A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper

Jessamine "Jess" Bricker specializes in personalized proposals. When the book opens, she's orchestrating one involving a shark whale and scuba diving. While that's happening, she gets several phone calls. It seems a girl (now woman) she went to school with was just proposed to. According to Diana, the effort was underwhelming. Now her maybe-to-be fiance is putting out a lot of money to pay for Jess to help with a new proposal. He's also paying for a wedding planner, Aubrey. Right now, the ladies, along with Diana's cousin Kiki are at a week-long resort retreat to start planning for the wdding. But it's not running smoothly. Diana is entitled, Aubrey seems to hate Jess for no reason and Kiki... well, actually Kiki seems like a delight. Plus, there's this man on property that Jess immediately feels drawn towards. But she's not really at that stage in her life. 

That's all bad enough but one of the other resort members dies and Jess stumbles over the body. There are some unexpected visitors but then, there's another body. (Jess stumbles over that one too.)

I really liked the character development in this one A couple of the characters were a little shallow but we mainly follow Jess around and she's got a little bit of depth to her which sometimes surprise some of the other characters. I really didn't like the ending for a couple of spoiler-y reasons but the rest was a good Harper novel and I generally enjoyed the book.

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 8, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie Swann and translated by Amy Bojang

Bernadette has won a trip. The rest of the house decide they're tired of the cold and the damp and they're going with her. All of them. Agnes isn't sure about it but she decides to go along. 

They end up at a remote health resort. It's... fine. But there are some odd things going on. And not just in Edwina's imagination. There's the young man that stows away in Edwina's clsoet and the boa constrictor that shows up (in Cornwall?). There's also a murder. And the hotel is cut off from civilization. So it's up to Agnes and the crew to figure out what's going on. As long as they're not chose as the most likely suspects first.

Four stars

Miss Sharp Investigates #2

Follows The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp

The book came out September 3, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle

stars

This book comes out April 8, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace

I've been enjoying the fact that this series isn't trying to match up the protagonist. She's still mourning the death of her husband and dealing with the fact that her powers have only recently returned. Brynn, the youngest in a family of witches, speaks to the dead. She's moved back to the family B&B and is currently enjoying the signs of spring. Although, she thinks her aunts may be enjoying it a bit too much as it is usually a time for love and Brynn just isn't ready.

So it's with mixed emotions that she notices a ghost. It's Mortimer Sweete, the co-owner of a local candy store. He's convinced that he's been murdered and he wants Brynn's help.

There's quite a bit going on in this story and the solution is fairly convoluted. The ending sets Brynn up with not only a new mentee but with a possible antagonist.

Three stars

Evenfall Witches B&B #2

This book came out April 5, 2022

Follows In the Company of Witches

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen

Rosemary "Mimi" Louise MacLaine knows her place and is assured in it. She's been on the island of Mackinac for a very long time and knows how her life will run. At least until a mysterious invitation appears on her doorstep. It's an invitation... and an order. Unless she comes to the party and bids on (and wins) a specific item, her dirty secrets will be revealed. It is the latter direction that has Mimi reaching out to her granddaughter, Addie for the first time in months.

Addie is fighting her ex-boyfriend for recognition that she deserves on the massively hit video game that she helped him put together. She argues with her grandmother over that same man and now she's been dumped and pushed out of the company. But her normally unemotional grandmother has reached out with an olive branch and Addie is willing to try. 

The two attend the party. It's hosted at the mansion of a woman who is infamous for cavorting with the man her daughter is still married to. And it's an eclecticc group of people who are gathered, including one who Addie is sure she knows under another name. Of course, there is a murder. And a snowstorm. So it's up to Mimi and Addie to figure out what happened.

There was a little too much going on for me, especially at the end, but I generally enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by the author. 

Three and a half  stars

This book comes out April 8, 2025

ARC kindly provided by PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley

Opinons are my own

The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

There has been a murder at the castle.

Three American authors, supposedly "best friends" (it's said A LOT) are visiting for a writing retreat. They have sold the idea of the three of them working on one book. Emma, Cassie, and Kat met at a conference and became friends. But don't seem to know each other very well. It's just too bad that there's been a murder in the castle. 

The chapters go back and forth between police interviews and third person omniscient as they rotate through the characters. There is also a lot of time jumping. It took me a LONG while to get into the book, but then I started enjoying it. However, the ending jumped the shark a little too much for me. 

Three stars

This book came out November 5, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Canyons of Night Ghost Hunters by Jayne Castle

Best of the recent Jayne Castle books though it may not make as much sense if you haven't read the other two books in the Looking Glass Trilogy.

Charlotte Enright has always been enamored of Slade Attridge, ever since he saved her from some summer boys and then took her into the Preserve (a mysterious and beautiful area on their island) when she was young. She's back on the island, taking over her aunt's business. Her aunt supposedly dealt in rare antiques but ended up being more of a hoarder than anything else. Apparently she was searching for one particular object she could never find.

Slade is back on the island against his will. He thinks he is losing his psychic powers and is only back temporarily to help fill in until they can get a new police chief. 

Someone else is looking for the object that Charlotte's aunt seems to have found. Someone who is willing to kill to get it. 

Sets up the possibility of more books on the island, perhaps involving the shortly mentioned friend of Charlotte, Rachel who also has had a heartbreaking past.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 30, 2011

Rainshadow #0

Arcane Society #10

Harmony #8

Follows Midnight Crystal

Followed by The Lost Night

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A

After solving her first murder, Vera Wong is riding high. She has her found family and her son is dating a detective. Vera's even calling the detective her daughter-in-law (but she doesn't need to know that.) However, she really could use some more excitement in her life. Falling for a scammer isn't exactly what she had in mind. 

stars

This book came out April 1, 2024

Vera Wong #2

Follows Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Gift of Gold by Jayne Ann Krentz

Jonas Quarrel doesn't expect to find the true love of his life in a slightly scary cantina in Mexico but sometimes life is funny. He ends up finding her and becoming the dishwasher at her upscale vegetarian restaurant. He knows they're fated to be and he's going to push and push until he gets his way.

He's also got a talent for touching an object, ones used for violence, and reliving the moment that the item was used.

This book is incredibly a sign of the time in which it was written. It did not age really well. I remember enjoying the book but winced through most of it in re-reads. 

Two and a half stars

This book came out in 1988

Gift #1

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are  my own