mystery

Free and bargain books October 13,2021 Part Two

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This author is one we’ve seen a number of times. It’s been enjoyable.

Caitlyn’s Christmas: A Christian Romantic Suspense (Smoky Mountain Secrets Book 7)

Will she survive to celebrate Christmas?

When an injured cat runs across the road, Caitlyn doesn’t hesitate to rescue the feline. But she isn’t prepared to witness a brutal murder. She slips away, only to lock eyes with the murderer, recognizing him as someone she’d seen earlier. Now the killer knows who she is, too. Caitlyn calls her cop friend Devon Rainer for advice, humbled when he agrees to protect her.

Devon is concerned about Caitlyn’s safety, especially after they return to the scene of the crime to find the dead woman gone without a trace. The escalating attacks against Caitlyn, prove the killer intends to silence anyone who can identify him. Devon’s priority is to keep Caitlyn safe, while finding the killer. Will they survive long enough to celebrate Christmas and their newfound love?

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This author is new to me. I did read a few pages but not enough to have much of an idea about what it’s like. It will be an adventure to discover this author and see who she is.

Tea for Three: A heartwarming story about life, love, and true friendship (A Mulberry Lane Novel Book 1)

Three women. Three cups of tea. Three new beginnings.
Sarah Gardner’s husband went to sleep one night in November and never woke up. At forty-years-old, the new widow is left to care for their three children, all of whom are under the age of five.

Twenty-five-year-old Filipina, Kate Morgan, thought she had met the man of her dreams during what was a perfect summer vacation. Now married to the handsome American who had swept her off her feet, and over 8000 miles away from home, Kate soon realizes that her mother was right: vacations end and people change.

Louise Delaney couldn’t ask for anything more. At fifty-nine, she had enjoyed almost four decades of blissful marriage to Warren–may his soul rest in peace. But Louise’s seemingly perfect world is upended when she gets a visit from a sixteen-year-old who says she is Warren’s daughter.

Three exceptional women–each of whose hearts are broken into a million pieces–come together in this extraordinary tale of life, love, and true friendship.

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Currently I’m reading a Christmas collection. I was fortunate enough to read last years edition and enjoyed it so much I’m doing it again this year. The stories are short and I’m about to start # 3. It’s been a wonderful experience so far. Life is real and relatable with the characters in these stories

The Heart of Christmas: A Mosaic Christmas Anthology III 

“At Christmas, we always…” And thus a tradition is born. The rituals stay the same, but if betrayal, illness, unfaithfulness, or tragedy strike, can cherished traditions survive?

When unexpected twists throw life out of kilter for the people in these stories, will beloved, time-honored customs lead them back to the heart of Christmas?

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Happy Reading!

The kernel of a thought October 12, 2021

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Just start talking. That’s what I have to do tonight. Once again I do not have a post in mind.

I’m going to keep it short because I need sleep to be able to function tomorrow. I know if I don’t use restraint this could easily end up being really long, leaving me with a very short night.

This whole subject has been on my mind for a long time but it’s complex and not necessarily easily understood, especially when spoken about briefly. I think it would take a book for me to say everything I need to say on this subject.

I don’t even know how to begin and it’s already been a half hour. I think slow, trying to get it right enough to make sense, and I write even slower.

I’ll try to express the kernel of it in a sentence or two and expand on it another time. Or even more likely, it will take many times to get it all out.

I love God deeply, and at the same time I feel loved by him. We have loved each other for a very long time.

It’s killing me not to expand on this but I know I have to go.

In the meantime…

I love looking at the mountains, they remind me – our help comes from the creator, of heaven and earth. And what a creator he is.

Photo by S Migaj on Pexels.com

Until tomorrow.

One bargain book October 09, 2021

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion I’m excited to read. I’m not always a big fan of historical fiction but this one caught my interest as I read the first chapter. I predict this will not be a boring read.

The Queen’s Handmaid

A jealous Egyptian queen.
A lascivious Galilean governor.
How can one servant girl possibly make a difference?

An orphan since birth, Lydia lives in the palace at the demand of Cleopatra and her royal child, the son of Julius Caesar.

But Lydia’s beauty is becoming a liability to the aging queen, and the visiting Herod’s undisguised interest in Lydia only makes matters worse.

When Lydia’s mentor is murdered, the handmaid inherits a daunting task. An ancient set of sealed scrolls, the secret writings of the prophet Daniel, must be returned to Jerusalem–before those who killed her mentor destroy the scrolls as well.

Lydia joins Herod the Great’s retinue and soon becomes absorbed in the machinations of his Jerusalem palace.

But dark forces, older than Jerusalem itself, are at work.

