Murder at the Spring Ball by Benedict Brown

 

This is the first book in the Lord Edgington Investigates series. Christopher goes to his ancestral home and his grandfather, Lord Edgington, assigns him the job of planning a spring ball. Lord Edgington has been a recluse for 10 years since his wife passed away. He is now ready to re-enter society. To celebrate he serves a champagne that he has been saving for years. His daughter drinks the champagne before the toast is over and dies before their eyes. Now Lord Edgington calls on Christopher to help him solve who murdered his daughter. 

The beginning of the series we are introduced to Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher. Christopher makes a good sounding board for his grandfather while also coming up with some wild ideas of his own. I enjoyed the fun wit displayed by Christopher and Lord Edgington along with the mystery of who the killer was. I was kept guessing to the very end and was definitely surprised in who the murderer was. A fun yet cozy mystery with a bit of sobriety thrown in as murder is never fun. I'm definitely a fan and am going to enjoy this series.

  

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

 

Marshal's Teddy and Chuck arrive on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the patients from the psychiatric hospital. Now stuck on the island with a hurricane coming Teddy and Chuck are finding that nothing on the island is as it seems. 

This one was a bit of a mind bender. An interesting read and yes, by the end I pretty much had it figured out, but that didn't take away from what an engrossing story it was. 

This is the 7th mystery book from the puzzle I did this past winter:

For all of my Christian Fiction readers, this definitely is not the book for you unless you don't mind foul language and sexual descriptives. The mystery was good, the other was not necessary. 

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 

This is the 6th book of 38 that I have read from the mystery puzzle that I put together over Christmas. 

I really enjoy psychological thrillers and this one was pretty good. A woman is accused of killing her husband and she refuses to speak after the event. A psychotherapist becomes fixated with her case and works at trying to help her. There is quite a twist at the end that is thought-provoking and made me say, "Well that makes sense!" A good read and one more book down on the goal I set for reading all of these books this year!

Marple by Various Authors

 

I enjoyed the 12 stories in this book! I think all of the authors stuck to the true character of Miss Marple and also stuck to the era in which she was originally written. I was very impressed. I also enjoyed that I read this in large print and felt that it was a quick and easy read. If you are a fan of Agatha Christie's character Miss Marple then I think you will truly enjoy this new set of short stories.

The Decision by Christina Rost

 

Trying to escape her grief Ava goes on a mission trip to Uganda that has disastrous results. Locked away in a small village Ava has no hope of rescue. Blake is on a mission when he is captured and tortured then thrown into a room with Ava. As Ava nurses his wounds their bond strengthens. Are either of them ready for the feelings they develop while captive? 

WOW! This one was good ya'll!!! It was exciting, dangerous, full of emotions and definitely full of romance. All of the things that make for a good story that kept me entertained and anxious to see what happened next. I highly recommend! 

 

Rip Tide by Lisa T. Bergren

 

Taking up where Estuary left off Luci and Nico return to the Forelli's with a healed Ilaria. Barely escaping from an enemy in their time only to be once more confronted with enemies from a far more harsh time in history. As the Forelli's seek to find Sir Ercole and bring him to trial some of their family are being held captive and face certain death if he is not found. Will they be able to find enough witnesses to speak for the Forelli's or has their enemy done a perfect job of framing them?

I love love love this series! Luci and Giulio's romance is sweet and so romantic. I mean seriously who wouldn't fall for some big, beautiful knight who is totally gaga over you? Tiliani's desire for a man she cannot have is sad yet frustrating as well. The epic battles were stressful and had me closing the book a few times only to have to pick it up again to see what happens next! There were laughs, there was danger, there was love and there was hate. But at the end of the day there was family and that is what Luci and Nico have been looking for. A place to belong. If you enjoy a good time travel series then I highly suggest this series. You won't be able to put it down! 

The Diviners by Libba Bray

 

This is the 5th book that I have read from the mystery book puzzle that I did over the winter:

I normally try to avoid books that have an occultic theme or satanic and demonic overtures so this one was a bit of a struggle to read. Thankfully it had a clear good vs. evil theme and at this point good won out. There are other books in this series but I think I will probably give them a pass even though I did feel invested in the characters by the end. There is definitely a cliffhanger with the understanding that evil is coming to wreak havoc on the earth. If you enjoy a thriller that pits good against the evil spirit world then give this a try.