Icon Tag: Fiction

Scattered Legacy: Murder in Southern Italy by Marlene M. Bell

Scattered Legacy: Murder in Southern Italy by Marlene M. Bell

Scattered Legacay by Marlene M Bell Series: Annalisse Series #3 on November 4th, 2021 Genres: Mystery Pages: 296 Format: ARC Source: Lola’s Blog Tours Buy on Amazon Goodreads To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body. When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect. Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever. Scattered Legacy […]

Posted November 21, 2022
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The Brilliance of Stars by J’nell Ciesielski

The Brilliance of Stars by J’nell Ciesielski

The Brilliance of Stars by J’nell Ciesielski Series: Jack & Ivy #1 Published by Thomas Nelson on November 1st, 2022 Genres: Historical Fiction Pages: 400 Format: ARC Source: Author’s Copy, Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads Amid the chaos of the Great War, two master assassins risk it all for love. Washington DC, 1914. Ivy Olwen knows how to survive on the streets without two coins to rub together. But when she finds herself whisked into a secret society that seeks to maintain the balance of good and evil in the world, she can’t believe there’s more to life than just surviving. In the hallowed and historied halls of Talon, she learns European languages and ballroom dancing, as well as demolitions and sharpshooting—in short, everything a spy and assassin will need to survive in the field. The first day Jack Vale meets Ivy, he knows she is not to be underestimated. The second day, he knows his heart will belong to no one else. Between sparring bouts and constellation gazing, Jack takes Ivy under his wing, and the two form a bond that soon turns to love. While the rest of the world tumbles into war, the two embark on an […]

Posted November 12, 2022
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Blog Tour & Review: The Ghost and the Stolen Tears by Cleo Coyle

Blog Tour & Review: The Ghost and the Stolen Tears by Cleo Coyle

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears by Cleo Coyle Series: Haunted Bookshop Mystery #8 Published by Berkley Books on October 4th, 2022 Genres: Cozy Mystery Pages: 336 Format: ARC Source: Great Escapes Tours Buy on Amazon Goodreads With the help of her gumshoe ghost, bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure sets out to clear an innocent woman of a shocking crime in this all-new entry in the “utterly charming” (Mystery Scene) Haunted Bookshop Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle. Norma is a modern-day nomad. Living out of her van and teardrop trailer, she revels in self-reliance, solitude, and reading in the glorious peace of nature. Jovial, wise, and scrupulously honest, she’s become an uplifting presence in the little town of Quindicott, Rhode Island, where bookseller Pen is thankful to have her part-time help. But it’s Norma’s other job, working as a housekeeper at the Finch Inn, that gets her into terrible trouble. Norma is accused of stealing jewels from a guest’s room: the legendary Valentino Teardrops, an antique necklace and earring set, inherited by a young socialite. Pen doesn’t believe Norma is guilty of the crime—though the evidence is distressingly strong. And when the spirited Norma vanishes before her […]

Posted October 31, 2022
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The Classics Club Spin #31 – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The Classics Club Spin #31 – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Greetings you guys! I am ever so proud of my Mommy. She just managed to finish her Classics Club Spin #31 book. Luckily it was a quick read, but by no means a light or an easy read. I’m sure we are in the minority of Classics Lovers who haven’t read this one yet: To review this book, will be no easy task either. If you look on Goodreads, there are over 43 000 reviews on this book, some of our  favorite readers and bloggers amongst them. It does appear as if we are going to be in the minority with our 3.5 Star review as well. Yes, this book was beautifully written – wow. You can get lost in the prose and forget about the content as a whole. But then again, reading is a holistic experience. So why only 3.5 stars? The world has changed. Hasn’t it? Somehow, it became lighter. Somehow, it became heavier to carry a friend. Somehow, having a piece of the land isn’t the dream anymore. And somehow, we live in that world and adapts to it. As humans do. We become isolated to the story of George and Lennie. Animal cruelty will not […]

Posted October 30, 2022
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Missteps Perfecting the Shutterbug Strut by J.L. Michael

Missteps Perfecting the Shutterbug Strut by J.L. Michael

Missteps Perfecting the Shutterbug Strut by J.L. Michael Published by Swanky Owl Press on August 21st, 2022 Pages: 372 Format: ARC Source: Reedsy Discovery Buy on Amazon Goodreads It is 1927. An “Era of Wonderful Nonsense.” Vague maps tout grand mysteries, each snapshot means something, and jazzy hijinks abound. Insouciant vagabond ALEXANDRA ILLYRIA BATHENBROOK sets off from Montana to capture images never photographed, hoping to earn an interview with National Geographic. Operating from her London office, she will flirt with becoming a royal mistress, reunite lustful ghosts at notorious Borley Rectory, and stir up mischief at the Winter Olympics in ritzy St. Moritz. Those are the easy ones. More perilous assignments send Alexandra in pursuit of a thrill killer through the dusty alleyways of Marrakech and into the feral bushlands of Uganda to join a hunt for man-eating lions. While seeking a famed explorer in Amazonia, she must face down her inner demons in a desperate bid for survival. Along her brazen journey, she will outwit, outcharm, and outbrave detractors and rapscallions… even romance a few. Yet most telling, Alexandra will find her best self in rekindling hope within her war-scarred brother and uncovering the scandalous reason she’s forever lost […]

