Dead Cert

 Dead Cert is the first book by Dick Francis, written in 1962.  I have read several of his works a long while ago and decided to pick up this one in order to meet some specific timeframe challenge prompts.  I am pleased I made this decision. I really enjoy reading the books set around horse racing.  Francis as a retired jockey and writer has done a wonderful job of capitalizing on both his skills and knowledge.  This book is about  Alan York and is considered a standalone work.   I thought the details about the horse community, horses in general and steeplechase are well incorporated into the story without being too overwhelming.   The mystery itself has lots of layers and intertwines personal relationships with the investigation.  Alan is definitely torn on whether he wants to get to the bottom of what happened to his friend Bill Davidson at times as he is afraid of the guilty party being someone he cares about.  This book is a good balance of character development and action.  Dick Francis captures the stress and adrenaline of a chase and hunt very well and has the reader on the edge of their seat waiting to see the outcome.  I look forward to reading more of the books and don't mind rereading the ones I read as I don't remember all the details by any means.

Dead Cert by Dick Francis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always have enjoyed Dick Francis books. I find it interesting to read about the racing world and I am also up for a well written mystery. Francis knows his crafts- writing and horse racing and it shows in his stories. This one has red herrings and a plot full of personal relationships that lead to confusing and suspicion.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #58
2. What an Animal Book #38
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #68
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #55
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #45
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #67
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #62
8. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- horse track
• Weapon- wire; knife
• Detectives- Alan York
• Victims- Bill Davidson;  Joe N  
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 86 Shot #1
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #27 Includes a map
12. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2022 #44 released before you were born
13. Pick your Poison #79 a book set within 10 years of your birth
14. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2022 6 set in Mexico
15. Century challenge  1960s

Meow if it's Murder

 Meow if it's Murder is the first in the Nick and Nora mysteries by T.C. LoTempio.  I picked this book to satisfy a prompt to read something by an author who shares my initials.  I came across this book on my TBR list and decided it was a perfect choice.  I ended up really enjoying the book more than I expected to.  It is kind of a cross between a cozy and an old-school PI detective book in some ways.  There's a bit of an implied supernatural element at play here as well.  So that is great for readers who enjoy those types of cozy mysteries too.  If you are a cat lover you will definitely enjoy the book and the interactions between Nora and Nick as he wins her over to the feline fans' side of the aisle.   The mystery has lots of twists; it isn't always obvious who is the bad guy, and there are twists and turns until the end.  I did suspect a chunk of the story but didn't get it all correct by any means.  If you are looking  for a new series you might want to give this one a go.

Meow If It's Murder by T.C. LoTempio
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

An enjoyable start to a series featuring a cat and a female detective. This series felt like a bit of a cross between a cozy mystery and a old fashioned PI detective story. There were plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing. The variety of themes from cats, supernatural, culinary and a bit of quirkiness ensures lots of interest by a wide group of readers.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #57
2. What an Animal Book #37
3. Audiobook  #2022AudiobookChallenge 6
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #67
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #54
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #44
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #66
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #61
9. Medical Examiner Challenge 5 Toe Tags
10. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- ocean/boat/prison/road
• Weapon- drown/shot/asthma/shot/car accident
• Detectives- nora charles
• Victims- Lola Granger; Patty Simmons; Adrian Sloan; Nick Atkins; Lott
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #85  Shot #1
12. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  # 26. Author Who Shares Your Initials
13. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #27 Read an office romance novel
14. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #7. A book with an onomatopoeia in its title
15. Pick your Poison #104 a gritty detective story

Curse of the Stage Fright

 This was a comic book that I borrowed from the library.  I admit I am a Scooby Doo fan and have been for 40+ years.  The extra bonus of this book was it was about a performance of Hamlet so I am going to count it toward a prompt to read a Shakespearre work-  a big stretch but I would not be reading anything for that otherwise.   This was a fun flashback to the tv shows and I thoroughly enjoyed my nostalgic read.

Curse of the Stage Fright by Steve Korté
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fun nostalgic read. I always love a good Scooby mystery whether a book or a show it always makes me smile This book was no exception.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #56
2. What an Animal Book #36
3. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #14. Shakespearean Play
4. Nancy Drew #46. The Invisible Intruder (1969) - read a book with less than 50 ratings
5. OWLS 22  #20 Monster Book of Monsters: A scary looking book
6. Pick your Poison #109 a book about your favorite animal

The Corpse in the Gazebo

 This is the 5th book in the Food Blogger series by Debra Sennefelder.  The Corpse in the Gazebo is definitely a well written mystery but it is also a great character study as well.  Hope Early reveals her complex social personality.  Her relationship with Chief Ethan is put to the test in this entry in the series.  It definitely sets the stage for how will this progress in the future.  In addition to her relationship being tested, her professional life is tested in this story as well.  The mystery provided a background for a great character driven story that was quite enjoyable to read.  I look forward to reading more in the series.  

The Corpse in the Gazebo by Debra Sennefelder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

this latest installment of the food blogger mysteries is quite a well written mystery. Hope Early finds herself mixed up in a public disagreement that precedes the untimely death of Birdie Donovan. The plot is quite involved and leads the reader to suspect several individuals of being the murderer. The resolution is well developed and makes sense. The relationship between Hope and Ethan goes through some ups and downs in this book. I look forward to seeing how this develops in the future books.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #55
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 31 Book #1
3. What an Animal Book #35
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #66
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #42
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #65
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #60
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene-gazebo;  park
• Weapon- anaphylaxis;  fall
• Detectives- Hope Early
• Victims- Birdie Donovan;  Avery
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #2  Shot #3
11. Bookworm #49 Read the 5th book in a series or an author's 5th novel
12. Pick your Poison #1  a book with a z in the title

I Must Betray You

 Although I Must Betray You is a Young Adult book by Ruta Sepetys I did not feel it was too immature to enjoy as an adult.  Like Salt to the Sea ( my review) and The Fountains of Silence ( my review) which I have read previously, I found this book to be informative.  It provides some depth into a historical event I was aware of but not in much detail.  I appreciate that Sepetys builds suspense and action into historical fiction.  I hope her works inspire younger readers to enjoy history and learn more about the past of not only our country but the global world around us.  

