When you play A Game of Cones, your Series-ous Reading always wins

 Despite the chills that are still lingering in the air, spring is definitely here and all too soon, we'll have ice cream craving weather which makes my latest Series-ous Reading choice all the more seasonable.

This second book in Abby Collette's new cozy mystery series, A Game of Cones, has our leading lady Bronwyn "Win" Crewse, now in charge of the family ice cream parlor, attending a contentious town hall meeting where sparks and footwear flies at the head of a man bringing unwelcome news.

The local business owners of Chagrin Falls are not too happy to hear that a mini-mall is about to be set up in the downtown area, with a few stores shutting up shop to make way for Rhys Enterprises to start construction. Win is not thrilled about it either but not to the point of throwing a shoe at company rep Zeke Reyolds like her good friend Riya does to "show support!"

Zeke is found dead in an alley the next day, with Win now concerned that Riya might be considered a suspect in his untimely demise. Teaming up once again with Maisie-who has more of a motive due to her community garden being destroyed by the incoming mall,if you ask me-Win decides to look into the matter. I know Maisie is innocent, of course, but her eagerness to emulate her favorite British mystery shows like Agatha Raisin and The Queens of Mystery do tend to lead her down the wrong detective path at times:

 

Before she can focus on that caper,Win has to deal with two new visitors to town and both of them intend to impact her business career.

The infamous Aunt Jack(short for Jacqueline) returns with the express intent to take back the reins of Crewse Creamery, which she ran into the ground with mismanagement and an overabundance of inedible side lines such as lottery tickets and T-shirts for tourists.

While Win's grandfather reassures her that he has the final word on who runs the family business, Aunt Jack seems to be making plans to stay. Can Win keep her aunt at bay without causing a rift among her relatives?

 Meanwhile, an old friend from New York arrives to encourage Win to go back with her. Rory Hunter worked with her at the NYC ad agency that Win left and now, supposedly authorized by the higher ups, Rory is here with an offer from the company to take Win back with better pay and status. 

Win is not too sure about this sudden offer,especially when Rory appears to be hiding something regarding her arrival to Chagrin Falls. Nevertheless, she does recruit her assistance in looking into the other business owners in town to see if any of them had means or opportunity to eliminate Zeke.

Despite not being fond of the local coffee/tea shop(owned by a pair of twin sisters who have target shooting experience!), Rory is willing to help out and becomes keenly interested in one of the closing down businesses, an art galley that promises to sell her an authentic painting by a member of the legendary Florida Highwaymen, an object worth more than what they're pricing it at or so it seems:

As Win looks into the behind the scenes deals involved with the mall and the mayor's office, more troubling circumstances pop up that cause her to wonder just how messy this particular can of political worms might be. Can she find the killer before the killer finds her and is more than prepared to deal with any trouble at hand?

This follow-up to An Inside Deadly Scoop is a real sweet treat, giving us more of Bronwyn and friends/family in a most delightful way. Collette does create an inviting environment for her characters to thrive in and you would be pleased to join them on any escapade, murder related or not. Also, there seemed to be set-ups for future story lines put in place-the mayor, for one-and that should be good to watch out for in the next couple of books.

My only wish is that we had more time with Aunt Jack(who-semi spoiler- seemed to give up far too soon). However, she may very well come back and she did inspire a new ice cream flavor with candy  mixed in for the shop, so job well done there! All in all, The Ice Cream Parlor series is a great new addition to the cozy culinary mystery genre and one worth devouring on a hot or cold day indeed:

For this month's Series-ous Reading, I've chosen a debut cozy culinary mystery with plenty of fun and flavor.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Masansala is the first in this author's Tita Rosie's Kitchen series, where Lila is now working after needing a reset to her life. Her aunt is warm and welcoming but the constant presence of former high school sweetheart Derek Winters is making the restaurant less than appetizing.

Derek is now a local food critic/blogger who persistently gives the place bad reviews and during his latest dining experience, drops dead during dessert! Lila finds herself blamed for his death and has no choice but to clear her name and save her aunt's business to boot.

So far, this book is a charming read that makes it hard for me to put it down at times. Like a judge at a culinary competition, I am tempted to clean my page turning plate yet want to savor the story telling goodness for as long as possible. New reads, like new dishes, are wonderful surprises that make your appreciation for such imaginative creations rise up even higher than before:

This Spring Into Horror readathon has been quite the lethal ladies' night of reading

 

Now that May is here, the end of Seasons of Reading's Spring Into Horror readathon has arrived as well. As usual for me, I didn't get to everything on my list but there was much to enjoy.

My first completed read was Samantha Downing's My Lovely Wife, where a supposedly typical suburban married couple takes up a new hobby to liven up their relationship. Only trouble is, that leisure activity is rather lethal to those pulled into their serial killer fun and games.

Narrated by the unnamed husband(who uses the alias Tobias while seeking out fresh victims), we met Millicent, the beautiful spouse of the title, who initiates this murder habit and goes far beyond with it than her life mate ever dreamed.

At first, these sets of  deadly trysts seem to be one or two times a year but when the body of Lindsay, their latest kill, is discovered by the police, Husband is terrified of being caught. Also, it turns out that Lindsay wasn't simply dispatched and disposed as they originally agree on. Instead, her demise is all too similar to Owen Oliver Riley, a local serial killer who vanished from the area years ago after getting off on a technicality in court.

Millicent insists that changing their standard procedure is an excellent way to throw the authorities off   track from their crimes, which her dear husband is not sure about yet eager to go along with there. While this sudden media attention adds a little extra spice to their shared slaughter fest, things start going way out of hand,causing Husband to have doubts about what his beloved bride really wants from him.

This story is a sinister thriller with more twists than a M. Knight Shyamalan movie and certainly more scarily suspenseful at times. Downing gives a vivid glow to her characters and the upper class world they live in, adding a note of satire to the proceeding that makes this domestic terror tale all the more riveting and real:

After that, I needed a little comfort food reading so I took up Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy, which had White House chef Ollie Paras trying to solve a dinner time death by poisoning before the annual Easter Egg Roll.

 I do like how as this series goes along, we get more character development from the supporting cast and that Ollie broke up with her jerk of a Secret Service boyfriend(never trusted that guy!).

My next read was also a comforting joy, the latest in the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien, Fatal Fried Rice.  While leading lady Lana Lee is great at managing her family's restaurant, her older sister Anna May loves to remind her that she can't cook any of the dishes that made Ho-Lee Noodle House the local legend that it is.

