Books 31-35

 Little Tangled Webs by Cheryl Bradshaw

What if you knew the person you loved was murdered, but no one else believes you?
Eighteen-year-old Harper Ellis has spent the last three years searching for her aunt's killer, looking for clues, asking questions, gathering every tidbit she can find to explain the unexplainable. She's talked to anyone who would listen, trying to make them to see they're all wrong, and she is right.
Aunt Frida’s death wasn’t an accident.
Aunt Frida was murdered.
Of this, Harper is certain.
Tonight, Harper plans prove her theory, and she's prepared to risk her own life to do it.

Very interesting mystery. It was full of suspense and kept me guessing. There are a lot of surprises in this book including the culprit.   

Off the Wild Coast of Brittany by Juliet Blackwell

Natalie Morgen made a name for herself with a memoir about overcoming her harsh childhood after finding a new life in Paris. After falling in love with a classically trained chef, they moved together to his ancestral home, a tiny fishing village off the coast of Brittany.
But then Francois-Xavier breaks things off with her without warning, leaving her flat broke and in the middle of renovating the guesthouse they planned to open for business. Natalie's already struggling when her sister, Alex, shows up unannounced. The sisters form an unlikely partnership to save the guesthouse, reluctantly admitting their secrets to each other as they begin to heal the scars of their shared past.
But the property harbors hidden stories of its own. During World War II, every man of fighting age on the island fled to England to join the Free French forces. The women and children were left on their own...until three hundred German troops took up residence, living side-by-side with the French women on the tiny island for the next several years.
When Natalie and Alex unearth an old cookbook in a hidden cupboard, they find handwritten recipes that reveal old secrets. With the help of locals, the Morgen sisters begin to unravel the relationship between Violette, a young islander whose family ran the guesthouse during WWII, and Rainier, a German military customs official with a devastating secret of his own.

This was a really interesting 2 timeline story. The story of both ages is told from the perspective of the three women Nat, Alex and Violette.  The past and present intertwine as both sets of sisters are facing their own battles.

The Watchmaker's Daughter by Dianne Haley

Hiding the worn piece of paper among her father’s watch deliveries, her eyes fill with tears at the memory of her brave friend walking towards the Nazi soldiers, and the sharp sound of gun fire. Her friend sacrificed herself so that she could deliver this message. But if she hands it over, the love of her life will die…
1942, Geneva: As her radio crackles with heart-breaking news from occupied France, Valérie Hallez gazes towards the snow-covered Alps after a long day helping her father, a local watchmaker. With a Nazi invasion looming, she is sick with worry for the future of her country, and for Philippe, her childhood sweetheart with soft brown eyes. Valérie might not be able to join the army like him, but she is determined to play her part in the fight against evil…
In defiance of her father, Valérie helps the French Resistance by smuggling messages among her father’s watch deliveries. And when darkness falls, she risks everything to hide Jewish refugee children in his old workshop. Philippe fears for her safety, as her work for the Resistance could come with a heavy price. But nothing will stop her delivering vital information and getting terrified children to safety before they are sent back to the Nazis.
But when Valérie is entrusted with an urgent letter for the Allies, she finds herself in an impossible position. The information it contains could alter the course of the war. But if she hands over the message now, it will cost Philippe his life. With Nazi spies closing in on her, Valérie must act now… But can she really trust the man she loves, and will she find a way to save both him and her country before it’s too late?

It was interesting to read a WWII book that was set in Switzerland. Everyone knows that Switzerland was a neutral country but this book sheds a light on what the people did to help Jewish refugees escape from occupied France.  This was definitely a page turner!!

Home Front Girls by Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan

It's January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother from New England, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a Midwestern professor's wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. These two women have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home.
Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence. The friendship forged by their letters allows them to survive the loneliness and uncertainty of waiting on the home front, and gives them the courage to face the battles raging in their very own backyards. Connected across the country by the lifeline of the written word, each woman finds her life profoundly altered by the other's unwavering support.

This was an interesting story but I don't think I liked the format....letters.

