family secrets

Read and enjoyed March 02, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It’s that time again. Time to clear out the big pile of enjoyed books. There is one thing very different about the list this time though.

I found myself giving out an unprecedented number of five stars. I’m not sure what I was thinking except that I couldn’t come up with a good reason not to.

Maybe it has something to do with downloading fewer books. Choosing to be more selective. Whatever it is I’m liking it.

My favorite stories all have something different about them. Not a whiff of familiarity. This first one had that brand new smell. Of course there were elements similar to other stories but the way it was all put together was new. The rest were just as good, each in their own way.

A Castaway in Cornwall 

Set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers, Laura Callaway now lives with her uncle and his disapproving wife in North Cornwall. There she feels like a castaway, always viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong.

While wreckers search for valuables along the windswept Cornwall coast–known for its many shipwrecks but few survivors–Laura searches for clues to the lives lost so she can write letters to next of kin and return keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore after a wreck, Laura acts quickly to protect him from a local smuggler determined to destroy him.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the survivor, they discover he has curious wounds and, although he speaks in careful, educated English, his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Despite the evidence against him, the mysterious man might provide her only chance to discover the truth about her parents’ fate. With danger pursuing them from every side, and an unexpected attraction growing between them, will Laura ever find the answers she seeks?

***********************

The Legacy of Rose Bodeen (Silver Cross Ranch Legacy Series Book 1) 

Imagine opening a long-forgotten trunk to find diaries written by your foremothers. Four generations of thoughts, heartaches, challenges and triumphs. What lessons did they write inside the yellowed pages? What lessons could they gift you now?

THE LEGACY OF ROSE BODEEN – Book One of the Silver Cross Ranch Legacy

Rose Bodeen is a hard-living kind of girl who can out-ride any hand on the ranch. After being jilted, she sets out for adventure and finds it with Bill Cody’s Wild West Extravaganza. Yet the land draws her back like warm sun draws flowers from the ground in spring, just as her sweet Mama said it would the day she rode away. With matter-of-fact conviction and bull-headed determination, she strives to survive during the fast-changing times that follow—The Great War, the fight for a women’s right to vote, the Industrial Revolution, the high-kicking Roaring Twenties followed by the Great Depression and yet another devastating world war. She celebrates thrilling triumphs and endures deep tragedies, along with losses that go hand-in-hand with loving. With hard-won faith, Rose comes to accept what she calls God’s anvil time that hammers and hones her into all she’s meant to be.

***********************

Edgewater Road (The Rumors in Ross County Series Book 1)

The first in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray, Edgewater Road invites us into a world of family mysteries, small-town secrets, and perhaps a little romance along the way.

When Jennifer Smiley’s grandmother, Ginny, leaves her an old farmhouse on Edgewater Road in seemingly quiet Ross County, Ohio, Jennifer can’t pass up the opportunity for a new beginning. Almost immediately she meets a group of men who generously help her move in. When she realizes that they work for Lincoln Bennett, her next-door neighbor, she’s intrigued. Lincoln is gorgeous and has dark, lapis-blue eyes she could get lost in … but he doesn’t seem all that friendly. She’s torn between getting to know him and sticking with the solitude she knows so well. Maybe she could let down some of those walls she’s built around her emotions?

Lincoln Bennett likes to keep his head down and get his work done. He’s been to prison and he knows that a lot of folks don’t take kindly to a man with that kind of history. Plus, he’s busy helping other ex-cons get back on their feet. But when he meets Jennifer, he can’t help but feel an instant attraction. Will she be able to look past his unsavory history? Will she be able to accept the men he’s working so hard to help?

While Jennifer gets to know Lincoln and his friends, she also begins to unravel her grandmother’s story, putting together the pieces from scraps of memories and things she finds in her new home. She soon discovers that Ginny Smiley harbored some dark secrets on Edgewater Road—and that those secrets include both Lincoln and her own absent father. Is learning the truth worth the heartache it could bring?

***********************

The rest , we will run through them quickly. The were all excellent reads though.

It has been a good week or so.

My current read is shaping up nicely.

