Feed Your TBR - The Butcher's Daughter

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

September 24, 2024

FROM GOODREADS: Famed for being the baker who stuffed her pies with the flesh of Sweeney Todd’s victims, Margery Lovett has long been in the demon barber of Fleet Street’s diabolical shadow. But what led a woman who began life as a hard-working butcher’s daughter to such distasteful crimes?

GOODREADS LINK

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  This synopsis is a mile long for this book so I just added a link so you can easily hop over to Goodreads if you want to know more.  I loved the Johnny Deep movie Sweeney Todd so when I saw this horror retelling come up, I knew it would be one I wanted to grab.  Although I think the synopsis is WAAAAYYYY too long.  

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

One of My Favorite Authors Wrote a Rom-Com!

 

TITLE: Finding Mr. Write

AUTHOR: Kelley Armstrong

PUBLISHER: Forever

PUBLISHING DATE: June 25, 2024

PAGES: 368   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: A fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public. 

Daphne McFadden is tired of rejection. After submitting her manuscript to dozens of agents, she's gotten rejection after rejection, and now it's time for something drastic. And so, Daphne submits her manuscript again… under a man's name.

Imagine her surprise when it sells for big money at an auction and soon becomes a publicity darling. Only she needs a man to play her super macho alter ego Zane Remington. Enter Chris Stanton, who absolutely looks the part of a survivalist and has a talent for pressing her piss‑me‑off‑I‑dare‑you buttons while somehow being endearing at the same time. But Chris has a few secrets of his own, including the fact that he’s really an accountant who has no idea how to chop wood or paddle a canoe. When Daphne's book becomes a bestselling sensation and they're forced to go on tour together, Daphne finds herself wondering if this city‑boy geek is exactly what she needs to push her to claim her dreams.

MY THOUGHTS: I've often joked that I have no idea how Kelley Armstrong writes so much.  It seems like she releases 4-5 books a year and across numerous genres - urban fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, horror and fantasy. But she had never written a rom-com - until now.  And guess what? I love this book as much as her others and I definitely must devour her backlist sometime in the future.  Although I know I've already read a bunch (running off to count...).  21, I've read 21 which makes her one of my most-read authors and for good reason.

Daphne is an architect who decided to move to the Yukon and pursue her dreams of writing a book following her mother's death.  Her book keeps getting rejected until she slaps a male name on it and to no one's surprise, it sells.  However, Daphne quickly realizes she needs an actual man to pull this off so she and her friend Nia, an attorney, hire a business acquaintance, Chris Stanton, desperately in need of a financial boost to "play" Zane Remington. Chris is nothing like Zane but pulls off the role, almost too well.  As he and Daphne grow closer despite starting off on the wrong foot, and some things happen which indicate Daphne may not be able to hold up the ruse for much longer, the reader is taken on a wild book tour ride with a few bumps here and there.  Is there something more than a business partnership written in the Yukon stars for Chris and Daphne?

I loved Chris and Daphne, and it was fun to watch the tension build as they slowly realized their initial impressions of each other weren't actually accurate. I also appreciated that it wasn't an insta-love situation although the romance did move kind of fast once they got past the initial "lust" phase.  It was enjoyable reading a novel set in the publishing world and to see Armstrong take on the subject of men being more respected in some genres than women (Daphne's book is a zombie survival tale). I also adored Tika, Daphne's dog, who plays a pretty significant role in this love story as well.

Armstrong has cemented herself as an auto-read author and has proven to me there really is no genre she can't excel in.  If you love her previous works, or if you are a romance reader looking for your next big read, look no further!

MY RATING: 5 Paws

Buried by Books #4

It's time for another installment of "look at all the crazy titles I have on hold," or at least that's what it feels like sometimes.  This time there's a twist.  I also a, a KU subscriber so I'm constantly adding title to an Amazon wish list I call "KU Want to Read."  Original huh.  There should definitely be some questionable titles on this one. 

Summer Camp for Slasher Victims:  I am pretty sure this one initially landed on my Facebook feed somehow. However, I love summer camp horror and slashers, so I figured why not?  I'm hoping to get to this one in August while the temps are still hot.  Summer camps books in the winter just aren't as much fun.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop:  This will be an October read for sure!  I love the character's name - Bailey Briggs (if you know you know) and she has a dog named Jack Skeleton!  This is the start to a new mystery series, and I can't wait to see what titles are next.

