The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais (2022)

 

Moonshyne Manor is home to a sisterhood of five octogenarian witches, one of them being a ghost and another returning from somewhere, who spend their days running a distillery out of the manor that has been their home for most of their lives. The story begins with an angry mob of townspeople who want the manor foreclosed on due to a defaulted mortgage and demolished to make room for an amusement park named Man’s World.

In addition to being behind on the mortgage payments, the witches face another threat in the form of a relative of the former owner who is determined to get revenge for the theft of the manor he claims was rightfully his. Although each sister has her own unique magical skill and was once a very powerful witch, their powers are diminishing with each passing year. In an attempt to set things right, Queenie, the unofficial head of the sisterhood, makes a bargain with an evil far more powerful than anything they’ve ever faced.

The witches’ are aided by a young girl named who is eager to smash the patriarchy that exists in the town. Though the witches don’t want to interact with her at first, Persephone becomes very important to the story. As the foreclosure deadline approaches, fractures among the sisterhood are revealed, and secrets are exposed, all leading up to a fiery confrontation with their enemies.

Each of the characters has a complete backstory and the reader will want to root for them. Marais often makes mention of events that have yet to happen or have happened in the past but doesn’t fill the reader in until much later in the book. That if nothing else will keep you reading.

Includes recipes for all the potions mentioned.

3.83 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (2022)

 

Mika Moon is a 31 year-old witch in England. Orphaned at a young age, she was raised by fellow witch Primrose Everly. As a child, all Mika’s basic needs were provided for her but her time with Primrose was limited and none of the household was allowed to stay if they got a hint of Mika’s magical powers. Between Primrose’s absence and that fact the governesses never stayed long, Mika is convinced she is unlovable.

Mika has been taught to hide her magical abilities and stay away from other witches for fear of drawing attention to their powers. Being a bit of a rebel, Mika uploads a series of videos to the Internet of herself pretending to be a witch making potions. Elderly actor Ian Kubo-Hawthorn is convinced Mika is the real deal and asks her to interview for a job at Nowhere House. Nowhere House is the home of three young witches whom Ian wants Mika to teach to control their magical powers. Mika learns that the youngsters have been adopted by a witch who, much like Primrose is absent the majority of the year.

Taking the job breaks all the rules but Mika accepts the position. She arrives in her yellow hatchback named The Broomstick out of which she retrieves her potions, greenhouse, coy pond, and a golden retriever.

As Mika settles in at Nowhere House, she begins to think she might have found a place where she belongs after all but that is threatened when she discovers the real reason she was invited to Nowhere House and the secret all the adults have been hiding. With that knowledge comes danger and Mika must decide what she is willing to risk to protect Nowhere House and the inhabitants who have become like family.

Mika has a great personality and sense of humor and her sense of loneliness and lack of connection to others really comes through. The book’s other characters, the children, Ian, two long-suffering caretakers, and Jamie, the handsome and prickly librarian are all full of life as well and they all add to the story. Each has a distinct personality and readers are clued into their feelings as well as their unspoken thoughts.

Ultimately this is a story about recognizing what you need and then going after it. It's about finding people you love who love you back and making a home and a life with them even if it’s not the one you expected or how you were told it should be.

4.27 stars Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley (2022)

 

By Her Own Design is author Piper Huguley’s fictional account of the life of Ann Lowe, the first African American to become a noted fashion designer. Throughout her up and down career, Ann only worked for members of the social register and never repeated a design. She is best known for her fabric flowers and designing the dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy but fame did not come until after Ann's death.

Ann learns the art of sewing from her grandmother, a former slave, and her mother who were thought to be the most talented seamstresses in the state of Alabama. She excels at many flower embellishments and offers them for sale.

Ann dreams of becoming a celebrated designer but puts the dream on hold when she elopes at 12 with an older tailor. When a Tampa socialite sees Ann's talent she offers to take Ann back to Tampa to sew and design clothing for Florida's society elite she walks away from her abusive marriage with her young son.

Ann faced many struggles during her 40-year career, which began in the 1920s. The author does justice to both the ups and downs in Ann’s live and writes an engaging novel.

 4.48 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick (2022)

 

What book lover could resist a title like this? The Messy Lives of Book People is a story of self-discovery with a bit of mystery on the side. The main character, Liv Green, cleans for a living and is thrilled when she is hired by her favorite author, the reclusive Esse Starling. Esse is responsible for creating the character Georgia Rory who Liv has loved and admired since the first installment of the series. Soon a tenuous friendship begins between the two.

