Forgotten in Death by J. D. Robb

The day starts with a fresh corpse in a dumpster and continues with two more walled into some construction (Roarke's unfortunately). Lieutenant Eve Dallas is not enjoying her day. It doesn't help that her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, bubbling over with enthusiasm for the home project she's working on. It's not exactly a topic that Eve is interested in but she'll listen if she has to. Then it turns out the previous owners of the site have ties to the Russian mob and her day just keeps going downhill.

When it turns out there might be a connection between the two cases, Eve is astonished. But that doesn't stop her from working on justice for all involved, even righting wrongs that the first person had done to them decades ago.

I liked that there was a concentration on Eve and Roarke, then on the mystery and to some extent what was going on with Peabody and her house. At book 53, there are a lot of characters in this series and sometimes it feels like they are all shoehorned in. Not so with this one.

Four stars

This book came out September 7th, 2021

Follows Faithless in Death

Followed by Abandoned in Death

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023 as audiobook from Libby

Deeper Than The Ocean by Julie Ann Walker

There are starting to be rather a lot of names in this series with the six former SEALs and now at least 5 of their romantic interests. It did make it hard to follow at points but then it settled into two main stories.

The main plot was between Christina "Chrissy" Szarek and Ray "Wolf" Roanhorse. The man who was falling in love and the woman whose past made her wary of the feeling had been circling around each other in all of the previous books. In this one, Chrissy and her best friend are shot when they take a shortcut through an ostensibly abandoned warehouse. It's just bad luck that they happen to see a drug drop going on. Both are shot but while Winston immediately goes down, Chrissy is able to make it to the bar where she is supposed to meet Wolf for a "friendly" drink.

Like other books in the series, our heroine is in trouble that the hero is trying to protect her from. It again sort of overwhelms the romance and the reader getting to see the relationship really grow.

The B story is between Mia, a shy and introverted historical researcher with A Past, and Romeo, a ladies' man who is fighting his attraction to a woman who is the kind you settle down with.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 31st, 2021

Follows Ride the Tide

Followed by Shot Across the Bow

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Miss Marple is on the case again, this time called in by Dolly Bantry. A body has been found in her library, that of a young, heavily made-up girl. The rumors about Colonel Bantry are already flying and Mrs. Bantry knows of only one woman who can help. 

The girl was an exhibition dancer at a posh resort, covering for a cousin who had severely sprained her ankle. She was also cozying up to an older man who had lost all of his family in an airplane accident, all except a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law. When the man told them that he was considering adopting the now-dead-girl, the son- and daughter-in-law were upset. But were they the ones who killed her? Jane's on the case.

This is Agatha Christie at the top of her game, using actual clues as red herrings while still dropping breadcrumbs for the reader. 

Four stars

Follows The Regatta Mystery

Followed by The Moving Finger

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Cheers to the Duke by Sally MacKenzie

Jo, Lady Havenridge as she is more properly known, is frustrated. Yes, her friends are happy and married but that means that creating the ale that pays for the Home (a place for women and children to live) rests solely on her shoulders. Yes, the Duke of Grainger has proved a steady patron but that's because he's only been nobility for a year. The rest of the people who fund the Home? They might have shorter attention spans. And where would that leave her and all of her charges? 

But her friends are conspiring against her. In fact, everyone is conspiring against her to get her away from the home. And maybe into a new family.

This was a cute story but there was just so much pressure on Jo and Edward. Edward fell in line pretty fast but Jo railed against what appeared to be inevitable. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 5th, 2021

Follows The Merry Viscount
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Cure for What Ales You by Ellie Alexander

Sloan Krause is once again in the middle of a mystery, this time concerning her own past. When a woman, Maureen, comes to town who strongly resembles her, Sloan's past starts to affect the present at full force. Maureen has some strange tales and Sloan is not sure what to believe. Plus, there seems to be a mysterious "bad guy" who Maureen says is coming for Sloan and her family. And some of that urgency is even more strongly conveyed when the head housekeeper at the hotel where Maureen was staying is murdered in Maureen's room. 

Is Maureen right? Is Sloan in danger? Or are these the ravings of a woman who has been running for too long?

This story didn't hold together as well as some of the earlier books. The last story ended on a rather shocking note that seemed to be leading to a greater story but was wrapped up in a few sentences in the front of this book. Sally seems to be a greater and greater part of Sloan's life but I"m struggling to remember if we've ever seen her on page. And this book was very full-speed-ahead then slow then full-speed-ahead and a slow down. 

Three stars
Follows Without a Brew

This book comes out October 5th, 2021
Ebook kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

September Rereads

As always, opinions on the books are my own

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #1

Four and a half stars

This book came out February 7th, 2006

Followed by Murder with Puffins

Audible audiobook I bought

Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #2

Four stars

This book came out June 15th, 2001

Follows Murder with Peacocks

Followed by Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Audible audiobook I bought

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

Cecilia & Kate #1

Five stars
This book came out April 15th, 1988

Followed by The Grand Tour
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston

Call of Crows #1

Three and a half stars
This book came out March 31st, 2015

Followed by The Undoing

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston

Call of Crows #3

Threee and a half stars

Follows The Undoing
This book came out March 28, 2016

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Legacy by Nora Roberts

Four and a half stars

This book came out May 25th, 2021

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Prologue: Vivienne Jones has been dating a guy for three months. She finds out that he is actually betrothed to another woman. She takes a long bath and then hexes both he and his bloodline. But it's all in good fun. It wasn't even a real hex.

Nine year later Rhys Penhallow is back in town. He's only there to attend the town's 100th anniversary because his family founded the town. He's also there to reset the ley lines that his family set. Yes, he is a witch. To be fair, so is Vivienne though she didn't know that fact until later in life. And now it seems like the hex might be something more than a frivolous night of blowing off steam. And when Rhys resets the ley lines, his hex transfers from him directly into town.

Immediately, strange things start happening. Toy skulls surround customers in the shop Vivienne's cousin runs. A ghost is released from a binding. Basically, Rhys, Vivienne and her aunt and cousin are kept busy putting out both literal and metaphorical fires. But trying to solve the hex gives Rhys and Vivienne time to spend together.

This was a fun story and hopefully the start to a new series. I would love to see how Vivienne's cousin works things out with Mayor Jane. There are definitely a few things that threw me off including some pretty big time jumps where it seems like things were maybe settling down because there was no exposition but overall a fun, fast, and fluffy read.

Four stars

This book comes out October 5th, 2021

Followed by The Kiss Curse

ARC kindly provided by William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own