A Death at Seascape House by Emma Jameson

When librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity to catalogue Cornwall’s largest collection of antique shipwreck records it is a dream come true. The only problem? The collection is housed on the island of St. Morwenna, the childhood home she left years ago and vowed never to return to.
Shortly after Jem arrives back in town, island busybody and notorious grump Edith Reddy is found dead, with duct tape clamped over her mouth and nose. Jem, caught seemingly red-handed at the scene of the crime, mistakenly becomes the police’s number one suspect. The handsome Sergeant Hackman in particular can’t seem to leave Jem alone…
Jem must take matters into her own hands if she wants to clear her name. Snooping around Edith’s once-grand home, she is struck by the mess before her. The bedroom is completely ransacked and in the living room all the photographs have been removed from their frames. Was Edith’s death simply a break-in gone wrong, or is there more to the mystery that the police are missing?
Jem has a sharp eye for a clue and she soon realizes that many of the island’s eccentric residents had reason for wanting Edith out of the way. Could Declan, the curious café owner, or Bart, the fishy ferryman have killed Edith? Jem won’t rest until she uncovers the truth, but doing so will put her right in the killer’s line of sight…

This was an interesting series starter. As it is a cozy mystery lots of the story was quite predictable. I did enjoy the book and the setting was made to sound beautiful and very idyllic-after they solved the murder!!

They're Back!

After being evicted earlier in the summer from the  yard at thehouse that was sold they arrived back on the street about 2 weeks ago.  We don't know where they are living as they can't get back into their old plac.  We have seen 6 of them so far. One has antlers, he wasn't part of the original group!   These pictures were taken yesterday.

Today it was freezing rain over night and is now snowing and a bitter cold wind, It's -3C.  We're supposed to get 15cm snow by tomorrow.  It is COLD!!!  Of course we had to go out to a doctors appointment but we will not be going out tomorrow

Books 25 -30

Abby Kane FBI Thrillers by Ty Hutchinson

Book 1: Corktown

Book 1. The Doctor Is Back.
In the quiet Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, a mutilated body has the residents nervous and for good reason. Detroit Metro Police recognize the handiwork of the serial killer known as the Doctor. But there’s a problem with that. They locked him up seven years ago.
Because of her expertise with serial killers, former hotshot detective and now FBI agent, Abby Kane, is tasked with figuring out how this madman is able to kill again. When she visits The Doctor behind bars, he swears he’s innocent and not the psychopath everyone thinks he is. Oddly enough, Abby believes him.
Corktown dives headfirst into the grit of Detroit, exposing the government corruption and deadly violence that has haunted the city for decades.

I enjoyed this book and ended up reading all 6 of the books that were available for free in my ereader.  I can give a review of the first book but I won't review the others as they all interconnect. It was fast paced and revolves around a bad ass female FBI agent.  She is very experienced in what she does and does everything her own way and gets results. I think there are 12 books in the series and I would read the rest if they come up on the free list.

Book 2: Tenderloin

Life in San Francisco could not be better for FBI Agent Abby Kane and family. With white-collar crimes dominating her work schedule, chasing deranged killers is a thing of the past, until the body of a dead DEA agent pops up in Bogotá.
Ordered to Colombia for answers, Abby's investigation takes her deep into the Amazon jungle where she discovers evidence of strange experiments at a rundown lab. When she later crosses paths with one of the scientists involved, she learns that a new drug has been invented, and its danger isn't the addictive high but the terrifying side effects.
Abby believes the cartels are behind the drug, but the locals think it's one man. They call him the Monster.

Book 3: Russian Hill

In the first book of the Chasing Chinatown Trilogy, a killer is loose in San Francisco, collecting body parts. SFPD has no witnesses and no suspects, but FBI Agent Abby Kane believes a dead hiker found ten miles north of the city is the key to solving those crimes. The detective involved with the case thinks Abby might be chasing a ghost down a rabbit hole, but the more she digs, the more she begins to think the killer is playing an elaborate game, and there’s an audience cheering him on.

Book 4: Lumpini Park

Winning means killing. Sickos around the world are playing a deadly game, and the body count is climbing.

In the second book of the Chasing Chinatown Trilogy, FBI agent Abby Kane hunts the man behind the sadistic challenges the only way she knows how: by playing the game and moving up the bloody leaderboard herself.
Abby arrives in Bangkok, Thailand, where she discovers a killer is already roaming the Big Mango looking for his next grand kill to win the game. As Abby is pulled further into the world of deadly play, the dynamics of the game suddenly change. Out of her jurisdiction and unsure of who she can trust, Abby is faced with two choices: walk away or die.

Book 5: Coit Tower

It’s payday in San Francisco, and death is the contract.

The hunt continues in the third installment of the Chasing Chinatown Trilogy. FBI Agent Abby Kane is the sole Attraction in a bloody game designed for one reason: to take lives. Deliver her head and collect the $10 million bounty.
Abby doesn’t know who her attackers are. She doesn’t know when they will strike. But she does know they will come.
In this deadly game of murder, nothing is off-limits—not even her family. There are no rules, no restrictions, and only one ending: Winner takes… a life.