Posted October 24, 2022
2 Comments
Bells, Tails & Murder by Kathy Manos Penn

Bells, Tails & Murder by Kathy Manos Penn

Bells, Tails & Murder by Kathy Manos Penn Series: A Dickens & Christie Mystery #1 on February 6th, 2020 Genres: Cozy Mystery Pages: 252 Format: eBook Source: My Kindle Buy on Amazon Goodreads Do you like heroines who’ve lived a little? Who’ve suffered life’s ups and downs but kept on trucking? Then you’ll love Leta Parker and her new friends in the Cotswold village of Astonbury. When tragedy strikes Leta Parker’s life, the successful banker and closet sleuth chases a lifelong dream to retire to England. Leaving her friends and neighbors in Atlanta, she settles into Astonbury with her talkative dog and cat, Dickens and Christie. Picture her driving a refurbished London taxi to the bookshop and the tearoom, enjoying leisurely walks with Dickens the dog, and sipping coffee in the garden with Christie, her sassy cat. When Leta stumbles across the dead body of a new acquaintance, her inner Nancy Drew comes out. Before you know it, she’s enlisted the help of Wendy, a retired English teacher friend—and even Wendy’s elderly mum. Two whipsmart retirees, one spunky senior citizen, and a feisty dog and cat are on the case! Who better to unearth clues from their friends in the […]

Posted October 10, 2022
11 Comments
Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari

Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari

Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari Series: Mauzzy & Me #2 on August 15th, 2022 Genres: Cozy Mystery Pages: 352 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads After encountering a brief power outage at work, college student Sara Donovan might be allowing her imagination to run wild. The main vault in the Carlton Museum holds the Fire and Ice Exhibit, a collection of rare gems, including the Star of Midnight, a 175-carat diamond. Although all the stones are accounted for, Sara suspects the Star of Midnight was stolen and replaced with a fake. While conducting her own investigation, what Sara uncovers is beyond even her wildest imagination: a coded message, papers with strange characters, and a mysterious set of numbers carved into an office wall. Despite dismissive historians and other experts, she is certain these clues point to a mysterious centuries-old legend. Unfortunately, her colorful history of usually being right, but always being wrong, means she must solve the mystery to prove her theory. What a fun read this was! Truly a gem (no pun intended). I have never heard of the Mauzzy & Me Mystery series and frankly, I’m not a fan of dachshunds, but I am a […]

Posted August 29, 2022
4 Comments
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus on April 5th, 2022 Genres: Fiction Pages: 390 Format: Paperback Source: Book Club Buy on Amazon Goodreads Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its […]

Posted August 13, 2022
17 Comments
Gambling with Murder by Lida Sideris

Gambling with Murder by Lida Sideris

Gambling with Murder by Lida Sideris Series: Southern California Mysteries #5 Published by Level Best on March 29th, 2022 Genres: Cozy Mystery Pages: 260 Format: ARC Source: Lola’s Blog Tours Buy on Amazon Goodreads A late-night call is all it takes for rookie lawyer Corrie Locke to kiss her day job at the movie studio goodbye, and do what she does best: flex her sweet P.I. skills and go undercover to find a senior who’s missing from a posh retirement community. One small stumbling block: skirting past security to gain inside access to the exclusive Villa Sunset. Time to call in the heavy artillery. Besides former security guard turned legal assistant—now wannabe P.I.—Veera, Corrie relies on a secret weapon: her mother, a surprisingly eager addition to Corrie’s team. Armed with enough pepper spray to take down a band of Navy Seals, Mom impersonates a senior to infiltrate the Villa, Corrie, and Veera in tow. Turns out the job’s not as easy as they’d thought. These seniors have tricks tucked up their sleeves and aren’t afraid of using them. The action gets dicey when the missing senior case turns into attempted murder by a criminal mind who’s always one step ahead. […]

Posted August 8, 2022
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The Tale of Arthur Tobias by JG Pennington

The Tale of Arthur Tobias by JG Pennington

The Tale of Arthur Tobias by JG Pennington on June 20th, 2022 Genres: Historical Fiction Pages: 270 Format: ARC Source: Reedsy Discovery Buy on Amazon Goodreads Since graduating from Hamilton, Maxine Hauser exists to pack up the past lives of some of New York’s Jewish elite. It’s business as usual until she is hired to box up the former home of Francis Tobiah. While packing away his earthly possessions, Maxine discovers a similarity in her client and best-selling author, Arthur Tobias. Maxine picks up Arthur’s best selling work, Sarah, and is transported back to walking in the shoes of a young, single, mother navigating a new country during World War II. Through reading Sarah, Maxine makes it her mission to not let Francis’ identity or his mother’s story die with him. The Tale of Arthur Tobias is about a young Jewish woman, Maxine Hauser who runs a successful business packing up the lives of New York’s Jewish Elite when they pass away and the family, or Estate Executors, do not know what to do with their possessions and memorabilia. Just from that sentence and the synopsis of this book, the reader already expects a historical novel and a life story […]

Posted August 2, 2022
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