A Gargoyle Gripe: This is actually a second book in a monster romance series but the first is on KU as well and involves werewolves, or at least I think it does.  If I find some sort of entertainment in the first two, there are three more crazy books to follow.

So, have you read any of these?  Do any sounds like something you might want to pick up in the future?  

Feed Your TBR - The Little Coffee Shop of Horrors

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

September 12, 2024

SYNOPSIS: Will true love brew in this killer coffee shop?

One new owner. One hot barista. And one seriously weird coffee shop

Adele is down on her luck. She’s just been kicked out of her latest musical theatre gig, and it now looks like the bright lights of Broadway are behind her for good. So, when the opportunity comes up to take over a Brooklyn coffee shop, it feels like at last things are going her way.

The only issue is the coffee shop comes with strings attached in the form of one very grumpy (but roasting hot) waiter, Ben. He’s worked there for years and he’s not about to move on just because there’s a new owner in town.

But soon it’s not just Ben who’s smoldering, because strange things are happening with the old coffee roasting machine in the back of the shop, with roaring flames and weird noises that seem to come from nowhere. She’d ask Ben for help, but he never seems to be around when there’s a problem to fix. And to add to it all, now some of the regular customers are nowhere to be seen…

Trouble is brewing for Adele and, before she knows it, she’s in a whole latte trouble.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  While the synopsis does sound pretty good, I'm not going to lie and admit I will solely be picking this up because of the cover. 

WHAT CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

I'm Kind of Mad I Didn't Hate This!

 

TITLE: Middle of the Night

AUTHOR: Riley Sager

PUBLISHER: Dutton

PUBLISHING DATE: June 18, 2024

PAGES: 367   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle? 

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate. 

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

MY THOUGHTS: Is it wrong to go into a book almost sure that you aren't going to like it?  Even worse, I kind of didn't want to like it because after the debacle that was "Final Girl" and the Grape Soda and Xanax experience I've never partaken in but felt like I did - over and over again - had me close to writing off Sager's book forever.  But I decided it was time to give him a second chance so I could forever write him off my "do not read" list but guess what?  That didn't happen.

Middle of the Night starts as Ethan Marsh returns home to live in his childhood home following a split from his wife and his parents finally moving to a condo in Florida.  Ethan has always dreaded returning because when he was 10, his best friend Billy disappeared one night without a trace while the two were camping in the backyard.  Ethan's case was never solved and now Ethan is sure Billy is back.  Lights around the cul-de-sac keep mysteriously going on and off and he keeps finding baseballs in his yard, a trick Billy used to do to signal to him it's time to play.  Is Billy back, is Ethan losing his mind, and what really happened 30 years ago?

So, what did I enjoy about this book?  The supernatural elements kept me intrigued even though I was pretty sure there were real-life explanations to what was happening (you'll have to read it to see if I was right). There were a couple of pretty intense scenes, but I will admit that I found a certain element of the mystery falling a bit flat at the end.  Ethan's childhood babysitter is also back in town helping her dad, along with her son Henry, who I will admit was the star of the show for me. I enjoyed learning more about Ethan and his past and loved that the book was told in alternating timelines.  In addition, it was nice that each flashback to the past was told from the POV of a different resident of the cul-de-sac from when Billy disappeared. This technique was a great way for the reader to piece things together. Sager also manages to land a few bombs I didn't expect which is always nice.

Now the bad news - I don't think I can write Sager off for good yet.  This is his first book featuring a male protagonist so maybe that's why it worked better.  Of course that being said, he still painted some pretty questioning portrayals of some of the females in the book.  I enjoyed the story, the way it was told, as well as the supernatural elements here and there.  It was also a quick read and actually quite a bit of fun.  Guess the third book I decide to pick up will be my deciding factor.  But not for a while because I don't want to push my luck!

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Farm News - July 21, 2024

 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend wherever you might be and whatever you are doing.  Things here at The Farm have finally cooled down a bit.  And by cool down, I basically just mean that the heat indexes aren't in the 93-104 range.  This is the hottest summer I've experienced in a long time. The boys have not been happy about missing their long evening walks, but it's just been too hot and boxers with their smooshed noses have breathing problems as it is.  We have been playing in the shade in the backyard and doing things inside to stimulate them though.  