When Esse dies suddenly, Liv is shocked to learn Esse’s last wishes were that her death be kept secret until a specific date six months in the future and that Liv finish writing the last Georgia Rory novel. Liv is someone of an expert on all things Georgia Rory, having read the books over and over. The chance to actually fulfill her dream to write is an opportunity Liz cannot pass up, even though it means lying to her family for the foreseeable future.

Liv, who has always been somewhat of a doormat, tackles the task by channeling Esse. She works in Esse’s penthouse, dresses in Esse’s clothes, and makes a point to get to know the people in Esse’s past. Liv is determined to find out what happened to turn the popular Esse into the demanding recluse she knew. Liv is sure that once she knows the secret, the remaining eight chapters of the manuscript will write themselves. While discovering the real Esse, Liz finds herself, as well as why Esse chose her to complete her legacy.

The first few chapters had me considering returning the book to the library, but I’m glad I continued reading.  It was worth the effort.

3.71 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes (2022)

 

I found Flying Solo to be an easy to read, feel good story. It explores our habits of making assumptions and categorizing everything and everyone is our lives. As the story evolves, we find this is not always a good thing.

The main character is Laurie Sasslyn, a soon to be 40-year old woman who canceled her wedding three weeks before it was to take place. She leaves her Maine home and travels to her small Washington hometown to clear out the house of her recently deceased Great Aunt Dot. Her best friend (June) still lives there as well as, you guessed it, Laurie’s first love, librarian Nick Cooper, who has recently divorced.

Among her aunt’s things, Laurie finds a craved duck buried at the bottom of a cedar chest. She later finds a love letter to the never-married Dot that ends with the line, "And anyway, if you're ever desperate, there are always ducks, darling." Laura is determined to learn more about the duck and the author of the letter. When the duck is stolen, Laurie and her friends scheme to get it back.

Flying Solo does not end the way one would expect given the plot line. You’ll need to read it to find out how Laurie’s story ends.

3.70 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 on Amazon

Fierce Poison (Barker & Llewelyn # 13) by Will Thomas (2022)

 

Fierce Poison was my introduction to author Will Thomas and his pair of private equity agents (private investigators in Victorian London). Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn first appeared in Thomas’ 2004 book Some Danger Involved. Although each book in the series reflects the passage of time, it is not necessary to read them in order. Each contains enough backstory for the reader to keep up. In Fierce Poison, Barker and Llewelyn have been partners for ten years.

The pair couldn’t be more different from each other. Llewelyn has spent time in prison and Barker has spent much of his life in the Far East. The books are narrated by Thomas Llewelyn and he infuses the story with many humorous asides, observations, and descriptions.

In Fierce Poison, Roland Fitzhugh, the newest Member of Parliament, arrives at the equity agent’s door but dies on the floor before he can tell them why he is there. The agents quickly learn he's been poisoned with a cyanide laced raspberry tart and Barker is determined to find the culprit even though there is no paying client. The very next day an entire family in the East End is found dead after consuming a large raspberry tart. As Baker and Llewelyn’s investigation heats up, they find themselves the poisoner’s latest target; even Barker’s dog is at risk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading it in two sessions. It is an easy read, the writing is excellent, the characters well-rounded, and the mystery intriguing. I figured out the motive for the killings near the end of the book but had no idea which of the unusual cast of secondary characters was the guilty party.  Maybe you’ll have better luck.

Book 14, Heart of the Nile is due out in April 2023.

Sunburst (Sky King Ranch #2) by Susan May Warren (2022)

 

Sharpshooter and Navy Seal, Ranger Kingston has always put duty above dreams and he therefore views love as the biggest liability out there. When Ranger gets word that his brother Colt has been taken hostage in Nigeria along with the refugee worker he was there to protect, Ranger rushes to join the rescue team. No one is more surprised than him when it turns out the refugee worker is none other than the woman he loved and left four years before, Noemi Sutton.

When the injured Ranger and Noemi get separated from the rescue team they are on their own to get to safety. Ranger needs medical care but both know the hospital is out of the question as they are still being hunted by the kidnapping terrorists. When they arrive at a small village, the people are reluctant to aid the white soldier. It is only when Noemi introduces herself by her Nigerian name and tells the villagers she and Ranger are married they agree to help.

