A Noble Masquerade was my favorite this week, but really, all of the books in this list were top notch. I think maybe it was the humor that put this one ahead of the rest, probably because I needed a laugh right about now.
Hawthorne House Series – A Noble Masquerade book 1 – Kristi Ann Hunter ….. This one was my favorite, it was so good I had to tear myself away from it when duty called (read that – when caught reading while neglecting responsibilities).
One of the best things was the dry humor, some scenes almost had me rolling on the floor, it was great. Humor wasn’t intended to be the main attraction though, just an added bonus. The unconventional characters and unexpected plot twists were the main attraction.
This book has intrigue, romance, sibling rivalry, and most importantly – lessons in deportment. 😉 It was a fun read, I loved it.
Sloane Monroe Mystery – Murder in Mind book 2 – Cheryl Bradshaw ….. A thriller…. the body of a woman has turned up in a super market parking lot, and inestigators are convinced evidence points to the reemergence of a serial killer.
Sloane has solved all of her previous cases but one, that of her sister’s murder, and this one looks like it was committed by her sister’s killer, he’s back. He is brilliant, meticulous, leaving no clues. Can she rise to the challenge and outsmart him.
This book was a page turner. Another favorite.
A Jack Turner Suspense Novel – Unintended Consequences book 3 – Dan Walsh ….. Jack and Rachel planned to spend a few days of their honeymoon visiting his grandmother who has never met Rachel. Jack is called away with emergency work obligations but leaves Rachel behind because he wants her to hear the incredible family story his grandmother has to tell.
It all happened during the second world war and it’s a miracle any of them lived through it.
These days there seem to be many books written around the theme of WWII, and you would think there would be a sameness about them all, but there isn’t. Probably because there are as many unique stories as there are people in the world and the difference in detail adds a freshness. Authors have done an admirable job of finding something that would set their work apart from all the rest.
This story was worth every moment of reading time. Lest we forget.
Rock Harbor Series – Beneath Copper Falls – Colleen Coble ….. This is one of Colleen’s latest releases and it is an excellent book. All of her books are, actually. Colleen is a successful and prolific writer with nearly 4 million books sold. I’m thinking most of you must have read at least one or two of her books, if you haven’t – I hope you will.
A book description for this story would sound much like others I’ve mentioned recently; escape an abusive husband – relocate and hope to start life over in a safer place. The outlines sound the same but the details are as different and unique as any of our personal stories. Colleen’s stories are always well thought out with a depth that makes them worth reading and this one is a good example of that.
The Keepers of the Ring Series – Angela Hunt ….. Angela is another prolific and successful author, on a par with Colleen Coble, both selling in the millions of books. You have probably been exposed to her books as well, but if not I hope you will read some of these too. Their styles are different, so you would enjoy both authors. They both write in several different genres as well, reading their work doesn’t get old.
Angela has a number of historical series, The Keeper of the Ring is one of them. The time frame for this series is the settling of North America, before Columbus. The theory is that he was not the first one to arrive on our shores. There were others before him. This series sets out how that could have happened.
Roanoke, the Lost Colony book 1 …. this is the beginning, with a small number of settlers landing on a inhospitable piece of shoreline. Things do not go well and three children are all that’s left of them. They manage to escape but each of the three are captured by a different group and they don’t see each other again for many years.
Jamestown book 2 ….. the children have become adults, inspite of difficult and unfriendly circumstances. This will be a time of discovery as they cross paths again. This contact revives buried memories of families they once had. Others have come now to join the first settlers and have been a mixed blessing, some more hindrance than help. This book follows the continued journey of the three, their joys and their sorrows.
There are three more to go yet on this so I will be getting back to you with them.
Heart of the Mountains – This Treacherous Journey book 1 – Misty M Beller …. Emma, expecting a baby and afraid she may be arrested. is fleeing with her twin brother after the hanging of her husband for fraud. They are travelling on horseback through treacherous mountain passes when Joseph’s horse loses it’s footng and falls, injuring his rider.
Simeon lives a solitary and primitive life, hiding out in his grief, and is not prepared to receive visitors in need of help, especially with one of them an expectant female. It brings back too many painful memories.
