Blueberry Blunder by Amanda Flower

 

Once again Margot has Bailey neck deep in preparations for another celebration on the town square. The first ever Blueberry Bash is gearing up to be another success for Margot and the people of Holmes County. Bailey doesn't have time for this though as her new factory is going up and Bailey just had to fire her contractor. When that contractor is found dead in Bailey's building the Sheriff is more than happy to have an open and shut case.

I enjoyed this installment of the Amish Candy Shop series. As always the characters were humorous and likable. The animal characters are entertaining as well. Jethro the pig and Bailey's cat and bunny make me laugh out loud! Bailey and her boyfriend Aiden's relationship is progressing slowly but surely with Aiden's mother Juliette trying to push them along every step of the way. Charlotte, Bailey's cousin, is showing some investigative skills of her own and also has the opportunity to mend some fences with her family. I was hoping the "who-done-it" was the person I was thinking it was, and it was! But the getting to the who-done-it was entertaining and kept this reader turning pages. An entertaining read and a great installment to the series.

Edge of Steele by Susan Sleeman

 

Ryleigh Steele is the last of the Steele's to join the family business. A former FBI agent she is now standing at the site of a logging company that her family was hired to protect. Unfortunately a bomber had different ideas. As Ryleigh sees it, it is now her job to figure out who the bomber is and bring them to justice. Former SEAL Finn Durham was hired also to protect the logging company so he sees it as his job to find out who the bomber is. Neither of them will be working on the case if Sheriff Russ Maddox doesn't approve.  

Wow! So much going on in this last book of the Steele Guardians series. I love Ryleigh and Finn's characters. That they had a past together was helpful to their relationship as well. It added tension and also romance as they rekindled buried feelings for each other. We are introduced to the Maddox brothers who will star in the next series. They are all intense and I'm sure will bring lots of suspense and romance to the series. We got to catch up with some of the Verita's group which is always fun. I love how the author has researched cutting-edge technology for the group to use in their work to catch criminals. I love the spiritual lessons learned in this story. Both Finn and Ryleigh have had to struggle with plans they had for their life taking different turns in order for God to work HIS perfect plan for them. An excellent and exciting end to the Steele Guardians series! 

The Pretender Book One: Rebirth by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle

 

I have mixed feelings about this book. It has been years since the series ended. It of course ended on a cliffhanger with no answers or conclusions for Jarod. Such a disappointment. Then I saw after watching the series on DVD again that there was supposed to be some books written that had answers to all of our burning questions of what happened next to the Pretender. So I was prepared for this book to start where the last movie left off. Unfortunately that is not the case! This book just re-packages the beginning of the series. Miss Parker is her usual cranky self. Sydney is his usual psycho-babbling self and Broots doesn't even exist! Which is irritating. Anyway, all of that aside, I still liked the story and the only thing I can think is that the books were supposed to continue more than the two that were written and eventually catch up to the ending of the TV series and let us know how it all ends. But alas, only two books were written and it looks like fans will never know how Jarod's life proceeded after Island of the Haunted. I'm really disappointed about that. 

Broker of Lies by Steven James

 

Travis Brock sees many government secrets. He's the one that decides whether a secret can be let out to the public or if it needs to remain a secret. Travis has spent the last 18 months trying to find out who set his house on fire that ultimately killed his wife. Travis teams up with Adira Halprin to stop a major terrorist attack that just might cross paths with who killed Travis' wife. 

Steven James always writes such suspenseful reads! This was no exception! I got so stressed a couple of times that I had to put the book down to calm my nerves! ha! There were many twists and turns throughout the story and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was friend and who was foe. The ending had my mouth hanging open in surprise! Excellent story and I believe it is going to be a series so I will be looking forward to the next book!

Into the Fog by Karen Randau

 

MJ has moved to a small Oklahoma town to help her mother out with her peach orchard. MJ has met Kelsey on her morning run. Kelsey is nice, but very secretive and will only share tiny tidbits of information about herself with MJ. When Kelsey disappears MJ is sure foul play is involved and she is just as determined to find out what happened to Kelsey. 

Josh recognizes MJ from their time serving in Afghanistan. Both MJ and Josh are dealing with PTSD and both have an aversion of being together. Neither is ready for a relationship nor are they ready for the feelings that develop for each other. 

I enjoyed the mystery that INTO THE FOG had. MJ's frustration in trying to find Kelsey when nobody would believe that she was missing was clear and intense. I enjoyed the characters. MJ and Josh's relationship was a bit frustrating. But I understood it with the PTSD that both were dealing with. I felt sad for MJ's mother who was starting to have signs of dementia. The danger that they were all in when it came to a conclusion was suspenseful and unexpected. This is the first book in the series with book 2 coming out in March. If you like romantic suspense check it out. This is a new author for me and I'm looking forward to reading another of her books.

In Farm's Way by Amanda Flower

 

Shiloh Bellamy has a knack for finding dead people! When a local brewery owner is found dead in the frozen lake, Shiloh's best friend's husband becomes a suspect. Shiloh is determined to clear his name much to the local law-enforcements disgruntlement!

I have really enjoyed the Farm to Table Mysteries so far and In Farm's Way was a great addition. I'm loving the romantic interests in the stories and am anxiously waiting to find out if Shiloh has chosen the person I want her to be with! The murder was creative and I enjoyed following Shiloh as she hunted down clues to find the guilty person. I'm a bit frustrated with Shiloh and her father's relationship. I really wish he would get a clue. As always, the author has some cute furry characters that crack me up. Huckleberry, Shiloh's pug, has a funny personality that makes me laugh. If you enjoy cozy mysteries be sure to pick up this latest in the series.

Solid As Steele by Susan Sleeman

 

Mackenzie Steele is on vacation. Out in the middle of nowhere she enjoys her time alone and time to regroup. Her vacation is interrupted by a man showing up on her porch. He looks like he has been beat up and he can't remember who he is or why he is there. The name Owen sounds familiar to him so that is what she starts calling him. As they investigate who he could be Mackenzie doesn't know whether he is a criminal or not but she is determined to help him find out what has happened.

Just as I think that author Susan Sleeman can't get any better she proves me wrong! I loved Solid As Steele! I enjoyed the characters as well. I thought this installment of the Steele Guardians series was a bit different than the others in that it didn't mostly take place with the other Steele family members. A good chunk of the story took place away from home base. Mackenzie and Owen make a good couple and I liked the way their relationship developed. I also enjoyed that once they did join the family they embraced Owen. Those scenes had me laughing because the Steele family is anything but subtle when it comes to their family's significant others! I totally loved Solid As Steele and can't wait for the next book in the series.