A Killer in the Wings by Benedict Brown

 

Chrissy's friend Marmaduke barges in to Cranley Hall to enlist Chrissy and his Grandfather Lord Edgington's help in solving a murder. It's a good thing too as Lord Edgington is in a funk and going stir crazy. Chrissy and his Grandfather head off to London to the theater. A new play is about ready to open but it seems to be beset by accidents and even murder. Can Christopher and his grandfather solve the case? Better yet, what happens when Lord Edgington demands that Christopher solve the case on his own? Is Chrissy ready for that? 

This one took me a while to get through. I don't know if I was distracted by other things going on or if I just wasn't into it. I enjoyed the twist at the end where Lord Edgington made Chrissy solve the case on his own. I liked that he is putting more confidence in Christopher. There were a lot of characters so it did feel like I was lost sometimes in trying to figure out who was who. Was the killer a surprise? For me it was! I thought for sure it was a couple of other people! Not my favorite Lord Edgington book, but good nonetheless and I'll be reading the next book in the series before too long!

Caturday Crime by Amanda Flower

 

Let's get the obvious out of the way first. Unfortunately this book should have gone through a more rigorous editing process. It felt like I was reading a rough draft of a manuscript. Most of the time I hate mentioning this sort of thing, but proofreading errors were so prevalent through the whole book that they were hard to miss. And yes, it detracted from the story. I would be reading along and then words would be left out and I'd stumble and would be brought out of the story. And that is all I'm going to say about that.

As for the story itself, I enjoyed it very much. I liked the characters. The main character, Kinley, was likable and eventually matured and developed a stronger backbone. There were several characters that I thought could be the "bad guy" or that I wished were the bad guy! Was I surprised at who the bad guy turned out to be? Not a bit! That didn't make me enjoy the story any less though. I was excited to get to the end to see how everything resolved. I loved the interaction the main character had with all of the cats, especially Marmalade. The cat sanctuary was based on the author's cat rescue efforts and the proceeds of the sale of her book goes to maintaining care for the cats. I love that objective and was happy to contribute to that. This is book one of a series that I hope will continue to benefit her cat rescue operation.

The Dead Man(Jack Davis Thriller's #2) by Joel Goldman

 

I don't want to say this was predictable, because it wasn't, but I did know who the killer was from pretty much the beginning. The story was fast-paced and I really liked the main character Jack. Although his tics do hinder his work and kind of detract from the story they added a bit of humor as well. This quote had me laugh out loud:

"I had one advantage over Kent and Dolan and Walter Enoch's killer. Shaking made it easier to look both ways and see who was coming at me."

To make up for his disability(Movement disorder), Jack had a smart mouth. That was entertaining for sure. I liked Lucy's character as well. She was almost as good as Jack! The thriller part wasn't too tense, which was ok. I did enjoy the storyline and the way it moved along. It didn't seem to get bogged down. 

This is the first book I've read in the Jack Davis Thriller books and I might go back and get the other two when I have finished my goal of getting through the majority of my TBR pile. I just added them to my list! This was a solid read and if you like mild thrillers then I don't think you will be disappointed in this one.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

I've been watching clips of the Netflix show by the same name. It looked interesting so I bought the book before I watched the whole movie. I absolutely loved it! Now I can't wait to see the movie!

I loved the characters. Even the octopus was quite a character. I laughed, I cried and I thoroughly enjoyed it! There is some language in it that may offend some, but that is the only thing that I would caution on reading it. There were times I wanted to smack Cameron upside the head and tell him to grow up, but he grew throughout the story. Tova was a treat! Like I said, I've seen clips of the Netflix movie and Sally Fields' portrayal of Tova seems spot-on! So while I was reading I had her in my mind. This is definitely a 5 star rating for me!

The Christmas Bell Mystery by Benedict Brown

 

Christopher meets a young woman on a train who is in distress. Ever the gallant rescuer, Christopher talks his grandfather into finding the girl in hopes of saving her grandfather from being murdered. This is how this Christmas story begins for Christopher and his family. 

Once more Christopher and his grandfather are on the case. There is a murder, but not who they expected. Chrissy once again is on the right track but he doesn't quite manage to get to the correct conclusion. But never fear, the great detective and Chrissy's mentor, Lord Edgington, is also on the case and nothing gets by him. With a houseful of suspects, Chrissy and Edgington have their work cut out for them uncovering family secrets. It is always fun to read a Lord Edgington Investigates mystery and this one does not disappoint. I love a good Christmas story and so does Chrissy! I think you will enjoy this one too! It's a good read any time of year, not just for Christmas! I read it in May!

Lost Lake by Susan Sleeman

 

When Gabe's best friend Kenna calls and tells him she's scared and heading to see him Gabe worries when she doesn't show up. Where could Kenna and her daughter be? Soon Kenna's body is found. But where is Lucy her daughter? Gabe and Elaina, a detective on the force, team up to find Lucy. They know they are racing against the clock to find a killer and an abductor. Will they be able to overcome their pasts to find a lost little girl before it is too late?

I think this is one of my favorites in this series. There was a good amount of romance and also a good amount of suspense to keep me turning the pages. I loved El and Gabe together. They knew they cared for each other and there wasn't a lot of denial in that. They just had to figure out if they could make it work. There was the right amount of suspense to keep the reader interested, but not over the top. We once again got to see how the Lost Lake Team supports each other and how well they work with law-enforcement. I always have to mention the spiritual aspect of this author's writing. I like the way the characters struggle with their faith, yet they don't let go of it. The author portray's faith in a very real way that allows the reader to relate and know that struggles with faith are real and can be overcome. I definitely recommend this series and this book!

The Gift of Christmas Present by Melody Carlson

 

Christine is in search of family that she only recently found out she had. She finds her biological grandmother who mistakenly thinks that Christine is applying for a housekeeper job. Christine would like to learn more of who her biological parents were, but maybe some skeletons are better left in the closet!

The writing reminded me a bit of Grace Livingston Hill. An innocent girl, a sinful world, and all works out in the end. I enjoyed reading this even though we are not anywhere near Christmas at the moment. It was an enjoyable and quick read and I would recommend it to those that enjoy a heart-warming story around the holidays.