To show up her sister once and for all, Lana decides to take a community college cooking class in secret, planning to surprise everyone with her culinary skills. Unfortunately, she's the one who gets surprised by discovering the body of her cooking teacher, Margo Chan, not long after her first class.

With a new detective determined to think that she's behind this literal stab in the back(due to Lana's talent for solving murders placed in her path), Lana has no choice but to get involved despite the warnings from her law enforcement boyfriend Adam and her family(including her sister's legal eagle romantic partner!).

 Can she uncover the killer in enough time to clear her name and manage to learn a few simple recipes to finally get an one-up on Anna May?

I do enjoy the expansion of Lana Lee's world as the books go forth, with crime fighting friends such as her roommate Megan and the contentious Kimmy Tran(whose forthright nature makes her a great partner when it comes to confronting suspects!) and now that Anna's boyfriend is finally in the picture, hopefully her big sis can join this Scooby Gang at some point!

Oh, and yes, Lana does go back for another cooking class but is not too successful at the title dish, due to being distracted by sleuthing. Nonetheless, she does want to try again but at least she's not at a Worst Cooks in America level:

And yes, I did intend to read a Ruth Ware novel but as I tend to do with these readathons, a last minute change was made and this time, I truly don't regret it.

Layne Fargo's They Never Learn is set on a college campus, where literature professor Scarlett Clark makes it her duty to eliminate one male predator at a time, with both the student body and the staff being equal opportunity offenders.

Her latest kill,a prominent athlete on campus involved in a frat house sexual assault, draws the unwelcome attention of the local authorities as well as sets off an in-house investigation led by Mina Pierce, a top notch psychology expert.

In order to get ahead of the game, Scarlett makes herself part of Mina's team and while she finds an unexpected kinship with her, Scarlett is determined to throw both Mina and the cops off course as she plans for her next target to be taken down.

Meanwhile, Carly Schiller is a freshman looking to find her place in the world and her friendship with lively roommate Allison may be a good start for that. However, upon discovering Allison being assaulted during a rowdy party, things change between them. Carly wants to either get help or seek revenge for what happened while Allison just wants to forget the whole thing.

How the paths of Carly and Scarlett cross each other is something that I refuse to spoil but let's just say that it's a journey worth taking. Fargo creates an emotional atmosphere that doesn't conflict with the pace of the story, rather it enhances the range of the characters and their end goals. The growing tension of this tale is a live wire of page turning energy that made this an up-all-night book for me.

They Never Learn is one of the best books that I've read this year and I was well into it during Oscar season, reminding of a potential contender for the awards, Promising Young Woman(which did win Best Original Screenplay for writer/director Emerald Fennell).

While I haven't seen PYW yet, I do hope that Fennell considers this amazingly intense novel as her next project. They Never Learn would make for an excellent Patricia Highsmith pairing with that film indeed:

 

Well, I hope everyone else who took part in Spring Into Horror had as much fun as I did and thanks to Michelle Miller of Seasons of Reading for making this all possible.

While I didn't get to every book(I am making Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber, the first in her Cookbook Nook cozy mystery series, part of my regular reading rotation), there's always a next time. Speaking of next time, my TBR for June's Sci-Fi Summer is being built and with two of my choices set in outer space, my reading for this challenge should be truly intergalactic:

 

Setting up for summer with some May/June new reads

 

Even though the weather outside is still a tad on the cold side, summer is on it's way and that means new books to read!

Whether you do plan some sort of outdoor activities(depending on the ongoing health crisis that is not over by a long shot yet) or intend to stay cool inside near any type of AC, having a book on hand is as essential as a cold drink during those warm temperature times.

With that in mind, I have a few upcoming May/June releases to recommend that you keep an eye out for as you make those vacation plans:

INTERNATIONAL WOMAN OF MYSTERY

 

Beatriz Williams goes back in time once again to introduce us to Our Woman in Moscow.  The woman in question is the twin sister of Ruth Macallister, who is pretty much running a modeling agency in New York of 1952, despite being officially a secretary.

When Ruth gets a visit from FBI agent Sumner Fox regarding her sister Iris, who defected to Russia with her husband Sasha several years ago, it becomes apparent that a reunion is in the best interest of all concerned.

Flying to Russia under the guise of helping Iris during her pregnancy, Ruth does her best to get both Iris and Sasha out of the country before the KGB catches on to the double dealing spy business that they're in. However, such carefully made plans tend to go awry yet Ruth is determined to do what she can to protect more than one innocent life in the balance.

Williams does have a way with well developed female characters that makes their seemingly standard situations much more complex and emotionally nuanced than one might think at first glance. I have no doubt that this will be the case here(June):

 

SAVORING SOME SHORT STORY SHORTBREAD

Fresh off of his critically acclaimed novel Real Life, Brandon Taylor is about to set forth a short story collection,Filthy Animals, that should be seen as a modern day John Cheever arrangement.

Many of the stories here are connected by Lionel, who we meet in the engaging opening story Pot Luck, where Lionel, a college math proctor, is seeking to reconnect with the world after a suicide attempt. While at the title party, he finds himself bonding with Charles, a dancer who is in a relationship with Sophie, who Lionel also feels a kinship with.

As this triangle goes forward, Lionel's unease at balancing both of these newly formed connections is felt throughout the book. The other stories here showcase a distraught private chef/babysitter and her less than happy charge, a pack of turbulent teens seeking trouble and then finding it in a rather violent manner and a young woman having more than her fair share of coping with her physical and emotional health.

While I'm not a big short story reader, this collection is a compelling book that ought to bring all of the reluctant readers to the yard(June).

 Another set of short stories due out soon is a creative twist on the usual fairytale lore , courtesy of Majorie Liu.

 The Tangleroot Palace showcases such delights as Amish vampires in After the Blood, a supervillian in need of a hero to face down in The Last Dignity of Man and an apprentice witch looking to free herself from her vindictive teacher in Sympathy for the Bones.

One of the big showstoppers here is The Briar and the Rose, a reinvention of the Sleeping Beauty story where a woman warrior finds it difficult to allow her enchantress employer to take possession of the title princess. Liu is well known for her incredible literary craftsmanship in such works as Montress and this set of short but sinister sweet tales should be more amazing than any blockbuster fantasy film on the cinematic horizon(June):

 

MAKING SOME MARVELOUS MYSTERY MEALS

 

When it comes to cozy mysteries, a new dish is always welcome and in Mia P. Manansala's Arsenic and Adobo, we meet Lila, who now works at her aunt's restaurant after a rough break-up with her fiance.

