Murder by Cheesecake - Rachel Ekstrom Courage

 Murder by Cheesecake - Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Pub. Date: April 15, 2025

She read

Based on the characters from the TV show, The Golden Girls, this is a new cozy mystery series. Rose’s niece and fiancé are in Miami to get married. Rose is trying to give them a traditional  St. Olaf wedding while the groom to be’s parents who own a swanky hotel have other ideas. When a man Dorothy meets on a date through a VHS dating service shows up dead in the freezer of the hotel, suspicion falls on her. As Rose is trying to arrange all the quirky details of a St. Olaf wedding, she balances that with working with her three friends to clear Dorothy’s name.

After reading quite a few dark mystery/thrillers in a row, I was up for something lighter, so chose this book. It was a fine palate cleanser as the Golden Girls romp through Miami. If you are a fan of the show, you will enjoy revisiting these entertaining characters in a new situation. It had their distinctive wit and charm. I do think some of the story, especially the St. Olaf references and preparation for the wedding went on a bit too long. Hard to believe that after 40 years, the spirit of these four women can still bring a smile to our lives. After reading this, you may well find yourself wanting some cheesecake, unless you are from St. Olaf in which case you may crave herring.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HyperionAveBooks for the DRC.

***

I See You've Called in Dead - John Kenney

 I See You've Called in Dead - John Kenney

Pub. Date: April 1, 2025

She read

Touted as “The Office meets Six Feet Under”, this tells the story of Bud Stanley, a divorced, middle aged, lonely, on the down slide writer of obituaries who, one drunken night, writes and files his own obituary, greatly exaggerating his accomplishments. His newspaper wants to fire him but is prevented from doing so because the company’s computer has him listed as dead, and they can’t fire a dead man. Dismissed pending a hearing, Bud learns some life lessons from both the living and the dead. 

I had to think a bit about how I felt about this read and then realized how much I really liked it. Well written by a Thurber prize winning author,  there are witty lines, laugh out loud moments, and profound observations. It is also poignant and at times sad, but, ultimately, an affirmation of life. I also loved Kenney’s vignettes of life in New York City.  

Thanks to #NetGalley and @ZibbyPublishing for the DRC.

*****

Death at Horsey Mere - Ross Greenwood

 Death at Horsey Mere - Ross Greenwood

Pub. Date: March 1, 2025

She read

This is the fourth in the #Norfolkmurders series. Although I did read the prior one in the sequence, this can be read as a stand alone.The author kindly provides a directory of the cast of police characters at the beginning of the novel.

 Ashley Knight has been promoted from DI to DS! She and her team become involved in an international crime syndicate when two young local women are missing. Soon they learn of other missing persons and dead bodies start showing up. 

For those with trigger warnings: the storyline includes human trafficking, abduction of young women, and some gruesome attacks. A solid police procedural, I like this investigative team with their close personal relationships and sarcastic humor. The criminals in this installment are quite malevolent, while the writing pulls you in in this engrossing, can’t put down read. There are twists and turns…one you probably won’t see coming! Atmospheric, the descriptions of the Norfolk surroundings are vivid and evocative.  

If you enjoy police procedurals featuring capable female detectives, I encourage you to check out this book. This author/series has been added to my “must read” list. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the DRC.

****

Nobody's Fool - Harlan Coben

 Nobody's Fool - Harlan Coben

Pub. Date: March 25, 2025

She read

When disgraced former police officer turned independent detective Sami Kierce  was a college student traveling in Spain, he woke up one morning next to a dead woman and found himself holding a bloody knife. He fled the scene, but the incident changed the course of his life. Now, twenty five years later, he thinks he sees the woman he thought murdered. As he tries to find the woman, long held secrets unravel and danger is near.

This is the second in the Detective Sami Kierce series.  I read the first one, Fool Me Once, but it was in 2016 and since I have read well over 1000 books since, I honestly don’t remember it so basically this was a standalone for me and it worked as one. 

Multiple plot lines, an intriguing, twisty story, and colorful supporting characters make this another winner by Coben. It also raises some interesting social and familial issues. It is a fast paced, engrossing, hard to put down read.

Since Fool Me Once  was made into a Netflix series, I am looking forward to this one also being adapted.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPublishing for the DRC.

*****

Breaking the Dark - Lisa Jewell

 Breaking the Dark  - Lisa Jewell

Pub. Date: March 25, 2025

She read

Jessica Jones has retired as a super hero and lives in Hell’s Kitchen, New York as a private investigator. When Amber Randall seeks out her services because her teenage twins returned from a trip to visit their father in the UK as changed people. They seem to have been replaced by “perfect” specimens. Jessica’s investigation takes her to a small village in England where she too seems to fall under some type of spell. Upon her return to New York, it is up to Jessica and occasional lover Luke Cage to unravel the mystery and put a stop to a nefarious plan.

