The Tangled Treasure Trail by Benedict Brown

 

Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher go to London to see what the Bright Young People of London are up to. Treasure hunts are the entertainment of the day and one person has already been found dead. When a recent acquaintance ends up dead soon after, Chrissy and his grandfather can't help wonder if the two deaths are related. With Christopher and his grandfather on the case it is only a matter of time before they figure out who the killer is. 

I am loving the Lord Edgington Investigates series! I love that I usually can't figure out the "who-done-it" until it is pointed out to me. Christopher cracks me up! He is a mixture of insecurities and "I-know-I'm-right" teenager-ness. He makes me laugh with his flair for the dramatic. Not just in his always empty stomach, but also in his wrapping up of the case speeches. His insights and his empathy for the people that he comes in contact with show that he is growing as the series continues. I enjoy that Lord Edgington insists that Christopher reasons things out and prove his theories. I also enjoy that each book can stand alone without revealing anything from past or future books. This is book 5 in the series. I read books 1-4 and then had to skip to book 6 and now back to book 5 and nothing was given away, no missing pieces. A great mystery series that keeps you guessing until the end.

That is a wrap for my reading in 2025! My goal was to read 65 books but I only managed 39. A few books I read two or three times over for proofreading purposes. Happy New Year to you all and may your 2026 be filled with many blessings! 

Forever by Debbie Viguie

 

Y'all! It is hard to believe that this is the last book in this series! We are finally here to see what we have all been waiting years for! Cindy and Jeremiah are finally going to tie the knot...HOPEFULLY! IF they don't get killed before that happens! 

The whole series has stressed me out every time I pick one up to read! But this final book had me biting nails, putting the book down to relieve the stress, laughing, crying, thinking NOOOOOOOOOO several times! Oh so many feels while reading! We finally get to see what Matthews's end-game is and y'all, it is not nice! Throughout the entire book we are kept on the edge of our seats wondering if Jeremiah and Cindy are going to make it to the wedding, will they make it through the wedding, will they make it out with their lives? Author Debbie Viguie has managed to keep this reader invested in Cindy and Jeremiah's lives for 15 years, and each book has managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. I loved Forever, there were twists and turns and tears and smiles and shock. I was emotionally spent by the time I read the last page. The Psalm 23 Mysteries will be one of my favorite series FOREVER! 

Mistletoe on Main Street by Holly Schindler

 

When Russ's boss sends him to Sullivan to write up a story Russ does everything in his power to not go. Somehow though Russ arrives in Sullivan. Strange things happen there and Russ is tasked with writing a story about Ruby's Place. It is said that every Christmas Eve people gather to meet loved ones that have died. Russ doesn't want to meet with Josie. Russ blames himself for Josie's death. Facing her again would cause his deep mourning to begin all over. But Russ finds that he cannot deny the power of Ruby's Place that calls him this Christmas Eve. 

This is now one of my favorites of the Ruby's Place series! I absolutely loved it. Oh the tears! And I can't even tell you why because SPOILERS are not allowed! I loved Russ and Josie's characters. Loved how we got glimpses of other stories that have happened before. And as always I loved the magic that is Ruby's Place! Author Holly Schindler knows how to tug the heart-strings and invest the reader in her storytelling. I look forward every Christmas to a Ruby Place story to warm my heart. I highly recommend that you check out this series!

Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off by Amanda Flower

 

Lois and Millie are back! And it is zanier than ever! They are on vacation in Florida and of course a dead body turns up! Expecting to have a lovely time by the ocean(that Millie has never seen) they unexpectedly run into some hometown folk. Juliet and her pastor husband are attending a conference near where Lois and Millie are staying. Of course Juliet can't go anywhere without her comfort pig Jethro. And of course Jethro is up to his mischievous self! When he roots out the dead body Millie recognizes the person immediately. Amish Marple is on the case after that! Of course with Lois leading the way Millie finds herself on e-scooters trying to keep up. She also manages to get tipped over in a kayak and unfortunately make a killer mad. And what would be an Amish Matchmaker Mystery without sourpuss Ruth Yoder on the scene to keep Lois on her toes matching wits and barbs! Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off is filled with adventure, comedy and mystery and kept me entertained to the very end. 

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller

 

Olivia(Liv) Bennett is passed over for a job she was looking forward to. Now she is on her way to stay with her ailing grandmother in England. Once she arrives Liv begins to familiarize herself with her surroundings as she hasn't visited that area in years. One of her favorite spots is Hartbury Hall where a scene out of Pride and Prejudice was filmed years before. Hartbury has fallen into disarray much to Liv's disappointment. Especially the fountain that was the center of the most famous scene from the movie. When Liv gets a less than cordial greeting from the groundskeeper she is truly disappointed that her romantic notions about the Hall will never be realized. Liam Browne just wants to be left alone to lick his wounds. Too many disappointments with women have caused him to be jaded and unhappy. When Liv's enthusiasm to revive the Hall for public visitations brings new life to Liam he is determined to work just as hard as she is to bring it to pass. Will their efforts bring restoration to not only Hartbury Hall but also to two people who have been struggling with disappointments in life? 

What a cute Christmas read! Of course I love anything with a Pride and Prejudice theme, and this one was perfect. I love all of the characters in the story. Even though Liam was prickly at first I enjoyed reading his thawing out. I loved his sister who seemed to match Liv's enthusiasm for the project at hand. And Liv's vibrant mind full of ideas was so fun to see developing and executing. A sweet story, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series. 

From A Distance by Tamera Alexander

 

Elizabeth Westbrook is in Colorado Territory competing for a job working for a newspaper. Her goal is to be a woman photo journalist. Elizabeth will do anything to get the job. Including scaling mountains. Elizabeth is desirous of capturing the Mesa's with her camera but she needs an escort. Daniel Ranslett would be the perfect escort but he refuses. Daniel values his solitude and no woman is going to talk him into escorting her through treacherous terrain. Will they be able to work out a deal between them?

I enjoyed this story very much. It has sat languishing on my Kindle for far too long. I asked my daughter's mother-in-law to make me a sign for a jar for my To Be Read books. 

She didn't think I could fill it up! So here is my TBR and this is the first book I picked out of it to read. Let's see how many I can get through.

Back to FROM A DISTANCE. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Elizabeth and Daniel. I liked how outspoken Elizabeth was and I really liked her relationship with the former slave that was helping her with her photography. Daniel had demons of his own to work through and I liked how he came to care for both Elizabeth and Josiah. I did feel that the ending was a little rushed, but alas, a book cannot go on forever and needs to be wrapped up at some point. This was a sweet read with a little suspense and danger thrown in. I enjoyed it.

Lost Cause

 

The Lost Lake Locators have been hired by an elderly client to find a lost artifact. When former sheriff Abby Day shows up on the island their client lives on she is greeted by a mansion that is in disrepair. The front door is wide open but nobody seems to be home. Then detective Burke Ulrich shows up. Abby and Burke have worked together before. There is an attraction there, but neither are in a place to act on it. Abby has no need in her life for controlling people and Burke is very controlling. Burke has trust issues where women are concerned so there is no way he would act on his attraction for Abby. Can these two work together to find out the secrets of a buried past or will they both let down the people that count on them the most? 

I loved the creepiness of when Abby first arrived on the island. Fog, mansion in disrepair, nobody around. So perfectly creepy! I liked Burke and Abby's characters. I liked as they opened up to each other their ability to become vulnerable. I loved that even though Abby wasn't close to the Lord she was still willing to help and comfort someone by praying for them and with them. The spiritual lessons learned throughout the story are always much appreciated and real to life. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Lost Lake teams stories!