Lila is more than happy to be at Tia Rosie's Kitchen but with the persistent presence of former high school sweetheart Derek, now a food blogger who constantly gives the place negative reviews, things get less than appetizing.

 Upon Derek's untimely demise due to food poisoning, Lila is seen as the prime suspect in the case and she has no choice but to clear her name.

 Aided by her best friend Adeena, Lila looks into other factors such as the fact that Derek was the stepson of Ed Long, the restaurant's landlord who has been looking to shut Tia Rosie's Kitchen down for awhile. Was Derek's death a means to that end or are there other intriguing ingredients to be found for this recipe for murder?

Starting a new series is always fun and when it comes to culinary cozies, such savory sleuthing is too tasty to resist:(May)

 

On the other hand, getting cozy with an old favorite is just as fun, which is good for the next entry in Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery series.

Mocha, She Wrote puts it's storytelling spotlight on Andy, Juliet Capshaw's top barista who is hoping to make coffee his ultimate career. The announcement of a major coffee competition coming to their beloved town of Ashland has everyone excited,especially when Andy is selected as a contender.

However, things go from brew to worse as the head judge finds Andy's initial entry to be truly tasteless. When said judge turns up dead with that same unlikable latte in hand, Andy finds himself in seriously hot water. Can Juliet save the situation before her favorite worker is ground up by the system?

While I'm not a coffee drinker, I do appreciate the caffeinated love that folks have for their beverage of choice and this newest cup of criminally good  java should be a stimulating read indeed:(June)

 

As much as I enjoy spring, summer time does have it's charms and having a good book to look forward to is definitely one of those.

So are summer movies and whether theaters become safer to enter or you just settle down on your sofa with a bucket of buttery popcorn, that is one delight worth waiting for. Personally, I'm happy to now have HBO Max in order to have a front row seat for such sumptuous film fare like In The Heights this June!:

Pairing up some Oscar related reads

 The Academy Awards are right around the pop culture corner,folks, and I have to say that I'm not as thrilled about them as I usually would be. My low level of enthusiasm isn't due to a favorite film/actor/director not being nominated or anything like that.

It's more about the real world events of last year(not to mention current goings-on) that have dulled my movie joy a bit. However, I'm willing to bolster my cinematic spirits for two reasons-a) since the show will go on, I should try to rally and b) the Oscars are on my birthday this time out.

 Feels a bit ironic that the one year that my favorite award show airs on the day of my birth is the one year that I'm not feeling the film love. Nevertheless, I thought that a good way to perk up my Oscar energy would be to pair a few books with some of the nominated movies.

The books and films in question are not directly related to one another but as we go along, the central themes of each do share a seat across from one another in the aisle:

THEY NEVER LEARN/PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN: 

A major nominee in the Oscar race this year is Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan as Cassie, who has left medical school in anger and disgust over the treatment of her best friend Nina, a victim of sexual assault.

Her quest for revenge takes a dark turn, similar to the leading lady of Layne Fargo's They Never Learn where Professor Scarlett Clark selects abusive men in both the staff and student body of Gorman College to eliminate. 

Her latest kill gathers some unwanted attention from the authorities, giving Scarlett no choice but to make herself part of the investigation in order to keep it from pointing in her direction. Meanwhile, freshman student Carly is attempting to find help for her roommate Allison, who was drugged and assaulted at a frat party on campus.

As Carly grows more determined to seek justice for Allison, her path gets closer to Scarlett's and it's only a matter of time before their worlds collide but who will survive the collateral damage?

PYW is nominated in five categories, including Best Actress for Mulligan and Best Director for Emerald Fennell(who also wrote the screenplay which is up for Original Screenplay as well). While I haven't seen the movie yet, word of mouth is very good on it and I'm currently reading They Never Learn, which seems like the bookish Poison Ivy to this film's Harley Quinn spirit:

THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE/MANK:

A favorite topic in Hollywood is naturally tales of old school film makers and Mank, which has Gary Oldman playing legendary screenwriter Herman J. Mankowitz during his time working on the script for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, is catnip to those cinematic tastes.

The novel that I think would go well with this movie is set in an earlier part of Hollywood but does involve a pair of iconic stars , one in front of the cameras and the other behind the scenes.

 The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin follows the friendship of 1920s screen star Mary Pickford and screenwriter Frances Marion, each of them sharing their professional and personal struggles in the early days of Hollywood and beyond. While Mary's celebrity works both for and against her at times, Frances has only her fierce determination and  quick wit to get what artistic footholds she can. Over time, their bonds break yet a chance to reconnect decades later is made possible,if only each woman will take it.

Mank is up for several awards on Oscar night,with Oldman as Best Actor, Amanda Seyfried for Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture. How well the movie will do that night, I'm not sure but I can vouch for The Girls in the Picture as a great read that should contrast this male centric movie nicely:

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE/WOLFWALKERS:

Switching over to the Best Animated Film category, while I do think Disney's Soul will be the big winner, the Celtic charms of WolfWalkers are rather engaging.

The story is set in Ireland of 1650, where Robyn Goodfellowe accompanies her father to Kilkenny to destroy a pack of wolves threatening the area. Robyn winds up befriending Mebh, a local girl who roams free in the forest and is one of the title beings, those who are human by day and wolf at night as their human form sleeps.

While Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale is set in medieval Russia , the two tales have much in common. Vasya is the fifth child of a overlord of a small village, whose mother passed on mysterious abilities to. As she grows older, Vasya spends more and more time in the woods and comes across magical beings who may be far too interested in seeking out her growing powers.

However, her father decides to remarry and his new wife Anna, who sees supernatural creatures that others can not, fears Vasya and plans to have her sent away. That plot must be stopped as Vasya is the only one who can protect her people from the ancient demon that has awakened to end the world.

The Bear and the Nightingale is the first in a trilogy and as it happens, Wolfwalkers is the third film in director Tomm Moore's Irish Folklore features(the first two are The Secrets of Kells and Song of the Sea).

 Wolfwalkers has won a few awards such as the L.A. Film Critics Assn, The New York Film Critics Circle and The National Board of Review, yet that doesn't always lead to Oscar gold. Nonetheless, it looks like a greatly creative work that ought to enchant audiences of all ages:

The Oscars are set to air on April 25(yes, my birthday!) and while I haven't seen most of the movies up for awards, I do have a few good guesses as to who will win.

