book review

Short and Tall Tales: Moose County Legends (Cat Who Short Stories) – Lillian Jackson Braun

Angela8 Comments

Having long been a fan of Lillian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who mysteries, I was pleased to finally find this book on the library shelf. I discovered these fantastic stories about 20 years ago (or more) and have read all of them; most more than once.

Short and Tall Tales cover image

Jim Qwilleran is a journalist who moved to Moose County, 100 miles north of everywhere, after receiving a windfall of money from a benefactor. He and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and YumYum, solve mysteries all over Moose County and its adjoining counties. The characters through all 20+ books quickly become familiar friends you want to spend the day with.

This set of short stories is based on tales from local residents about some of the long-held beliefs and superstitions that have made Moose County what it is. I read this book in about an hour, and it is a great addition to any nightstand for some quick reading before sleep!

Are you familiar with the Cat Who Mysteries? How did you like them?

You can find this story here: Short and Tall Tales: Moose County Legends

One Foot in the Grove (Olive Grove Mystery Book 1) – Kelly Lane

Angela1 Comment

I found this book sitting on the end of the library aisle, waiting to be sorted. I love cozy mysteries and this one did not disappoint. I also got the second book, and the third one is due to be released this March.

One Foot in the Grove cover image

I read both of these books in about a 24-hour period! I now have a vested interest in the life of a fictional character. I have to say, it has been a while since I’ve had that, or had to wait for the next book in a series to be released.

The story takes place in Abundance, Georgia, and is full of Southern charm, as well as recipes at the end.

Eva Knox returns to Abundance after being gone for 18 years. She left her fiancé at the alter and never looked back. Her return has several residents running the gossip mill in overdrive, none too happy about her return.

Taking on the job of PR manager for her father’s olive plantation and olive oil business keeps Eva and her two sisters going non-stop. The dead body she trips over, as well as her own personal issues she is working through will keep you turning the pages on this mystery! She needs to convince the town detective that she did not kill anyone, which leads to her own investigation, along with the help of local sheriff and ex-fiancé Buck Tanner.

I am so glad I spied this book on the sorting shelf, and cannot wait until the next one comes out!

Tippi: A Memoir – Tippi Hedren

Angela11 Comments

I found this book at my library while I was actually looking for a biography on Alfred Hitchcock. All of which were out.

Tippi A Memoir
Photo courtesy of Harper Collins Publishing

So I have to say that while I adore Tippi and her work in the film industry, I was not impressed with her biography. I was very interested in all the issues she went through with Hitchcock, as it was a well-known Hollywood “secret” that he was completely obsessed with her. While detailing some of the things she experienced while working on his films, she did spare us very descriptive details and all the specifics. I must say, as he is not able to defend himself, and may have chosen not to, that we do only have her side of the story.

The remainder of the book was about how she ended up maintaining a sanctuary for wild animals on her 40 acre homestead. This too was interesting to me, as I love all animals, big and small. Except bats. But that’s another story…

I found the book as a whole very boring. It just dragged on for me, and while I am glad to have learned many new things about Tippi, I would not re-read this book.

Have you read a biography about someone you like, only to not like the book? I would love to hear about it!

Sweet Masterpiece: A Sweet’s Sweets Bakery Mystery (Book 1) – Connie Shelton

Angela2 Comments

What a fun book! It took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did I could not stop reading! It was easy to read, with great characters and a story line that keeps the pages turning.

Sweet's Sweets cover image

Samantha Sweet breaks into houses for a living. Legally, of course. Well; most of the time. She works for the USDA cleaning out houses that have been foreclosed on. She also sells baked goods out of her house while she saves enough money to open her own bakery.

The first house we find her at has a dying old woman who gives her an empty box, and tells her it is important that she take it. The woman dies, which brings the police, and Beau, into Sam’s life. The second house finds a grave in the backyard, and that is where the adventure really begins.

I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but this is a book that I highly recommend! I was very pleased to see there are several in this series, and will be starting on book 2 shortly.

I found book one on Amazon for free in eBook format, and you can find it here: Sweet Masterpiece Book on Amazon

If you’ve read any of this series I would love to hear what you thought about it!

Wrong Place, Wrong Time-David P. Perlmutter

Angela6 Comments

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is a fast paced true story that you will not be able to put down!

Wrong place book cover image

David Perlmutter takes you along on his harrowing experience while traveling to Spain. One life changing decision at home sent him on a vacation to Spain where he hoped to clear his head and get away from it all for a while. When he makes that one decision to help out others caught in a hotel fire, his life will never again be the same.

