Review: The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lucie Montgomery attends a Thanksgiving weekend party at the Avery's castle. Prescott Avery, the 95-year-old family patriarch, invites her into the wine cellars for a discussion. He wants to buy some historic Madeira that her family is rumored to own at any price. Lucie has never heard of it and suspects her father either drank it or sold it. Prescott reveals that the history of it is particularly important to him and the Masons.

Lucie later discovers her phone is missing and returns to the cellar. She finds Prescott dead. Who could have killed him in such a short time? As Lucie investigates the focus turns to what Prescott might have discovered and away from who killed him.

I give this mystery 4 out of 5 stars. It's part of a series but can be read as a standalone. While there is more than one mystery, the bulk of the book is spent on the historical mysteries. There's nothing wrong with that, but I kept wondering when we would learn more about Avery's death. Otherwise, it is a well written, holiday-themed historical mystery. It's great for readers who enjoy history and the Virginia Wine Country.

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby was published November 5th, 2019 by Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.


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Teaser Tuesday: The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian

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!

The remnants of history that have survived might not be dramatic in and of themselves, but the stories they tell when assembled can be miraculous. People who lived long before us had similar hopes and dreams, and their messages could reach us across the centuries and continents. In a world that can feel simultaneously connected and divided, history can show us our common humanity through the ages. (location 296 on my Kindle)

The teaser might seem a little dry, but it's true and I guarantee things pick up. 

The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian is the sixth book in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series. It was published November 12th, 2019 by Henery Press.

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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #308: A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

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

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram series!

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free. 

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones is expected to be published April 7th, 2020 by St. Martin's Press.

Why am I waiting on this one? I loved Darynda Jones's Charley Davidson series. This book sounds like it has quirky characters and interesting happenings. It seems like it will be right up my alley.

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: The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby

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!

"And if Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare," Quinn said, "that would be a bombshell. Those documents would be worth a fortune."

(54% through on my Kindle)

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby was published November 5th, 2019 by Minotaur Books. It's the tenth book in the Wine Country Mysteries series.

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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #307: Night Train to Murder by Simon R. Green

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

From Goodreads:

When Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny are asked to escort a VIP on the late-night train to Bath, it would appear to be a routine case. The Organisation has acquired intelligence that an attempt is to be made on Sir Dennis Gregson's life as he travels to Bath to take up his new position as Head of the British Psychic Weapons Division. Ishmael's mission is to ensure that Sir Dennis arrives safely.

How could anyone orchestrate a murder in a crowded railway carriage without being noticed and with no obvious means of escape? When a body is discovered in a locked toilet cubicle, Ishmael Jones has just 56 minutes to solve a seemingly impossible crime before the train reaches its destination. 

Night Train to Murder by Simon R. Green is book #8 in the Ishmael Jones series. It's expected out March 3rd, 2020 from Severn House Publishers.

Why am I waiting on this one? I haven't read any of this series yet, but this one makes me curious about the series. It sounds like a type of locked-room mystery with urban fantasy or paranormal elements. And that would be something right up my alley.

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: The Housewife Assassin's Killer 2-Book Set by Josie Brown

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!

Any woman can be both the perfect housewife and an accomplished assassin, because both functions require the same qualities: creativity; a never-say-die attitude; and an attention to details, no matter how small...

(location 74 on my Kindle)

The Housewife Assassin's Killer 2-Book Set by Josie Brown was published November 1st, 2012 by Signal Press. The teaser is from the first of the two books.

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!

Review: Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter

Jane Yellowrock, a shape-shifter, has retreated to the Appalachian Mountains not far from Asheville, NC. She’s sick and in serious pain from a magical cancer, but she can’t outrun danger. The younger Son of Darkness is after Jane because he wants some of the magical things she owns and a little revenge against the Queen of Darkness. He’s not above attacking and manipulating friends and acquaintances of Jane to get what he wants. Jane must find a suitable shape strong enough for her to fight him and his minions – one that has less of the magical cancer hopefully than her human form.

Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter is the 13th book in the Jane Yellowrock series. It was published October 29th, 2019 by Ace.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s an action-packed adventure for Jane and company. Circumstances in the story test Jane’s limits. The Son of Darkness is a particularly nasty vampire. It gets kind of intense in parts. I found occasionally I had to put it down for a few minutes before I could return to the story. On the other hand, I stayed up most of the night to finish reading the book.

It still has the same snark and interactions between characters that we’ve grown to love. A good portion of the action is Jane-centered. And it mentions events that take place in the Soulwood series also by Faith Hunter. Some of the characters overlap between the two series.

I would recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy. It’s a must-read if you’ve been following Jane Yellowrock. I would not read this as a stand-alone. The events were set in motion in previous books. The series is definitely worth a read though.

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

Review: Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein

Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ivy and her sisters have been brought up to keep the secret that their Great Aunt Maeve is really Adela Martin who wrote Ivory Apples. Maeve is a recluse hiding away from fans and refusing to answer their letters. Instead, the girls' father takes care of correspondence and business.

One day though while the girls are at the park, they meet Kate Burden. At first, all is fine, then Kate starts insinuating herself into their lives. Kate wants more than friendship. She wants something from Maeve. Something that Ivy already has.

The story takes some dark turns. Kate isn't the person she pretended to be. Ivy spends some time in despair. And magic of sorts is real.

Most of the book moves along at a good pace. There are a couple of spots where it is less show and more tell; and it slows the momentum. It is also a pretty dark fantasy. In some ways, it reminds me of The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Magic is real, but it's not for everyone. And it always has a price.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's good. It's well written except for a couple of slow spots. Kate is a good villain. And you will hope for the best for the girls. It's also so dark in a couple of places I had a little trouble reading on. It turned out to be a good October read. I'd recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy, magical realism, and dark fantasy.

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



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