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The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman

Angela1 Comment

A huge fan of British shows, series, panel shows, and all the like had me very excited about reading these new cozy mystery books by Richard Osman. The first book in the series, The Thursday Murder Club, did not disappoint. It has since been made into a movie for Netflix, with an all-star cast. I hope they continue these movies as well.

Living in a retirement village is not as boring as one would think. At least not for the residents of Coopers Chase. 4 friends meet weekly to discuss cold cases, and solve a murder or two as well. I do not want to give away too much here, but the characters are well-rounded, relatable, and unapologetic for having done something so daring as growing older. The extended characters are written greatly, and this book is an easy read, but may be hard to put down! There are a couple different storylines going on at once, but it is all linked together so well it is easy to keep track of everyone. I have read some books recently that I literally should have kept a notebook of the characters because there were so many, and even more different storylines, that I could not believe it came together in the end. Barely came together.

I have read the first 4 books in this series, and am working on getting the 5th book; as soon as I can find it. In the meantime, I picked up the first book in another series Richard has written, called We Solve Murders. I should be starting that one very soon!

Have you read and of these mysteries by Richard Osman? Has another series grabbed your attention and you would recommend it? Let me know!

Darkly the Thunder – William W. Johnstone

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This is not a book I read before, and it has a published date of 1990. I am very surprised I never read it, as I graduated in 1990, and I spent my middle school and high school years reading everything he published.

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Anyhow….It was a great story, along the same lines as all of Mr. Johnstone’s Horror genre.

A little bit of supernatural, a lot of hometown-feel-good-connections. A whole lot of creepy things going on; blood and gore included.

People acting strangely, hearing thunder that shouldn’t be rumbling. The Fury, as it came to be known, was an evil presence that was controlling a town. But several deceased persons were fighting the fury on the other side. Sand and Morg and Joey. Howie is young, but he knows his stuff, and finds ways for them to communicate with Sand. His sister Angel is a strong force as well. Their parents are done for, as is most of the town.

One thing I loved the most about Mr. Johnstone’s stories is that young kids always played a major role. They were not dismissed for their age; but respected for their abilities. (Maybe I got pushed down one too many times for being who I was???)

I enjoyed the book, but it is not one I would read again. It was definitely worth my time, and I do not just say that because I had a personal communication with the author 🙂

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I could never express how much I miss this man!

 

What are your favorite horror stories that still keep you awake at night? I will be reviewing mine very soon!

Finally! My Etsy Store

Angela5 Comments

I have many things to add, and many projects in the works. But with the help of a WordPress technician, my store finally shows up! Top of my page, click on “store”.

I am currently working on some amazing pine book boxes, painting book covers, and spines, of some classic novels.  I am also painting book covers on canvas, 11×14 to start, until I get a good idea of what everyone is interested in buying.

I am homeschooling a 10th grader, have another going to public school in 7th grade, and another MBA class starting for me on September 22. I am editing a fantastic book that I cannot wait to introduce to the masses, and still reading for enjoyment to post some book reviews.  Oh, and I work about 45-50 hours a week; did I forget to mention that?

I have the most understanding boyfriend ever, because my life is just crazy busy, and he accepts it! I am looking forward to Autumn, the most awesome time of the year! I will be holding a raffle for a couple of book bags with a great Halloween story, mug, hot cocoa or tea, and a smelly pumpkin type candle. Stay tuned!

Thank you for your support, your kind words, and your amazing stories!

 

What I’m Doing Right Now!

Angela3 Comments

Enjoying my 6 week break from college classes for my MBA!

Editing an awesome book by a new author and  cannot wait to share it with you!

Creating great gifts for book lovers for my store!

My blog page has had some issues; i.e., I paid $299.00 for a business blog only to not be able to use all of the options. WordPress was amazing as always, and we worked it out.

The downside? I cannot get rid of the link in my blog to my store which no longer works…and I need to create a new link.

So what I am making right now are book boxes. I am working with paper mache as I look for a good supplier of wood products.

I have keychains, book bags, and book ends.

And I am holding a raffle in the Fall with a book bag, a fun Halloween themed book, some hot cocoa or apple cider mix, and something that smells awesomely pumpkin! I will be giving away a few of these! I love to share, and we are almost to my favorite time of year!

Stay tuned!

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End of Watch – Stephen King

Angela5 Comments

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Finally! I managed to get this book finished, and I was not disappointed. Bill Hodges is still not finished with Brady Hartsfield. Apparently, Brady is not even close to being finished with Bill,  either.

 

You’ll find familiar faces here from the first two stories (Mr. Mercedes, and Finders Keepers), as well as some new characters. The story focuses on Hodges and Hartsfield both being able to put an end to the twisted ties they have to each other.

 

Which says a lot, because Brady Hartsfield is supposed to be in a vegetative state. A Doctor at the hospital sees the perfect opportunity to use Brady as a guinea pig for an experimental drug for those suffering from brain injuries. Apparently the drug should be approved, because it seems to work. Whether the extra benefits Brady experiences are due to the medication or not is questionable.

 

Brady is determined to make Hodges, as well as those nearest and dearest to him, finally pay for interfering in his twisted plots of death and destruction. And Hodges has enough on his mind already. Holly and Jerome once again team together with Hodges in what is the perfect ending to this trilogy.

 

What did you think about End of Watch?

Let’s Change It Up; One More Time…

Angela5 Comments

…so I was kindly contacted by WordPress (no sarcasm here; I was glad they called me), letting me know my Business plan I paid for last year was about to expire ($299.00). Did I want to renew? Um; no; I didn’t. Through no fault of their own, I had some issues getting my store part of the business page working correctly, and I was not seeing the benefits I expected.

Some mistakes were on my side, and the person I talked to was kind enough to at least credit me to get some new things going forward on my plan so I did not lose all of that money.

So a few lessons here; my page is changing…again. I am trying to remove my store from my WordPress page, because I am literally not getting emails when someone contacts me, or buys something from me.

And Thank You to my customers who have been more than forgiving through this.

The Business account should expire shortly, and I am working on an Etsy store for any editing needs as well as merchandise all about books, for both writers and readers alike. Until then; you are going to see a Books & Opinions page still hanging out here that I cannot connect with.

And how is your Monday going?

 

My Missing Book Review – A Crying Shame by William W. Johnstone

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Leave it to me to completely leave out the actual book review from the last post I did about William W. Johnstone. So; my apologies, and here it is!

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Sheriff Mike Saucier has his hands full when the Links stop keeping themselves hidden, and start taking revenge on the townspeople. They seem to have been infected with some sickness, and these half-human beings are going mad and no longer concerned about staying hidden.

Jon Badon is a mercenary brought to Fountain Parish, home to the Crying Swamp, by Paul Breaux. Paul had discovered what he since named the Links, as in “the missing link”. Part human, part animal, the Links had been around for hundreds of years.

As a genetic mutation took hold, they could no longer have female children, so in order for them to not die off, women of the parish were kidnapped and used for childbearing. Any babies that were human enough were left on doorsteps in town, to be raised with, and by, humans.

Jon Badon is determined to do what he was paid to do; get rid of the links. His Scientist and Doctor friends disagree. As Jon grows closer to Linda Breaux, he promises both of them that after this last mission, he will retire, and they will get married and start a family.

Can humans and half-humans really exist together? It may not always be necessary to fear something just because it is different than you.

I would love to tell you how it ends, but you know my policy; no spoilers if I can help it. This is a quick read, and a great story! I hope you give it a try!