The Biscuit Barrel Murder by Geoffrey Start

I requested this book from NetGalley based on the title. A couple of the reviews that were available compared this to Blotto and Twinks; I have no clue what that is but I'm always up for a new mystery series. And this one is not a bad start to a series (I think?) but there are a LOT of people that are introduced and some odd leaping about from first person to third that threw me off in the beginning. There are also a lot of characters. A LOT of characters.

Sir Wispy Fescue, Strangely Drye, and Wanda Cushway have a detective agency. They are hired to prove by Lord and Lady Alfreton to prove that their daughter, Miss Josephine Leighton, did NOT murder her fiancee, Viscount Thurmaston, with the biscuits that she baked for him weekly. So the team are off on an adventure to interview various suspects (all of whom Sir Wispy seems to latch on to at various points as being the murderer which was sort of interesting). Also included on the adventure are Sir Wispy's and Strangely's wives, Constanza and Libby who seem rather tolerant of their sleuthing although Libby does seem overly worried about Sir Wispy not getting hurt which, of course, he does. 

Not sure if this is a series; it might make some sense if it is since so many people were introduced so quickly. I would be interested in reading more though. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out January 28, 2023

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and The Book Guild

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm by Betty MacDonald

I like the first two books in the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series but after that... eh. The books are usually charming with their magical realism. This book features a lot more magic, a lot less realism.

We start off with the Not Truthfulness Cure. We've got a young gentleman who can't seem to tell the truth and there are a lot of different stories going around town. So he's left with Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for a month. Yes. His parents just drop him off at a woman's farm, out of town (she's moved since the first two books) and this is someone they don't really know. Okay. 

Next up is the Pet-forgotten cure where a little girl can't take care of her many, many pets. 

In the Destructiveness Cure, we meet Jeffy who likes to take things apart. Of course, being at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's will show him why that's not a good idea. Suddenly in this book, Penelope the parrot, who was a regular parrot before, talks in full sentences.

There is also the Fraidy-Cat Cure. Phoebe is scared of everything but when Mrs Piggle-Wiggle gets trapped and getting over being a fraidy cat has to happen quickly.

Lastly we have the Can't Find It Cure where Morton comes up with a fabulous treasure... which was how the last book ended.

You can probably tell that I was frustrated with this book as being a retread of a lot of earlier stories.

Two stars

This book came out in 1954

Follows Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic

Followed by Hello Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Brooding Bodyguard by Angela R. Casella

Sinclair Jones is a famous actress who has a few problems. First, she's not sure what she wants to do with her life now that she's no longer playing a teenager on TV. Second, her mother (former momager) trashed her reputation so her reputation in the industry isn't exactly sterling. Oh, and she seems to have picked up a stalker.

For the first, she's been trying a number of new things like painting or creating things with clay. For the second, she's fake dating a man who tapes television shows about man vs. wilderness. For the last, she has a bodyguard.

Rafe used to be a painter. Then he got shot and became a personal fitness instructor (and got ripped.) Now, in between jobs, he has been asked by some of his father's friends to watch over Sinclair. He is expecting a snobby millionaire but finds someone who is much more complex. The more time they spend together, the more he wants to plumb her depths (har.) But her stalker is escalating and no one seems to be able to figure out exactly how to stop them.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 19, 2023

Follows A Stolen Suit

Followed by A Reluctant Roommate

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

In late 2001, the first adaptation of Harry Potter made its way on to the big screen. The child actors were instantly catapulted into fame. As the young villain of the piece, Tom Felton says that he never got as much press as the actors who played the main three characters, but it did, of course, change his life.

Felton had already been an actor and he walks us through the roles he had and some of the people he met on various sets. He also tells us about working behind the scenes of the Harry Potter films and gives us a lovely glimpse of many of the actors on the films, including those who have since passed away. And they are very short glimpses with very little going too far into depth. 

Read by Felton himself, this book is an interesting look at how the children of Harry Potter grew up on set but also how Felton himself changed both before and after the films. He definitely struggled afterwards but seems to have pulled himself back up by his bootstraps.

Four Stars 

This book came out October 18, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens

When Christian and Letitia were young, they were inseparable, in love. But then Christian went to serve king and country. He returned: Letitia was married. Well, life has happened and Christian is now the Marquess of Dearne and Letitia needs his help. Her husband is dead and her brother is the main suspect. 
So, the book opens with a dead husband and ends with a marriage with lots of "for romance reasons" in between. It was generally an entertaining book but there was a lot of glossing over details, etc.

Three stars

This book came out August 26, 2008

Follows Beyond Seduction

Followed by Mastered by Love

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Not Your Valentine by Jackie Lau

Some people seek the spotlight, some have it thrust upon them. Helen Tsang is among the latter. After her boyfriend broke up with her, blaming her, in a public place and it was videoed and made into a meme. It is almost a year later and she wants people to believe that she's moved on. She hasn't but she wants to get them off her back. 

So, she taps her friend Taylor, to be her fake boyfriend. They've been friends since high school and he knows her well enough to be a believable partner. 

This is a romance so the inevitable happens. Helen catches feelings. But how can Taylor even feel the same way?

Lau is an amazing writer and this book was a fast and fun read. It was just a little too fast for me. I wish we had seen more of Helen and Taylor and how they would function as a couple (not just faking it). I also wish we had seen a little bit more of Helen's friends as they feel like sequel-bait and it would be nice to get to know them a little better.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 24, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Kobo Originals and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

Hallett obviously created this book as a labor of love. The codes are intricate, the story is refreshing, and the way the story is told is one I haven't read before. I would classify it as an epistolary novel since it is ostensibly told through documents. 

Unfolding in transcriptions of files taken from a found iPhone, we learn the story of Steven Smith, recently released from prison. We don't learn why he was in prison until the end of the book but it is that experience which took him away from most of his son's life, the son he is transcribing all of these events for. 

The main story revolves around a book Steven "Little Smithy" found on a bus. When he brought it into school and showed his teacher, she used the book to connect his remedial English class to the written word. She also seemed to take note of the book and tells them about a code in the book. On a field trip to visit the author's house, their teacher vanishes. Decades later, Steven is trying to figure out what actually happened but it seems to have dropped him right into danger. 

Four stars

This book comes out January 24, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own