Book 6: Kowloon Bay

Every family has a secret that’s best left alone.
After the murder of her husband in Hong Kong, FBI Agent Abby Kane moved her family to San Francisco as a way to start over. Nearly three years have passed, and now she’s returning to her homeland for a family holiday.
In an effort to help her children learn more about their Chinese heritage and remember their father, Abby discovers an unthinkable secret that has her questioning the entire family she married into.
Kowloon Bay explores the well-established practice associated with Asian culture: saving face. To what length is perpetuating a lie better than acknowledging the truth?

Another Year!!

 So this is what 72 looks like!!  It's been a rough year with this knee replacement.  I'm still waiting and hoping for a pain free day but that hasn't happened yet.  I'm told it takes a year so I've still got 41/2months to go!!  I did have a great birthday though.  DH took me out for a delicious supper.

Meanwhile, that morning poor Walker had to go through this.  He and mom and dad had gone to see the asthma specialist, after waiting many months for an appointment.  Of course, he didn't cough once while he was there but Kelsey had made a previous recording so the doctor would be able to see and hear him.  All she did was order a stronger puffer and send him for a chest xray.  This is him in the torture chamber xray contraption to have the xray taken.  He doesn't look very happy! Fortunately it didn't take very long and he got lots of cuddles after.

Books 14-24

 The Event by Whitney Dineen

There’s a reason Emmeline Frothingham left her hometown of Creek Water, Missouri as soon as humanly possible. That reason is small-minded, judgmental people who wouldn’t know the truth if it was coughed up on them like an errant furball.
After graduating from college, Emmie gets her dream job in New York City. As the head buyer at Silver Spoons--a high-end boutique, and single girl about town, her  life is ideal. That is, until the night of The Event, her company’s annual award's ball at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nerves plus too much tequila leave Emmie dealing with a wicked hangover, the unemployment line, and a surprise to end all surprises
Facing the repercussions of her wild night, Emmie is forced to go home to work in her family's business. But her return puts her dead in the sights of the gossipy country club harpies who drove her away in the first place.
Will Emmie make peace with her past and embrace the love of her family? Will she discover that the man who seems to be judging her most has a secret of his own?

This was your typical cozy romance.  Takes place in a small town in one of the southern states where everyone knows everyones business.  It was pretty predictable but an enjoyable and easy read.

A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

When a tsunami rages through their coastal town in India, 17-year-old Ahalya Ghai and her 15-year-old sister Sita are left orphaned and homeless. With almost everyone they know suddenly erased from the face of the earth, the girls set out for the convent where they attend school. They are abducted almost immediately and sold to a Mumbai brothel owner, beginning a hellish descent into the bowels of the sex trade.
Halfway across the world, Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke faces his own personal and professional crisis-and makes the fateful decision to pursue a pro bono sabbatical working in India for an NGO that prosecutes the subcontinent's human traffickers. There, his conscience awakens as he sees firsthand the horrors of the trade in human flesh, and the corrupt judicial system that fosters it. Learning of the fate of Ahalya and Sita, Clarke makes it his personal mission to rescue them, setting the stage for a riveting showdown with an international network of ruthless criminals.

This was a really good book. It was  a disturbing tale that conveys a vivid description of the world-wide female slavery and under-age sex trade, computer pornography markets and the use of these enslaved children as captive drug smuggling mules. This was all very  informative.   Priya, Thomas's wife, is portrayed as an unreasonably prissy homebody who was far too inwardly focused, narcissistic and simply self-serving. It was very difficult to like her and therfore easy to wish that he would just move on.        

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

There are a few things Jeremy Marsh was sure he'd never do: he'd never leave New York City; never give his heart away again after barely surviving one failed marriage; and, most of all, never become a parent. Now, Jeremy is living in the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, married to Lexie Darnell, the love of his life, and anticipating the birth of their daughter. But just as his life seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, an unsettling and mysterious message re-opens old wounds and sets off a chain of events that will forever change the course of this young couple's marriage.
Dramatic, heartbreaking and surprising, this is a story about the love between a man and a woman and between a parent and a child. More than that, it is a story that beautifully portrays how the same emotion that can break your heart is also the one that will ultimately heal it.

Found this to be kind of an odd story

Snow in April by Rosamunde Pilcher

Caroline travels to Scotland, hoping to make contact with a brother she hasn't seen for years, and return in time for her wedding to the man her strong-willed stepmother thought so suitable. Then a sudden snow strands her in an isolated house with a young man recovering from tragedy. Both are on the brink of terrible mistakes, but perhaps they can save each other.

