Friday, July 31, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan
In Mill River, Vermont, everyone knows about the large house on the hill, but not about Mary McAllister, who has lived there for over seventy years. Mary has kept to herself, with her lifelong friendship with Father O'Brien to sustain her. Now dying of cancer, she has plans to make.... The reader also gets to meet more residents of Mill River: widower policeman Kyle Hansen and Rowen (his nine-year-old daughter), schoolteacher Claudia Simon, potion maker Daisy Delaine, and misguided cop Leroy Underwood. The Mill River Recluse recounts the daily lives of the residents and is a gentle read for those who like stories about small towns.
Labels: new england, small town life
Monday, July 20, 2015
What Doesn't Kill Her by Carla Norton
Reeve has tried to put her past behind her by moving to San Francisco and going to college. When Daryl Wayne Flint, the man who kidnapped her as a teen and held her captive, escapes from an psychiatric hospital, she is forced to relive old memories. Reeve even decides to head back to Washington state to help the authorities find Flint before he harms anyone else. What she doesn't suspect is that Flint's mission is to find her again... In this second book of the Reeve LeClaire series, Norton writes another fast-paced novel that's hard to put down.
Labels: page turners, suspense
Friday, July 17, 2015
After the Storm by Linda Castillo
After a tornado hits Painters Mill, Ohio, human bones are found in an abandoned barn. The remains turn out to be those of Leroy Holt who went missing thirty years ago. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her team delve into Leroy's personal life to find out who might have murdered him. Not only is Kate dealing with the storm cleanup, but she also faces trouble from Paula and Nick Kester, who blame her for causing their young daughter Lucy's death, even after Kate rescued Lucy during the tornado. When Kate is shot at, she wonders if it's the Kesters who are targeting her, or if it's related to the Leroy Holt murder case. In this seventh book of the series, Castillo writes a mystery that's hard to put down, although I have a minor quibble with an aspect of Kate's personal story.
Labels: amish, female detectives, mysteries, police procedurals, small town life
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Lawyer for the Dog by Lee Robinson
Lawyer Sally Baynard is asked by her ex-husband, Judge Joe Baynard, to act as a lawyer on behalf of a miniature schnauzer named Sherman. Maryann and Russell Hart are divorcing, but both of them want custody of Sherman. Sally will live with Sherman, interview the Harts, and try to determine where the best place for Sherman is. Then Sally discovers that Joe wanted her on the case because he has feelings for her--and she finds herself interested in Sherman's vet, Dr. Tony Borden. She realizes how complicated her personal life has become, especially since she's struggling with the fact that she needs to put her mother in assisted care because of her Alzheimer's. Will Sally be able to find a balance between dealing with her mother's needs and finding love? And who gets the dog? A light read similar to Mary Kay Andrews and Jeanne Ray.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
Labels: christmas, family relationships, islands