And Lydia has no idea of the true nature of her destiny.

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Check this out, you may like it as much as I do. At least as much as I expect to like it. I’ve only read one book with this author back in 2015, or so Amazon tells me, and this will be an adventure. So far so good though.

Happy Reading!

I wonder… October 08, 2021

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Have you ever wondered?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the craziness of the power struggle that seems to be going on in the world right now.

For my whole life (and you all know that’s been many decades long) I’ve heard loud voices talking about a power hungry leader that would rise up wanting to take over the whole world and rule it with a single government. Those loud voices also predicted terrible things were going to happen to everyone the new ruler viewed as enemies.

I’m not saying whether I do or don’t believe in that prediction, although the way things are happening right now, you have to wonder.

Tonight a thought occurred to me, one that has never entered my mind until now.

Are we supposed to stand and fight or just let it happen?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard it said in so many words but it seems to have been assumed to be inevitable. The world would be taken over and destruction would happen. We would mostly be killed and if not we would have to wait for a “prince” to ride in on a beautiful stallion, carrying a mighty sword to slay the wicked ruler and rescue us.

We’ve always assumed that but…

I was thinking about another proclamation I’ve heard all my life, also spoken by many voices. We were supposed to “grid up our loins” put on “our armor” and fight against the “rulers of the air.”

How does that fit with accepting the inevitable?

I’m not an academic. I haven’t studied all of these ideas and how they all fit together.

I’m just wondering; are we supposed to sit and wait to be rescued or are we supposed to stand up and do what we can to make a difference?

For a few weeks I’ve been wondering if things are happening like they are to push us out of our lethargy.

Maybe we are supposed to stand up and grow a spine?

As kids we used to sing “God’s got an army marching through the land…” Who are they? Where are they?

Maybe we’ve assumed wrongly?

Maybe we are supposed to join the “army?”

Just wondering.

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My “twin” brothers. You can see where my grandsons get their height.

My heroes. To me they look like they would each be saying “don’t mess with my sister.”

We could use a good laugh. October 07, 2021

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BookBub wants to help us out with that. They have a FREE suggestion that promises laughter and there is a good chance this book could deliver on that promise.

Ready to Fumble: a laugh-out-loud romantic mystery (The Worst Detective Ever Book 1)

**Now in development for a TV series!***

Publishers Weekly Bestselling author and Kindle Unlimited All Star, Christy Barritt, brings readers a fun new series that will have fans trying to solve a mystery and laughing out loud.

I’m not really a private detective. I just play one on TV.

Joey Darling, better known to the world as Raven Remington, detective extraordinaire, is trying to separate herself from her invincible alter ego. She played the spunky character for five years on the hit TV show Relentless, which catapulted her to fame and into the role of Hollywood’s sweetheart.

When her marriage falls apart, her finances dwindle to nothing, and her father disappears, Joey finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, trying to piece her life back together away from the limelight. A woman finds Raven—er, Joey—and insists on hiring her fictional counterpart to find a missing boyfriend. When someone begins staging crime scenes to match an episode of Relentless, Joey has no choice but to get involved.

Joey’s bumbling sleuthing abilities have her butting heads with Detective Jackson Sullivan and kindling sparks with thrill-seeking neighbor Zane Oakley. Can Joey channel her inner Raven and unearth whodunit before she ends up totally done in? And where is her father anyway? Can she handle fame, or is disappearing into obscurity the wiser option?

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Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books October 02, 2021 Part two

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I mentioned this Lori Wick book in my last post and promised to share it with you. Here it is.

Leave a Candle Burning (Tucker Mills Trilogy Book 3)

Lori Wick’s bestselling Tucker Mills trilogy concludes with Leave a Candle Burning about a widowed physician, Dannan MacKay, who creates a new life for his daughter but longs for the faith to love again.

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The blurb for this book is pretty short and does not reveal much of anything.

I guess I’ll just have to read it to find out what this story is all about. At least I know this author and her writing, I can trust this will be another good one.

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us. It’s a mystery, just what I was hoping for, to offset the long list of romance we have had going on lately. I’ve read this author but have not read this book.

Murder at Black Lake

Film actress Jamie Riedel was barely a teenager when, while on a camping trip, she witnessed the brutal murder of her father. Fourteen years later, Jamie returns to Jackson Ridge to settle up the estate of her estranged mother. Soon after her arrival, a note appears on her door: ‘I saw you in the woods today.’ Now Jamie is questioning if the right man was sent to prison for her father’s murder.