For one, the late Chadwick Boseman as Best Actor in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,which I did see this past weekend and it was marvelous. Best Actress is pretty much between Viola Davis in Ma Rainey and Andra Day for The United States vs. Billie Holiday(I think Andra might take home the gold this year) and Daniel Kaluuya should won Best Supporting Actor for Judas and The Black Messiah.

As much as I would like to see Maria Bakalova win Best Supporting Actress(I did see the Borat sequel and it's actually better than the first movie), more likely it's between Seyfried in Mank and Yuh-Jung Youn for Minari.

When it comes to Best Picture, it looks like Nomadland might be the winner(director Chloe Zhao seems a lock to win Best Director) but front runners have been changed in mid stream before. Since I don't have a favorite here, I just hope that a truly amazing film that surprises everyone wins.

What I would bet on is for "Fight For You" from Judas and The Black Messiah to take the Best Song category. It's best competition here is "Speak Now" from One Night in Miami and while I do appreciate the musical style of Leslie Odom,Jr, the lyrical energy that H.E.R. gives to this song is undeniable and it will be wonderful to see and hear this sung live on Oscar night. See you all then!:

 

Eager for Edgar nominated mystery reads

 Although I am a big fan of cozy mysteries, I do enjoy checking  out other more intense books in that particular genre and a good place to look for recommendations is the annual Edgar Awards.

The Edgars cover both fiction and nonfiction(including TV) but since I'm more of a novel reader, the quartet of nominated titles that I'll be focusing on here will be from the fiction categories. One of these books I've already read and happens to be up for Best Debut Novel, a category that is wickedly hard for me to resist:

Stephanie Wrobel's Darling Rose Gold is loosely based on a true story but this tale of a mother-daughter reunion is set in the fictional realm.We start with Patty Watts , who went to prison for the systematic poisoning of her young daughter Rose Gold, whose testimony against her in court sealed that deal .

Five years later, Patty is out on parole and manages to reconcile with Rose who offers her a place to live with herself and newborn son Adam. Patty is happy about this and already planning to regain her position of parental power but that may not be as simple as it seems.

For one thing, Rose has brought the childhood home of her mother for them to reside in which holds rather bad memories for Patty there. Also, everyone in the area knows all about Patty's menacing maternal instinct and is keeping a very close watch on her. Yet between Patty and Rose, a war of wills is going on that has no direct witnesses and whoever wins, the consequences will be dire for all involved.

This was one of the most chilling books that I read last year and it will be surprising if DRG is not made into a movie or miniseries sometime soon. Wrobel showcases a steady hand at building character driven suspense and her next novel will definitely be worth looking out for:

Another Best Debut Novel nominee, Catherine House by Elizabeth Thomas seems to be a blend of old school Gothic with modern day academic terror and a dash of sci-fi. Set during the 1990s, Ines is drawn to attend the title educational institution after a disastrous senior year of high school that leaves her very few options for a better future.

Students at Catherine House are meant to spend three years of intensive focus on their studies with no connections to the outside world. If successful, this time apart promises to be the gateway for them to gain good connections to the upper echelons of society and beyond. 

However, Ines begins to notice that something strange is going on as when those found breaking the rules are sent to the Tower for "restoration" and return changed, perhaps due to CH's secret experiments with something called plasm. Is this experiment intended to create something for the betterment of others or for the betterment of certain others only?

This does sound intriguing and it's good to see mystery stories do a bit of mix and match here. Being fresh and new in any well known genre is a challenge yet it appears to be one that innovative authors like Elizabeth Thomas are more than willing to take on:

Although Alyssa Cole's When No One is Watching is up for Best Paperback Original, this well established romance author's debut into the thriller section of the bookshelf does showcase her strengths as a writer in any genre she chooses to set forth in.

When Sydney returns to her grandmother's beloved Brooklyn neighborhood, she's not happy about the steady encroachment of gentrification all around her to the point of starting her own local tour group to share the true history of the area.

During this time, she crosses paths with Theo, a new neighbor looking to connect with his new surroundings as well as with someone way less toxic than his entitled girlfriend. Between the two of them,  they start to notice some strange things that are making the departure of certain long term residents be more than just moving on to greener pastures.

Will Sydney and Theo be able to uncover what's going on or wind up being permanently evicted from existence? This sinister city story is very real in feel and offers more than one audience to share in the tense page turning experience indeed:

Heading back to the Best Debut Novel category, we have some historical fiction with Murder in Old Bombay by Nev Marsh.

Archie Agnihorti is an army captain in Bombay of 1892, recovering from a wound during his service. During his convalescence, he becomes interested in two things-a tragic double death featured in the local newspapers and the works of Sherlock Holmes.

Convinced that the untimely demises were not self inflicted, Archie reaches out to the family of these two recently departed to offer his services in tracking down the killer. While his help is eagerly accepted, Archie finds plenty of obstacles in his path towards justice.

 Will the spirit of Holmes and Watson be enough to guide Archie to the true culprit or can his own innate resources be of greater use in this matter? As a fan of historical fare, this engaging novel could be the start of a wonderful new series that brings genre readers even closer together:

The Edgar Awards will be presented on April 29th(via Zoom) and best of luck to all of the nominated works. While we will have to wait a bit longer for the cozy mystery crowd to give out their top honors(known as The Agathas, set for July), it will still be great fun to see who wins here and to get an idea of what's to come within this genre.

Of course, whether it's cozy, suspense or thriller, playing armchair detective is grand entertainment but safest to engage in at home. No matter how clever you are, it takes a talented writer to save the (hopefully) imaginary day, not to mention find that pesky missing item that everyone is looking for!:

My Series-ous Reading is proud to say Hail to the Chef

 I do love getting into a new series and for my latest Series-ous Reading selection, it was good to discover that the second book in Julie Hyzy's White House Chef Mystery titles,Hail to the Chef, is as delicious a read as it's presidential predecessor.

Newly appointed executive WH chef Olivia "Ollie" Paras is preparing to handle the holidays for President Campbell's administration on her own, a nerve wracking deal as it is without the constant bomb threats coming into the building.

During one of these shelter in place moments, Ollie is put in with the First Lady and her nephew Sean, visiting for Thanksgiving. Sean is prepared to back his aunt up over the potential sale of a company that her family has held a quarter interest in since it was originally founded.