Mr. Barb found out this past Thursday he has to go out of town for 4 days for a conference.  Nothing like last minute planning.  So, this weekend has been a lot of gathering things up and making sure he is packed and ready to go Monday afternoon.  I am worried about how the boys will be because they know when he usually gets home and start watching the door around 3pm every day.  I will do my best and we will be reading and watching movies Mr. Barb usually wouldn't like while he is gone.  Oh, and cooking for one which means less healthy options I am sure.

I have been doing pretty decent with my reading but as always, feels as if I have too many options and am not reading fast enough.  I just need to remind myself it's not a race.  I currently have three books going.

A Fatal Groove (Record Shop Mystery #2): Olivia Blacke

The Drowning House: Cherie Priest

Expiration Dates: Rebecca Serle

I will do a haul next time and in fact, may actually do a separate post.  I've been gathering some books when Kindle has them on sale while also trying to take advantage of the KU I pay for every month.  I think Amazon needs an all-inclusive rate if you ask me - Prime, KU and Kindle Music.  It would be a lot nicer than paying three different fees each month.

Hope you guys have a wonderful week.  Look for a few reviews this week, my norma, Wednesday Feed Your TBR post and perhaps another Buried by Books Library post.

THANKS FOR VISITING BOOKER T'S FARM!

I Can't Believe It's Over!!!!

 

TITLE: White Trash Zombie Unchained (WTZ #6)

AUTHOR: Diana Rowland

PUBLISHER: DAW

PUBLISHING DATE: September 5, 2017

PAGES: 354   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Angel Crawford has finally pulled herself together (literally!) after her disastrous dismemberment on Mardi Gras. She’s putting the pieces of her life back in order and is ready to tackle whatever the future holds. 

Too bad the future is a nasty bitch. There’s a new kind of zombie in town: mindless shamblers, infectious and ravenous.

With the threat of a full-blown shambler pandemic looming, and a loved one stricken, Angel and the “real” zombies scramble to find a cure. Yet when Angel uncovers the true reason the plague is spreading so quickly, she adds “no-holds-barred revenge” to her to-do list. 

Angel is busting her ass dealing with shambling hordes, zombie gators, government jerks, and way too many mosquitos, but this white trash chick ain’t giving up. 

Good thing, since the fate of the world is resting on her undead shoulders.

MY THOUGHTS: I finished this series up in June and am now getting around to doing a review.  Good thing it's the sixth one which prevents me from going into too many details for fear of spoilers.

As this book opens, Angel is still facing some ramifications of a few bad choices she made in the last book.  In fact, her life is kind of a hot mess but as a reader, I wouldn't have it any other way.  The baddies are now trying to release the zombie plague on the human population and have found a quick and easy way to do it.  It is up to Angel and her team to stop it before it happens while managing to protect those she loves.  Plus, she still has her job at the morgue, college and a new boyfriend who recently found out she is a zombie, to juggle along the way.

Words cannot express how much I love Angel.  She is definitely going on the list as one of my favorite characters ever.  Even though she is not with flaws and problems, she has a huge heart and will do anything for those she loves.  I've enjoyed seeing her relationship with her father mend and grow throughout the series and even enjoyed seeing some of the bad guys jump ship and fight beside her.

I would be remiss though if I didn't mention my two absolute favorite characters in this book - Biggie and Tupac.  See the two gators on the cover?  That's them.  They play such a big role in this installment and at the end, I just wanted to give them a hug.  Which probably is a bad idea looking back but oh well.

If you love urban fantasy and action-packed books, you HAVE to pick up this series. I have given each and every one of the six books a 5/5 rating and it is now one of my favorite series ever.  I only wish there were more because I'd love to see what the future holds for Angel and the gang!

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - These Vengeful Wishes

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

February 4, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: A teen girl moves to a small town and discovers a mysterious wishing well possessed by La Cegua, a vengeful female spirit with the face of a horse skull, in Vanessa Montalban’s new YA fantasy standalone.

