twist of fate the next day, Kitrin is found dead in the pool by Lacey’s and Kitrin’s friend Jan Brenner.

As the local authorities investigate Kitrin’s murder, Lacey’s boss requests she go to oil baron Orrin Caine’s home. Orrin and his son Tyrone are missing and Lacey is tasked with ensuring the remainder of the family is safe. Orrin was at Jake’s home the night before Kitrin’s murder and Lacey cannot help but wonder if the two cases are somehow related.

Lacey remains haunted by the past she left behind when she quit the RCMP and moved from the city. She is good friends with Jan and Lacey relies on her quite a bit while working at the Caine home. As searchers comb the local area for Orrin and Tyrone, Lacey finds surprising evidence. She also discovers several places where security could have breached. Looking through recent security footage, Lacey finds evidence to back up her theory about what might have happened to cause Orrin’s disappearance. She then relies on Jan to help sharpen the images in hopes of identifying the perpetrator.  Lacey has a large suspect pool to chose from since Orrin was not exactly beloved by his ex-wives or his adult children.

Why the Rock Falls is a multi-layered mystery with two intriguing mysteries to solve. The series regulars are well developed and likable. The secondary cast members are plentiful and the vast number makes it difficult to tell them apart. The two cases are interesting and the investigations move at a slow but steady pace.  In a race against time,  J.E. Barnard brings this fascinating mystery to an exciting conclusion that is action-packed. Old and new fans will enjoy this newest addition to The Falls Mysteries series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dundurn, JE Barnard, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Falls Mysteries Series, Why the Rock Falls

November 9, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: They’re Gone by E.A. Barres

Title: They’re Gone by E.A. Barres
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 312 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Two women’s husbands are murdered on the same night in the same way–and their investigation uncovers a terrifying connection.

Two men from vastly different backgrounds are murdered one after another on the same night, in the same fashion with two bullet wounds: one in the head, another in the heart. The two slayings sends their wives on a desperate search for answers–and a desperate attempt to save their families’ lives.

Grief takes a heavy toll on northern Virginia freelance editor Deb Linh Thomas when she learns of her husband’s murder. And utter dismay sets in when, just a week after the funeral, she discovers that he had been the subject of an FBI investigation after withdrawing a large sum of money from their shared accounts.

Elsewhere, Baltimore bartender Cessy Castillo is less bereft when her abusive husband, ex-cop Hector Ramirez, is killed. But it turns out that he was deep in hock–and now Cessy’s expected to pay up.

Deb and the FBI agent assigned to her case start digging into her husband’s murder and learn that he had been the target of criminals. As Deb and Cessy join forces to learn the truth, their investigation reveals an ever-darker web of clues, but if they’re not careful, they may just end up like their husbands.

Review:

They’re Gone by E.A. Barres is a gritty mystery that is quite intriguing.

Deb Linh Thomas wakes up to discover her husband Grant did not come home the night before.  Unfortunately two policemen show up at her door with the news that Grant has been murdered. The police believe his death is part of a recent string of unsolved killings. Deb is still reeling from her husband’s death when an FBI agent informs her of the shocking details of why he was targeted. Stunned, she keeps this information from their nineteen year old daughter Kim. But as Deb soon discovers, the truth can only be concealed for so long when they are targeted by Grant’s killers.

Bartender Cessy Castillo is not at all devastated by the news her husband Hector Rodriguez has been murdered.  After he began regularly abusing her, she can barely remember the man she fell in love with. Cessy has an idea that Hector was involved in something shady before his death. When two men show up demanding she repay her deceased husband’s outstanding loan, Cessy does not have the cash to give to them. While trying to uncover the truth about what Hector was involved with, she discovers shocking pictures. Cessy plans to use the photos as leverage to escape the thugs who are hounding her.

Cessy ends her estrangement with her brother Chris once she realizes how far in over her head she is. Once he arrives in town, their paths cross Deb’s in the most unlikely set of circumstances. Realizing their husbands’ deaths share more in common that the date they were both murdered, Deb, Chris and Cessy work together to bring down a shocking prostitution and blackmail ring. After deciding they need more help, will the police believe their bizarre story?