My bad….I guess I responded to Lisa Jewell as the author (I have read many of her thrillers) and didn’t read close enough that this is a Marvel novel, the first in what is to become a series. Superheroes, sci fi and fantasy are not my typical genre choices. But, I approached the book with an open mind, suspended belief and thoroughly enjoyed the story/mystery. While it didn’t sell me on this genre, I did find myself totally engrossed in the plot.

If you enjoy Lisa Jewell’s writing, but are not a fan of fantasy/Marvel, do give this read a chance. You may like it as much as I did.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HyperionAveBooks for the DRC.

****

My Name is Emilia Del Valle - Isabel Allende

 My Name is Emilia Del Valle - Isabel Allende

Pub. Date: May 6, 2025

She read

In the 1800s, a young Irish woman about to become a nun has a relationship with a Chilean aristocrat and becomes pregnant, giving birth to a daughter she names Emilia Del Valle, after the father who abandons her. All her life, Emilia is told that, despite having a loving step father, she must connect with her birth father and collect her due. An independent spirit, Emilia wants to become a writer and begins writing dime novels under a male pseudonym. Her dream is to become a journalist and she does so for a San Francisco newspaper, but is told she must continue to use the pseudonym. She travels to Chile during their civil war as a correspondent and finally is allowed to use her real name. There, she discovers the barbarity of war, the love of her life, her birthright family, and searches for her soul. 

I really enjoy Allende’s writing and this book adds to her considerable body of literature. She is a skillfull story teller who writes beautiful prose. Allende is known for her magical realism, so the book is fantastical at times, but a truly compelling read. There is so much here….adventure, the brutality of war, especially a civil war, romance, family bonds, cultural heritage, historical accounting, as well as a strong and endearing female character. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the DRC.

*****

A Darker Reality - Anne Perry

 A Darker Reality - Anne Perry

She read

Set in the 1930s, young MI6 agent Elena Standish is visiting Washington DC with her parents for her wealthy grandparents anniversary. She barely knows them, having met them only when she was a child.Her British father’s role as ambassador around the world prevented many visits. During the anniversary party, which President Roosevelt and Elenor attended, a young woman, Lila, is killed The evidence points to her grandfather and he is arrested. When Elena discovers the dead woman was a British spy, she works with another agent to uncover the truth. Could her grandfather’s right wing ideas and participation in the Free America movement have played a role in his arrest and just what information was Lila privy to? After all, her husband is a scientist working on splitting the atom and perhaps developing a powerful weapon of war. 

More than a mystery, this is an important book because of the social and political issues raised. Perry captures well the conflicting political views prior to the US entry into World War II.

Although published in 2021, this book may be more pertinent now given what is happening worldwide. The Free America organization in the novel seems to parallel “America First”, a slogan often used to promote racist, xenophobic and isolationist ideas. Pointing out the wide difference in political views, a character notes that “this is healthy, but not when it turns violent.” There are some wonderful quotes in the text of this novel; one that has stayed with me is “patriotism is pretty universal and has been the justification for some of the worst acts on earth.”

There is some beautiful prose in this novel, especially when describing the landscape. Yes, there is some repetition, but I was able to easily overlook it for the message that this book conveyed.

This is the third in the series. Although I have read quite a few of Anne Perry’s many novels, I did not read the first two Elena Standish stories. This did work well as a standalone.There are two subsequent entries in the series; Anne Perry passed away in 2023.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the DRC.

*****

Hidden in Smoke - Lee Goldberg

 Hidden in Smoke - Lee Goldberg

Pub. Date: April 22, 2025

She read

Veteran arson investigator Walker and his fairly new partner, former US Marshall Sharpe are back in action chasing down arsonists. Both Walker and Sharpe, nicknamed Shar Pei because of his uncanny resemblance to one, are unique characters, a bit unconventional, but full of wit and intelligence. Best of all in this book, they have some opportunities to team up with Eve Ronin, a detective from one of Goldberg’s other popular series of which I am a fan.

With a few storylines, this is a fast paced thrill ride. I really enjoy the humorous wise cracks throughout the book and the relationship between the partners .A bit over the top at times, it is an entertaining read. An added bonus is insight into the investigative process involved in arson.

 This series is a unique take on crime fiction/mystery/thriller. The third installment,  I did read and enjoy the first two. Although characters from a previous story appear, this would work as a standalone.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for the DRC.

****