Joseph and Emma are trying to make it to Canada where they feel they will be safe from the possibility of arrest, but with Joseph’s injuries they need Simeon’s help to make the journey. Winter will be settling in soon and time is running out. That’s what Simeon is afraid of, time running out.
I hope there is somehing here to inspire you. Be sure to check out these authors if they are new to you. Or, even if they’re not.
Happy Reading!
Fleetwood and Shiels – Saving Grace book 2 – Simon Wood ….. the kidnapper, consumed with teaching parents to take better care of their children, zeros in on a young girl whose family is focused more on the tourist attraction than on her. He has had practice, and with his perfectly executed plan, they leave and no one even notices anything wrong.
Lady at Arms: a Medieval Romance – Tamara Leigh …. Lizanne Balmaine managed to escape her abuser and run for her life. Now, years later, when she spies her enemy at a neighboring castle, made bold by her new skills and an overpowering need for revenge, she captures him and locks him in her dungeon. There is something a little off about all of this though, he isn’t exactly as remembered, and the difference escapes her.
Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek – HomeComing – Carolyne Aarsen …. Mark is on a mission to find his partner’s sister for him, he doesn’t know much about her except that she hasn’t been home in years. Things begin to go a little wrong when he tracks her to a bar and his attempt to talk to her enrages her boss. It goes from bad to worse and she finds herself without a job she desperately needs.
The Blackstone Detective Series – Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death book 1 – Sally Spencer/Alan Rustage …. a shabbily dressed young man hurries through the streets realizing he should have left for home hours ago. It will soon be too dark to find his way and there are footsteps following him. This cannot mean anything good in this part of town.
Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery Death of a Dead Man book 1 – Karin Kaufman …. Rachael is new to town and hasn’t learned all the secrets yet but that is about to change when Julia, her neighbour, crosses the yard to show her the latest headlines in the local newspaper. Julia is upset because the editor is out to get her and doesn’t play fair. Rachel reads the headline George Foster officially declared dead and now she’s puzzled, she was under the impression he was dead. She will be even more puzzled when the man in question suddenly shows up dead in her back yard, and his wife is the prime suspect.
Cozy Mysteries Collection – Home for the Holidays , Road to Savannah, Suite Revenge, Winds of Deception, Lethal Lobster, Magnolia Mansion Mysteries – Hope Callaghan …… This was a fun read. Six books pulled from four of Hope Callaghan’s series, one of them on board a cruise ship. They aren’t book 1 of each series either, which means the reader gets a taste of story progression well into the series. Some are holiday, and some are home themed. They were all good.
Chasing Tomorrow – Tomorrow’s Lullaby book 2 – Lindzee Armstrong ….. Sienna is back in college pursuing music and an entrance into Juilliard, a dream side tracked by an inopportune pregnancy. Giving her son up for adoption was one of the hardest things she had ever done.
Bitter Root Mysteries – Bitter Roots book 1 – C.J. Carmichael …… A dead woman has been found on the walkway to the local clinic and after a quick look at the crime scene, the sheriff decides the blame belongs to an unknown outsider.
Mitchell’s Crossroads – Charming the Trouble Maker book 2 – Pepper Basham …. Dr. Alex Murdoch is demoted to a small town university and he doesn’t expect to have reason to stay any longer than necessary. His natural charming ways come out when he catches a glimpse of beautiful Rainey Mitchell and he thinks this small town job may work out better than he thought.
Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series was my favorite read this week. I liked it because the characters are complex and well developed, the plot is interesting and unpredictable, and the story doesn’t remind me of any other book I’ve read. The quality of writing is high too. I was hooked and stayed with it until I’d read all four books. The fifth one is from 2016
Low Tide book 1….. a dead body is discovered on St George’s Island and Lt Maggie Redmond is distressed to find it’s someone with a past connection to her. It’s been ruled a suicide and she is confident no one, including her boss, knows her secret but she is still worried someone will accuse her of murder. When Gregory’s rich and infamous uncle views her with a sudden and inexplicable interest, the worry increases.