A Vote of Confidence: Historical Romantic Fiction (Beneath Sweet Western Skies) 

Well, that’s it for now. I haven’t checked my emails yet looking for suggestions. You can be sure I will be back if anything good shows up.

Happy Reading!

Free book February 22, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Don’t you love it when you read the first pages of a book and fall in love with the writing? The picture being painted draws you in even though the real story hasn’t yet appeared. Now you are hoping the story lives up to the expectations birthed in you with the picture. That’s what I’m hoping.

I love the beginning of this new book suggestion. The author is new to me so I don’t know what to expect. I hope the story is every bit as good as the letter setting the scene.

A determined woman leaving a will with stipulations that will infuriate controlling men and maybe even the strong women who are recipients of the inheritance. From the tone of the letter accompanying the will, we get the impression there are good reasons for what would seem like unreasonable demands.

There are journals and the series follows the lives of at least four generations of lady ranchers. Strong women, all of them.

This suggestion was courtesy of BookRunes.

The Legacy of Rose Bodeen (Silver Cross Ranch Legacy Series Book 1)

Imagine opening a long-forgotten trunk to find diaries written by your foremothers. Four generations of thoughts, heartaches, challenges and triumphs. What lessons did they write inside the yellowed pages? What lessons could they gift you now?

Rose Bodeen is a hard-living kind of girl who can out-ride any hand on the ranch. After being jilted, she sets out for adventure and finds it with Bill Cody’s Wild West Extravaganza. Yet the land draws her back like warm sun draws flowers from the ground in spring, just as her sweet Mama said it would the day she rode away. With matter-of-fact conviction and bull-headed determination, she strives to survive during the fast-changing times that follow—The Great War, the fight for a women’s right to vote, the Industrial Revolution, the high-kicking Roaring Twenties followed by the Great Depression and yet another devastating world war. She celebrates thrilling triumphs and endures deep tragedies, along with losses that go hand-in-hand with loving. With hard-won faith, Rose comes to accept what she calls God’s anvil time that hammers and hones her into all she’s meant to be.

The Silver Cross Ranch Legacy weaves the lessons of history into the lives of four mothers and daughters who fight the odds, and sometimes each other, to defend their way of life. With stubborn tenacity and hard-won faith, the women learn the beauty in their differences, the power of forgiveness, and create hope for the future with the reassurance that each step taken during life’s sometimes rugged journey leads to a bright coming home.

*********************

That’s all we have at the moment, for interesting book suggestions, but I will be back if anything else shows up.

My current read definitely has my attention at the moment.

Three Missing Days (The Pelican Harbor Series Book 3)

Police Chief Jane Hardy’s teenage son has been accused of a horrific crime—and three days of Jane’s memories have been stolen from her. In the gripping third installment of the Pelican Harbor series, the truth is finally coming out.

Chief of Police Jane Hardy plunges into the investigation of a house fire that claimed the life of a local woman as well as one of the firefighters. It’s clear the woman was murdered. But why? The unraveling of Jane’s personal life makes answers for the case even more difficult to find.

Then Jane’s fifteen-year-old son is accused of a terrible crime, and she has to decide if she can trust her ex, Reid, to help her prove Will’s innocence—and if she can trust Reid with her heart.

Three days of Jane’s past are missing from her memory, and that’s not all that’s been stolen from her. As she struggles to find the murderer and clear her son’s name, finding out what happened in those three days could change everything.

It all started with one little lie . . . but the truth is finally coming out.

***************

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books January 03, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

So many new books I want to read right this minute. What a dilemma, having to pick one.

It’s a good thing I didn’t read all of the samples or the attraction would be even worse.

So 1531 Entertainment mentioned these two winners. The first one is the one I’m dying to read, I love characters with a dry sense of humor. This should be a fun ride.

The Sport of Matchmaking (Clavering Chronicles Book 3)

For once, he has met a lady less inclined to marry than he is. How unfortunate that she is the only bride he will consider.

George Clavering is much too young to think about getting married. Yes, his older brother—and even his younger sister—have managed to tie the knot, but he has plenty more years of play and sporting events ahead of him before he need consider such a thing. Even matchmaking becomes a sport when gentlemen bet on the Season’s successes or failures in the club. He will not give them an opportunity to bet on him. Furthermore, why settle down when there are young women like Lady Alice who liven the sport of matchmaking with friendly wagers?