Helping her to answer that question is childhood friend, Deputy Chief Gage Hansen. He’s more than willing to find the truth that will finally bring Jamie peace in her life, but at what cost? A nasty divorce from his cheating wife has made Gage gun-shy when it comes to relationships, especially with beautiful women who use their feminine wiles to get what they want in life. His defenses start to crumble once he learns that most of the stories he’s read about the starlet are lies, and that Jamie is basically the same girl he had a secret crush on when they were best friends. They live in two separate worlds, though, and Gage knows he could never fit into her celebrity lifestyle.

When it becomes apparent that someone in Jackson Ridge will go to any lengths to get rid of Jamie, the pair risks everything to solve the fourteen-year mystery that’s haunted the town.

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For current reads I have two, as of a few minutes ago. The collection I’ve been caught up in for the last few days is down to the last book and a change was needed, so I started (barely) a new one.

Oops, I didn’t notice the new read is also a collection. I was looking for a single read or two to make the list decrease a little faster. This 4-in-1 business just doesn’t cut it, especially two in a row.

Maybe I’ll read this mystery next instead.

I will get back to the other two eventually, promise.

Happy Reading y’all

Bargain books September 29, 2021

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us. A collection. The first chapter has me willing to give it a go. I have read two other books by this author but didn’t make a note of my thoughts so I’d remember if I enjoyed the experience. I definitely like the first chapter in this one.

The Main Street Minden Series: A Complete Small-Town Contemporary Christian Romance Series

Falling on Main Street – (Hate to Love)

Charlotte’s world as a high-powered executive recruiter comes crashing down after a classified document under her care is leaked to the press. Taking refuge in a small Indiana town, she is determined to heal before taking back her life.

Luke Brand chases off any threat to the memory of the wife he lost too soon. When his world is invaded by a city-slicker with stunning green eyes, Luke struggles to follow God’s instruction to help the town’s newest resident. Winter Wishes (Friends to More)

Despite their long friendship and the romantic tension when they are alone together at the holidays, will Chrissy and Todd let their secrets and their insecurities hold them back from happiness? Kissing in the Kitchen

Love after 50 is impossible, isn’t it? Spring Fever (Single Dad)

Dr. Garrett Pike is entirely focused on his career. When tragedy strikes and he becomes a father overnight to his four-year-old niece, Garrett is way out of his depth. He turns to the only person he can think of—the intriguing daycare owner he met exactly one time. Summer to Remember

Danielle Washington is left with no family, no job, no car, and no money to pay rent. An unexpected call leads her across the country to her mother’s home town. Maybe the small town holds her chance to start over—or at least discover the secrets that kept her mother from ever returning.

As a middle-school teacher, Mark Dawson tries to teach students it’s okay to embrace your quirks; a lesson he also finds himself reiterating to the cute new baker in town. When he is accused of the unthinkable and his career and community threaten to crumble; the shame is too much to share.

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That’s all I have for new book suggestions at the moment. Mind you, there are 5 books in this collection maybe it will make up for the lack of other good suggestions.

Today was another 30 C day and it was lovely. I was having trouble staying awake and snoozed for awhile out on the deck. There was a gentle breeze to make the heat enjoyable. What a great way to finish off summer.

Happy Reading

I’m still here. Too many bright shiny things catching my eye on the internet, keeping me glued to my chair. Times a-wasting and I’d best get moving. The plan is to mix up a batch of cookies to bake in the morning. My newly arrived grandsons will be stopping by for a few minutes tomorrow evening and it would be a crying shame to be found cookie-less at such an important time as that.

OK, I’m going.

Read and enjoyed September 27,2021

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Five awesome reads, held back from instant removal so I could share them with you.

A Wish for Christmas had some cool twists to it. A beautiful old family Inn, in danger of being sold for a defaulted mortgage. A unproven legend of hidden treasure and a deranged crook trying to force the owner to marry him for access to imagined wealth. A mix up, unexpectedly has a wealthy family with handsome single sons spending Christmas with Mila and her grandmother. Will they be an answer to Mila and Nora’s desperate prayers?

Written in Ink is full of angst as Renee ends a very long courtship, leaving Cash reeling with shock. He would give his life for her, he loves her that much. With no idea why she’s walked away from him, it’s impossible to fight for their relationship. When he gathers himself together enough to confront her, she blurts out the reason and his heart is completely broken. Determined to stick to her decision they both know it means the absolute end of them, ever. How can he live with that?

The next three were greatly enjoyed and may have been mentioned earlier. At any rate, they are definitely worth seeing again. I would read any of them a second time, gladly.

Some of these are still available as bargains, I think.

Happy Reading…

…on this warm sunshiny day.

Free and bargain books September 25, 2021 part 2

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Author Chautona Havig mentioned a FREE book on Facebook. By one of her author friends, someone that I enjoy too. So excited to see this book.