The lie backfires when Noami’s Nigerian uncle comes to collect them. According to Nigerian custom the prospective groom must first bargain for the bride’s hand and get permission before the marriage takes place. Noami’s extended family insist the couple get married again. Will the relationship last this time around? Are Ranger and Noami finally free of the terrorists who kidnapped her?

A secondary story revolves around the non-speaking Tae who was introduced in the first book in this series and is now staying at the Sky King Ranch where the Kingston clan live. I suspect book number three, Sundown which is due to be released in November, 2022, will be Tae’s story. The three books are tied together by this story arc but can also stand alone.

I have also read Warren’s Global Search and Rescue series and enjoyed those books as well. Several of the characters from that series make an appearance in the book. Warren is a Christian author and her story lines reflect that.

4.57 stars on Amazon, 4.7 on Amazon

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.

Under Lock and Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mystery #1) by Gigi Pandian (2022)

 

A locked door mystery, a puzzle mystery, magic, family curse, misdirection, hidden staircases/rooms, and quirky characters – all can be found in Under Lock and Skeleton Key, the first book in a new mystery series by Gigi Pandian.

Tempest Raj is a once famous but now disgraced illusionist who has returned to her childhood home after losing everything. Her’s is not the average family; her mother, another magician, disappeared while performing on stage five year before, her father designs and constructs hidden rooms and staircases inside homes, and her grandparents live in a house built in a tree.

Tempest doesn’t believe in the family curse that the eldest Raj in each generation will die by magic but begins to wonder when her doppelgänger stage assistant is found murdered inside a 100-year old wall at her father’s latest construction site. Concerned that perhaps her life is in danger, Tempest sets out to find the murderer herself with the help of her best friend, Ivy. She is convinced the murder is simply a case of misdirection, a subject in which Tempest is an expert. All she needs is to find the one thread that will unravel everything.

The reader is introduced to a variety of characters that are something difficult to keep straight and all of whom will undoubtedly appear in future books. The writing is repetitive at times and much of the story revolves around the preparation and eating of foods from India and Scotland. Some reviewers felt the book was written with the young adult audience in mind and I would agree. However, if you enjoyed Nancy Drew mysteries growing up, you should enjoy Under Lock and Skeleton Key.

The second installment of this series, The Raven Thief, is due out in March 2023.

3.64 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 on Amazon.

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.

Ghosting: A Widow’s Voyage Out by Barbara Lazear Ascher (2021) B Ascher

Ghosting, as defined by the author, is the absence of an element vital to the enterprise. In this case the enterprise is marriage and the missing element is her husband.

Grief is a very intense and individual emotion. No two people experience it in quite the same way. Although there have been many books written on coping with grief, none are as powerful as the memoirs of a grief survivor. Barbara Lazear Ascher's Ghosting is such a book.

Ascher was in her early twenties when she married Bob, a much older man. From the beginning both acknowledged the likelihood that he would predecease her. The pair enjoy an intense, loving relationship for 35 years before the enviable happens. Ascher discovers, as every griever does, that it is impossible to prepare oneself for the loss of a loved one. As she learns that love has no boundaries she comes to the realization that her husband’s motto “Life is a love story” is indeed true.

The author writes very frankly about her marriage, her husband’s illness and death and her ensuing sorrow. The writing is so descriptive the the author’s agony and despair often leap off the page. The reader also shares in Ascher’s joy as she eventually moves beyond her grief and begins a new voyage.

Less than 200 pages long with chapters ranging from a few paragraphs to seven pages, Ghosting is a compelling read.

4.09 stars in Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

 

The Dead Room (Harrison Investigation #4) by Heather Graham (2007)

 

If you are looking for mystery suspense book with an unconventional twist, The Dead Room is for you. Leslie MacIntyre is an archaeologist who barely survives an explosion that takes the life of her fiancé, Matt Connolly. As a result of her brush with death, Leslie now has the ability to communicate with ghosts, something she is slowly coming to grips with, with a little help from the people at Harrison Investigation.

Leslie is returning to lower Manhattan’s historic Hastings House, the site of the explosion, to work on a newly discovered burial ground in the area. She insists on staying at Hastings House to conquer her fears of her new abilities and come to terms with the loss of her fiancé the year before. Restless spirits, including Matt, inhabit both the house and the burial ground and lead Leslie to not only important archeological discoveries but also put her in grave personal danger.

