The Plot and the Pendulum

 

The Plot and the Pendulum is the 13th installment in Jenn McKinlay's  Library Lovers mystery series.  It has been fun to watch the characters and their relationships grow with the series.   It is like visiting old friends when reading it.   I appreciate that there are fresh storylines and they don't all feel like a formulaic read.   

This particular book has some atmospheric vibes as it is set around Halloween and there is the question of whether the house they are visiting is haunted.   This book felt very much like an adult version of a Nancy Drew book;  that is not an insult in my opinion.

I hope to keep reading about Lindsay and Sully for a good while.  

The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable read with some spooky seasonal elements. This is a case of an old mystery being solved today. There are quite a few twists and turns and attempts to cast suspicion on others. I enjoy reading about the daily activities as well as the mystery solving aspects in these books


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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  76 
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  CT
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 13  Book #1
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 13
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
7. What an Animal Book #34
8. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #85
9. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #42
10. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #70
11. Craving for Cozies  Book #59
12. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 69 Shot #3
13. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
14. Read Your Bookshelf   August: A book that is the same genre as your July book.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

 Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the 2nd book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that I have read.  I have enjoyed both of the books.   The prior read was an audiobook of Daisy Jones and the Six.  I plan to read another one of Reid's books later this year- Carrie Soto is back.  

Evelyn Hugo is a fun book that is based on the life of a Hollywood starlet.   The story is reputed to be loosely based on Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and  Rita Hayworth's lives.  I enjoyed how on the surface it is a fun and engaging book with snippets of the life of the famous.  There are deeper topics covered within the story.  

Additionally, the format of the book is a somewhat different approach.  Monique is called by Evelyn Hugo to hear her life's story and publish the biography upon Evelyn's death.   The book delves into both of their characters and what drives their personalities.  The reader is not really sure whether they should like Evelyn or dislike her.  Evelyn believes she lived her life as true as possible given the circumstances of her fame.   She doesn't regret her decisions and says she would do it all again.   It is hard to be sure if that would really be the case but it certainly makes for a polarizing character in the story.  

If you are looking for a relatively light read that does address deeper issues and gets you to think this is a great choice for you.  

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

very engaging read. hard to put down

Jenkins Reid certainly addresses some questions about people and how they define their truths to themselves. Evelyn Hugo was viewed by the public as an icon and celebrity this book shows the cost and benefits of this fame. If you ever wish you were famous this book will make you think twice about having the world wanting to know your business. And this was before social media

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  92
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 75  
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #84
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #65
5. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #6
6. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #  25 A Fashionable Character
7. 52 books in 52 weeks  #22 book to movie
8. Around the Year in 52 Books #49. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2022 or 2023  
9. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #14. Recommended by a Librarian
10. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #14  a character is lost royalty
11. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #11 A book about or set in Hollywood
12. Pick your Poison  # 67 A book you want to dive into
13. Diversify your reading #DYRC23   August: Contemporary Fiction
14. Read Around the US   Aug California
15. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  July 19 - Opposites Attract

Murder, Simple Stitched

 Murder, Simply Stitched is the 2nd installment in the Amish Quilt Shop series by Isabella Alan.  This book is a good perspective on how the Amish and Englisch interact in parts of the country.   If you have any interest in quilting or reading about different cultures while enjoying a cozy mystery you will enjoy this series.  The mystery has lots of twists and turns will following the trope of clearing a friends name from a crime.   I enjoy the simplicity of the lifestyles represented in this book.  I look forward to reading more of this series.  

Murder, Simply Stitched by Isabella Alan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Angie is a bit of a busybody but aren’t most amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries. This mystery is well written and reaches a good conclusion. There are definitely charming settings and good relationships included in the story line. I appreciate that Angie tries to find the best n people despite initial impressions to the contrary. There is quite a cliff hanger at the end of the story. I will have to read the next book to see what happens

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  91
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  74 
3. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  I 
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #83
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #64
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #41
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #69
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #58
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 3 Shot #4
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. Pick your Poison  # 36 A book published in a year that includes a 4
14. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge August 16 - Tropetastic!

  

Hook, Line and Sinker

 Hook, Line and Sinker is the 3rd Lake of the Ozarks book by Marc Jedel.   I enjoy the aspect of this book that there are 2 narrators who are husband and wife.   It makes for an interesting perspective on the storyline.   This book has an interesting mystery related to the background of 

Hook, Line and Sinker by Marc Jedel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

enjoyable cozy from 2 pov

I like how Marc Jewel writes the series from both the husband and wife’s perspective. It’s also nice to not have the simmering sexual tension hanging over the main character like it is in so many books The mystery is interesting if not a bit loose on its solution. I do enjoy the series

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  90
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  AR 
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge   H
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 12  Book #1
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #82
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #40
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #68
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #57
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #53  Shot #3
12. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #4 Title starting with letter "H"
14. Read Around the US   Jul Arkansas

saint x

 I selected Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin because I needed a full-cast audiobook for the month of July for one of my challenges.   Saint X looked like an intriguing read and thus I selected it.  I'm glad I did as it was an engaging suspense novel with some depth in characters.  The motivation behind people's actions and desire to seek the truth is well-plotted and interesting.  While this is a tragic mystery behind the death of Alison, while on vacation in Saint X the book feels more about the discovery of who her sister is, who Clive is, and what really happened on that day of Jan in the 1990s.  