While this book provides a bleak look at the effects of communism in Romania it is inspiring to read about how Cristian and the others find a way to have their voices heard and to bring about change in their country.   It is hard to fault the bad guys for doing what they have done to survive.   Sepetys creates a narrative that fully captures the inability to trust anyone that is created by the regime.  There is quite a build-up to figuring out who is the guilty betrayer and it is a bit of a shock.   

Be sure to read the author's notes at the end as they provide a foundation of the realities of communism and a lack of freedom of speech.  I highly recommend this book, especially in light of what is going on in Ukraine currently.  It is easy for those of us in stable Democratic countries to forget just how tough like can be elsewhere in the world.  Our struggles, though real are all relative when compared to other nations.  

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an intense story. I am old enough to remember when this revolution happened in Romania and the wall came down. This story, although fiction is an amazingly well written story that combines romance, intrigue and suspicion. The story is well written and is engaging for readers of all ages. Lovers of historical fiction will enjoy this book

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #53
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Romania
3. AtoZ   #2022AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  I
4. 2022TBR  #2022ReadingChallenge  # 5 YA Book
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #64
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #64
7. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #8
8. Bookworm #35 Read a Psychological Thriller
9. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #17. Set in the 1980s
10. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #32 superheroes/villains OR character in disguise
11. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #18 Highly anticipated read
12. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #13. A book set in the 1980s
13. Pick your Poison #60 a new release you feel guilty reading because your TBR list is so long
14. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  "You"
15. Beyond the Bookends  YA Romance
16. Diversify your reading #DYRC22  Thriller
17. 52 books in 52 weeks  #8 hall pass

Songteller

 Songteller is a wonderful memoir by Dolly Parton.  I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the format.  It was structured as an interview of sorts and Dolly answers questions and prompts to tell stories and the background about many of her songs.  Generally, there is a snippet of her singing her song at the start of the section.   Dolly has such a sweet and happy voice it was such a pleasure to listen to her tell stories.  It was almost as though she was sitting right there next to me as I listened.  

Previous to this book I had no idea just how prolific a songwriter she is.  The impact and diversity of her work are amazing both in the music industry and her other business and philanthropic endeavors.    Readers will be happy to know she discusses some of her most famous- "Nine to Five" and "Jolene".  Also, I forgot she was the songwriter behind Whitney Houston's famous "I Will Always Love You."

I can highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Dolly or enjoys hearing stories told from personal experiences.

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dolly is such a sweet and honest soul and it comes through in this audiobook. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her tell about her songs and what inspired each of the ones they discussed. The format was a unique one as it was like a question and answer session. Listening to her stories about the business, her family and writing songs was such a peaceful experience. So glad I read this book

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #54
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes TN
3. Audiobook  #2022AudiobookChallenge #5
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #74
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #53
6. Memoir  #15  Written by someone over 40
7. Non Fiction Reader  #ReadNonFicChal   Book #3. Language
8. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #30 Audiobook is narrated by the author
9. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #50. Inspiring Memoir
10. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #4 Read a memoir
11. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #21. A book about a band or musical group
12. Pick your Poison # 70 a non fiction book about someone you admire
13. RAD challenge #aradreadingchallenge #6 A Celeb Memoir
14. Diversify your reading #DYRC22  Jan theme of Memoir
15. Lifetime of Reading  Books that Follow the Main Character over Several Decades
16. 52 books in 52 weeks  #29 Clef Notes

Possible Prompts book could be used for

Memoir  # 9 Written by a woman;  #6 Music Memoir

Pick your Poison #38 a memoir focused on the author's profession

A Time to Swill

 A Time to Swill is the 2nd Chloe Jackson book by Sherry Harris.  I am really enjoying this series especially because I am so familiar with the setting.  It is so enjoyable to read a book when you know about the restaurants and landmarks discussed in the book.   The actual mystery is well constructed and truly captures the old boy network of the Fl Panhandle.  In addition, the character development in this book and how their relationships are growing and changing is so well written.   It is hard not to feel the tension and drama that Chloe feels as you read the story.   I look forward to seeing how her relationship with Rhett progresses as well as her personal and professional relationships with Vivi.   Beach lovers and cozy lovers will enjoy this book.

A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this cozy mystery and especially like reading about an area of FL I am very familiar with. The whole ghost ship and past relationships coming back to haunt one makes for an intriguing mystery. The relationship between Chloe and Rhett is a roller coaster ride and it makes the reader want to see how it evolves. The bar family is a wonderful growing relationship and it will be an interesting dynamic as the series progresses

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #52
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #63
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #52
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #42
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #63
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #59
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 4 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- ocean/beach
• Weapon- gun/drown/poison
• Detectives- Chloe Jackson/Vivi
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #4  Shot #4
10. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #49 Book title starts with the same letter as your first name
11. Pick your Poison #87 a book that takes place on both land and sea
12. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO   Pride:  character is LGBTQIA+
13. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  Sea