This book was like a Hallmark move or a Harlequin romance novel.  It was so predictable and sooooo unrealistic.  I did read the Shell Seekers many years ago and my memory is that it had a little more substance than this book. I see another one of her books on my bookshelf that someone gave to me.  I will read it but this is an author I would not spend money buying her books.

The Sugar House by Laura Lippman

Tess Monaghan's life is back on course. She is where she likes to be - downtown Baltimore, her relationship with her boyfriend Crow is getting serious, she's beginning to make a name for herself as a PI, she's even banking good money. And then her father asks her a favor: to investigate the death in prison of a friend's brother convicted of killing an unidentified girl, otherwise known as 'Jane Doe'. Tess's search for Jane Doe's real identity soon reveals that she is Gwen Schiller, a teenage heiress with a serious eating disorder who has recently escaped from 'the Sugar House', an institution where bulimics and anorexics are subjected to the most brutal regimes. Tess's enquiries as to Gwen's subsequent movements lead her first to a bar, Domenick's, where the proprietor supplies something a lot more murky than food and wine, and then to the State Senate where two of the leading politicians appear to be living a double life. But it is the links between Tess's father, a liquor licensing officer, and Domenick's that worry Tess the most. What favors has her father done the Baltimore underworld in order to stay in business? Why is he scared enough to beg Tess to drop the case? It is not until her parent's house is set on fire and a body pulled from the wreckage, that she realizes that her life may have taken a very wrong turning indeed - one from which there is no going back ...

This was a good mystery. It starts out with P.I. Tess doing a favour for her father, investigating the murder of an inmate and then runs through many additional murders and lots of corruption. This book relies heavily on politics and the kind of 'favours' one official might do for another official or friend.  Tess is a bit of a 'smart ass'  and independent and likeable.

The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil

Housemaid wanted.
Skills required: Discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile.
It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided, and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past...
But I soon realise I've made a mistake. The strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when least expected. Lord Howard's son, Alex, takes an interest in me, and as a former addict, I find myself drawn to him because I know he's bad for me.
There's a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. It's easy to imagine the secrets hidden within these walls, like the secrets I hold close.
On my first day, I receive a mysterious package. I open up the pretty gift box to find a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I'm dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase. Someone sent this threatening diorama to me, but who even knows I work at the hall? And what do they want?
I know only one truth: my perfect job is turning into my perfect nightmare.

This book is quite creepy and the ending was a bit of a surprise! I didn't find that there was any real closure for any of the characters though.

The One Who Fell by Kerry Wilkinson

In the seaside town of Whitecliff, everyone looks out for each other. Everyone knows your name. And everyone knows your secrets…
Moonlight falls on the figure of the girl standing on the red-tiled roof. Her white dress and blonde hair flutter in the freezing night wind. And suddenly – she is gone.
Volunteering at the local nursing home is Millie Westlake’s one escape from the rumours that swirl around Whitecliff about her past. But speaking with elderly resident, Ingrid, as they play board games, Millie gets chills at her strange story about a young girl being pushed from a roof, somewhere across the valley…
Everybody thinks Ingrid is confused: but Millie knows how it feels to not be believed. Her parents died a year ago, and the residents of Whitecliff – such a quiet place, other than crashing waves and cawing seagulls – are convinced Millie killed them.
Desperately searching for evidence to find the girl Ingrid saw, a broken roof tile could prove Ingrid was telling the truth. But when strange footprints appear in Millie’s garden, she’s certain someone out there is watching.
Have Ingrid and Millie stumbled across something terribly dangerous? And with the town against her, will Millie have to face up to her own secrets to solve the mystery before it becomes deadly?

This was an interesting story. A retired journalist, elderly residents of a nursing home, a panther and a girl falling(?) off a roof.  It all comes together in the end.

Carolina Moon by Nora Rroberts

Tory Bodeen grew up in South Carolina, in a small run-down house, where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt--and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. But she had Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn't allowed to be at home: a child.
After young Hope's brutal murder, unsolved to this day, Tory's life began to fall apart. And now, as she returns to her hometown, with plans to settle in and open a stylish home-design shop, she is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle--Hope's older brother and the heir to the family fortune--she isn't sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try.
Living so close to those unhappy memories will be more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected, however. Because Hope's murderer is nearby as well...

I enjoyed this book. It was good though Tory had moments that got on my nerves. It was a very interesting story even though it had a paranormal aspect to it. I figured out the killer fairly early on, but kept considering other possibilities throughout the book.

