Lila moves from Iowa to the Ozark town of Henbane to work. The job quickly turns dark. Years later, 16 year old Lucy Dane, Lila‘s daughter goes to work for her Uncle. Lila went missing when Lucy was a baby. A friend of Lucy‘s goes missing. Mystery spring up and some wonder if these missing girls might have something in common. There are lots of layers are tangled together along with lots of memories. 4/5⭐️

A funny retelling of Shakespeare‘s Taming of the Shrew. Anne Tyler sets this novel in Maryland. Kate Battista feels stuck in life. She‘s been caring for her scientist father and younger sister, seemingly forever. Her father is researching autoimmune diseases and his brilliant assistant is about to be deported. Pytor must either reapply for a visa or marry to be eligible for a green card. Unusual characters and circumstances abound. 3.5/5⭐️

Kate Shugak has disappeared from her home. Her family and friends are very concerned as this is not something Kate would do. Alaska State Trooper Jim Chopin is a friend and he is searching for her when he is sent to Bering to work undercover. He unexpectedly finds Kate there. There is Jim‘s undercover job and a huge mystery to solve. This is book ten in the series and a less emotional than number nine. A good story. 4/5⭐️

This novel is set in Maine. I listened to the audiobook. Having grown up in NH, I liked the narrator as she sounded like “home” to me. Dolores Claiborne was quite the character. I found her to be a strong woman and mother of three. Dolores was the housekeeper for Vera Donovan who was very wealthy. Death happens and sometimes there are suspicions concerning them. This story is no exception. 4.5/5⭐️

If you are a baseball fan, you are going to like this novel. Joe Castle was hit in the head with a baseball. Life changes for both the Warren Tracey and Joe Castle after that incident. I liked Warren‘s son Paul and the story behind the life of the two men. 4/5 ⭐️

This novel is full of heartbreaking historical fiction based on the experiences of a young nurse and her peers during the Vietnam War. The characters all had battles they faced while serving in country and more when they returned. The unpopular war was difficult for all the soldiers and those back at home. Returning to the US was difficult. PTSD was a huge part of daily life for many. This book touched me in all ways. 4.75/5

A complex novel with some strange characters. It was filled with twists and turns I didn‘t expect. It started out a bit slow but the story became more interesting and more in depth as it continued. I listened to the audio version with different narrators, made the characters come to life. Dysfunction family at its top level. 4.25/5⭐️

A novel taking place in Georgia with some interesting characters. I enjoyed meeting most of them. Deena, a lawyer, decides to returns to her home town after the death of her beloved mother and her own divorce. Deena has moved back into the home she grew up in with her father and her stepmother, is sleeping her girlhood bedroom. Mysteries surrounding the homes being swallowed by a large cooperation and property maybe stolen. 4/5⭐️

This has to be one of the best historical fiction I‘ve ever read. My heart is so broken for all of the people who didn‘t survive the horrific tragedy of the Hitler and the Nazis occupied Germany. I have so much respect for those who found trust, life and hope in the darkness of the forest and went on to survive. 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the first book I‘ve read of Marcie Rendon. I liked Quill and Crow and most of the others in this novel. The setting is northern MN in deep winter. It‘s freezing cold. The oil pipeline has come to the area and Indigenous women are disappearing. Quill is very independent and wants to find and save those who are missing. As with many Native Tribes, there is a casino on the reservation. This was a quick read. 4.5/5⭐️

The novel was dark and somewhat predictable as I got closer to the end, I figured it out. The characters were not particularly lovable. I did like being able to try to figure out what happened. The father‘s name fit him perfectly. 4.5/5⭐️

A novel reflecting on teenage years of two adults who grew up in NYC. Sometimes funny and other times sad, the kids while attending a Quaker School are trying to decide who they are sexually. The imagination runs a bit wild. No matter where you identify yourself sexually, or where you grew up, this novel had me recalling my memories during my teenage years. I gave this a solid 4.5/5⭐️

