Reading, Writing & Pondering

        The Man Next Door is my first book by Sheila Roberts. I wasn't really sure what to expect but I was thinking this book would be mostly a mystery. There definitely is a mystery--but there is also family drama, romance, and some light humor in this book. The Man Next Door is a unique rom-com spin on the classic Alfred Hitchcock story, Rear Window.  Zona is recently divorced and moves back home with her mom, Louise. Her gambling ex-husband lost all of their savings--and robbed her young adult daughter's nursing college fund. Zona is determined to help her daughter Bree go to nursing school. After watching her mom deal with some unhealthy relationships, Bree isn't sure she ever wants to be in one. Louise is planning a single's cruise, which starts off great--until she makes a wrong move on the dance floor. Then Louise is back home from the cruise and Zona is helping her through her challenges.  Zona and Louise are also enjoying their new neighbor, Ale...

  Do you like a good ghost story? Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse is Jaime Jo Wright's latest novel and it features the ghost named Annabel. Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse is a dual timeline novel. The book starts off in the late 1800s with Rebecca who is lost and has amnesia. Readers first meet Rebecca on Annabel's grave. Those who live in the lighthouse struggled to keep Rebecca safe as there were still evil people out to get her.  In the present-day timeline, author and researcher Shea Radclyffe is staying at the lighthouse to research about Annabel and to write a book. If she is honest, she is also struggling with her marriage to Pete and she isn't sure what to do about it. Then Pete shows up at the lighthouse to help her with some car repairs--and maybe help her solve the mystery surrounding her. Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse is a book that is fraught with mystery and angst in both timelines. I didn't figure out all of the mysteries on either side...

  Do you enjoy a good mystery? The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens is a British mystery. The Burning of Rosemont Abbey is set in England in the mid 1950s. As the book begins, Paul Everly is accused of burning down Rosemont Abbey. Paul's sister, Louisa, is certain he is innocent. However, she is equally certain that her twin brother has passed away. What happened to Paul? Who burned the Abbey? Louisa, and Paul's friend Malcolm Sinclair aim to figure it out. The Burning of Rosemont Abbey is my first book by this author. I did enjoy the mystery aspect of the book as I didn't figure it out for a long time. At the same time, I struggled to really like the characters. I didn't care for the way Malcolm treated Louisa at the start of the book. He wasn't very kind to her and treated her like she was just a dumb woman in his way, honestly. That got better as the book went along, but it still bothered me from the beginning. The Aunt is kind but the Uncle is not ...

  “Reminiscent of Dan Brown’s work but with a tone and momentum all its own, Kelly’s yarn will delight thriller fans looking for an exciting read.” – Kirkus Reviews “ Rich in culture, themes of belief, and the grand implications of its relic,  The Malachi Covenant  exemplifies its genre, blending brisk plotting, action-packed sequences, and jolting betrayals with thoughtful spiritual inquiry, keeping the suspense potent up to a satisfying conclusion.” – BookLife “Dee Kelly, Jr. is a master wordsmith.  The Malachi Covenant  is a propulsive thriller that takes the reader on an electrifying adventure. The characters are fully drawn and his research is on broad display. This story will draw you in and not let you go until the heart pounding ending. Even then, the story will stay with you.” -Glenn Dyer, Author of  Trust No One The relics of St. Nicholas are among the most divine and prized possessions in the Christian world, said to hold the power to...

  A bout  The Last Exchange Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 18, 2024) Paperback: 384 pages “Here’s the catch–even if I make it out of here alive, I need a reason to breathe again.” When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren’t working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue. It didn’t take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own. Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue’s life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that’s when he stepped in. One man seeks to answer the question: How far would you go–re...

    Do you enjoy a suspenseful mystery with a dash of romance thrown in? Tunnel Creek Ambush by Kerry Johnson kept me guessing right up until the end. I had a few suspicions but I did not get this one figured out at all.  Kinsley Miller and Officer Jasper Holt were high school sweethearts. However, after Kinsley's parents died in a car crash, which she was also involved in, she let her guilt and fears drive her away from her home town. For several years she had been working as a biologist with a zoo. Now, she is back in town for her Aunt's funeral. At first, she tries to mix work with her personal life--until she is assaulted while trying to find bats to monitor in a tunnel. Then Jasper comes to her aid. However, things keep going haywire with more crazy assaults on Kinsley leading them both to wonder what type of trouble she is in. As Jasper and Kinsley try to solve the mystery, will they keep their relationship on the back burner or will they look for a way to move for...