The First Lady doesn't want to sell but one of the dinner guests Treyton Blanchard,a rather ambitious senator whose family is also part of the deal, is determined to get her to sign off on it. Once Ollie and company are given the all-clear, she's ready to head back to work yet the danger is not far from over as the good natured head electrician,Gene, is literally shocked to death.

On top of that, Thanksgiving dinner is unexpectedly delayed as Sean appears to be a no-show. While the meal is eventually served, FL Campbell is feeling very much pressured by Senator Blanchard to sell and with the president unable to attend as well, Ollie sympathizes with her greatly. When news arrives of Sean's demise(declared to be self inflicted), the tension in the air is all too palatable:

Between Gene's lethal accident and Sean's sudden departure(which Olivia has serious suspicions about), it's clear that more than the kitchen pots are brewing up something and unlike the menu, it's not any kind of tasty treat.

Ollie finds herself looking into more than one mystery, all the while dealing with Gavin, whose official duty is to run bomb training safety classes for the staff.

 Since her schedule is super busy, she has plenty of reasons to get annoyed over being made to attend Gavin's class but as it turns out, she does have a knack for picking up on things that others don't notice in time. Will that skill be fine tuned enough to save the day and the holiday season at the White House as well?

I really like Ollie, whose determination at doing her job(whether assigned or not) is admirable and endearing,particularly having to run a major league kitchen like this. The banter among the other chefs such as Bucky, always counted on for a gloomy prediction or two, Cyan, the savvy sous chef and Marcel, the temperamental pastry chef who frets over the placement of the annual WH gingerbread house,are well placed ingredients that make this story as entertainingly good as it is.

A major part of the plot centers around the gingerbread house,which is really cool as these official culinary creations are such a sight to see(or imagine in this case) and worthy of an important scene in any such story:

My only quibble is that Olivia's Secret Service agent boyfriend Tom is such a Negative Norman when it comes to her potential detective skills. Sure, he's not in this story much but I just got started on the third book in this series(Eggsecutive Orders) over the weekend and his attitude is really ticking me off here.

Since I'm not reviewing that one for the blog, I won't get too much into that except to say that his support of Ollie, who finds herself thrown into these situations for the most part, is seriously superficial and I won't be surprised if she tells him to take a hike at some point!

Anyway, I will be continuing this series on my own and this dash of Washington intrigue is a sweet touch of storytelling spice into the usual cozy mystery fare. Also, having a set of WH recipes at the end of each book is an appetizing bonus to be sure:

Speaking of new series, this month's SR selection is A Game of Cones by Abby Collette, the second entry in her Ice Cream Parlor Mystery series. Considering that we're close to warm weather time where frozen treats are most keenly wanted, this is a picture perfect choice.

Browyn Crewse is hoping that she can focus more on getting the family ice cream shop up and running instead of dealing with murder. Unfortunately, the body of a corporate representative, who is bearing the bad news about the arrival of a mini mall in their area, is found in a nearby alleyway.

With the possibility of one of her friends being seen as a suspect(not to mention her mystery show loving gal pal Maisie eager to solve the case), Browyn has to pause in scooping out the latest ice cream flavor to get the scoop on the real killer.

Yes, recipes are included here and while homemade ice cream is not something I've ever tried to make, it would be nice to have a place to sample such frosty sweetness(although the only risk I'd like to run into here is brain freeze):

Jane Austen's Persuasion finds that love is all in the family

 

During the past year, I've been doing a reread of the classics, starting with Jane Austen and her Classic Six completed novels and yesterday, I finished that set with the first book of hers that I read for the first time over a decade ago.

Persuasion made quite the first impression on me and in truth, part of my motivation for taking up the novel was the 1995 film adaptation starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds(a version that I still prefer but would happily see a new cinematic take on it hopefully soon).

 It's odd,I suppose, that one of Austen's last books would be an ideal introduction but nonetheless, Anne Eliot's emotional journey was one that I did connect to rather well.

While the main focus of the plot is about Anne unexpectedly reuniting with former love Frederick Wentworth, who she was talked out of marrying by well meaning family friend Lady Russell several years prior, in reading this book again, a new theme popped out at me. Anne is not only looking to revive an old romantic love, she's also seeking a new family to love.(spoilers ahead!)

After all, the book begins with Anne's boorishly pompous father Sir Walter(a vain and careless with money sort) reading the only book that interests him; the Baronetage, a record of his family line. Much mention is made throughout the novel of the "Eliot way, The Eliot pride, the Eliot countenance" as if they are part of a royal lineage instead of the minor league nobility that they truly are.

When Sir Walter and his awful oldest daughter Elizabeth are faced with real financial troubles, one of their first big ideas on how to save money is not bringing Anne a present from their regular trip to London(which she clearly is not a part of ,ever!) and even when Anne does present some good options to help out in this situation, her word "means nothing, she is only Anne".

 You can see why Lady Russell is such a major influence in Anne's life as her father and older sister simply consider her a killjoy at best and mostly ignore her presence at worst. Granted, she is more inclined to be awed by those very notions of rank and superiority that make the other Eliots so unbearable yet she does at least appreciate Anne.

 It's also telling that Anne often feels more comfortable around other family groups such as her younger sister Mary's in-laws, the Musgroves. They are really delightful people, open and loving, who do make her feel welcome among them.

However, Anne’s visits tend to put her in the middle of many a family dispute, due to Mary’s tendencies towards claiming herself ill(cured by grabbing the attention she craves away from someone else) and insisting that everyone remember “whose daughter I am” resulting in disharmony. Anne does what she can be yet it’s a shame that she is put in such a position to begin with:

While Anne is given some respect and is sincerely liked by the Musgroves(Louisa Musgrove is overheard at one point to tell Captain Wentworth that the family would exchange her for Mary in a heartbeat), her reunion with the rest of her family in Bath shows a marked difference from such warmth of feeling in Uppercross.

Although her father and Elizabeth act somewhat inviting upon her arrival, Anne is mostly seen as a good way to round out their social engagements(a fourth at cards). The flattering manners of hanger on Mrs. Clay are more valued along with the reappearance of wayward cousin Mr. Eliot(set to inherit the family estate such as it is).

What really excites Sir Walter and Elizabeth is the arrival of very distant relations, Lady Dalrymple and her daughter Miss Cateret. Despite barely knowing these people, they are bound and determined to have them as acquaintances in Bath.

