Mystery

Book Review: Death in the Downline

MelindaLeave a comment

When journalist Drew returns to her small town with a shrinking bank account and no job prospects, she’s surprised to run into her former best friend Steph. Steph is thriving financially and her skin is absolutely glowing. She’s eager to share her secret- it’s LuminUS, a skincare line that has paid for her seemingly luxurious lifestyle all while allowing her to be her own boss. Drew is hesitant, but the more Steph shares, the more Drew thinks this might be her ticket to turning her life around.

As Drew sends out sales pitches to everyone she’s ever known, she begins taking the LuminUS supplements. Soon it’s time for the annual conference where Drew gets to spend time with the rest of the bleach blonde team. Only things might not be as radiant as the skin of the women around her. Fights break out amongst the team members, and after a late night party, one LuminUS distributor is found dead.

Multilevel marketing is a tale as old as time, but this is a fun twist on your traditional whodunnit. The world of LuminUS shines bright in this lighthearted romp through the scammy world of direct sales. A fast paced and fun read! If you love a cheeky mystery or binged the LuLaRich docuseries, give this one a try.

Request a print copy here or a digital copy here.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Stacey’s Selected Titles -2024 edition

staceyLeave a comment 
Are you as exhausted by 2024 as I am? How about a book to help soothe the soul, or make you laugh, or give you a reason to read more on a topic? Here are twenty options that made my list (and more available upon request- heh heh!):

Actual Facts (aka Nonfiction)
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
This is a beautifully crafted book, both the art work and the sharing of the author’s life experience in monthly chapters. If you’re looking for a gift for a nature loving friend -this might be worth checking out.

Generations by Jean Twenge
This book plus The Coddling of the American Mind have answered a lot of questions for me I didn’t know I had.

Something Cozy
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Short in length, long on happiness impact. Take an afternoon and enjoy!

A New Lease On Death by Olivia Blacke
Looking for a cozy mystery? Here you go!

How to Age Disgracefully by Claire Pooley
Zesty characters and a cute dog. Do I need to say more?

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
Welcome back to Patrick O’Hara -everyone’s favorite Guncle!

Something a Little Different
Tilda is Visible by Jane Tara
What if you felt invisible because you’re a woman who’s getting older, and then your physical body actually started disappearing? And the medical community even had a name for the phenomenon?!

The Voyage of the Damned  by Frances White
If you’re willing to read a fantasy book in which charming characters have magical gifts, this is also a locked room mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

The Failures by Benjamin Liar
A chonky science fiction story with multiple storylines that come together in a pretty satisfying way to end the first in a trilogy.

After Annie by Anna Quindlen
When Annie unexpectedly passes away, we are given the opportunity to know her better through the lives she touched.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Margo is used to people thinking she makes bad choices, the current bad choice would be sleeping with her married college professor. When she discovers she’s pregnant and decides to keep the baby, Margo feels overwhelmed and determined to succeed.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
When a woman on a plane starts predicting when and how other passengers will die, the first response was to brush it off. After the first prediction comes true, the rest of the group begins to bond and a search begins to find the mysterious lady.

Something a Little Dark
Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
First in a new series, this is another short in length but long on impact book. You’ll be amazed at the world building the author is able to accomplish in only 167 pages!

The Haters by Robyn Harding
Camryn Hart went from celebrating her first published book to trying to figure out who’s making damaging false accusations about her online. The longer the attacks go on, the less trust Camryn has in the people surrounding her. What a wild ride!

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Creepy, creepy, creepy… So good!

Something Old (aka Historical)
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate 
Set in Oklahoma, with storylines in 1909 and 1990s, this book is filled with young women fighting for survival and for acceptance.

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
I had no idea who Martha Ballard was before reading this book and now I know why her legend lives on. Fascinating details on midwifery and all the additional jobs that were attached to that title.

The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods
Using some factual happenings and some fictional characters, this is another story of women fighting to have control over their own lives.

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore
Just when you think there’s nothing new to learn about World War II, you read a book like this. Also, I’m a little sorry I didn’t pay more attention in my Macro Economics course…

Hopefully one of these books is just what you were looking for, and I’m *always* interested in hearing what you thought after reading! []~(￣▽￣)~*

Enjoy! 
Stacey

Book Review: End of Story

MelindaLeave a comment

Reclusive mystery novelist Sebastian Trapp doesn’t have long to live. And before he goes, he’s bound and determined to tell his own story. Enter Nicky Hunter, a detective fiction enthusiast he’s selected to craft his personal memoir. Nicky travels to Sebastian’s stately San Francisco mansion to immerse herself in the daily life of the household: Sebastian, the acclaimed novelist, his artistic second wife, Diana, his doting nephew, Freddy, his adult daughter, Madeleine, and the illustrious sidekick Watson the dog.

As Nicky attempts to uncover Sebastian’s life story, one secret is raised again and again- Sebastian’s biggest secret, over twenty years old. On New Year’s Eve in 1999 his first wife and son disappeared without a trace. No bodies have been found, but no proof of life has been found either. It’s something out of one of Sebastian’s own mystery novels. But it’s a case he hasn’t solved.

