A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman

 

Mitch and Charity's adopted daughter Winnie is more like Charity than Charity's own children. Bent on having her own way Winnie constantly butts heads with Charity. While Winnie is grateful for all that her parents have done for her, she feels constricted by her mother's rules. 

Winnie's best friend Beckett has always had Winnie's back from the time Winnie was dropped off at the orphanage. Winnie has always felt the sting of abandonment. Her one constant in life is Beckett. Winnie will do anything in order to preserve her and Beckett's friendship. Even chasing other men in order to avoid the strong attraction between her and Beckett after a steamy kiss in their performance of a play. Winnie is bent on living her life "spontaneously," but her friends see her living it on a whim. Can Winnie's family show her the love that passes all understanding and finally reach a heart that has been hurt? 

Author Julie Lessman always knows how to make her characters have such wonderful spiritual "ah ha" moments. Winnie is no exception. From not wanting anything to do with a God who she feels rejected her, Winnie learns that He has been with her every step of her life. I love Beckett! He is patient, kind and loving to Winnie even in her zaniest moments. The O'Connor family has expanded so much that it is hard to keep track of all of them, but we do get a peek at some. And let's not forget what Julie Lessman is known for...those steamy kisses! They are not lacking in this book! A Whim and a Prayer keeps the reader turning the pages and praying for the perfect ending that we know is always the outcome of the author's characters. As always, I highly recommend you read this book!

Silent Storm by Christina Rost

 

Book 3 in the H&G Mystery series did not disappoint! This time around Henry decides it is time for him to go into the field. Following leads for family treasure finds Henry in small town Oklahoma. Opting for deception, Henry finds that he regrets that decision almost immediately. Paisley, the town sweetheart, has turned Henry's world upside down! In Henry's own words,

"Fake dates, phony names, grumpy cowboys, and buried treasure. Oklahoma had turned out to be more interesting than he'd planned." 

Will Henry's and Paisley's hearts come through unscathed or will this be one storm neither will be able to recover from?

Holy Moly! Author Christina Rost knows how to get your heart pounding! Romance, treasure hunting, tornadoes, oh my! I absolutely loved Henry and Paisley! I loved the setting of Oklahoma in the springtime! So far I think book 3 is my favorite. Even though I found myself thinking, OH HENRY! Don't do that! Or, TELL HER HENRY! I just loved Henry. His character is endearing and he truly is a romantic. Together Henry and Paisley just work and I was rooting for them the whole time I was reading. I highly recommend!

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.

Not Precisely Mr. Knightley by Carolyn Miller

 

EJ(Emma Jane) and her best friend Jordan have created a dating app called Dream Match. They have worked for years on it. Ever since EJ was young she has been driven to succeed. Now she is close to her goal and she is determined to reach it even if it means alienating her best friend and her family. Will EJ realize what she already has before it is too late?

This is the second book in The Silver Teapot series. I have to say I liked the first one better. Although this is loosely based on Emma by Jane Austen it is very loose. As in similar names, and maybe a bit of Mr. Knightley setting Emma straight. Just as I had a hard time getting through Emma, I had a hard time getting through this book. And oddly it wasn't because I didn't like it, it just moved along rather slowly. So should I say ploddingly? I definitely didn't care for EJ's character. She was driven. It made her harsh and a bit blind to what was going on around her. For a smart person it took her awhile to come to her senses. I liked Jordan's character. Above all else he told Emma the truth...until he didn't. He never lied to her, he just avoided her. He was harsh, and then he avoided her. It confused her and their friendship wasn't based on confusion. But as in Emma, everything worked out in the end and EJ once again became a character I could like. The third book, Not So Very Sensible, comes out in October of 2026. The description sounds good so I will most definitely read it. As for Not Precisely Mr. Knightley, like EJ, I was determined to reach my goal by finishing the book. I found that it was worth it in the end and I'm glad I stuck with it. If you read it let me know what you think!

Mad About Murder by Cindy Vincent

 

Maddie Montgomery is once again involved in a murder mystery in her neighborhood. Even though her new beau has warned her to stay off the case Maddie is determined to solve who killed her philandering neighbor. Not only is she dealing with a murder investigation, but she is also dealing with a young teenager bent on sabotaging Maddie's book sales. Between disastrous kitchen episodes from said teen, nightmare hair appointments from one of her neighbors jilted loves, and an evening of speed dating will Maddie be able to solve the murder? And there is still the mystery that her husband left when he passed away. Once again, will Maddie be able to survive a murderer on the loose?