They’re Gone is an action-packed mystery with a diverse set of characters. The storyline is well-executed but some of the secondary cast members are a bit one dimensional. With plenty of chilling twists and turns, E.A. Barres brings this brilliant woman-power mystery to an exciting conclusion. Fans of the genre will enjoy this engaging mystery.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, EA Barres, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, They're Gone

November 8, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Anonymous by Elizabeth Breck

Title: Anonymous by Elizabeth Breck
A Madison Kelly Mystery Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The note was threatening enough–but its link to two cold cases and a sinister unseen presence sends P.I. Madison Kelly on a frantic search for the truth.

Madison Kelly, a San Diego private investigator, arrives home to a note stabbed to her front door: Stop investigating me, or I will hunt you down and kill you. The only problem? Madison hasn’t been investigating anyone–she’s been taking time off to figure out what to do with her life. But how does she prove a negative? The only way to remove the threat is to do exactly what “Anonymous”, the note writer, is telling her not to do: investigate to see who left it. Could this have something to do with the true crime podcast she’s been tweeting about, and the missing girls?

The girls went missing, two years apart, after a night at the clubs in San Diego’s famed Gaslamp Quarter, and Madison had been probing the internet for clues. She discovers that someone has been one step ahead of her, monitoring her tweets to prevent her from getting too close. Soon Madison’s investigation brings up more questions than answers: are the disappearances connected? Are the girls dead or did they just walk away from their lives? And who is Anonymous, the person who will stop at nothing to keep Madison from learning the truth?

As she closes in, so does Anonymous. Set against a backdrop of surfer culture and coffee houses of San Diego, Anonymous follows Madison as she confronts the reality of the girls’ disappearance in a terrifying climax where the hunter becomes the hunted–and Madison is running for her life.

Review:

Anonymous by Elizabeth Breck is an intriguing mystery with a strong lead character.

Madison Kelly is a private investigator who mainly works with insurance companies. While taking time off work, she is listening to true crime podcasts. She is very interested in a podcast about two unsolved murders that occurred in the local area. Four years ago, Samantha Erickson went missing after a night of drinking in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. Two years after her disappearance, Elissa Alvarez vanished from another bar in the same vicinity. Madison has been interacting with the podcasters and other listeners on twitter. So when she arrives home after a jog one morning to find a threatening note on her door, she is first confused about what the note writer is referring to.  Madison soon becomes certain she is being warned about her on-line musings about the missing women.  This attempt at intimidation piques her curiosity so she begins seriously investigating the two cases.  Will Madison unmask a killer? Or will she become the next victim?

Madison is an independent woman who mainly relies on no one but herself both in business and her personal life. In the past, she has depended on her friendship with local police Detective Tom Clark for occasional assistance. However, their relationship has recently been strained for several months. She pushes aside her uneasiness and asks him to analyze the notes for her. Meanwhile, she begins retracing Elissa and Samantha’s movements on the nights they vanished. Madison also interviews the family members and friends of each woman hoping they will have information to aid her investigation.

Madison’s private life is fairly solitary and she has a bit of a friends with benefits relationship with local surfer Dave Rich. Deciding to expand her social network, she agrees to go out with one of her neighbors.  When she unearths startling new evidence, Madison arranges to meet Tom and he introduces her to his friend Ken. As she inches closer and closer to solving the cases, Madison is uncertain whom she can trust.

Anonymous is a clever mystery with interesting twists and turns. Madison is a likable protagonist but she is sometimes a little too trusting. The investigations are evenly paced but Madison’s instincts are not quite as sharply honed as she believes. Although a fairly easy to solve whodunnit, Elizabeth Breck pulls off a suspenseful denouement. This well-written debut is a promising beginning for the Madison Kelly Mystery series.

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Filed under A Madison Kelly Mystery, Anonymous, Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Elizabeth Breck, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense