I‘m not liking this new format of posting reviews. I didn‘t pan this book. I gave it 4/5 rating

Ruth Ware had written a mystery based on a reality television show. When a strong storm hits the island in the South Pacific, the contestants begin to die. One by one, in strange ways, the death toll rises. Those on the island can‘t see a way to leave the uninhabited island. There is not a source of fresh water. Food and bottled water are having to be rationed. Each day new problems arise. Will they be rescued or all die trying? 4/5

An installation in the Millennium series. I read this as a stand alone book. Originally written in Swedish and translated into English. The characters were different from I expected. I believe I would have enjoyed the book more if I understood the background more accurately. If you‘re going to read it start at the beginning in Book one. 3/5

Sara, Will, Faith and Amanda are back in full force in this novel. The subject of rape is foremost all throughout the book. Rape is a tough topic for all, including these characters. Sara, Will and Faith try to solve the mysteries surrounding the last two incidents because of the similarities in them. The solution is inconceivable as Amanda is brought in to bring the answers forward. This could easily trigger rape victims. 4.5/5

The first novel I‘ve read by Terry Pritchett. It‘s 1916 on the Western Front where Private Percy Blackney awaken on the grass. Where he hears birds singing and the breeze stirring in the leaves. The novel has “steppers” who are able to travel from one world to others. There are lots of humorous little tales and the fiction wound up in the book. The characters are definitely different. It was a fun read. 4/5

The first novel in a series by Nancy Mehl. This fast moving story has FBI agent Kaely Quinn trying to figure out the mind of a serial killer. Kaely has an unusual way of identifying and communicating with the suspect. The killer sends a poem to a reporter and it has messages hidden within for Kaely to puzzle out in order to find connected former cases she has a connection to. 4.26/5

This book was a great read for me at this time as my mother is her her final hours or days. The suggestions from the mother are pretty good. I don‘t think many people are ready to say goodbye that final time. The feelings of loss are real. They never go away, but they get easier as we accept our new normal. Some of the suggestions actually made me chuckle. However, many of them will be used in the coming days. 4.5/5

A romance short novel with a strong physical attraction between two adults. Delilah and Cody. They try to keep their relationship secret by appearing to be just coworkers. They are not as successful as they would like. This isn‘t a stand alone novel, it‘s a prequel. I‘m more into the thriller and mystery books. I don‘t plan on delving into the series. 3/5

The ghosts are busy in London. The story has three ghost hunters who try to calm ghosts who have been trapped. Armed with all the normal ghost hunting tools and techniques Lockwood, Lucy and George are ready to help. After a bumbling case they need to redeem themselves by spending the night in the most haunted house in the city. This story is a fun read. 4/5

Freida McFadden didn‘t disappoint with this novel. There were so many twists I wasn‘t sure how it would end. Sam and Abby have been married for years and have been unsuccessful in having a baby. Monica, Abby‘s assistant volunteers to be a surrogate for them. Lots of things go wrong, of course. The characters were wrapped up some I liked and others were not good humans. 4/5

This novel has a young girl who has been kidnapped. Cady Bennett is contacted by her estranged father and asked to bring her search and rescue dogs to the Sierra Glade forest to track this child. Cady‘s son Jude, adopted daughter Kira and their neighbor Free go with their dogs. The three teenagers hope someday they will be working to find people. The book kept my attention and I liked the characters. 4.25/5

This novel had lots of challenges for the characters. Love and loss. A boy dies as a result of cancer. The mom died tragically and the dad tries unsuccessfully to commit suicide. The dad see a picture of a boy who has been kidnapped. He becomes obsessed with finding the missing boy. The father of another missing boy becomes involved. Another boy is kidnapped. Will the children be found? There are lots of layers before answers. 4/5

This fast paced novel had many flawed but interesting characters. There was sex, adultery, theft, murder and multiple twists and turns. There were a couple of sweet nieces, con men, a sexy socialite and a law professor. Most of the action takes place in Chicago with a bit of traveling. Simon and Vicky seem like a normal married couple in a stale relationship. Be prepared to ask yourself again and again if you know what is happening. 4.25/5

Another great novel by Patricia Cornwell. Autopsies often talk to the coroner and the current ones are connecting dead bodies. Kay Scarpetta is searching for the missing pieces. What do a little girl and a scientist have in common? Why? How to find answers leads Kay and her staff on quite the search. I enjoyed the mysteries and Kay‘s journey to find the truth. 4.5/5

A fast paced suspenseful novel based on a reality show. The six contestants are folks who have at least one thing in common. Some of them know another contestant and share knowledge of wrongful deeds. There are cameras everywhere on the estate where the show is “live” on television. It appears to be a huge hit with the audience. There is lots of action and interaction with each contestant. Full of action and suspense. 4.5/5

The story of Gertrude Ederle (Trudy) the first woman to swim the English Channel. A natural born swimmer, She loved the water. She was one of the first women to compete in the Olympics. She was certain she could swim across the Channel. With her second try she did it! Trudy suffered from loss of hearing in one ear and had lots of ear infections. She was shy and didn‘t like the limelight. The first chapters were slow, the rest were great. 4/5

Wow! Full of twists, this mystery kept my interest. 17 year old Lola is missing. Drew her boyfriend is the main suspect. 5 weeks with no answers and the sheriff impounds Drew‘s vehicle. The longer Lola is missing the more danger to both Lola and Drew. Drew leads the way to finding answers with help from friends, finding clues and following up doing the job of law enforcement. Will they find her before it‘s too late? A fast read 4.75/5

The setting is Las Vegas and the characters were interesting. Two sisters from Vermont meet again in the city. The younger one, Betsy and her adopted 13 year old adopted daughter move to Las Vegas. Older sister Chrissy has been an impersonator of Princess Lady Diana for a long time. The novel has lots of gangsters and horrible people who are easily hated. Will the good sisters reconcile the and help solve the murders? 4/5

Mercy and Elvis are both former military personnel. Elvis was trained to sniff out explosives. They now call the Green Mountains of Vermont home. Mercy and Elvis help to solve a few decades old mysteries and a some current mysteries as well. The characters are mostly good and kind folks with a few villains tossed in to keep the reader interested. 4.25/5

A novel that has lots of Indigenous lore sprinkled throughout it. The characters are mostly good people with a number of villains added to flesh out the story. The setting is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. If you are a fan of William Kent Krueger and his novels, this is one you won‘t want to miss. 4.5/5

One of Us Know is a novel about a woman with multiple personalities. (Not my normal read.) I almost put the book in a DNF pile but I did work my way through it. Kenetria Nash and her alters are hired to be the caretaker at a historic castle. Someone is murdered and because of a storm the police have not been called. It was hard to keep track of who was who. 3.25/5

This was another really good novel by Michael Connelly. Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard are working to close cold cases. They have lots of trials along the way. They close one case and the Harry goes back to the case he feels he must solve. He travels to Key West to confront the person he believes killed a family of four who were brutally murdered and buried in the desert. 4.5/5

Walls of Water, North Carolina is the setting of this novel. The novel is about the sisterhood of friendship and how enduring it can be. Grandmothers started a group to show that they would always be there for each other. As the seasons of life change, the ladies organization did also. A love story is woven in the fabric of lives as the granddaughters search for the deep sisterhood of friendship again. 4/5

I just started reading this. I hope it will be as good as its reviews. The prologue and first couple of chapters didn‘t grab my attention. I‘m finding it more interesting with each new chapter.

This novel was quite the thriller. It began with two women from very different walks of life meeting and a friendship is built. One homeless and the living in a huge house with a controlling husband. Life isn‘t easy for either of them. As the layers unfold, we learn about the very powerful and scary husband, and personal trainer who becomes a lover to both women. Well written and an attention grabbing novel. 4.25/5

Molly the Head Maid is on the job in the impressive hotel. The novel takes the reader back to Molly‘s youth and then into the current day. Molly follows her beloved Gran into the professional role as a maid. A well known author is murdered in the hotel‘s new tea room. As the mystery unfolds we learn more about the author, Molly, Gran, and other employees of the hotel. I would call this a cozy novel. 4/5

A novel showing how the Swiss were not innocent during World War II, and really were really bad in more than one way. The English assassin was a “gun” for hire, although he preferred a knife as his weapon of choice. He was hired to do a job and he doesn‘t regret doing his job as it was restitution for what had been done to others. The characters were quite interesting. 4/5

This mystery by Tana French seemed a bit too long. There were parts I felt dragged. I still found the novel quite intriguing. The death of a young girl has the detectives drawn into murder of an unthinkable victim, a 12 year old girl. Crimes of 20 years ago seem to be wound up in the current murder. The challenges of the victim‘s family are drawn into the investigation. 4/5

A cozy story of heartbreak and love. A novel that had some depressing moments in the early chapters but far more interesting and enjoyable in a new location on the coast. An old house left by an elderly aunt woman who chose independence over love. The niece moves into the old cottage and finds town filled with the love of Ireland, beaches and really good and kind people. 4/5

The second mystery in the series. In this novel we watch as Regan unravels the death of her son who was murdered while playing video games with his dad in their home. Both parents are devastated and their lives change after the murder. Brimming with twists, this story will keep you wondering how and why Chase was killed. Corruption leads the reader on quite the path. 4.5/5

This was a suspenseful book and hard to put down. The story made me really think about how there are times when people in charge don‘t want the truth to come out. A scary thought for all of us. The hero and his wife are told to leave this story alone. When they didn‘t there were sent to other countries in the hopes they would see the actions of the government would convince them to leave the story alone. Thankfully they solved this issue. 4.5/5

Night Road was a novel that brought me through lots of emotions. Happiness, joy, teenage love, parental love, love of friends, love of & for your children and really deep sadness. It had lots of heart wrenching memories and decisions to be made. I really enjoy the writing of Kristin Hannah and her stories leave me feeling the kindness and hopefulness of mankind. 4.75/5

The stories of two women living in different times with the paths taking them on a journey which will connect them together. The main characters are Martha, Henry and Opaline. The lost bookshop is in Dublin. Reading with a heart open to magical things made this a good novel. (Sometimes I think we would all like to have a bit of magic in our own lives.) 4/5

This laugh out loud story was cute and fun to read! I could change the names each of the main characters to people I have known in my past. (I was the director of a senior center during part of my working career. We would plan adventures and laugh at the minds of those who had somehow become senior citizens.) I hope each of us age we hold onto fun and adventure. 4.5/5

This is the first book in a new series. I enjoyed the story. The author does a good job of developing the characters and keeping her Christian faith in those characters. The young physicians assistant is being stalked by a man who looks similar to her ex. He seems to want to kill her. Will her police officer friend be able to save her? 4/5

This novel takes place in the wilderness of Alaska. A couple of murders take US Marshal Arliss Cutter in the depths of corruption. Indigenous culture plays a role in the tale. Illegal drugs and alcohol are also wound into the story. There are lots of twists and turns before the thriller ends. 4.25/5

The second novel in a set of six featuring the FBI agent Abby Kane. Abby is to assist the DEA in solving the murder of an Agent in Columbia. The story is a medium/fast paced thriller with Abby being sent to Columbia. She‘s ordered her return to San Francisco as she tries to secure protection for the witness she brought to the Country. Abby is entwined in her job, trying to raise her stepchildren . Good 4/5 but the first book was better IMO. 4/5

What a story of heartbreaking and tragic loss. I shed tears and felt such sadness and pain for the difficult time in world history. Historical fiction touches us in different ways. Living in Leningrad Russia during WWII and surviving was huge indeed. 5/5

This may be the first novel I‘ve read where I know the landscapes. I live in Montrose and am familiar with all the other places. Peaches grow very well in this area. The story has much sadness and grief. It was a difficult time in the world and not easy on so many fronts. I‘ve read about the making of many reservoirs across the country and know how difficult it is to be moved for the greater good. I liked many of the characters. 4.25/5

Wallace was a hard working man. He had no friends-none at all. When he died his funeral was sparsely attended. Wallace was collected by a “Reaper” and taken to a tea shop where the dead pass through on their way to the next phase of eternity. The tea shop owner Hugo is filled with compassion and understanding. He is very kind. Finally, Wallace is given a week to cross over. In life he worked in death he found himself. Amazing novel! 5/5

I listened this novel on Libby. I love the voice of David Chandler. This story is based in the town of Stone Cross Alaska. The characters are mostly nice with a few criminals to keep law enforcement busy. I love the descriptions of the landscape of the area. The dog sleds and the dogs are amazing. I always enjoy reading a book by Marc Cameron. There is plenty of action and adventure. 4.25/5

This was my first novel by Tana French. I was pleasantly impressed by her work. The elite girls boarding school with a boys school not too far away is the perfect location for steamy teenage hormones and murder. The victim was a good looking young man. The girls were obviously suspected of being involved in the crime. Tana French did a good job keeping me guessing who was responsible. 4.25/5 I intend to read any more of her novels

I‘m a huge fan of Jodi Picoult‘s books. I had a little trouble getting into the beginning of this novel. Even so, I loved this historical fiction novel. The story of 2 women from very different centuries woven together by blood ties who are both playwrights. I loved them both. Life challenges made things difficult for each of them, yet they did what was necessary in order to survive. Poetry and plays were interspersed throughout. 5/5

In a forest there lives an avatar man Giovanni who has made a human boy named Vic. This fantasy is intriguing and gives the reader much to think about. I liked the nurse machine Nurse Ratchet and the little vacuum Rambo. Hap the robot is rescued from the junkyard. The tale takes the characters on a long journey fraught with many difficult decisions as this group tries to rescue Gio who had been kidnapped. I gave this 4.25/5

This novel had lots of twists and many turns. I had a little trouble figuring out the plots and where the characters fit in for the first couple of chapters. The layers were waiting for the reader to catch up. Then things were starting to make sense. I was surprised by some of the layers and certainly didn‘t expect the ending. This was my first novel by Margolin and I will read more of his work. 4.25/5

Carmen (13) and her mother move to Hunters Hollow a rural campground in NC after her dad dies. The Hunter family owns the property. They are: Jack, Dean and parents Sam and Jill. This novel has young love wrapped up with mystery. A friend of Carmen‘s dies and there doesn‘t appear to be any real suspect to be arrested. I love mysteries and found this an easy read. I didn‘t figure out the solution until the story was about to end. 4/5

This novel has strange vibes. A black woman (Tasha) gives a white woman (Madison) who seems distressed a ride. Madison hatches a plan where they could help each other out of abusive relationships by killing each other‘s husbands. Then Tasha‘s husband is killed. The Madison keeps waiting for her husband to die. The plot is thickened by others. The police are trying to find out what happened. Will they find the answers? 3.75/5

The first in a series of fast-paced FBI thriller novels. Murders are happening in Detroit and Agent Abby Kane is sent to solve the cases. The murders seem to be related to the car industry and a secret group of higher level car folks are being expertly and brutally murdered. Abby meets with resistance from the local police. 4/5

What a difficult novel to read. It‘s full of terrible, awful and triggering events. As a mother and a survivor of abuse this novel broke my heart🙁 Rehab is helpful in but doesn‘t work for everyone. Life can be hard. Lucinda Berry is quite an author. Please use caution and awareness as you pick up this book. Rating this book is hard. 4/5