When her stepfather is arrested, aspiring artist Ceci moves back to her mother’s hometown of Santa Aguas, an eccentric small town steeped in the legend of La Cegua, the specter of a wronged witch who appears on lonely roads at night, luring untrustworthy men to their deaths.

Ceci and her mother take up residence in the abandoned manor of the Sevilla family, rumored to have been cursed by La Cegua, where she begins to uncover a past that seems to be connected to her mother. The more she learns of the Sevillas, the more Ceci finds herself forming a strange affinity with the feared Cegua, who she suspects is the one inspiring her paintings of a mysterious door in the forest.

When the very door Ceci has been painting appears in the woods, she decides to venture through it with her new friend, Jamie. Together, they discover a well, guarded by the statue of a veiled woman. A well for granting wishes. The well of La Cegua.

What starts off as harmless fun quickly escalates into something sinister when Ceci realizes that the wishes are putting the people she loves in danger and testing her own penchant for vengeance. After learning others are also searching for the well, Ceci must confront the truth of her mother’s past and prevent La Cegua’s wishes from being used for the wrong reasons. Ceci knows too well how much people will sacrifice for power. Every wish has its price, and La Cegua never forgets the ones who have wronged her.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  If I pick up a YA book nowadays, it is usually horror, and this is one I can't wait for.  I love the cover and can't wait to learn more about La Cequa.  I do feel the synopsis is a tad too long though.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

The Missing Body Blog Tour

 

TITLE: The Missing Person

AUTHOR: Kerry Wilkinson

PUBLISHER: Bookouture

PUBLISHING DATE: July 12, 2024

PAGES: 331   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: I ran to get help. But her body disappeared. Will anyone believe me? 

Megan is unpacking in the spare room of her sister’s house when she hears the scream. 

Racing to the nearby woods, she is shocked to see a young woman’s unconscious her pink top bright against the earth, her long, dark hair wet from a nearby stream. But when desperate Megan returns with the police, all they find is empty woodland.

She’s been through so much, her sister whispers, welcoming her home with a kind smile. You can’t blame her for seeing things.

But Megan knows what she saw – and her past shouldn’t come into it. Was the young woman dead, or dying? How can a body just disappear? 

Megan left home for a good reason. Now, confronting the past could be the only way to find the truth. But what if Megan is in danger, too? And what price will she have to pay, to find the girl from the woods? 

An absolutely gripping mystery thriller that will make you question who to trust and have you racing through the pages. Perfect for fans of Mark Edwards, Claire Douglas and T. M. Logan.

MY THOUGHTS: While The Missing Person is a thriller, it is definitely a slow-paced one which has a lot going on - sometimes too much.

Megan has left her home and her husband and moved into her sister's attic.  The reader is aware there is a good reason Megan left, but it isn't until the middle of the book that we learn why.  She is there a few days and when she hears a scream from the woods behind the house.  She heads out to look and finds a woman floating in a stream.  She is able to pull her to the bank and offer assistance, but she is too late.  She runs back to call the police but when they return the body is gone.  Megan's sister and the police lead Megan to believe she imagined the whole thing.  And Megan herself might even be convinced if so many other things were so weird such as a tooth she later finds at the crime scene, the secrets her sister and her husband Ben seem to be whispering about when no one is looking, Megan's new business venture despite being thousands of dollars in depth and the kitchen staff working in a locked room at her sister's cafe which Megan has been told to never enter.

Like I said, there is a lot going on in the book and at times I wished the action would pick up a bit.  Yet saying that, every time I put the book down, I would quickly pick it up again saying "Just one more chapter" because I REALLY wanted to know what was going on.  The ending was very satisfying and the way everything wrapped up was done more quickly than anything else in the book. I was cheering for Megan to prove to everyone she wasn't unstable and enjoyed her relationship with her estranged father growing as everything else fell apart.

I have not read from this author before, but if the subject matter piques my interest, I will definitely pick up another book by them again. If you like slower-paced thrillers with lots of mystery elements, then you might just enjoy this one!

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

https://kerrywilkinson.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks/
https://twitter.com/kerrywk

June Wrap Up

 

Well, better late than never.  Seems July has gotten away from me, with vacation, a work project and a few renovations around the house.  I am desperately behind on reviews but hope to catch up soon.  In the meantime, it's about time I shared what I read in June.  I would say the theme of the month was "4 paw reads" because that's the majority of the ratings.  

