The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie

Alice Asher of Andover has been murdered. It seems to be an open-and-shut case of a woman killed by her brute of an ex-husband. So why is Hercule Poirot interested? Well, he received an anonymous letter about the murder. And when Elizabeth "Betty" Bernard is murdered in Bexhill, the stakes are definitely raised.
Poirot gathers some of the people affected by the murders, especially when the victim of 'C' turns out to be a well-known gentleman. It is in talking to these people that Poirot discovers the insidious reason for this series of murders.

Hercule Poirot #13

Four stars

This book came out January 6, 1936

Follows Death in the Clouds 

Followed by Murder in Mesopotamia

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews

You can try to read this book without having read the books before it but it will be much more helpful (and enjoyable) if you have read the other books first. There are a lot of people and a lot of species that are easier to follow if you know some of them already. I had a hard time following when I read this book as a serial on teh authors' webpage. It was easier to read it all at once and an amazing story as an audiobook. The narrator was perfect for this book. 

Sean and Dina just cannot get down time. The stories of Sean's prowess have spread throughout the werewolf community and now many of his kind are showing up to try and win his favor. One of them drops the news that Wilmos, an old werewolf, has disappeared. They are able to find out where he is but they are unable to get there without help. Which means that they will need to do a favor in return.

And what a favor. The only beings with a portal near Wilmos are the Dominion and what they require in return is a safe place to complete the selection for a mate for their king. Yes, this is a galactic Bachelor, a contest that touches everyone at the Gertrude Hunt, including Caldenia.

Four stars

This book came out December 13, 2022

Audiobook comes out January 13, 2023

Follows Sweep of the Blade

Reread as audiobook from Hoopla August 2024

The Power of Regret by Daniel H. Pink

I heard about this book from  NPR's Best Books and thought, "Why not?" I think I'm like most people, that there are things in my life that I regret. But so much of American culture these days encourages us to live life with no regrets. But why? Pink urges us to look at that statement and see that maybe it is incorrect. Maybe we do need to have some regrets. How else will we know how to improve ourselves? But there are ways to avoid regret. . In this book, Pink goes through the four core types of regret and talks about ways that we can avoid foundation, boldness, moral, and connection regrets. It is these regrets that we should focus on when making decisions; in five years, ten. Otherwise, "satisficing" is good enough. To undo regrets, you can apologize or try to undo action regrets or "at least it". For both action and inaction, practice self-compassion, normalize (zoom out several years), or try to work through them whether by talking with others or writing it down somewhere.

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 1, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot, famously not good at river travel, takes to the air in this book. And it's a lovely glimpse into history as we see stewards serving full teas with actual tea cups. Unfortunately, not everyone completes the trip alive. An older woman is discovered to be dead, potentially from a wasp sting (one was flying around the cabin) but Poirot thinks it's something different. 

A large part of this book is other characters, Jean Dupont and Norman Gale, trying to solve the murder themselves. The overall solution is similar to other twists in Christie stories but the story (minus the casual racism that occurred in the '30s) is overall a fine read.

Four stars

This book came out March 10, 1935

Follows Three Act Tragedy

Followed by The ABC Murders

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Back in a Spell by Lana Harper

Nineve "Nina" Blackmoore is having some really bad luck at the moment. First, she's been dumped. Second, her family is known as being kind of the "bad guys" around town which is severely hindering her love life as she tries to jump back in the dating pool. Third, her magic is acting really weird. Like, way overreacting to any spells she tries to cast. And the dreams... Plus she seems to be witchbound (married) to a guy that her friend picked off a dating application. 

Morty isn't sure what's going on. First, his date ends up being the lawyer whose family sent a whole bunch of letters trying to buy his family bar. Then, he woke up and had magic. Like, real magic. What the heck? Only Nina will know the answer but he's not sure he wants to be near her. Yet he can't stay away. Is she really a black-hearted witch like the rest of her family?

I wish we had gotten to see more of Morty and Nina's relationship. It went from "I think I should hate you" to "Let's hang out forever" really, really fast. There was a lot of plot movement for the series but I wish we had seen more for them.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 10, 2023

Follows From Bad to Cursed

Followed by In Charm's Way

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

The Spare Man Mary Robinette Kowal

I've really enjoyed Kowal's books in the past and, upon hearing that this was like a sci-fi version of The Thin Man, immediately reserved the book from my local library. And this is like the movie (the book didn't have as much comedy) in that you have now "retired" detective who has married an heiress. In this book, we get more from the wife since the book is told from her point of view.

Tesla and her new husband are on a planetary cruise when a murder occurs. Though she is recognizable to the point of creating a horde, she has been able to fly under the radar to this point. The ship's security is less than stellar and, not knowing who she is, immediately pin their gaze on her husband as the guilty party. Tesla is less than impressed and decides (against her attorney's direct orders) to investigate herself. How else is her husband supposed to be freed?

This book is good but it is very much the first in a series and there is a lot of world-building. I do hope there are more in the series though as I have enjoyed Kowal's characters in the past and I think this book will improve when there are more books in the series.

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 22, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder on the Golden Arrow by Magda Alexander

Apparently Kindle Unlimited has decided that I enjoyed one book about a privileged young lady solving murders in the early 1900s so it will recommend ALL of the series about privileged young ladies solving murders. This one is a little different in that the heroine is neither aristocracy nor an orphan but it follows much the same lines.

Kitty Worthington is a socialite and, though she has just finished a year in finishing school, she has little interest in marriage.  Her brother Ned has come to retrieve her as well as further some of her father's business interests but now they are on their way home. On the way, they encounter a woman, Rose Trevvyan, who is a part of Ned's past, one he'd rather not see again. Later, Kitty overhears the woman talking to her husband; Rose is planning on blackmailing Ned but her husband, Jack, is reluctant.

They, along with a motley crew of characters, board The Golden Arrow. Along the way, Rose gets very sick and falls dead, poisoned. Nearly everyone on the deck had a connection to Rose and almost everyone had the opportunity to get poison into her system. The police seem inclined to pin the murder on Ned but Kitty, an inveterate reader of Agatha Christie, has other ideas.

Going to be honest, some of these series are starting to run together in some ways but I did enjoy this book and am immediately going to return it and read the next in the series. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 21, 2021

Followed by Murder at Westminster

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own