Lady Alice St. Clair is the fifth daughter of the Duke of Carr, and as she is independently wealthy and may do as she pleases, she has no reason to wed. She certainly has no intention of doing so. If the marriage mart offers nothing more than the unattractive boors who have presented themselves at her door for the past five seasons, it should hardly surprise her parents she cannot be persuaded to the altar. True, George Clavering has a full head of dark hair and a smile that is as mischievous as it is attractive, but no lady of character would change her mind for one above-average specimen of the male race.

For both, what began as a friendly bet between two bored guests at a ball turned into an earnest desire to help their protégés find happiness. And if some deeper feelings should stir in George to win Alice’s heart, then he has no choice but to dampen them. After all, Lady Alice has sworn she will not marry, and George has applauded her decision. For him to try to weaken her resolve now would be…unsportsmanlike.

***********************

I didn’t read the sample on this but other books from this author have been worth it and I’m expecting the same again.

Nerves of Steele: (Steele Guardians – Book 2) 

One mysterious break-in…
As a middle child, Peyton Steele has always needed to find a way to standout. But coming to the attention of the head of security for her client’s jewelry store when millions of dollars in jewels go missing is not the way to do it. She thinks the state-of-the-art cameras she’d recently had installed will make it easy to find the thief, but she’s stunned when the video doesn’t show the theft taking place.

Propels her into a level of danger she’s never known.The lack of video evidence is not acceptable to store security manager and former detective, Grant Logan. He’s given up his law enforcement career to spend more time with his daughter, and he’s up for a promotion as security manager for the entire jewelry chain. To gain the job that will give his young daughter everything he wants for her, he has to prove his abilities by finding the thief at all costs. He’ll put everything on the line to gain this new job, but how far will he go? Despite his growing interest in Peyton, will he risk both of their lives to succeed?

*************************

Ten books in two days. The temptation is strong to look for more so but I’m resisting.

I’m halfway through my current and very enjoyable read. Sitting on the edge of my seat wondering how Ann will avoid marrying an odious old man.

In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the “lies” the Claddagh Ring promises.

First Book download of 2023 – January 02/23

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It’s the beginning of another new year. It’s exciting and all, the anticipation, wondering what the year will hold for us.The hardest part of every year though . . . remembering to date everything with the new number. It took long enough to stop using 2021 and now we have to leave 2022 behind.

After experiencing decades of new years you would think it would be easy.

What’s a new year without a new challenge, right?

Let’s forget about all this new year stuff and think about books.

New-to-me authors will be the theme for today, by the looks of it. There was a good suggestion from LPC Free Books and one thing lead to another and we have three new authors with books I can’t wait to read.

Laser Trap 

If you can’t invent it, steal it!

Engineering grad student Dan Butler discovers an unorthodox way to produce lasers of unprecedented power. When the malevolent bosses at StarWay Labs, who sell weapons to the international underworld, discover this, they kidnap Dan and demand he replicate his work in their secret lab.

Dan’s fellow grad student, Lana Madison, who Dan had hired to help him find a girlfriend, is alarmed at his disappearance. She forms a high-tech team with four of their friends to help the authorities rescue Dan. They make remarkable breakthroughs in tracking down his whereabouts while the criminal cadre at StarWay pushes Dan close to his breaking point. With millions of dollars and Dan’s life at stake, can he be rescued before it’s too late? Will he survive the Laser Trap?

*************************

All That Really Matters (A McKenzie Family Romance)

2022 Christy and Carol Award Winner

Molly McKenzie’s bright personality and on-trend fashion and beauty advice have made her a major social media influencer. When her manager-turned-boyfriend tells her of an upcoming audition to host a makeover show for America’s underprivileged youth, all her dreams finally seem to be coming true. There’s just one catch: she has little experience interacting with people in need.

To gain an edge on her competitors, she plans to volunteer for the summer at a transitional program for aged-out foster kids, but the program’s director, Silas Whittaker, doesn’t find her as charming as her followers do. Despite his ridiculous rules and terms, Molly dives into mentoring, surprising herself with the genuine connections and concern she quickly develops for the girls–and Silas. But just as everything seems perfectly aligned for her professional future, it starts to crumble under the pressure. And as her once-narrow focus opens to the deep needs of those she’s come to know, she must face the ones she’s neglected inside herself for so long.