This is the second book in the Maddie Montgomery Mystery series. I enjoyed it very much and it gave me several chuckles along the way. Like Maddie, I wasn't happy with the way Remy treated her when he went on duty, but I also wasn't happy with the way their relationship is still kind of up in the air by the end of the story. And what about the new guy in her life? Guy seems like a nice enough man, but I have a feeling there is more to him than we get to see in this installment of the series. There were a few things left hanging by the end of the story. What was Maddie's husband mixed up in that are now coming to light? Who will Maddie choose, Remy or Guy? And what is up with Maddie's neighbor Spencer Poe? Is he former CIA as Maddie thinks or is there something more mysterious about him? The humor in the series is entertaining. Oh my goodness, Maddie's hair mishaps about killed me! The teenager trying to replicate Maddie's recipes found in her books about did me in! The speed dating scene had me cracking up! If you enjoy cozy mysteries and light humor then try this series. You'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower

 

Bailey and Aiden are finally getting married! Of course chaos reigns the days leading up to the wedding! It wouldn't be Bailey, Harvest or of course Margot if chaos didn't reign. And of course what is a wedding without a murder? And of course said murder keeps Bailey and Aiden from starting out their married life with a honeymoon! 

So many thoughts! I'm thrilled that Bailey and Aiden are finally married. We've waited for this for a long while now. That being said, I found the lack of sparks between the new Mr. and Mrs. kind of disappointing. I know the point of the story is the mystery, but a steamy happy marriage kiss would have been nice, and called for. There were such few scenes between Aiden and Bailey in fact that it was like business as usual and nothing special. Which kind of was disappointing. Moving on...Margot! Oh my gosh! Margot! I got so frustrated with her pushiness and Bailey's constant waffling under her. Just say NO people! Even Juliette! Everyone expects a piece of Bailey and for Bailey to fix everything. Great, but what happens when Bailey runs out of Bailey to give? The good and fun parts? Oh my! Lois and Jean-Pierre? Hysterical! And what a marvelous duo! I love them together! Who'd have thought? The "who-done-it" had me waffling until the reveal. I always am surprised by the end of the mystery of the motive and the who. Always clever and always has me saying "of course!" All of the usual characters were present and accounted for. Ruth? Oh she's a piece of work for sure! Definitely a fun read and a clever mystery. I want to give the author and her husband a shout-out for their Etsy shop. All the proceeds of what they sell go to their cat rescue efforts. I can't remember how many cats they themselves have adopted, helped, fostered, etc. but they have a passion for these pets and if you are interested in learning more you can visit their Etsy shop: AmandaFlowerDesigns. 

Death From High Places by Benedict Brown

 

Christopher and Lord Edgington investigate the death of one of Albert's friends. Christopher faces a fear of jumping out of an air balloon. Unfortunately someone doesn't make it. Which one of the friends is a murderer and why?

A fast read since this is a novella. Even though it was short it was still well-written and entertaining. I enjoyed it very much. 

Emma A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith

 

Emma by Jane Austen was not my favorite Austen book. I have managed to get through it only once and that took me a couple of tries to finally buckle down and finish it. I don't know why that is. But anyway, this modern retelling by Alexander McCall Smith seemed to move faster and be more interesting even though it followed Austen's book very well. I really like Alexander McCall Smith's writing. If you have never read his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series you are missing out! He did this retelling justice and made it much more easy for me to get through it. The story was easy to follow, and modern enough to keep reading, but not so modern that it detracted from the authenticity of the original. There wasn't any gratuitous cursing or sex scenes, which was much appreciated! An enjoyable read and well done retelling!

Two Seconds Too Late by Dani Pettrey

 

Riley's friend has disappeared. Now she and Greyson must go undercover as a couple to the spa that Kelly was last seen. Throughout their search Riley knows they are heading to the one place she never wants to return to. Grey is fighting his own battles. His feelings are beyond brotherly concern for Riley, but he has convinced himself he can never act on those feelings. As the two fight their feelings for each other they get closer and closer to a killer. 

I liked both Riley and Greyson's characters. I did get a bit frustrated with the baggage that they both carried, but more-so with Greyson's unwillingness to let go of his. The danger they faced was intense and made for a great suspense. The conclusion totally leaves us hanging for the next book in the series! I hope that it comes out quickly.

Blood on the Banisters by Benedict Brown

 

Christopher's brother Albert is finally getting married. It is tradition that the bride and groom trade houses the night before the wedding. Albert, Christopher and Lord Edgington go to the bride's family home. Albert finds that his fiance's family are completely horrible, but he still wants to marry Cassandra. When Cassandra's mother is murdered in the middle of the night it is a good thing that Christopher and his grandfather are there and on the case as it looks like Albert may be the murderer! Will they be able to solve the case before the wedding? 

Oh my! Suspects are coming out of the woodwork in this one. Could one of Cassandra's brothers have killed their mother? She was a completely awful woman to all of her family. So throughout the story I was wondering which one finally cracked enough to kill her. I was a little disappointed in Christopher this go-round because he seemed to not have as many insights as he has in the past. But for this case I think he can be forgiven. I too was confused and led astray by so many suspects. By the time I got to the end of the book I never would have guessed who-done-it! Never fear though, Lord Edgington does not seem to be at a loss as to what is going on and manages to wrap the case up quite tidily. Christopher and his grandfather are the perfect detective duo and I look forward to more adventures with them! 