Little Girl Missing by J G. Roberts

How can a little girl vanish into thin air?
Five-year-old Cassie Bailey’s mother tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. This morning she’s missing, her unicorn bedcovers are empty, and her parents are frantic.
DCI Rachel Hart knows that the first few hours after a child goes missing are the most crucial, and that the Baileys are living every parent’s worst nightmare. Rachel knows, because as a child her family lived through it too, when her sister was taken.
The days are ticking by with no sign of Cassie, and the cracks in the Baileys’ marriage are beginning to show. But are the holes in their stories because they’re out of their minds with panic – or because they’re lying?
Rachel’s convinced that Cassie knew the person who took her, but can she find the little girl before she’s lost forever?

There are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing as to who had taken Cassie.  I did guess correctly half way through who had taken her, but not their reason for doing it. 

The Kensington Kidnap by Katie Gayle

A missing teenager, a mysterious cult and a case of mistaken identity – just another day’s work for Epiphany Bloom.
Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom is down on her luck. She can barely afford cat food, and just because Most has three legs doesn’t mean he eats any less. So she absolutely can’t afford to mess up her latest temp job. But when she walks through the door of the private investigation firm, her new boss mistakes her for a missing persons expert. He then charges her with finding Matty Price – the teenage son of two A-list celebrities – who has mysteriously disappeared from his home in Kensington.
It ought to be a disaster, but Pip reckons it’s actually an opportunity. She’s always been curious (nosy, her mother calls it) and has an uncanny knack for being at the wrong place at the right time (she doesn’t want to know what her mother thinks of that). After years of trying to find something she’s good at, has Pip managed to walk straight into the job she was born to do?
She owes it to herself and poor missing Matty to find out.
But searching for Matty takes Pip into the strange, intimidating world of the rich and famous. And it soon becomes clear that some of these people’s love for themselves doesn’t extend to their fellow humans.
As Pip investigates further, she realises the question isn’t whether Matty ran away – it’s whether she will find him alive and make it home safely herself...

This is a cozy mystery so there is lots of sillyness and groan worthy happenings.  Light, quick read-but don't expect much!

Divine Evil by Nora Roberts

A decade ago, sculptor Clare Kimball fled Emmitsboro, Maryland, to take the art world by storm. Now she’s celebrated as the artist of her generation. But no amount of success can eclipse the nightmares that haunt her—or the memories of her father’s suicide. Just as her star is shining brighter than ever, Clare leaves it all behind to face her demons.Emmitsboro sheriff Cameron Rafferty loved Clare from afar all through high school. Now that she’s back, they form a bond that grows stronger each day—fueled by an attraction that’s been simmering for years. But Clare’s past soon rises up with a vengeance, rocking the town with a sinister murder that is clearly linked to her return. As an investigation gets under way, Clare and Cameron will learn that evil can linger anywhere—even in those you love and trust the most. But it’s a discovery that may come too late to save them.

This was pretty creepy with a quite shocking ending!

I gave up on 2 books this last week.  First was A Grave Mistake by Stella Cameron.  I found it very creepy with inappropriate family things talked about that didn't sit well with me so I decided not to continue with it.

The other one was, believe it or not, 1984 by George Orwell.  I've had the book for years but never got around to reading it.  When I did start to read it I found it very boring and it took me ages to read the first 100 pages and so I gave up on it.

There was a time I would never give up on a book but I have 100's of books still to read so I'm not wasting my time on something I'm not enjoying!

One Year!

 Wow, that year went fast!  

From this little bundle of joy on day one.

To his first birthday yesterday!

And he took his first two steps!! Quite a special day!!

Oh, and the first time he ever had cake and he loved it!

 

A new adventure!!

 

As I'm sure everyone knows, the movie industry in N. America has virtually shut down because of the writers, and now actors, going on strike.  GD#2, Annika, had just finished a 3 months stint on a movie, can't remember which one, and there is nothing coming up at the moment. Not being one to sit around and do nothing she applied to work as a Wildfire Paramedic.  As soon as they got her resume they offered her a position. She is in northern Alberta near High Level. Two weeks in and then one week out.  They are well aware that if a movie deal comes up that is her priority.  They are good with that, just happy to have her!!

They gave her a new 4 wheel drive vehicle and she had to drive herself to High Level which is just over 1,000km north of  here. When she got there she went on her first helicopter ride to travel 350km to Woodland Lake where the heart of the fires are. She said the helicopter ride was a real eye opening experience to see the sheer size of the fire they're fighting!