*********************

The Lady of Galway Manor 

In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the “lies” the Claddagh Ring promises.

Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the “other side” isn’t quite as barbaric and uncultured as they’d been led to believe–and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner’s fire.

***********************

There were other interesting books showing up in the suggestion bars but they are with authors we’ve seen before. I think they deserve a post all their own.

While I’m in the grove and the new books area all lined up for us I’ll move on to the second post of the day.

See you soon.

Bargain books December 27, 2022

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

The very first book I’m going to download is book 2 in the current series I’m reading. Book 1 was that good. I’m hoping book 2 will deliver just as well, my expectations are high.

The Best-Left Questions: Love Across Londons Book Two

The stakes increase and the intrigue deepens as Charles and Tori journey across Londons.

Finalist in the 2017 Chatelaine International Writing Competition

After returning to London in 2014, Charles Stratford finds himself in need of a job – and answers to questions he’d rather not ask.

Spurred by Tori’s irrepressible spirit, Charles agrees to go in search of another hidden treasure, the Firestorm Amber of Brighton. Guided by clues from his father’s journal, Charles and Victoria are confronted by old foes and new friends when they travel to 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London.

But their most loyal protector may turn out to be the one man Charles cannot forgive.

From present-day London to eighteenth-century Westminster, The Best-Left Questions continues the romantic adventures of Charles Stratford and Victoria Smith. It is the second book in the Love Across Londons series which should be read in order.

***************************

Two things I loved most about book 1 – it was well written, and original. I think well-written says it all.

***************************

1531 Entertainment has several suggestions for us as well. This first one, I’m on his mailing list for aspiring writers. I’m not one of them but I like learning things. I have read one or two of his many successful books, a number of decades ago, so this read will be a good catch-up experience for me.

Dead Sea Conspiracy: A Novel

In this thrilling adventure, archaeologist Nicole Berman is about to discover the key to unifying three major religions—if a dangerous enemy doesn’t stop her first.

Archaeologist Nicole Berman is the first woman to be awarded a permit to lead a dig in Saudi Arabia. Nicole believes what she hopes to discover has the power to to rewrite world history. She assembles a team that will ultimately surprise – and in some cases – betray her. 

In a parallel storyline, readers are launched back to ancient Ur where young Abram is sent to learn from his forebears, who tell him firsthand stories of being on the ark during the Great Flood. 

***************************

The second suggestion is another novel from one of our regular authors.

How Her Ex Stole Christmas

The countdown to disaster is on, and time is running out . . .

Event planner Kaylee St. James didn’t expect to see her ex-fiancé again after he broke her heart. Especially not now . . . two days before their canceled wedding. But when Ethan Sloan waltzes into her premier Christmas party—uninvited—with danger close on his heels, she realizes there’s much more to Ethan than she ever knew.

Ethan, a CIA operative, must keep dangerous information out of the wrong hands or people will die. He found the perfect hiding place, but he’ll need Kaylee’s help to retrieve the classified intel. Unfortunately, his jilted bride-to-be isn’t in the mood to talk, much less cooperate.

When Kaylee is swept into the middle of the ensuing chaos, she soon learns that danger is closer than she could ever imagine. Will her Christmas be totally ruined—if she even survives? Or is it possible that Ethan might not only save Christmas . . . but also save Kaylee?

**************************

This last one showed up in one of the many suggestion strips. It turns out I have read book 1 in this series, back in 2018. It’s been a while and I can’t say that I remember much about the experience. I’m looking forward to rediscovering this author.

Romeo’s Way (Mike Romeo Thrillers Book 2)

“I don’t want anybody bleeding to death, okay?” I said. “I think your problem is education. There’s just no discipline anymore. You have to know there are consequences for bad behavior. Without that, society falls apart.”
Baton Guy croaked, “I can’t breathe.”
“You just can’t go around doing this sort of thing,” I said. “It isn’t right. Now, one of you is bleeding pretty badly and won’t be riding a bike anytime soon. The other one still needs to learn, am I right?”
“Don’t kill us,” Knife Guy said.