What The Vicar Saw by Benedict Brown

 

The first case where Christopher actually worked out the mystery. I thought that Lord Edgington was a bit of a jerk in this one. He didn't take Christopher's word when Chrissy said that a guy didn't do the dastardly deed. He wouldn't even consider that the guy wasn't guilty. And that seemed out of character for him. So the beginning frustrated me big time. I was happy with the rest of the story and very happy with the ending. Christopher is maturing in his ability to reason out who and why someone would murder. He's learning a lot from his grandfather. I enjoyed this one!

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

 

Well, I don't even know what to say about this book. I enjoy a good vampire book. I enjoy a good spin-off or re-write of my favorite book by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. I have to say I have mixed feelings about this one. At times it was entertaining, but at first I was trying to decide if I was even going to continue with it. But the further I went I became invested in the story. The ending though was kind of silly(I mean vampire's so why wouldn't it be silly, right?). By the title I thought that we would see more of Mr. Darcy in the vampire mode, but even though we knew he was a vampire, it was not revealed to Lizzy until almost the ending of the story. So basically it was Lizzy pining away for intimacy with Darcy and Darcy not complying. I enjoyed the references to the original work by Jane Austen. There were many lines from P&P that Darcy and Lizzy reminisced about on their honeymoon tour. So while it could have been a better story, I'm not mad that I finished it! 

The Snows of Weston Moor by Benedict Brown

 

Christopher and his family are off on a trip for Christmas. Unfortunately Christopher and Lord Edgington never arrive at their destination. Having gone off the road in a snow storm they make their way to a mansion filled with actors celebrating the holidays. Christopher and Lord Edgington hide who they really are. Of course there is a murder and Christopher and his grandfather are on the trail of the killer!

Christopher seems to be a bit more with it in this installment. He has more intelligent questions to ask and makes less accusations and bumbles. He's coming along nicely in his grandfathers footsteps. While Christopher was able to figure out who-done-it I was not able to! It was a mystery to me until the great reveal! The characters were interesting and irritating all at once. I hopped from one to the other as the guilty party. Lord Edgington bringing his staff with him wherever he goes cracks me up! I love it! A great mystery which I was able to read while being snowed in for 5 days! 

Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel

 

When one of the richest men in the country calls Jack Hawthorne and hires him to search out Elisha's(yes, Elisha from the Bible) bones Jack has no clue what he's getting into. Soon people are trying to kill him. Not just kill him, but also kill anyone he knows who is trying to help him. What will happen when Jack calls on the woman he once was engaged to? Will she help him or will she be the one to kill him?

Elisha's Bones was an exciting read. The setting was intriguing and the characters were engaging. The action was exciting and kept me invested in the story. I loved Esperanza's character. I enjoyed how she could hold her own through all of the chaos that Jack brought with him. An exciting adventure with old ruins, secret societies and conspiracies that will have you excited to turn the next page. I highly recommend.

The Crimes of Clearwell Castle by Benedict Brown

 

Christopher has graduated and now he and his grandfather Lord Edgington are on their way for a holiday. When they arrive at Clearwell Castle they are greeted by an angry mob commemorating a centuries old death of a young woman they say was murdered. A good thing that Chrissy and Lord Edgington are on the case. Not only must they investigate the young woman's death from hundreds of years ago, but two more recent deaths have occurred as well. Will they be able to solve all of these crimes? 

Christopher and his stomach kill me! He makes me laugh! I enjoyed how Lord Edgington is teaching Chrissy how to reason out people's motives and is helping him to not go on circumstantial evidence, but reason out how he came to a conclusion even if it was a wrong one. The Lord Edgington Investigates series is one I am enjoying reading through. This is book 7 in the series. One of the things the author stresses in his introductions is that nothing in each installment is given away from any of the other books that come before it. The main characters are carried through each book, but nothing is given away about the mysteries in other books. I like that because at one point I had to read one out of order. This was the perfect installment to the series and I highly recommend it. 

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

 

Dr. Anna Fox has agoraphobia. She cannot leave her house. She has been stuck this way for 10 months due to PTSD. Anna is a child psychologist, but so far has been unable to help herself. Anna's world consists of watching her neighbors lives play out through her windows. Mixing pills and alcohol Anna becomes even more muddled. When she sees a murder across the way nobody believes her. How can Anna prove that she is not just a drunk who is hallucinating?

The Woman in the Window kind of plodded along. Was fairly predictable, but there were some twists that would give the reader a surprise. I got frustrated with Anna because of her dependence on alcohol, but then I've never been in her position so who's to say I wouldn't fall prey to the same thing? As a mystery, it took a long time to get to that. I felt like the majority of the story was backstory leading up to the actual mystery. The ending was super-exciting and redeemed the book for me. 

This book is part of my challenge to read through all of the mysteries listed in a puzzle that I did a few years ago:

I'm slowly working through them! They are all in my TBR jar:

Welcome to 2026 readers! I hope that you have a fantastic year and find all kinds of reading treasures!