This novel is set in the state of Washington . Ruth Turner tells Detective Megan Carpenter that her sister is missing. The ladies drive out to Snow Creek to check things out. Indeed, Ida Wheaton and her husband are missing. The two teenagers are at home alone. Snow Creek is an area where not many live. Most residents live “off-grid” and prefer no company. Will the mystery of the missing be solved? Full of twists. 4/5⭐️

This novel was well written and the characters were nice (except of a couple) and the story took the readers from the Caribbean to London, then New York and California. Two siblings who were estranged find themselves together trying to work through the death of their mother. Surprised, the lawyer tells them of a half sister they didn‘t know about. Life has dealt each of them a path they didn‘t expect. 4.25/5⭐️

C.J. Box has delivered another great novel featuring some of my favorite characters. Joe Pickett, Wyoming Game Warden, Nate Romanowski, Geronimo both master Falconers and the evil villain Axel Soledad are prominent in this book. Box always describes the landscape around in the area. If you close your eyes you can visualize the scene. Will they find for Soledad find him before more people die? Action filled 4.5/5🌟

Wealth. Power. Magic. Murder. All these and more are found in this novel. Alex Stern takes the reader on an Ivy League journey to try to rescue Darlington from the grips of purgatory. She has been forbidden from this endeavor but that won‘t stop her. New Haven will never be the same after the “team” of dubious allies discover a way to right this wrong by entering hell. They will be successful or die trying. Which will it be? 4⭐️

A novel filled with lots of different elements. We meet Frankie as she‘s called in the visit with a death row inmate. Frankie wanders around finding missing persons. This time she looking for the missing/kidnapped younger sister of the inmate. Frankie goes to Hawaii and then onto an atoll where the sister is going to be. The death row sister escapes from prison and comes to the atoll. People are being murdered. What happens next? 4/5 🌟

A teenaged girl with a dysfunctional family decides to become a pilot in Russia. She is turned down repeatedly because of her gender. Eventually she becomes one of the best pilots, going on over 600 missions. She is awarded the top medal from Stalin. Very well written this historical fiction novel which held my interest from the beginnings in Russia all the way to Boston MA. I highly recommend reading. 5🌟

Twists and unexpected turns in this thriller novel had me guessing right up to the very end. There were some interesting characters as well as some who were concerning from the time they were introduced in the chapters. The descriptive phrases made me feel as if I was right near the bayou. I felt the humidity as well. Multiple murders kept me reading when I should have been sleeping. 4.25🌟

Dana Stabenow has written another mystery set in the Park in Alaska. PI Kate Shugak is on the job this time trying to assist State Trooper “Chopper Jim” solve a murder. The regular characters are nice people. Mutt the half wolf dog plays an important part in entire series. Winter is cold in Alaska, bringing the residents closer. How many will die before the killer is captured? 4⭐️

A double love story in two different generations. World War II with two people very much in love. A baby boy born of the love of his parents. Born in England and then headed to Colorado. The granddaughter trying to sort through all the paperwork of her grandmother after passed away. A modern love story with the granddaughter and the author who had been hired to complete the grandmother hadn‘t finished. 4.25🌟

The intriguing story of black women who were hired to work in the 1940s in order to help the country win the space race. The was lots of discrimination during the early years. The women were referred to as “computers,” working the mathematical computations before computers (in today‘s sense.) Some were school teachers. The women were kept in lower level jobs because people didn‘t believe they could do better than men. Interesting book. 4🌟

This novel is a love story on many levels. There‘s the love of parents, love of friends, love of spouses. There are tragic moments when a man is convicted of a crime he didn‘t commit and is sentenced to prison. The novel is mostly filled with letters written while the man is in prison. There is lots of passion and pain. When the attorney finally is able to get the man‘s conviction overturned, he heads home and everything has changed. 3.75⭐️

Jack Schmidts is the owner of a seaside restaurant which has been in his family since his grandmother opened it. Jack doesn‘t have any living family and he spends most of his time at the restaurant. A large corporation wants to buy his successful restaurant. Jack thinks it might be time. His employees love him & he feels they‘re almost family. This novels well written and the author pulls you in and allows you to be part of the story. 4.5⭐️