Mike Romeo, the former cage fighter living low in L.A., doesn’t look for trouble. He doesn’t have to. It comes after him. So when he’s hired by a California senatorial campaign to do undercover work, Romeo doesn’t have any illusions. Especially when his duty takes him to San Francisco.

But as Romeo gets closer to solving the mystery of who is behind the hit job on an honorable man, things heat up in the City by the Bay –– and between Mike and a beautiful political operative. Until a bullet nearly takes him out for good.

Now all bets are off. Because if there’s one thing Romeo wants, it’s justice. And he’s going to get it––his way.

**************************

Four new books is a good day. A very good day, I’d say.

I hope you are enjoying this good-for-reading winter season too.

Happy Reading!

Read and Enjoyed December 21, 2022

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It has been a good reading week. The best kind.

Let’s get started.

The first one was a new-to-me book from a favorite author. Maybe I’ll find the other books in this series will have a familiar vibe to them but in the meantime this story was fresh and engaging.

Swept Away: A Squeaky Clean Honeymoon Novella (Book 11.5) (Squeaky Clean Mysteries)

Finding the perfect place for a honeymoon, away from any potential danger or mystery, is challenging. But Gabby’s longtime love and newly minted husband, Riley Thomas, has done it. He has found a location with a nonexistent crime rate, a mostly retired population, and plenty of opportunities for relaxation in the warm sun.

Within minutes of the newlyweds’ arrival, a convoy of vehicles descends on a nearby house, and their honeymoon oasis is destroyed like a sandcastle in a storm. Despite Gabby’s and Riley’s determination to keep to themselves, trouble comes knocking at their door—literally—when a neighbor is abducted from the beach directly outside their rental.

************************

This has also been a week of historical novels with pretty covers.

This next one covered many decades and generations. The author did an excellent job with this method of story telling.

Where the Last Rose Blooms (Heirloom Secrets)

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap–and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower–but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father’s associates.

************************

Three more excellent reads.

Promise Kept (Harland Creek Series Book 1)

Promise Kept (Harland Creek Series Book 1) a well written story.

The Ornament Keeper: A Novella This story had a different spin on it. Interesting and emotional.

****** Three more. *******

All excellent reads

*********************

Today has not been the best day for new book suggestions but that’s OK. I know most of us are good for reading material already on hand.

I’m trying to decide what comes next. Some choices don’t look as exciting as the books read. Kind of like when you eat all the delicious looking food first and the rest is still waiting for you.

Half the time, looking at the cover, I don’t remember anything about the story and the title doesn’t always appeal to me either. That’s a problem. That’s about where I am again tonight. Nothing looks interesting. They might be though, that’s the thing.

It could go either way, really.

Maybe I should listen to a podcast and work on the new jigsaw puzzle for awhile.

Sounds like a good plan.

I’ll probably do all three, just wait and see.

Tomorrow.

Free book December 07, 2022

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It has been a slow few days, book-wise, but we have a suggestion today that looks like it could be interesting. We don’t see stories with this angle very often.

Postmark From the Past 

In November 1989, Emily Patterson receives a red envelope in her mailbox. It’s a letter from Mark who declares his love for her and says he’s coming for her if he makes it home alive. But who is Mark?

There is no return address and the postmark is 1968. The letters continue to turn up in her mailbox and she wonders if someone is playing a cruel joke. It’s Christmas time and her friends say it is the season for miracles. Can she risk her heart to find a miracle in the Postmark from the Past?

**********************

Nothing else is showing up for us tonight so I will share my last awesome read and my new current read.

This was a keep-me-up-all-night book. It was well written and original, short on guns and killing but long on mystery. The characters were well developed and some were less like-able than others, which is always a good thing. Did I mention this was a keep me up late book? I’m feeling it today, that’s for sure.

Trial and Error

A small-town lawyer has been searching for his daughter for eighteen years. Now a local girl has gone missing, and he’s determined to find them both—no matter the cost.

Buddy Smith built his law practice around tracking down missing children. After all, he knows the agony of being separated from a child. Not long after his daughter’s birth, her mother took her and ran away. Buddy hasn’t seen either since.