Although Leslie can’t see Matt’s ghost he visits in her dreams, warning Leslie about the house and offering clues to the truth about the explosion which both Leslie and Matt’s cousin Joe believe was no accident. Torn by her feelings for both men Leslie finds herself caught between the worlds of the living and the dead. As she gets closer to solving the mysteries surrounding the house, Leslie must ultimately face the evil mind of someone very much alive.

The secondary plot centers around female prostitutes in the area who are disappearing without a trace. When the niece of a wealthy socialite disappears in much the same manner, Matt’s cousin Joe Connelly is the PI hired to find her. And, of course Leslie has to help him which puts her in even more danger.

There are 10 books in the Harrison Investigation series. This series, which ended in 2010, was followed by Graham’s The Crewe of Hunters (38 titles and still growing). This series also features Adam Harrison and his staff of investigators but on a much larger scale. The first title in that series, Phantom Evil, is also reviewed in this blog.

3.95 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Box 88 (#1 in Book 88 series) by Charles Cumming, (2020)

 “A pulse-pounding narrative that straddles two eras — 1989 and 2020 — BOX 88 is a “wonderfully taut, exciting and up-to-date spy thriller” that introduces a compelling new character and a captivating international storyline”.  Spectator, Books of the Year

 Box 88 was my introduction to Charles Cumming and I now I understand why his books are so popular. Even though the story jumped between years and locations, I never lost track of who was where and why.

Lachlan Kite is the leader of BOX 88, a joint US/UK anti-terrorism spy agency that only a handful of MI6 and CIA operatives know exists. At the funeral of his childhood best friend, Lachlan is kidnapped and the kidnapping is witnessed by Cara, a young MI5 agent, whose team leader is determined to prove the existence of Box 88. As the MI5 team investigates the kidnapping, Lachlan’s pregnant wife is also abducted and the threat of her dead is used as leverage to obtain information he is sworn to protect.

Lachlan’s kidnapper is after information on his very first mission for Box 88. Lachlan had been recruited straight out of boarding school when it was learned that he had been invited to spend the summer of his gap year on the coast of France with his best friend and his family. This visit provides access to one of Iran’s most dangerous terrorists who will be visiting. Lachlan’s mission is find out what the man is plotting. The mission ends in the betrayal of his best friend.

This is not a James Bond type spy novel as there are no fancy gizmos or glamorous women. What it is a well written story of what spy craft looked like in the late 1980s. Though espionage is the main theme of the story it is also a coming-of-age story as young Lachlan works to discover who he really is while balancing friendship, loyalty, and romance with his mission.

The second book in the series, Judas 62, is due out in September 2022 and will continue looking back at Lachlan’s Box 88 missions. I’m sure a handful of the characters from Box 88 will also make a repeat appearance.

4.08 stars on Goodreads, 4.2 on Amazon

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson (2020)

 

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is a regency romance, wrapped around a really good mystery. Unwed mother, Elizabeth Cantrell and her young son are traveling to her new job as a ladies’ companion after being left penniless by her now imprisoned brother. During the journey their coach is attacked by a highwayman who is not what he seems. In fact he is the widowed Lord Torrington, acting on behalf of the British crown. He is searching for documents he believed were being carried in that carriage. Instead of the documents Lord Torrington finds an unconscious woman he feels compelled to help.

To protect both his secret identify and Elizabeth’s name, Torrington proposes a marriage of convenience. Soon after the newly married couple’s return to Middlecrest Abbey, the intended of Torrington’s eldest daughter is murdered and the hunt is on for the murderer and the missing document. Could the two things be connected? The future of England is at stake. At the same time Elizabeth is protecting a secret of her own, her son is actually Lord Torrington’s nephew!

4.21 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Rizzio by Denise Mina (2021)

 

I love historical fiction titles, especially those that are based on a real person or event as I always learn something. Denise Mina’s novella Rizzio is the author’s fictionalized version of the murder of David Rizzio, a trusted friend and secretary of Mary Queen of Scots, on May 9, 1566. Mary’s husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, is the man behind the plot and he wants the murder to take place in front of his pregnant wife. Darnley wants the crown for himself and hopes that the shock of witnessing the murder will kill both Mary and the unborn child.

Mina’s writing is so powerful; I could feel the terror of both Rizzio who knew what was to come and Mary as she feared for her life and that of her unborn child. For those interested in Mary Queen of Scots or this time period, Rizzio will be a treat.

3.90 stars on Goodreads, 4.2 on Amazon