The book does jump around time frames so if you don't like that style this is not a book for you.   I really enjoyed the narration and think it contributed to my decision to give this book 4 stars.  If you are looking for a suspense novel with minimal graphic descriptions this is a good choice. 

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an intriguing novel with suspense throughout. But in a nice balance, there was plenty of character depth. I listened to the audio and it was a great read with a full cast doing the narration. The story moves between different time periods quite well. There were fluid shifts with the story starting out focusing on the past (1990s) and then current day. In the present time the narrators reflected back on their past this connecting the 2 periods of time plus Clive’s childhood. This book built the suspense well and had a very surprising ending

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  89
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  73 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 16
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  X
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #81
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #63
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #67
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
9. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #2. 2023 ADAPTATION
10. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #20 A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2023
11. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 8 Made Into A Series Or Movie
12. Beyond the Bookends  June- Listen to a full-cast audiobook

Villa in Sicily: Olive Oil and Murder

 Villa in Sicily: Olive Oil and Murder  is the first book in the Cats and Dogs Murder series by Fiona Grace.  I read my first book by her earlier this year when I tried Aged For Murder Tuscan Vineyard #1 in March.  ( my Blog Post )  I enjoyed this book as well.  I appreciate how the murder mystery is almost an afterthought in the stories vs the foremost plot feature.   Ms. Grace does a wonderful job of describing the countries and villages where she sets these mysteries.  You can really visualize the locations as you read them and feel as though you are there experiencing the culture as well as the protagonists.  I also like how the character relationships and experiences take a prominent role in the storylines rather than being sidenotes as they often are in cozy mysteries.  Neither is a bad approach, I just enjoy the variety these books by Fiona Grace provide.  

If you are looking for cozy mysteries with strong character development and relationships set in foreign locations be sure to give her Cats and Dogs and Tuscan Vineyard series a try.  

 

A Villa in Sicily: Olive Oil and Murder by Fiona Grace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An enjoyable mystery that’s really more about the adventures of Audrey Smart on her ex pat journey in Sicily. The situations she finds herself in are often comical. The decisions she must make regarding her 1 euro home renovations are at the center of her missteps. Her move and establishing a vet practice are engaging storylines. Grace makes the reader feel Audreys dilemma between starting a new life and returning to the comfort of life in Boston. The series should prove to be an adventure in home renovations and establishing a vet practice in her new hometown.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  88
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   72
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Sicily
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  V
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 =-1
7. What an Animal Book #32
8. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #80
9. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #62
10. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #39
11. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #66
12. Craving for Cozies  Book #56
13. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 97 Shot #2
14. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
15. Bookworm #41 Read a book with a title that starts with the letter V
16. Beyond the Bookends  July- Read a book set in Italy
17. Read Your Bookshelf July  different country than June's book 

Secluded Cabin sleeps Six

 Lisa Unger did not disappoint in Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.  She certainly knows how to pen wonderful thriller novels.  I picked this up after thoroughly enjoying her Confessions on the 7:45. See my review here  Blog 

 I am certainly glad I did.  She weaves a suspenseful book with plenty of examination of human nature.  I found it humorous that she mentions the cliche horror film behaviors of the lead females in this novel as the characters reflect on whether their actions differ from what a dumb character would do in a horror film.  It provides a  little levity to break up the intensity of the suspenseful situations.  

This book also has the reader reflecting on how much of our human characteristics are based on genetics vs how we are raised.  The age-old nature vs nurture definitely plays a role in this book.  There are also aspects to the story that leads to reflection about the ethics and use of genetic information from a genealogy perspective vs criminal investigations.  The slippery slope is definitely alive and well in regard to how the information should be used and by whom.  

All in all, this was a wonderful thriller that kept me wanting to read more and more.  

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

twisting thriller with some poignant themes

I did not know much about this book when I picked it out to read. I’m so glad I did. This book is well plotted and highlights the good and bad of humanity We are made up of part our genetics but it the heart we make our choices whether to be Good and ethical. Sometimes the lines are blurred. The characters in this story have choices and not are all good. I cannot imagine anyone walking away from reading this without thinking of nurture vs nature as concept

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  87
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   71
3. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  U
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #79
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #65
6. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #90  Shot #2
7. Medical Examiner Challenge  9 Toe Tags
8. HP Quidditch 23 #  3 Quidditch Pitch: Set in nature
9. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #24. New York Times Bestseller
10. Sci and Nature # 40 About Survival