Riptide book 2 …. Before Lt Redmond has a chance to solve the cause of death for Gregory Boudreaux the foot of his best friend shows up in a fisherman’s net. It’s looking more and more like Bennett Boudreaux – Gregory’s uncle and the town villain – could be responsible somehow. Maggie is conflicted with this development because, against her better judgement, she is starting to like Bennett. This increases the angst she feels about keeping secrets from the boss she is also starting to like. Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton likes her too and is not happy about her meetings with Boudreaux and the unhealthy rumors they are causing.
What Washes Up book 3 ….. Multiple bodies have washed on the beach, appearing to be those of families attempting to reach US shores. The first two murders have yet to be solved and now there are two more murder cases. The second new murder is the body of a man found tied to the mast of a burning boat. The whole situation has turned out to be much bigger than the death of a man and his best friend. The feds have gotten involved and the residents of Apalach are outraged at the thought of all these deaths. Has all of this been part of a bigger Bennett Boudreaux scheme all along?
Landfall book 4. …. Maggie is getting ready to leave town before the hurricane hits, because someone is threatening her family and she is trying to keep them safe. What she doesn’t know is that the threat is coming from an unexpected source and when a stranger shows up at her door she is stunned to find herself and her family hostages of a madman. Even worse, no one will know they are in trouble. They are expected to be on the road already.
Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series – Dead Wake book 5 – Dawn Lee McKenna …. Local florists, William and Robert, are not happy about tearing their shop apart after a flood only to find a dead body bricked up behind the dry wall. it’s bad for business in a resort town. They don’t want the whole town in on the news so instead of 911 they call Lt Maggie Redmond at home. She doesn’t want to deal with this alone so she drags her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton, along. She already knows the victim is someone declared missing decades ago so the big question is – how and why did he turn up in the wall of the florist shop?
The Man He Never Was – James L Rubart….. Toren Daniels wakes up one day and feels like a different person. And has no idea why.
A Novel – And the Greatest of These is Love …….. Gabi had no idea the community centre was in this much financial trouble, and she is determined to find a way to keep things going. These kids have no where else to go.
A Novel – The Long Way Home ….. Jaxton is more than a little upset his parents have ordered him to abandon his high powered clients and visit the ailing grandfather he hasn’t seen in fifteen years. The whole idea of this visit is distasteful.
A Novel – Coming Undone …… Ben is revelling in the single life; few responsibilities, weekly card games with his buddies, parties on the weekends. He is totally unprepared for the call asking him to step up and be next-of-kin, the one making the hard decisions.
The Harmony Series – Lucky book 2 …. One terrible moment and everything Danae believes to be true is exposed as a lie, and she’s left in a puddle of grief, with no way of getting home from the wedding.
A Novel – More Than This …… Jake likes the anonymity of the dark corner of the coffee shop, a quiet place to sit with his laptop writing the novel that will have his name in lights. At least he’s hoping it will.
The Faith Series – A Work in Progress book 1 … Rebecca has never been one of the beautiful people, instead she finds herself forever doing the alone thing, watching the beautiful people enjoying relationships, wondering how they do it.
The Courage Series – To Protect & Serve book 1 …. Jeff endures much good natured teasing from his friends over his inability to strike up a conversation with a pretty woman. Reluctantly, he joins a celebratory night out on the town after graduation at the fire academy.
The Friendship Series – Eternity book 1…. Aaron has given up on life and girls since the love of his life left him for someone else. He’s stuck in a job he hates and the only bright spot at work is Harmony, a friend who has always been there for him. Unfortunately for Harmony, she loves Aaron but doesn’t expect he will ever feel the same way about her.
A Novel – Deep in the Heart…… Maggie has successfully applied for a nanny position she desperately needs. What she doesn’t know – the strict house rules have been responsible for the short tenure of the all previous nannies, and there are bets she won’t last either. In the meantime, the children are starved for simple connection and there is something about her that causes them to cling to her.
The Harmony Series – Cowboy book 1 ….. Beth is struggling to make a life for her little daughter, stuck in a diner trying to make ends meet, flooded with grief after the death of her husband.
Wild Wyoming Hearts – Marrying Miss Marshal book 1 – Lacy Williams ….. Dana Carpenter, the town marshal, with abilities unrecognized by local citizens, has to work alone because no one is willing to work with her.