This is a dark novel with lots of gory details. A Navajo forensic photographer finds herself wrapped up with the ghosts of those she has taken pictures of. They weigh heavily on her shoulders. She‘s also drawn in a serial killer‘s lair. These ghosts also fill Rita Todacheene‘s head. The serial killer has formed his own dangerous religion. Rita and her colleagues try to catch him before he kills again. Will they save his next victim? 4⭐️

Assistant District Attorney Nina Frost is really good at her job. She tries very hard to do the best she can to prosecute sexual predators. Then comes the day when her 5 yr old son is sexually abused. When the man, her priest, is brought into the court Nina acts in unexpectedly and shoots him at point blank range. This is all on tape. Nina has to pay for her sins. No one should be above the law. Was the outcome expected? 4⭐️

What a memoir! From extreme poverty and child abuse and eventually becoming a star. One thing for absolute certainty was her desire to make something of herself. This book had my heartfelt sympathy for any child living in a “dirt poor” situation. 4.5⭐️

This book really makes the reader think about race relations in our country. The way we look at the differences of how races interact show in our own lives. Twin sisters, one looking black and the other light enough to pass as white. The novel touches on many aspects of life. I enjoyed reading it. 4.5⭐️

A novel taking us back to 1989 and the Danvers MA field hockey team. The area was famous for the Salem Witch Trials and hangings. The girls feeling a bit of the long lasting effects of black-magic, they have decided to try magic themselves to see if it will help them win games. They have a great season. The girls head back years later to attend a wedding and have quite the reunion. This was a fun read with lots nostalgia for me. 4.75/5

In looking for a book set in Iowa, I found this one set in Nevada, Iowa. This novel‘s plot was hard to follow. It seemed to jump from one place and topic to another. The first section was quite interesting and I was left wondering about the VHS tapes and who exactly taped over the original recordings. Not a favorite of mine but I gave it 3/5

This novel was set in the mountains of the northern Appalachians. A father and his daughter are living in seclusion. The father has had a difficult time with PTSD after serving in the military. The land they live on is owned by a friend from the service. Isolation is the only life the daughter knows. The past and its challenges were easier when the girl was younger. She needs to become part of the world. 4.5/5

The scene was Glacier National Park. The story had some interesting details about black bears and grizzlies. The characters were interesting and had lots of experiences in the Park. The park ranger, Anna Pigeon is researching and trying to track the bears. The bears are substantially smaller than Alaskan bears, yet large enough to be frightening. There is a murder to solve and mysteries enough to encourage the reader. 4-5

Ms Gay bares her soul to tell us her story about her battle with her weight. She divulges how she was gang raped as at age 12 by a group of boys. She is open and honest about how she felt herself to be unworthy of being a “good girl” and therefore not worthy of being loved. It is really disappointing to know and understanding that people are very disrespectful towards morbidly obese people. It‘s hard to see anyone treated this way. 5/5

Hearts, sometimes even the best need help. A doctor who knows broken hearts steps away from his profession. A young girl with an unhealthy dying heart becomes friends with the man the doctor has become. Disastrously, the girl needs a new heart because hers is pumping towards its end. Will a donor heart arrive in order to save her life? Will the best transplant surgeon return to his profession? Grab a box of tissues as you‘ll need them. 5/5

This was a novel full of twists and unexpected turns. An ICU nurse is caring for a young woman who was severely injured when she jumped or was pushed from a bridge. There are issues of women being raped and assaulted in the neighborhoods near the hospital. Police are trying to find the rapist are also trying to determine whether the woman in the ICU was shoved off the bridge. Many angles and circumstances had me wondering…..4.25/5

The Fairytale Killer by LJ Bourne is a novel about a viscous serial killer who dresses his victims like the the princesses in fairytales. The victims are most definitely tortured. The investigators find horrific scenes when the victims are found. The monster responsible for the murders is savage. The Fairytale Killer is a standalone story. 4/5

Housekeeping is a novel by Marilynne Robinson. It is slow-paced. The characters are different and certainly were not raised in a normal household. The setting was in the far west town of Fingerbone, Idaho. The story has some tragic history with the grandfather and the mother. The sisters weren‘t especially close once they grew up. 3/5

I certainly wasn‘t sure what to expect with this novel. It found it to be an interesting and engaging story. Gus, Mac and Theo were the main characters. Gus was an attorney, Mac a PI and Theo was a budding writer. There were many twists and turns, including a trip from Lawrence Kansas to Australia and back. Murders happened and scandals were running rampant. There wasn‘t any time when things stood still. A medium paced tale. 4/5

The true story of Lauren Spierer, a young college student who seemingly disappears in early June of 2011. Lauren had been partying with several other young people. She had a history of problems with drugs and alcohol. She was most definitely drunk and had been doing drugs earlier the night she vanished. Life goes on and yet it doesn‘t for her loved ones. At least one person knows what happened. Someone knows more than they are telling. 4/5

This novel was a story of true love. The love of humanity, the love of a wife and husband, the love of parents for their children, the love of family and the love of history. It‘s hard to imagine the history showing how different races could be so ugly. The characters here are easy to love and understand. The story was similar to a jigsaw puzzle and getting all the pieces together was rewarding. 4.5/5

A simple cozy murder mystery. The novel is set in a campground in Normal, Kentucky. The characters are “cutesy” and not very complex. I read this in a bit less than five hours. Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, will find it an easy read. 3/5

This cozy mystery was enjoyable and a light read. I enjoyed the characters, especially the Standard Poodle, Captain Haviland. This novel brought up mixed feelings about development on the coastline. The writers group individuals were each in the process of trying to write a book. Cozy mysteries are what I refer to as “fluff” meaning they for fun. I gave this a 4/5 stars

Set in the Florida Everglades this thriller begins with bodies being discovered in barrels and in in many other locations. The FBI & the FDLE are on the search for the killer(s). There are layers of corruption and evil dwelling all around. The culprits are wrapped up around “the archangel.” Church leaders and politicians are entwined in the novel. Tensions are tight as the killers are identified. 4.25/5

The second novel is the Lord Peter Wimsey series. A cozy mystery written in 1926. The story takes place in the countryside estate of Lord Peter‘s brother Gerald. Gerald is hunting with his soon to be brother-in-law. Lord Peter sees the headline saying his brother has been arrested and rushes to solve the crime. The humor of the English is ever present. This novel could be read as a standalone book or part of the series. 4/5.

This thriller is book 5 in the series of 6 featuring an FBI agent Abby Kane. The setting is San Francisco‘s Chinatown. The mastermind of a killing game turns the tables and sends the killer teams out to kill Abby and her family. The family is being secluded in a secret location for their safety. The novel takes many twists and turns. This thriller keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. 4/5

This novel is set in the Canadian woodland. A family of four goes to a backwater lake for one last camping trip before winter. When Sarah Anderson awakes the next morning she discovers her husband is missing. The weather is turning harsh. Sarah & her kids are full of panic and anxiety. The area is searched and Matt isn‘t found. The family goes back to home. The mystery remains. Matt has lots of secrets. Will he be found? 3.75/5

This novel is set in upstate New York. The characters are quite interesting & mostly well liked. Holly is a struggling playwright. Holly, her girlfriend Nisa, and two other friends travel to the Mansion outside a small village. The house appears to be haunted with a reputation of someone from each group of renters going missing. The author adds an edge of fairies into the mix adding a magical element to the novel. 4/5

This novel is set in the four corners region and on the Navajo Nation. The main characters are Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee. Navajo Police Officer Delbert Nez is killed. While searching for the murderer, lots of corruption is discovered. Leaphorn & Chee won‘t stop until they solve the crime. The Navajo lifestyle is always present and explained to those who desire knowledge of life of Indigenous peoples. 4/5