Anne is less than impressed with such “noble” relatives and is polite enough in their company yet not willing to give up the chance to visit an old school friend, Mrs. Smith for one of the Dalrymple’s tea parties:

During this period, Anne also finds new friends such as Admiral Croft and his lovely wife Sophie (who happens to be Wentworth’s sister) along with other sea faring compatriots of Wentworth like the Harvilles and Captain Benwick.

 She even regretfully wishes that such good people would be in her social circle already if not for heeding that long ago advice about marrying a man “with nothing but himself to recommend him”.

This makes me think of the modern concept of found family, which is generally seen as people not directly connected to each other making a family circle of their own. Some blood ties are included but it’s mainly created from a joint need for love and acceptance from a source other than the group they’re born into.

We see this more and more often in pop culture these days, from action movies(The Fast and The Furious series comes directly to mind) to TV dramas and yes, superhero shows where such unity is a real strength for the team at hand:

While Anne Eliot isn’t a superhero (although her skills at empathy and problem solving give her that potential), her need for a loving and supportive family is abundantly clear.

Yes, she does want to be Wentworth’s wife but Anne also wants to have a loving family as well.

 Marrying him brings her fully into a world where keeping company with the Crofts and Harvilles(plus the Musgroves who wind up being part of the bunch via marriage too!) is not seen as beneath anyone.

In a way, Persuasion has more than one happy ending as Anne not only reconnects with Wentworth, her true family gathers together at last.

This is a good way to wrap up my Austen rereading here(I plan to revisit Edith Wharton next) and when I return to these storytelling shores, may my former fondness for the work bring me to new creative realms of insight:

Getting ready to Spring Into Horror with a pack of Fearsome Females

 Spring is officially here and not just according to the calendar or newly bloomed flowers in your backyard. The sign-up for Seasons of Reading's Spring Into Horror readathon(hosted by Michelle Miller) has begun , a surer sign of warmer days to come for me.

April 1 is the start date and while all of your bookish choices don't have to be scary reads(you only need one), my TBR is pretty sinister, ranging from chilling thriller to cozy mystery, with a theme of Fearsome Females. Whether those ladies are meant to be frightening to the good guys or the Big Bads is another matter altogether....

 

Samantha Downing's My Lovely Wife focuses on a seemingly happy husband and wife who decide to liven up their fifteen year marriage with a shared hobby. 

Trouble is , their leisure activity is rather lethal for those who join them. Hubby likes to lure their potential victim in while wife Millicent is the one that dispatches of the chosen target. This tag team set-up takes a sharp turn as the body of last year's slaughter spree,Lindsay, has been found by the cops.

This puzzles Hubby as Lindsay was supposed to have been dumped in a swamp instead of being held prisoner until her untimely demise. Millicent quickly explains that she thought it would be better to have the disappearances blamed on a local and recently escaped serial killer rather than their usual murder routine.

Hubby is willing to go along with this method but things start getting out of hand and as it turns out, Millicent might be a little more into their gruesome game time than he truly is. I've heard a lot of good word about this book and very eager to see this suburban serial mom in action:

Ruth Ware is an author that I keep starting and stopping with when it comes to her books(I did finish The Woman in Cabin 10 ,which got me interested in her work in the first place.) but I'm hoping that will change with this readathon.

In a Dark,Dark Wood begins with crime writer Leonora "Nora" Shaw waking up in the hospital with no recollection of  what has happened to her or worse, what she might have done.

Nora slowly starts to remember attending a gathering at a remote location known as Glass House to celebrate the upcoming marriage of longtime friend Clare Cavendish, who she hasn't spoken to in ten years.

While she can't fully recall everything that occurred, Nora does know for a certainty that a secret from her and Clare's past came along for the ride and has risen from it's grave to haunt their present and future. Can she put all of the pieces of this mental puzzle together in time to prevent a further tragedy from taking place?

Ware is such a good writer with Agatha Christie energy to spare that I really want to reignite this storytelling spark there. I do have other books by her that I hate to see neglected. Plus, Ware seems to have great taste in subtle scares and I'm all for that:

Onward to the cozy mystery section and my first stop is the latest in Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop series, Fatal Fried Rice.

Amateur detective Lana Lee is very proud of how well she's running the Ho-Lee family restaurant despite her older sister's taunts about Lana's lack of culinary skills when it comes to Chinese food.

To prove her sister wrong, Lana secretly signs up for a community college cooking course, planning on surprising everyone with her meal prep prowess. Unfortunately, she's the one who gets the surprise by discovering her cooking teacher Margo Chan dead after class.

Being seen as a suspect is nothing new for Lana but now with her friends acting as her sleuthing squad, she is sure of finding out who really did Margo in. However, can can she come up with the killer in time to clear her name or is Lana's goose about to get cooked?

This series is such great fun that it's hard for me to wait until next month to dive into the storytelling goodness. Having Lana learn to cook is extra sweet as I'm a big fan of Worst Cooks in America but hopefully, the rest of her culinary classes aren't as hectic as the ones on the show:

Speaking of culinary clashes, I do intend to start The Cookbook Nook Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber(aka Avery Aames) right from the beginning with Final Sentence.

Jenna Hart is our leading lady, who decides to set up a cookbook shop with her Aunt Vera. For the grand opening, a popular celebrity chef named Desiree Divine is planned to do a signing of her newest book, which was made easier by not only Jenna's prior marketing job but Desiree being her former college roommate as well.

However, Desiree appears to be more trouble than all of the potential publicity is worth, especially when she is found dead. Due to her penchant for husband stealing among other bad habits, there's a full set of suspects to choose from and even Jenna is thrown into the mix as a possible murderer! Can she whip up a recipe to uncover the real killer or will her new career path lead Jenna right to prison?

I do have the next two books in this series(Inherit the Word and Stirring the Plot) and with any luck, might get to them as well. At the very least, I can enjoy reading more of DWG's tasty take on crime solving:

There's still plenty of time to sign up for Spring Into Horror(see link in the first paragraph of this post) and much thanks as always to Michelle Miller for making this page turning terror time possible.

As much as I do root for the good gals to save the day, it is difficult to resist savoring the sinister sassy vibes of a true villianess . It's not that I want them to win, just that some of that scary swagger can make a story all the more entertaining and a couple of books on my list should offer up just that:

Have a page turning St. Patrick's Day with these cozy mystery reads

 

St. Patrick's Day can be a generous holiday as it is usually declared that "everyone is Irish" on that occasion. However, even for an American of Irish descent like me, celebrating the day can be tricky if you don't have something green to wear or a party to go to(due to our ongoing yet hopefully to be beat back soon health crisis).