Clayburn Novels – Remember to Forget – Deborah Raney …. Maggie Anderson has been living under her boyfriend’s tyranny for two years, but circumstances change with a carjacking on the middle of the night run to pick up his whiskey.
Crowns and Courtships – Heart of a Prince book 1 – Carol Moncado …. Vacationing Jordan Haines has been on the water longer than he should have. Needing a rest, he spies an empty secluded private beach.
Crystal Lake Series – A Soldier’s Promise book 2 – Laura Scott…. Julie Crain has a soft heart for people in need but doesn’t want to get involved this time. Not after the last attempt to help turned into a relationship that ended badly.
The Jess Williams Trilogy books 1 – 3 – Robert J Thomas – This is a Western thriller series with a take-no-prisoner outlook on life.
Women and War Series – Molly book 3 – Ellie Keaton …. Molly wants to join the war effort as a pilot but the US Air Force is not admitting female pilots, yet. Britain on the other hand is desperate for pilots. Travelling by ship, Molly and her friends face the threat of U-boats and other perils before they even set foot in Britain. The man she loves is over there somewhere too, as a fighter pilot, and it has been two years since she last heard from him.
Cornerstone series – Goodbye, Magnolia book 1 – Krista Noorman … Maggie is secure in the smooth operation of her successful wedding photography business, until uncertainty shows up in the form of an old, and unloved, classmate. Forced by circumstances to form an alliance with a man she considers the enemy, she has to face up to her fears, and incorrect assumptions.
8 Minutes to… Digital Winter – Mark Hitchcock and Alton Gansky … a twenty-two year old savant, with physical limitations, spends all of his time on his computer, creating a virus capable of taking out power grids everywhere. Aided by a shadowy companion he sends out the virus causing world wide blackouts, everywhere but in his New York apartment. Government agencies scramble to figure out who is behind all this, and his parents wonder at the power they have while others around them don’t.
A Nest of Sparrows – Deborah Raney…. Wade didn’t expect to ever fall in love, but he did. And he loved her three children as if they were his own. The unthinkable happens before the wedding can take place and Wade and the children are left to cope with their grief. Uncertainty is very real as it isn’t clear if he will be able to keep them.
Wings of Glory – A Distant Melody book 1- Sarah Sundin …. Allie will do anything to gain her mother’s approval, including marrying a man she doesn’t love. Lt Walter Novak is fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women. He takes his last furlough at home, before shipping out, to attend a wedding , meeting Allie, forming a friendship around a mutual love of music. Can they untangle their secrets and commitments soon enough to have a future together. Wings of Glory follows the three Novak brothers, B17 bomber pilots stationed in England during World War II. 4 stars
The Omega Trilogy – Unbound book 1- J B Simmons … Elijah Goldsmith is trying to ignore dreams he has been having, nightmares about a dragon destroying St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He’s never been to Rome. Graduating soon, he is applying to be a spy with the International Security Agency where he meets Naomi. There is a strong attraction between them and she makes him want to share his secrets. As they delve into finding an interpretation for the dreams it seems there is more to their attraction than romance, something else is at play here. The year is 2066, when the world ends. 4 stars I hope to read the next two in this Sci-Fi/Fantasy series.
Trial by Fire – DiAnn Mills….. Special Agent Savannah Barrett and her partner SA Paul Winston are in the middle of investigating a number of puzzling church fires when she receives word her estranged son and his wife have been killed in a car accident, She is instantly guardian to three grandchildren she didn’t know she had. Life is thrown into disarray as she adjusts to having children again. And life is even worse when the church arsonist begins to target her, and her family. 4 stars
Talking to The Dead: a Novel – Bonnie Grove … Kate Davis is struggling after the unexpected death of her husband. She can’t bear to go upstairs so she has been camped out on the sofa in the living room for weeks. She hasn’t bathed, changed clothes or been out of the house, and she can’t sleep – because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her. She is questioning her sanity. She tries many places to find help with this but fails miserably. Until she meets Jack, a warm hearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church. Kevin’s voice seems to get quieter, until she begins to uncover his secrets, then he starts yelling. This was a good book, definitely a different twist.