  I do love a good mystery with some heart-pounding suspense. Deception by Patricia Bradley is full of mystery and suspense both--there are more than a few unanswered questions that the reader has while reading this book. ISB Ranger Madison Thorn is back in her home town of Natchez to investigate a white-collar crime. It has been a few years since she investigated violent crimes and she isn't anxious to work in that area again. Unfortunately, she is forced to investigate a violent crime--and it is personal one--in more ways than one. However, a former childhood friend, Clayton Bradshaw, comes alongside her to help with the investigation. Deception was an intriguing book from start to finish. I really didn't want to put it down. I was amazed at how Bradley wove several mysteries together to create an amazing tapestry of both deception to the characters in the book and clues that build up to an exciting conclusion for the reader. I liked Madison and Clayton and their budding r...

    What do you get when you mix a book featuring Amish people with suspense? A new book called, Among the Innocent by Mary Alford. Ten years ago, Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered. She thought the killer committed suicide. But was that the right guy? Miller, along with the new police detective Dalton Cooper, are faced with a new case where an Amish woman is murdered in the same way almost exactly 10 years later.  Among the Innocent is my first book by Mary Alford. This book kept me turning pages quickly to find out who the real killer was. The plot was fast-paced and the story line moved along quickly. I liked the main characters, Leah and Dalton. However, I didn't think there was much romance to develop a relationship and I thought it happened a little too quickly.  I bring this up because it is labeled Romantic Suspense. . .and I think just "Suspense" would have worked better as a label. Anyway, I was more interested in finding out who the bad guy w...

    Eunice Holbrook is an heiress who went East and is trying to disguise herself in New York City so that she isn't recognized after someone tries to kill her grandfather as she thinks they may try to kill her too. To hide herself she wears widows veils and blends in with a new life and identity--until one day Arthur Livingston shows up at her detective agency to hire them to look for HER.  In To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano, Eunice is a complex character with an interesting past within a dysfunctional family. She also remembers Arthur Livingston because her grandfather wanted her to marry him and have him take over the family business. Neither Arthur nor Eunice were too keen on that idea. . .do they still feel that way? I have not read the other books in the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency series, but I enjoyed To Disguise the Truth as a stand alone. I am sure it would be even better if a reader has read the other two books in the series. I enjoyed the quick wit and...

  Ben Calix comes home from his last mission to find things totally aren't what he expected. He wanted to relax instead he is attacked by a sniper, then an ambush and he soon finds out that he is out of The Company. He has been unfairly labeled a traitor. But why? And how can he stop the bioweapon that he fears will be unleashed if he is cut off? The Paris Betrayal started out with a bang and as a reader I hit the ground running, so to speak. It took me a few pages to figure out what was going on and then I was quickly swept up int he action as I rootied for Ben to overcome his many obstacles. This is definitely a fast-paced novel that kept me turning pages quickly. I really liked Ben and wanted him to beat the odds. I also liked his friend, Clara, that helped him out of trouble to start with. There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I wasn't sure how it was going to end until I got there.  I also thought it was interesting that Hannibal included the p...

  Nikki and Ruggiero Delemont are a young happily married couple.Ruggiero is a famous pastry chef. Nikki is a write for Chef de Cuisine. They live together in a beautiful beach house on the island of Maui. They love their life together. Then Nikki receives an assignment to cover in France for 3 weeks. Unfortunately, this is also a busy time for Ruggiero so he cannot travel with her.  Nikki travels alone and soon finds herself waking up in a French hospital with amnesia. She doesn't know who she is. But someone does. And that someone doesn't want Ruggiero to find her. Can he find Nikki? Can he figure out what is going on? Circumvent by S. K. Derban is a modern day mystery set in some beautiful places. Derban writes beautifully about the areas the characters are living and staying in. As a foodie, I also enjoyed her descriptions of the delicious food and desserts within the story. It was a mystery and I wasn't sure how Ruggiero was going to find her. Nor was I sure if Nikki ...

  Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters broke her engagement to Sam Ryker many years ago. Afterwards, he left town and life went on for Emma. Now after 10 years, Sam is back and Emma will have to work with him, as he is now a Natchez Trace Law Enforcement District Ranger. To add more complications to her life, Emma now has a  stalker. She also has a mystery to solve nearby her office. When you put it all together, Obsession by Patricia Bradley is one page-turner of a book. I couldn't put Obsession down. There were a lot of twists and turns in the plot. I did suspect the killer but Bradley didn't let me be sure of my hunch until the very end. In between there was a lot of action and some romance. I also found it interesting that both Emma and Sam struggled with some family issues on their own and together. Woven throughout this mix was a threat of spirituality that rang true with the characters for me. All in all, I thought this book had a great plot and I liked the...

Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason is the second book in the Danger Never Sleeps series--and just as fast-paced and riveting as the first one. Journalist Sarah Denning is held hostage by the Taliban and then sent home after being shot in the rescue operation to recover. At the same time, she finds out her brother has committed suicide and it doesn't sit well with her. Former Army Ranger Gavin Black is set to help keep her safe and home and work with her to find the truth. Acceptable Risk kept my interest from the start to the finish. The mystery in the book was interesting and the relationships were intriguing. I sometimes didn't like Sarah's rebellious attitude but I could understand it in the context of her life. I thought Gavin was a swoon-worthy caretaker for her. I appreciated the difficult conversations the couple had in this book. Even though it wasn't easy for Sarah, she made an effort to talk about her hard things with him. In return, he respected her eno...

Some of my very favorite books growing up were Nancy Drew mysteries. A Dream Within a Dream by Mike Nappa and Melissa Kosci gave me that same breathless feeling as I raced my way through the book to the exciting conclusion. Trudi Coffey hasn't seen Samuel Hill in weeks. Then the FBI comes looking for her and she is clueless as to what is going on. She also has an encounter with a small man named Dream. It isn't long before she is entrenched in not only the mystery of what is going on with Samuel but figuring out just who Dream is and the big mystery of why he is so important to so many people. A Dream Within a Dream practically left me breathless turning pages as I read through this fun mystery. I enjoyed Trudi and Samuel each in their own way. I also found Trudi's assistant Eula to be a fun part of the adventure. I especially liked how tender and kind Trudi was to Dream and how she tried to reflect her faith to him as she interacted with him. There were themes of...

Standoff by Patricia Bradley  is the first book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series and it is the first book that I have read by this author. Luke Fereday and Brooke Danvers are old friends and neighbors. Luke arrives back in Natchez too late to save Brooke's father, John, from being killed as he tries to stop a drug deal. Brooke is determined to find out who her father's murderer is--but she may not be safe either. Together, can they find the culprit? There are quite a few secondary characters in Standoff . One of which is Daisy, Luke's grandmother. I liked her a lot. She was the one person who most reflected her faith and it felt authentic. I also liked that Bradley gave a nod to author Rachel Hauck through her. Otherwise, I struggled to connect with many of the characters. I especially didn't like Brooke's over protective friend, Emma. Honestly, while I did root for Luke and Brooke, I didn't feel real warm about them. I wanted them to find ...

Mystery abounds in Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright. This book fascinated me from the very beginning until the very last page. Aggie Dunkirk heads to Mill Creek, Wisconsin to stay with her elderly grandmother, Mumsie, after losing her real estate job. Aggie takes what she thinks will be a mundane job as a secretary for a cemetery working with archaeologist Collin. Instead, she finds a lot of surprises in this small town--unsolved crimes and new crimes, relatives she didn't know she had, and changes to new and old relationships. In this dual timeline story, Imogene struggles to solve the case of who killed her sister, Hazel, in the 1940s. Echoes Among the Stones kept me guessing all the way through the book. There were a few things I did guess correctly and a few surprises along the way. What I really liked about this book was how the characters reflected how they dealt with grief in their lives. I truly felt for them as they struggled to come to terms with what h...

If there was an award for any books that you cannot put down, this book would be in the running. Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard hooked me from the beginning and kept me quickly turning pages until the end. Harper Reynolds traded her job as a crime scene photographer to live a more peaceful life photographing nature and wildlife. Then one day she accidentally captures a murder on film while out in nature. She runs away from the scene and loses her camera. Former Green Beret Heath McKade finds her and ends up protecting her. But what is she being protected from? I had been looking forward to this second book in the Uncommon Justice series for quite some time. Always Look Twice was worth the wait for me. The plot kept moving at a breathtaking pace and I truly didn't want to put it down. This plot also had a lot of twists and turns and I didn't see part of the ending coming. As the author let us in on a few of the secrets as the book went along, I did guess part o...