Despite those limits, fun can be found in the pages of a good book and for St. Pat's Day themes, the cozy mystery section has plenty of that on tap. I've got a trio of new and regularly available books that should make your Irish eyes smile with bookish glee.

First up is the latest from Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series, Irish Parade Murder, where our leading lady is busy with family and work yet always on hand to solve a mystery. This particular case is on the work front as her reporter job at the local Pennysaver is threatened by the arrival of a new hire from a larger newspaper, Rob Callahan.

Lucy is determined not to let the arrogant new guy push her out, even pursuing her big story on the political fight over who gets to be the next Grand Marshall of the annual Hibernian Knights Society parade in nearby Gilead(whose small newspaper has been bought by Pennysaver owner Ted, looking to expand his press portfolio).

However, Rob finds himself in trouble as the subject of his look into local corruption dies in a car crash that points to him as the prime suspect. Will Lucy put aside her differences and help find the real killer while dealing with some personal bombshells involving her husband's family to boot?

I do enjoy the small town sitcom vibe of the Lucy Stone books and also have noticed the author's addition of real world issues into the mystery mix, which is a good way to keep this little literary corner of the world up to date and engaging. Plus, a little crime fighting action at a parade is fun to see:

Next up is A Catered St. Patrick's Day by Isis Crawford, where baking sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are preparing for the title holiday at their upstate New York eatery, thinking that things have certainly been rather quiet on the sleuthing front for them lately.

All of that changes quickly as Bernie gets a phone call from her boyfriend Brandon to head over to his bar right away. What he shows her and Libby is a rather unexpected ingredient added to the traditional green beer served during this time of year, a floating body!

Fortunately, Brandon is not a suspect but Mike Sweeney, the dead man in question, made a pot full of enemies with his sleazy stock brokering schemes and one of them is the nephew of a wealthy lady realtor who asks the Simmons sisters to look into the matter.

As Mike was a member of the Corned Beef and Cabbage Club(which booked Brendon's bar for their holiday celebration), that group seem to be a good place to start. However, can Bernie and Libby find the murderer before another batch of killer brew is spoiled?

I just borrowed this book from the ebook section of my library(still waiting for the physical one to reopen!) and so far, it's full of lively energy from our sisterly detectives who party plan with the best of them and would never serve a bad meal or funky drink on any occasion:

To wrap things up, we have the newest entry in Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village Mystery novels, Murder in an Irish Bookshop.

When a new bookstore opens up in the village of Kilbane in Ireland,police officer Siobhan O'Sullivan is among the first to head over in search of a new read. Yet much to everyone's surprise,  customers are not allowed to enter without being able to prove to the new owners that they know their Irish literary history.

Even with such self limiting standards, the shop is hosting a big signing event of prominent new authors, including Deirdre Walsh, who complains more about the state of literature than actually producing much of her own.

Deirdre's main target of derision is popular romance writer Nessa Lamb,  whose torn pages from her books are discovered with the deceased Deirdre in the back of the shop right after a conveniently timed power outage. Siobhan is on the case but will she be able to close the book on it before another writer is sent to the eternal remainder table with no chance of return?

This series is new to me and does sound intriguing. Granted, this title is number seven in the series but it is hard to resist checking out any type of bookshop related mystery,especially an internationally inspired one:

Whatever you chose to read this St. Patrick's Day, I hope it brings you joy and livens up your holiday. Of course, there are many ways to delight in this day whether you bake some shamrock cookies, watch a horror marathon of the Leprechaun movies or simply indulge in a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

The latter is really more of an Irish American than an authentic Irish dish(hey, I have to say it in the interest of culinary honesty!) but if you like it, no worries. St. Patrick's Day is meant to just be a good time had by all, which we really do need these days:

My Series-ous Reading waves hello to The Long Quiche Goodbye

 With this year's theme for Series-ous Reading being Cozy Culinary Feast, there is just no way such a literary menu would be complete without a cheese course.  To that end, last month's selection was the first entree in Avery Aames' Cheese Shop Mystery ,The Long Quiche Goodbye.

Set in small town Ohio, we met Charlotte Bessette, who along with her newly divorced cousin Matthew, has taken over the family cheese shop and updated the place,adding a wine section(which is Matthew's specialty).

The official name of the shop is Fromagerie Bessette, due to her French emigrant grandparents who are somewhat retired yet not totally inactive when it comes to the family business. Charlotte's Grandmere and Pepere wanted to bring to their new country some of their beloved France to share with their new friends and over time, it became part and parcel of the town:

During the shop's grand reopening, a number of small dramas occur as obnoxious Ed Woodhouse and his wife Christine stir up trouble in more ways than one.

Ed owns most of the property in town, including the Fromagerie, and is selling it off without even giving the Bessettes a chance to buy their building. Christine is running for mayor against Grandmere, who also puts on many of the local theatrical productions that help bring in the tourist crowd. 

During the opening, Christine gets catty as her husband is off flirting with other women and picks a fight with Grandmere over her latest productions(a ballet version of Hairspray), causing quite a scene. Once the dust settles, Charlotte goes outside to find Ed stabbed to death with one of her own cheese knives,plus her beloved grandmother nearby covered in blood!

While Grandmere is obviously innocent(she was trying to use CPR on Ed,which explains the actual blood on her hands), local police chief Urso puts her on house arrest until a better suspect can be found. This causes a major stir in town that urges Charlotte to take up an impromptu investigation into the case to clear her grandmother's name. Can she save the day and the family shop before all is lost?

 I do like the way that Avery Aames arranges the place setting of the town and it's residents, even including cousin Matthew's twin daughters into the mix(showing how even the kids are affected by the charge against their great-grandmother).

 As this is the first book, it takes awhile for Charlotte to get into the full swing of things when it comes to sleuthing, not to mention a possible budding relationship with local cheese maker Jordan, but by the end, she does get everything well at hand here.