The Lady’s Slipper – Deborah Swift … English artist Alice Ibbetson discovers the fragile flower she thought was extinct, in the nearby forest and steals it. She wants to paint it and find a way preserve it’s life for generations to come. She is not the only one to want it. A herbalist wants it for his medicines and a farmer wants it to increase his fortunes, hoping it will become the next craze in gardening circles. In her efforts to save the flower Alice finds herself caught up in danger, treachery and unexpected passion. Historical fiction.
Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek – Her Heart’s Promise book 2 – Carolyne Aarsen …. As the plain sister with two beautiful siblings Nadine is used to being overlooked but she is not going to allow to late father’s employer to overlook his suspicious death. She plans to use her position as editor of the local newspaper to help her find the truth. The trouble is, her high school crush and new owner of the paper, wants the story buried. To further complicate her life, she has a sick mother, a matchmaking grandmother, and a fake boyfriend who turns out to be real.
Ladies of the Manor – The Lost Heiress book 1 – Roseanna M White …. Brook Eden was raised in the palace in Monaco, brought there under suspicious circumstances by the woman she calls Maman. She is British but has no idea who she really is and expects she is low born and could never be deemed acceptable to marry her childhood friend Justin. Things change when Justin discovers who she really is. And meeting her family with their secrets puts her life in jeopardy all over again.
Moonlighter Series – Distortion book 1 – Terri Blackstock …. Juliet Cole watches as her husband is gunned down in what she thinks is a random shooting. He has always been a model citizen and she cannot believe the things she is learning from the agencies investigating his death. There is little choice about believing when her home is ransacked and her life and that of her family is threatened. Juliet and her sisters help investigate, looking for the truth as secrets come to light, and life as she knows it crumbles. Was anything about her life real?
Riley Paige Mystery – Once Taken book 2 – Blake Pierce …. Women are showing up dead, hanging in public places tied up in straight jackets and chains. Riley Paige is popular for her ability to get inside the mind of a serial killer and when called in to help with this case is reluctant to go because she is convinced the serial killer targeting her family has not died like everyone thinks. A page turner thriller. Once Gone book 1 is still free if you want to give this author a try. In fact there is a Blake Pierce Mystery Bundle that is free with 4 books in it, even better.
A Keri Locke Mystery – A Trace of Death book 1 – Blake Pierce…. Keri, a Missing Persons detective in the Homicide division of LAPD, is haunted by the abduction of her still missing daughter. Obsessed with finding her, Keri buries herself in work to deal with the grief. A call about a girl missing two hours should have been ignored but she hears something in the mother’s voice that makes her decide to investigate. The trail has gone cold and she is ordered off the case but can’t bring herself to quit despite the possible repercussions. Everyone has secrets, especially the daughter, and the father. A dark thriller you can’t put down.
A Keri Locke Mystery – A Trace of Murder book 2 – Blake Pierce…. Keri, still haunted by the loss of her daughter has the first solid lead in years but she has to put it aside when a frantic call comes in from a well known plastic surgeon reporting his wife has been missing for 2 days. Keri is teamed up with a new partner (one she hates) while her regular partner recuperates from injuries sustained in the last case. On the surface it looks like this well liked socialite has tired of her life and run away but conflicting evidence makes Keri think there is something sinister going on. Another engrossing thriller.
Sloane Monroe Mystery – Bed of Bones book 5 – Cheryl Bradshaw … Sometimes even the deepest, darkest secrets find their way to the surface. 13 year old Willie Compton and his younger brother Leonard stumble upon an old mineshaft. Leonard’s slinky flips in to the opening and he slips and falls in when he reaches for it. Present day interest in the mines has grown and the mysteries of the past are about to meet the present.
Full Heart Ranch Series – See Me, Cover Me book 4 – Barbara Gee…. Tanner James can barely remember who he was before FBI. Years of dangerous undercover work can change a man. He has learned to be whoever he needs to be to protect himself but that all changes when his boss orders him to take time off. One look in this cold volunteer’s eyes and determined Izzy Harding is plotting ways to lighten the man’s burdens. A task not for the faint of heart.
For the Love of Books 