Between Stairs and Stardust (Blue Ridge Fairytales Book 1) 

An illustrator in hiding. A millionaire with a gardening fascination. And the possibility of a perfect fit for a happily-ever-after.

Once Upon a time…A young illustrator, forced from her home in Boston, must return to her Blue Ridge Mountains to escape a scandal. Certain that her dreams are on hold, Stella Emory doesn’t expect to find a prince charming in the form of James Craven, a young man who works in the gardens of the famed Biltmore Estate.

Brought together unexpectedly, the two begin a tender friendship inspired by James’s little sister and the story of Cinderella, but James isn’t all he seems. As their friendship grows into a romance, the truth of James’s millionaire status shakes Stella’s confidence. When her past follows her to Asheville, Stella thinks her chance at romance with James is over, but will a Christmas masquerade and the remnants of a charm bracelet somehow provide the magic Stella needs to clear her name and claim her own happily-ever-after?

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Browsing Amazon suggestion strip showed this interesting bargain with an author new to me. From the little bit I’ve read, I’m excited about this one. I love the cover.

The Cryptographer’s Dilemma (Heroines of WWII Book 1)

A Code Developer Uncovers a Japanese Spy Ring
 
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
 
FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?

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I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books by this next author. Her latest book looks just as interesting as the rest. Love this cover too.

Beauty Among Ruins 

In Ciesielski’s latest sweeping romance, an American heiress finds herself in Scotland amid the fallout of the Great War, and a wounded Scottish laird comes face-to-face with his past and a woman he never could have expected.

American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming.

Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light.

Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love?

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I am more than pleased with this line-up of new reads. It will be tough to decide which one to tackle next. A very nice problem to have, I must say.

I’m hoping these appeal to you just as much.

Happy Reading!

Read and enjoyed September 24, 2021

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It’s been awhile since I shared my current read, or my last read and enjoyed.

I finished Jack. Chautona Havig always has interesting and quirky characters. This story was about a cowboy. I don’t recall ever reading any such characters in any of her books. She definitely doesn’t have any one type of story that’s for sure. I like that about her. I will admit though, I enjoy some of her styles better than others. That’s why I keep coming back, you just never know what it will be like this time. It may be a nice surprise, like this one was. I should mention too, it’s not free anymore.

Jack: a lot of hullabaloo on the prairie (Ballads from the Hearth Book 1)

Women are trouble—lying, cheating, untrustworthy bundles of trouble.

Jack Clausen doesn’t need anyone but his horse and a boss who won’t interfere in his personal life—or lack of one.

Sure, he’s a lonely cowboy, but better lonely than brokenhearted.

If only he hadn’t met a girl who made him hope that honest and true women do exist. Maybe he wouldn’t be riding off into a snowstorm with a fresh determination to avoid women—indefinitely.

When Hazel Meissner sees a cowboy risk life, limb, and horse to save a child, she knows he’s someone special. When he finally gives her his heart, she considers herself the most blessed woman alive.

However, when he rides off without a word, she wonders if her heart will survive the loss.

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Currently I’m reading a medical mystery. I haven’t decided how I feel about it. I’m having no trouble putting it down, I always take that as a bad sign. lol I should mention this is no longer a bargain either.

Lethal Intent by Cara C. Putman

If they expected silence, they hired the wrong woman. 

Caroline Bragg’s life has never been better. She and Brandon Lancaster are taking their relationship to the next level, and she has a new dream job as legal counsel for Praecursoria—a research lab that is making waves with its cutting-edge genetic therapies. The company’s leukemia treatments even promise to save desperately sick kids—kids like eleven-year-old Bethany, a critically ill foster child at Brandon’s foster home. 

When Caroline’s enthusiastic boss wants to enroll Bethany in experimental trials prematurely, Caroline objects, putting her at odds with her colleagues. They claim the only goal at Praecursoria is to save lives. But does someone have another agenda? 

Brandon faces his own crisis. As laws governing foster homes shift, he’s on the brink of losing the group home he’s worked so hard to build. When Caroline learns he’s a Praecursoria investor, it becomes legally impossible to confide in him. Will the secrets she keeps become a wedge that separates them forever? And can she save Bethany from the very treatments designed to heal her? 

This latest romantic legal thriller by bestseller Cara Putman shines a light on the shadowy world of scientific secrets and corporate vendettas—and the ethical dilemmas that plague the place where science and commerce meet.

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There were no enticing suggestions today but maybe tomorrow. Actually it’s already tomorrow but since I’m very late with lights out it still feels like today.

I’ll let you know if anything good shows up in a few hours.

Happy Reading