Gracie Blaylock has known Buddy her entire life, and now that she is clerk of court for the county, their paths cross frequently. When Gracie hears that a teenager is missing, she knows Buddy is the one for the case.

The missing girl’s parents are desperate for answers. Together with Gracie and Mayleah—the new detective in town—Buddy chases every lead, hoping to reach the missing teen before it’s too late. While he pursues one girl, he uncovers clues that could bring him closer to the daughter he thought he’d lost forever.

Master storyteller Robert Whitlow will keep you guessing in this gripping legal drama while also reminding you of the power of God’s restoration.

*********************

I’ve just started this new book, barely started, but it’s caught my attention. For the moment anyway, and hopefully for much longer. To the end would be good

. On Sugar Hill (The Georgia Magnolias Book 2)

To make ends meet, the Fitzgerald women must open their home as a boardinghouse, but will the secrets they uncover prove their undoing?

The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of New York City, leaving behind her senator father’s abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned home.

The stock market has crashed. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that expose the town’s secrets. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school but now manages to be around whenever she needs help.

And the Fitzgerald women need a lot of help, indeed. They are forced to find a way to make ends meet, whether it’s mining for gold or doing what Southern women have done for generations in times of need—turning their home into a boardinghouse.

But will the people of Cora’s past keep her from returning to a brilliant future?

************************

Have a good night, or day depending on where you are in the world.

Happy Reading too.

I really hope I am helping to push you toward a love of reading. Find a book like the one that kept me up all night and you can’t help but fall in love with the experience.

Read & enjoyed, free book December 05, 2022

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

I have a couple of books I’m excited to tell you about but first we have one bargain suggestion from LPC Free Books. It’s by an author we’ve seen before and I don’t know about you but I haven’t read them. Well, I did read one of the four but that was three years ago and my memory of it is gone.

This one today sounds interesting, at least the few pages of the sample I read, and I want to take a chance on it. The price is right so why not, it’s the perfect time. I love the cover.

On Sugar Hill (The Georgia Magnolias Book 2) 

To make ends meet, the Fitzgerald women must open their home as a boardinghouse, but will the secrets they uncover prove their undoing?

The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of New York City, leaving behind her senator father’s abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned home.

The stock market has crashed. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that expose the town’s secrets. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school but now manages to be around whenever she needs help.

And the Fitzgerald women need a lot of help, indeed. They are forced to find a way to make ends meet, whether it’s mining for gold or doing what Southern women have done for generations in times of need—turning their home into a boardinghouse.

But will the people of Cora’s past keep her from returning to a brilliant future?

************************

So, the books I’m excited about — I’ve read other books in the series and I’ve met and enjoyed these characters before. This time though they are even more engaging. Keep me up all night reading engaging.

The first one was yesterday and the second one is today.

This blind private investigator/retired cop is believable and brilliant. His partner suits him well. She is younger, a smart lawyer turned investigator, and dabbles in high-stakes real estate investments (which definitely adds the opportunity for a few unexpected twists and turns.)

The stories are well written, original, and fun, but with depth. I’m 2/3 of the way through today’s read and can’t wait to get back to it.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…Rifle Shells?

Blind private investigator Steve Smiley and his partner hear a rifle shot. Hordes of Christmas shoppers scatter. A famous big-game hunter drops to the sidewalk. They grab the beautiful teen who was arguing with the man and flee to safety. Bella, the adopted daughter of the victim and a celebrity in her own right, shows no emotion over the murder. Her one passionate request: find her birth parents.

Smiley and McBlythe’s search intertwines with the murder investigation of Bella’s adopted father again and again—and uncovers a shocking secret. Like it or not, they must first identify the killer in order to discover the truth about Bella’s adoption.

A host of suspects line up like Santa’s reindeer. Can the determined investigators tie a ribbon on the case? Will Bella have the best Christmas ever—or will death and heartache be the only presents under the tree?

You’ll love this page-turning mystery—it has more twists and turns than stripes on a candy cane.

***********************

Try them out. They lean toward cozy but with more substance, which to my way of thinking is a perfect fit.

Happy Reading