An Enchanting Case of Spirits 

The Presence (Harrison Investigations #2)

Life's Too Short

Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet

We Used to Live Here

Secrets in the Dark (Blackbird Trilogy #2)

White Trash Zombie Unchained (WTZ #6)

Pardon My Frenchie

Dark Things Crawl Out

Nosy Neighbors

Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1)

My biggest surprise was Nosy Neighbors, and I can't recommend it enough.  I loved reading about Darius Rucker so that was a fave as well.  My biggest disappointment has to be We Used to Live Here.  I think it's one of those books you are either gonna love or find "meh."

Some Houses You Just Don't Enter

 

TITLE: Still, Dark Places

AUTHOR: Christina Graves

PUBLISHER: Horrorsmith Publishing

PUBLISHING DATE: June 25, 2024

PAGES: 292   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Young girls are going missing in Still Water. And the new sheriff, like his predecessor, is convinced they're only runaways trying to escape the confines of strict parents, stifling religious practices, and physical abuse. 

And why shouldn't the public believe them? After all, Nora Gray did the exact same thing. 

Nora now runs a well-known podcast that helps solve cold cases, and she's being called back to Still Water to help bring attention to one of the missing girls. 

But what she discovers puts both Nora and her co-worker, Rhys, in danger. Nora finds out that every ghost story has a shred of truth in it, and the dead don't keep secrets. 

But will she and Rhys find out what happened to the missing girls, and can they make it out of Still Water alive?

MY THOUGHTS: If you are looking for an immersive horror book to lose yourself into for a day or two, look no further because do I have a book for you!

Nora and Rhys are podcasters who specialize in cold cases.  Rhys suspects that Nora has experienced things in her life which have led to fascination, but he has no idea how deep her trauma runs when a call comes into the show from a lady asking Nora for help and telling her she knows her true identity.

When Nora was young, her sister was one of seven kids who disappeared from Still Water.  The disappearances were never solved, and not only did Nora's family fall apart as a result of her sister going missing, Nora's father, the local sheriff, then became obsessed with the case with led to a huge family estrangement.  Nora has limited memories of what happened but has always thought she should know more than what she recalls.  So, when another girl goes missing after all these years, Nora, Rhys and Rhys' girlfriend return to Still Waters to try to figure out if the disappearances are connected and to learn what happened so many years ago.

Graves does a wonderful job of creating a very spooky, atmospheric tale.  Nora is suffering a lot of mental health issues due to her childhood trauma and while I didn't find her extremely likable, I did become invested in her backstory and seeing her finally overcome her past experiences.  I never bought into the whole Nora/Rhys relationship, which is already over when the book actually starts, and later find out I was correct in questioning THAT connection.  There is a very creepy, desolate house in this tale and a lot of religious horror which shows how extreme some people will act to support their beliefs, whether right or wrong.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and had some twists and turns I never saw coming.  It was a great vacation read and as I mentioned, I basically read it in under 24 hours.  I find that sometimes, shorter horror works better for me and that was definitely the case with this one.  Graves has already announced a new thriller book on the horizon, and I am very interested in seeing what else she comes up with next.  Bring on the next one!

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - I Got Abducted by Aliens...

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

FROM GOODREADS:  Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs?

Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio....

As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I devoured the Mead Mishap series this year and both related short stories.  Yes, this author's books are odd and a tad spicy, but they have all been so much fun to read. 

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

2 Bloggers 1 Series - The Presence (Harrison Investigations #2)

 

This month Stormi and I decided it was time to pick up another book in the Harrison Investigations series.  The first one was decent, but the male protagonist drove me crazy.  Read on to see if this one fared better and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads and see what she thought.

 

TITLE: The Presence (Harrison Investigations #2)

AUTHOR: Heather Graham

PUBLISHER: Mira

PUBLISHING DATE: August 25, 2004

PAGES: 422   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: The ultimate moneymaking plan—buy the ancient, run-down Scottish castle and turn it into a tourist destination. Toni Fraser and her friends will put on reenactments combining fact and fiction, local history, murder and an imaginary laird named Bruce MacNiall. 