This book felt a little slow to start, but as Nicky explores the creaking San Francisco mansion, the plot thickens and really grabs your attention in the last third. Multiple first person narrators add intrigue and blend the past as callbacks to the golden age of detective mysteries are peppered throughout. The desire to find out whodunit kept me reading. If you’re a fan of books about books, you’ll enjoy the literary references!

Request a copy here.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Book Review: The Heiress

MelindaLeave a comment

Cam and Jules are just an average young couple. But Cam isn’t quite the everyday man he appears to be. As the son of North Carolina’s richest woman, he tries everything to escape both his inheritance and the home of the legendary McTavish family.

When a family death pulls the couple back to the stately Ashby House, Jules is awestruck at the opulent surroundings. And even more awe-inspiring is the life of the woman behind them- Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, Cam’s late adoptive mother.

Ruby’s storied past began when she was the victim of a famous childhood kidnapping. Her legend continued as she found love, and was widowed…four times over. Amidst the rumors of her husbands mysterious deaths, she earns the moniker “Ruby Killmore.'” Even in death, Ruby oversees Ashby House from a life size oil painting, reminding Cam that one can never run from family. As Cam and Jules unveil the family’s storied past, secrets come to light that threaten their relationship, the inheritance, and the future of the McTavish name.

This was a twisty read told through Ruby’s own letters and the alternating perspectives of Cam and Jules. Rachel Hawkins thrills again with a story of a old money, old secrets, and an even older house. Slightly reminiscent of a gothic novel, The Heiress is a book that will have you flipping pages to find out what happens next.

Put the print copy on hold here.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Stacey says, “It’s time for the Top Ten of 2023!”

staceyLeave a comment

This year I’m really leaning into the popular saying, “So many books, so little time!” My list of possibilities for a Top Ten is longer than usual thanks to my participation on American Library Association’s The Reading List committee. The Reading List is focused on finding great reads in the genres of Adrenaline, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Relationship Fiction, Romance, and Science Fiction -some of these categories aren’t ones I naturally gravitate toward but I’ve enjoyed the entire experience! (Plus -now I have bonus books for this list!)

As always, the books are in alphabetical order in each genre. I’m attempting a three emoji description -🤞 I can make it work. The link will take you to our digital collection but there are print books as well, just give us a call!

General Fiction:

Half-Life of a Stolen Sister by Rachel Cantor 🤔 👀 🔎

Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan 👪🏽 🤐 🎉

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes 🏫 🕵🏼 👫🏽 

Maame by Jessica George 👪🏾 🏠 🏋🏾‍♀️

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim 🏡 🤫 🔍

Adrenaline:

Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose   🤐 😮 🪤 

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing 🕵🏼‍♀️ 👩‍❤️‍👨☠️

Historical Fiction:

Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton 🇭🇰 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams ⚔️ 💘 🏡

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland 🎭 🔥 💔

Mystery:

The Appeal by Janice Hallett 🤫 🔍 🥸

Better the Blood by Michael Bennett ☠️ 😰 🇳🇿

Killing Me by Michelle Gogan 🙅 😳 🤥

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann 👵 🐢 🪤

Horror:

The September House by Carissa Orlando 🔥 🫠 😵

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix 👻 😱 🥴

Fantasy or Science Fiction:

The Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft series ☠️ ⛓️‍💥

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 🧚 ✨ 📚

The Meister of Decimen City by Brianna 🐉 🦸‍♀️ ⚡

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis 🗺️ 🛸 😉

and Nonfiction:

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott 🧒🏾 🏫 💡

The Hospital by Brian Alexander 🏥 🤕 🩺

📚 💖 😊 

– Stacey

Happy Birthday, John le Carré!

LinneaLeave a comment

Today is the great novelist’s John le Carré’s birthday! Le Carré briefly served in British Intelligence during the Cold War, which no doubt informed his writing. Best known for his espionage novels, he is considered one of the greatest novelists of the postwar era. If you haven’t yet explored his works, here are a few to start with (and the movies based off them as well!): 

The Night Manager (DVD) 

The Night Manager  

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (DVD) 

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold 

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (DVD) 

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy  

A Perfect Spy (DVD) 

A Perfect Spy  

-Linnea

YA Book Review: Warrior Girl Unearthed

MelindaLeave a comment

Teenager Perry Firekeeper-Birch is hoping to slide through summer unnoticed. Her plan is to spend the summer fishing at all the best spots on Sugar Island. The last thing on her mind is a summer internship. Internships are much better suited to her perfectionist twin sister Pauline, but Perry begrudgingly ends up in the Kinomaage Summer Internship Program alongside her twin.

As the cultural center museum intern, Perry is introduced to the concept of repatriation and is horrified at the number of indigenous ancestors on display in museums and private collections. Her internship supervisor Cooper Turtle encourages her to look into the legal world of reclamation and policies regarding the items that were stolen to begin with.

When Perry works with the other interns, she realizes that the stolen artifacts isn’t the only crime being committed on Sugar Island. As more and more posters for missing women are placed around town, Perry realizes that the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis isn’t limited to the dead bones of her ancestors- it’s all around her.