I always try to avoid spoilers, so I am going to have to leave this review at that. This story is very detailed, putting you right in the middle of it all. It is easy to read without any of the extra filler you sometimes see in books.

You can find it on Amazon here: Wrong Place Wrong Time Book

I hope you get a chance to read this and let me know what you think!

Let Me Edit Your Book!

Angela13 Comments

Just leaving that right here…. I have edited books for many authors; and yes; I will give you the references.

I have 2 college degrees, and am 3 classes away from my Masters degree. I would love to get new authors out there!

Reading is my life; I am the grammar police, and we can get your book out there ASAP!

I work conscientiously with each author on what they want to portray, and I have had great success!

Deadly Gamble – Connie Shelton

Angela10 Comments

This is book #1 of the Charlie Parker Mysteries. I randomly came upon it while searching through books on Amazon.

Deadly Gamble Cover Image

Charlie Parker is an accountant who shares office space with her brother, who is a private investigator. While her brother is out of town, she decides to take on a case for her ex-best friend (the best friend who married her fiancé), and a missing watch turns into a murder investigation.

I loved the idea of this story, but I could not finish it. There were so many plot holes that I could not handle it any more. I literally spent as much time rereading to see if I missed something, as I spent actually reading it the first time around.

On page 12 she talks about using her inheritance to help open the business with her brother. What inheritance? Who left her money? Why was her brother not left money? Yes, I get it could have been a husband that died, friend, etc. But come to find out later, it was her parents. The same exact parents as her brother. But we don’t know what her brother did with his money.

Another plot hole? Her part time secretary asks who was just in the office. Charlie states “A friend from school but you wouldn’t know her and there is a good reason why.” End of conversation. A bit further ahead, Charlie and her secretary are deep in discussion about this ex-friend and all the horrible things she did, but she hasn’t yet told the secretary any of this.

Minor issues? Maybe. But when I am engrossed in a story, and all the sudden read something that has me saying…. “Well where in the hell did that come from?”… I go back rereading what I read only to see I did not miss any information; it was never there.

So there you have it. I see there are several books in this series, and I hope this issue was due to it being a first book.

If you’ve read this series and love it please let me know!

The Innocence of Father Brown – G.K. Chesterton

Angela30 Comments

I likely would have never found these charming stories if not for my habit of binge watching British television shows on NetFlix (Bless you NetFlix!).

The Innocence of Father Brown cover image

After going through the entire series of Midsomer Murders, Rosemary and Thyme, and Keeping Up With Appearances, it was time to give Father Brown a try.

A quirky Catholic Priest with a close circle of a couple of friends to help him with his sleuthing, or as the local DCI sees it, his butting in, Father Brown solves the crime while granting forgiveness to those who desperately need it.

Anyhow, back to the book.

This book is filled with several short stories. They are of course written in the fashion of the late 1800’s/early 1900’s (when G.K. Chesterton lived), so it can be a bit jarring for some when you have been reading current novels. I personally love reading older books like this, and after you get through the first couple of pages, you have a firm feel of the style of writing and it becomes much easier to read.

Mostly murderous, these stories are a quick read and most have you guessing right until the very end. I was a bit surprised and the graphic details for a book from this time, but it is certainly nothing I haven’t seen before. This would be a great book to keep on your nightstand!

Have you read (or seen) Father Brown before?

Book Review: Time to Lie -Phil Taylor

Angela8 Comments

(Landon Bridges’ Story Book 1)

I randomly found this book while going through blog posts about book reviews. Boy am I glad I did! After I had purchased it, Mr. Taylor sent me a digital copy which I gifted forward to another lucky reader.

Time to Lie Book Cover Image

This was a fun read that was exciting and humorous at the same time. Landon Bridges (Yes, that is his name), discovers his college Physics professor has discovered how to time travel. Landon therefore acts before listening, fails to follow the rules, and gets himself into any number of sticky situations. Most of which he tries to fix by travelling back in time; again.

We’ve all wondered what we would change if we could go back in our past and do things differently. This book will show you exactly why we are always moving forward, and that changing the past has irreparable consequences. It would be hard to resist the temptation though, wouldn’t it? 

I’ll keep the spoilers to myself on this one. Landon has a small group of people who are aware of time travel, and they try to protect him from doing the wrong thing. He is your typical college student who enjoys life, enjoys school, and has a hard time taking orders.

There were some grammatical errors in the book, but nothing that made me stop reading it. I am looking forward to the second installment in this series, and was sad to see it won’t be released until 2018.

You can find the author’s Amazon page here: Phil Taylor Amazon Author Page

If you could travel back into your past, do you think you could resist the urge?