Just as someone arrives, claiming to actually be Laird MacNiall—a tall, dark, formidable Scot somehow familiar to Toni—the bodies of young women are found, dumped and forgotten in the nearby town. 

But even stranger, how is it possible this laird exists? Toni invented Bruce MacNiall for the performance…yet sinister, lifelike dreams suggest he's connected to the recent deaths. Bruce claims he wants to help catch the murderer. But even if she wants to, can Toni trust him…when her visions seem to be coming from within the very eyes of the killer himself?

MY THOUGHTS: I have to say that as much as the main male in the first book irritated me, I was worried about the character of Bruce MacNiall.  And while he may have started off kind of rocky, it wasn't long before I ended up loving him.  In fact, I liked him a lot better than the female MC, Toni, who I felt made a lot of stupid decisions and was downright bitchy at times.

Toni, her cousin and some friends from the US have rented a Scottish Castle and are doing historical reenactments for tourists.  They believe they have a legitimate contract until the owner, laird Bruce MacNiall, shows up and orders them to leave. Over the past year of so they have also been two dead women found on the woods of the property and McNiall fears allowing the Americans to stay may put them at risk. Toni and her friends convince laird MacNiall to allow them to stay while they figure out the contract scam.  To further complicate things, Toni keeps having visions of a historical laird MacNiall who allegedly killed his wife, standing at the bottom of her bed with a sword dripping blood.  

Now that I'm writing this review, it does seem like there was a lot going on in this book.  However, Graham pulls it together quite well and it was an enjoyable read.  I will say the author works extra hard to steer the reader toward the wrong perpetrator making it obvious it certainly can't be him.  However, the mystery element of the book wrapped up nicely and it was fun to see the tension between Toni and Bruce turn into something else.  Also, I will add I feel that Adam Harrison, the founder of the Krewe of Hunters, did take a long time to appear in this book and I was starting to wonder if he would show at all.

This book was definitely better than the first and I am looking forward to the third one.  Don't know when we will get to it as we have quite a few series reads going right now but the good thing about them is when we decide we want to move forward, all of the Harrison Investigation series is complete.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Farm News - July 1, 2024

 

It's been a while since the last news update but as usual, summer has been pretty hot and busy.  Mr. Barb and I had a five-day weekend which started June 19th, but I spent four of those five days repainting and redecorating the bathroom. Our home is 124 years old and doesn't have central air so there is no AC in the bathroom and as the heat index was over 98 on most of those days, I could only work a few hours before being totally exhausted.  Most of it is done now just waiting for a few things we ordered to come in and put on the finishing touches.

We are also on our annual 4th of July staycation right now.  We aren't doing anything spectacular except hanging out with the pups, doing a few more things around the home, and chilling.  I've managed to finish two books on my first two days off so I'm hoping that trend can continue.  I also need to get my haircut if my stylist can work me in.  It's been a while and I need about six inches taken off.

We watched two really good movies over the weekend.  First up was Furiosa, the latest in the Mad Max saga.  I really enjoyed it and if you like action movies or any of the previous Mad Max ones, then you don't want to miss this one.  We also watched The Watchers.  I wanted to read the book first but that wasn't happening.  However, I'm glad we jumped in because it was a great Saturday night scary feature.  I highly recommend it.

The pups are doing fine.  Apollo went to the vet and the vet wants to monitor his lump on his leg a while. It's sitting right on a major vein and his vet says if it doesn't grow and it stays soft, then he's not too worried. He and Zekey are enjoying their summer, but it's been so hot they haven't been able to walk too much

A fresh month means fresh new reads and I have a lot planned this month.  Here's what I think is up first this month.  I'd love to get all three of these read before heading back to work on July 8th but that's probably wishful thinking.  

Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2) - Jim Butcher
A Novel Love Story - Ashley Posten
Still, Dark Places - Christina Graves

I also received a few ARCs which I'm thrilled about and appreciate more than I can express.

The Book of Witching - C.J. Cooke
The Visitor - Kevin Bachar
An Academy for Liars - Alexis Henderson
Influencer - Adam Cesare
Pretty Dead Things - Lilian West
Memorials - Richard Chizmar

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy summer.  Have you read any of these books already?  If so, where should I start?