Perry’s search for ancestral remains, missing women, and answers leads her on a path filled with teenage romance, cultural pride, and danger.

The follow up to Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed is the second young adult book by Angeline Boulley that follows the Firekeeper family. While the two books are related, each stands on its own and make for a great read. Listening to the audiobook was an immersive reading experience. Correct Anishinaabemowin pronunciations along with the moody atmosphere of the book itself made this a phenomenal reading experience.

Request a print copy here, a digital copy here or the audiobook here.

Happy Reading!

-Melinda

Book Review: Small Game

MelindaLeave a comment

What do you get when you combine a survival show, wannabe influencers, and a jaded outdoor survival expert? A drama-filled romp through a landscape filled with danger. Small Game is a debut novel that reads like a combination of Castaway, Survivor, and Man vs. Wild.

Mara is used to living life with less than she needs. Living with doomsday prepper parents led Mara to work as an outdoor survival expert at a survival school. When reality TV producers come to the school to scout for talent, Mara signs up with only one thing on her mind: The $100,000 prize.

She lands on a remote island and meets her teammates and the filming crew. As she puts on her rugged tunic and picks her tool, she embraces the TV gimmicks. After all, if it means a payout, she can put up with some cheesy scripted sentences. Time goes on, rations grow short, deadly animals appear, and crew members start mysteriously disappearing. And at the center of it all is Mara and her fellow castmates.

But who will remain standing after the six weeks pass?

This book isn’t quite a true thriller and reads more like a mystery. But if you’ve ever enjoyed outdoor adventure writing, you’ll enjoy this book! Blair Braverman’s debut novel will certainly keep you guessing. And can we talk about Blair’s name for a second? I’m not sure if there’s a better name for an author who writes such adventurous fiction. Braverman’s writing clearly draws from her life as a dogsledder and outdoor adventurer, which adds an interesting component to the book.

Request a print copy here or download a digital copy here.

-Melinda

YA Book Review: Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver

MeganLeave a comment

Summer Cartwright is a 16-year-old influencer living a charmed Hollywood, California life. She’s rich, well-connected, and she just signed a massive book deal for an upcoming tell-all style memoir. When a new post from Summer’s Instagram account announces that the social media star will be dead in the next five minutes, the guests are her Halloween party think it’s just part of the entertainment. Her friends know different. That’s not Summer’s brand. Something is wrong. There were right-Summer was actually dead. As the police begin to investigate, those closest to Summer begin their own search for the killer. The suspect list keeps growing as the motive for the murder appears to be the book she was working on. If Summer was dead, would the book and the dark secrets it was set to reveal go away?

Told from the points of view of Summer’s bff, Grace, Summer’s ex-boyfriend Adam, Summer’s number one fan, Cora, and her one-time roommate, Lanie, Live Your Best Lie is a twisted, suspenseful debut. The narrator does an excellent job of juggling the various character points of view as well as flashbacks, but the inclusion of social media posts and comments, police interviews, and newspaper articles make for an interesting read. A delightfully wicked read as well as a timely cautionary tale-social media never tells the whole story and influencers only show what they want you to see.

Hand this to fans of Karen McManus and Maureen Johnson and anyone else who likes to solve the puzzle along with the characters. The clues are there for the clever reader, but so are the red herrings. Readers who make it to the end will be rewarded with a final twist you won’t see coming.

Thank you to Netgalley, Disney Audiobooks, and Melissa de la Cruz Studios for an advanced reader copy.

The Further Adventures of Finlay Donovan

MeganLeave a comment

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series. This newest addition picks up where book two leaves off, so it’s best to read them in order. Click on the covers to find these titles in the catalog.

Here’s a quick recap:

Finlay Donovan is a stressed-out writer and mother to two young children with a deadline, writer’s block, and an infuriating ex-husband. She does not need any more drama in her life, but that’s exactly what she gets after a meeting with her agent in a crowded coffee shop. Overhearing Finlay describe the plot of her new book, a customer mistakes her for a contract killer. Before she knows it, Finlay accidentally finds herself involved in a real life crime! Book two brings back Finlay and the motely crew she gathered in the book one-Vero, her nanny with a secret past and Detective Nick Anthony, the dreamy hot cop. This time it appears that Finlay is not the only one who’s done with her Stephen, her ex. On top of everything else, he seems to have attracted the attention of the Russian mob! Which brings us to book three. The unresolved issues of the previous book are still in play, so it seems like a risky move to enroll in the Citizen’s Police Academy, but that’s exactly what Finlay and Vero do. Danger, romance, and hilarity ensue. Vero’s past secret is revealed, as is the identity of the mysterious hitman, EasyClean, but fans will rejoice in the knowledge that there are still loose ends and further adventures of Finlay and Vero to come.

This series is pure addictive escapism. Non-stop shenanigans, close calls, and toddler antics are par for the course with Finlay and Vero. Fans of witty banter, will-they-won’t-they sexual tension, and the ugly realities of parenthood with enjoy this series. Finlay and Vero are quite the dynamic duo and the love interests are dreamy.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is available January 31, 2023. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

~Megan