Among my favorite characters are Rebecca, a formerly Amish young woman who works at the cheese shop and seriously into TV crime dramas(she jumps to conclusions a lot but in a delightful way) and Grandmere, who I would totally vote for as mayor. The election campaign is a solid part of the plot with new widow Christine not letting up on her intention to take over(even at her husband's funeral!) and Grandmere doing ballet rehearsals/political rallies in her own backyard. It does add to the storytelling fun:

 

Well, this series is off to a good start and I do plan to read the second book Lost and Fondue(the cheese pun titles are part of the charm, with others such as Clobbered by Camembert, To Brie or not to Brie and As Gouda as Dead!) later on here. I may be a simple cheddar cheese and crackers kind of gal but I do enjoy this tasty look at gourmet goodies with a savory side of mystery to taste:

At the moment, my current Series-ous Reading serving is Hail to the Chef, the second title in Julie Hyny's White House Chef Mystery books.

Newly appointed executive WH chef Olivia ,aka Ollie, Paras is dealing with her first major holiday meal preparations ,starting with a Thanksgiving dinner that may prove to be disruptive to the First Lady due to the business agenda of her guests.

While she can deal with a delay in dinner service or a last minute menu change, Ollie finds herself growing concerned about the recent demise of longtime electrician Gene, whose passing is ruled as an accident. However, Ollie is not so sure and when a relative of the First Family dies under mysterious circumstances as well, she is determined to get to the root cause and get the root vegetables roasted on time to boot.

I'm a good ways into the story and it's getting good as gravy so far. Also, some of the plot will extend into Christmas and the famed gingerbread version of the White House seems to be a key ingredient to this mystery, making this whole thing seasonally sinister sweet :

Warmed up after a Winter's Respite of reading

 

While winter is still hanging about, spring is definitely in the air as we who take part in Seasons of Reading's Winter's Respite are happy to report. The numerous snow storms this past month alone gave us a good amount of time with our books and even allowed for a few substitutions along the way(more on that in a moment).

The first book that I took up and completed for this challenge was The Duke and I, the beginning of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn that gained Netflix quite the wider audience indeed.

The heroine of this Regency romance is Daphne, the oldest daughter of the Bridgerton family who is having her third season out in society and finding it hard to find a suitor willing to think of her as more than just a friend.

She then teams up with the newly arrived Duke of Hastings, Simon, who has no interest in the marriage game for deeply personal reasons. The two of them decide to have a pretend courtship in public, in order to get Daphne's romantic prospects on a higher level and keep Simon from being bothered by matchmaking matrons.

Of course, Daphne's older brother Anthony is a good friend of Simon's and disapproves of this arrangement as he knows just how much the Duke is determined not to take a wife. Anthony eventually goes along with this but when Daphne and Simon reluctantly realize that this love game is getting all too real, things get truly more complicated that either of them imagined.

As expected, there are plenty of changes from the book to the streaming version(a certain subplot involving a boorish suitor is nonexistent here) and while I did enjoy the way Julia Quinn arranged great dialogue scenes as well as delightful interactions among the Bridgerton family themselves, I would have like a couple of speeches from the show to have been part of this story. Oh, well, we still have those smoldering lines of dialogue on screen to savor:

I regret to say that while I did start All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, I have not finished it yet(started that one rather late in the month).

However, I do intend to keep on reading it as the recent PBS miniseries adaptation was rather delightful. Also, Herriot's tales of his early days as a country vet in Yorkshire during the 1930s are heartfelt and enriching, blending humor and sadness at times yet never completely overrun by either sentiment.

Between dealing with ailing animals and their occasionally more troublesome owners, Herriot recounts his time with mentor/employer Siegfried, a man with immense talents and a contradictory nature, as well as Siegfried's younger brother Tristan, whose best skills seem to be for trouble making. That one story about him having to chase an entire herd of pigs through town is too funny!

This is a book that you really want to take your time with and I intend to do just that. Besides, the animal stories are truly grand indeed:

Speaking of best intentions, there were a pair of thrillers that I meant to get to but it was difficult to resist diving into the cozy comfort of the latest entry in Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery series.

Chilled to the Cone has successful baker Juliet Capshaw considering two major challenges in her life-the first to set up an ice cream pop-up shop as an extension of the ever expanding Torte bakeshop/restaurant. The other is Carlos, her sea faring chef husband who has come to her beloved town of Ashland to make their marriage sail smoothly again.

The ice cream shop seems the easier situation to handle but when a well known and well respected member of the local homeless community called The Wizard is found dead near their new location, Juliet prepares to solve the case by getting the scoop on her new retail neighbors to see who might have had it out for him.

I do like the growing cast of regular characters that Alexander has created here, from her steadfast staff members such as Sterling and Andy(who will be prominently featured in the next book entitled Mocha She Wrote) and Juliet's best friend Lance, who may have found love at last(we shall see!).

Another great thing is how Juliet works out things with Carlos, who did withhold major information from her early on in their marriage but truly seems to be making serious amends for that, so I'll give him a break for now. It's nice to see a mature relationship instead of romantic triangles in this genre for once. Plus, thinking about ice cream flavors(or in this case, concrete flavors-it's a form of frozen custard) is always good fun:

Just last night, I finished a last minute addition to this readathon and it was the first book that I've bought in person since our ongoing health crisis first began last year(granted, I got it at a pharmacy but that still counts!).

Susan Wiggs' The Lost and Found Bookshop focuses on Natalie Harper, who is able to leave the corporate job that she hates due to a family tragedy. With her mother now gone, she takes over the duel responsibility of caring for Grandy, her beloved grandfather and the title bookstore, which is drowning in debt.

With her grandfather refusing to sell the shop(he has full ownership), Natalie tries to keep the place going, not to mention the aging building from falling apart. The latter is greatly helped by Peach Gallagher, a "hammer for hire" whose young daughter Dorothy adores the shop and encourages Natalie to try and get famed children's book author Trevor Dashwood to do a signing.

Turns out Trevor is a local and happy to headline an event for the store. Also, he has a romantic eye on Natalie who is cautious about falling in love again. She and Peach seem to have vibes but both of them are unsure about the other in that department. Can Natalie find real happiness for herself as well as those she cares about, the one thing that her amazing  mother Blythe didn't seem to have?

This is the first time that I've read Wiggs and it won't be the last(already brought The Oysterville Sewing Circle, this time online). She really creates a well developed sense of place and people, making what would be obvious plot points in other hands feel fresh and new. Discovering a new (to me) writer is such a nice treat and one that I would gladly wish on others:

All in all, this was a good way to start the new year of reading and much thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for making this all possible. 

 Hopefully, I will stay more on track with the upcoming Spring Into Horror readathon where I plan to deal with some very wicked women, although none of them know how to use magic, thank goodness( sadly not able to watch WandaVision but can't resist a good villain theme song like this!):