Review: Picked Off by Linda Lovely

Brie Hooker and her Aunt Eva live and work on the Udderly Kidding Dairy Farm - a goat dairy farm. They've consented to host her Aunt Eva's friend Carol's campaign fundraiser- which in the flavor of the season is a masquerade party complete with a haunted house in the barn. Carol's son, Zack, a pro-quarterback flies in to attend.

This mystery has so much: a vicious pitchfork attack, blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. It even alludes to the dangers of gambling. And yet it's not too much. There's rarely a dull moment once the action starts. Action packed scenes are balanced with investigation and discussion. There are motives old and new for the crimes. And while there are references to previous events, this book can be read as a standalone.

As with many cozies, romance is a subplot. Brie is attracted to two men and has refused to date either because they are best friends. By the end of the book, this changes and leaves the future open. This will allow for growth and change in the main character of Brie.

Other than Brie and Eva, my favorite character is Brie's close friend Mollye. Mollye is dating a police officer and runs a new age store. She also easily comes up with some of the most out-there ideas for how to proceed with investigating the mysteries.

The plot is well-paced. It's well-written. I enjoyed the characters and their adventures as they try to solve the mysteries, Overall, I give this book 4 stars.

Picked Off by Linda Lovely is the second Brie Hooker mystery. It was released June 5th, 2018 from Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #244: The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appears in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner is due out September 25th, 2018 from Redhook.

Why am I waiting on this one? The premise reminds me a little of the world of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. And it references old fairy tales. So there is the possibility of retellings or building on the foundations of the tales. The cover makes me think of the old tales as well. It sounds like an interesting fantasy read to me.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Mag had waited for nightfall to begin his attack and then crippled our lights. Quite possibly he assumed that the darkness would give him an overwhelming advantage.

The hubris of some members of the supernatural community is astonishing. (36% on my Kindle)

The above quotation is from the short story "Even Hand" in the collection Brief Cases by Jim Butcher. Brief Cases was published June 5th, 2018 by Ace.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: The teaser and its location are from an ARC and may differ in the final edition.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #243: A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Penguin Teen:

Having saved the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him and doing their best to blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob’s grandfather, Abe. Clues to Abe’s double-life as a peculiar operative start to emerge, secrets long hidden in plain sight. And Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has inherited—truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss Peregrine’s time loop. Now, Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of American peculiardom that none of them understand. New wonders and dangers await in this brilliant next chapter for Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children. Their story is again illustrated throughout by haunting vintage photographs, but with a striking addition for this multi-era American adventure—full color! 

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs is expected to be released October 2nd, 2018 from Penguin.

Why am I waiting on this one? I enjoyed the other books in the series. I'd like to see what happens to the characters now that the immediate threat seems to be passed. This will be the fourth book in the series. A sample of the book may be read here.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Her watchful attitude was remarkably like that of an orange cat, waiting for me to pass some undefined test, to prove that I might be worthy of approach.

I had been watching her in return, and now chose my words with care. (p.59)

Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King was published June 12th, 2018 by Bantam. It's the 15th novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: The teaser and its location are from an ARC and may differ in the final edition.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #242: Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Expected publication:
January 15th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series!

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plain for eternity – which is the appropriate amount of time to make a person stark raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently, it is. Bummer.

She’s missed Reyes and her daughter, Beep, but now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

Why am I waiting on this one? It's the last book in the Charley Davidson series. I'm curious to see how Darynda Jones will wrap everything up. I'll be sorry to see the series end. I've been enjoying the characters, the humor, and the plotlines. And even though it comes out in January of next year, I am still eagerly awaiting it.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Picked Off by Linda Lovely

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

He smiled. Not the kind of smile that made me think we'd ever be friends. More like the smile an exterminator might get when he saw a mouse heading for a trap. (24% through on my Kindle)

Picked Off by Linda Lovely was published by Henery Press June 5th, 2018.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: The teaser and its location are from an ARC and may differ in the final edition.

Review: Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan M. Boyer

One dark and extremely stormy Charleston night, a man is hit by a vehicle and killed crossing the street near his home. Who did it? Was it intentional? Was it a hit and run? Was it the woman who says she stopped to help the victim? The dent on the front of her car suggests it could go either way for her. Liz Talbot and her partner Nate are hired to find the answers to these questions and more in the seventh installment in the Liz Talbot Mystery series.

Liz and Nate are hired by a law firm to investigate. They won't tell her who hired them to look into it, but they do admit that it's because their client is worried about the woman who stopped to help the victim. Poppy is a sweet woman and seemingly wouldn't harm a fly. Could she possibly be responsible for this accident?

Several of the women under investigation frequent the same bookstore. Also several of them have a connection to a group of women helping abused women. Was the man killed an abuser?

More information comes out as Liz and Nate investigate. Colleen, their ghostly friend, plays only a very little role in this mystery encouraging them to stay on track and keep investigating. I like that she doesn't come out and provide all the answers for them.

Periods of serious investigation are punctuated by the more lighthearted escapades of Liz's family. Her daddy seems to try and one-up himself in his quest to disturb her mamma when he acquires some goats and a pool building business.

It's a private investigation procedural. It gets a little repetitive at times, but it all goes to advancing the plot.

Overall, I give this mystery 4 out of 5 stars. The mystery shows good imagination as the pieces come together. It's well-written and paced well. The end has a bit of a twist, but it works. And I really enjoyed the humorous family parts.

Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan M. Boyer was released May 29th, 2018 from Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #241: Professor at Large by John Cleese

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Expected publication:
October 15th, 2018
by Cornell University Press

Synopsis from Goodreads:

And now for something completely different. Professor at Large features beloved English comedian and actor John Cleese in the role of ivy league professor at Cornell University. His almost twenty years as professor-at-large has led to many talks, essays, and lectures on campus. This collection of the very best moments from Cleese under his mortarboard provides a unique view of his endless pursuit of intellectual discovery across a range of topics. Since 1999, Cleese has provided Cornell students and local citizens with his ideas on everything from scriptwriting to psychology, religion to hotel management, and wine to medicine.

His incredibly popular events and classes--including talks, workshops, and an analysis of A Fish Called Wanda and The Life of Brian--draw hundreds of people. He has given a sermon at Sage Chapel, narrated Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with the Cornell Chamber Orchestra, conducted a class on scriptwriting, and lectured on psychology and human development. Each time Cleese has visited the campus in Ithaca, NY, he held a public presentation, attended and or lectured in classes, and met privately with researchers. From the archives of these visits, Professor at Large includes an interview with screenwriter William Goldman, a lecture about creativity entitled, "Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind," talks about Professor at Large and The Life of Brian, a discussion of facial recognition, and Cleese's musings on group dynamics with business students and faculty.

Professor at Large provides a window into the workings of John Cleese's scholarly mind, showcasing the wit and intelligence that have driven his career as a comedian, while demonstrating his knack of pinpointing the essence of humans and human problems. His genius on the screen has long been lauded; now his academic chops get their moment in the spotlight, too.

Why am I waiting on this one? I enjoy reading nonfiction from time to time and this sounds like something a little different. I don't expect it would be all humor, but that it would certainly have interesting perspectives on things.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan M. Boyer

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Mama clasped Poppy's hand in both of hers. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm positively mortified."

"Why?" asked Poppy.

"You're our guest,' said Mamma. "And wildlife ate hydrangeas on my dining room table."

(69% through on my Kindle)

Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan M. Boyer was published  May 29th, 2018, from Henery Press. The mystery has both serious and light moments.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: The teaser and its location are from an ARC and may differ in the final edition.