The Picture House Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith

Miss Clara Vale is one of the first of the graduating group that includes women getting a degree in chemistry. Unfortunately, she is not able to find a job that will let her work in that field. Even more unfortunately, the one person who seemed to ever support her, her Uncle Bob, has passed away. She hasn't seen him for years but he's left Clara his worldly fortune, including his detective agency. 

Unsure of what to do, she decides to give herself a little bit of time to figure it all out. While she is searching through her thoughts and talking to the people who were closest to her uncle, one of his clients stops by. The woman's case was still open and she is hoping that Clara will  take it on. Alice is asking Clara to go up against an insurance company that isn't paying out for their movie theater. And her husband died in between. When a second fire occurs, Clara gets suspicious.

This was an interesting story and a nice start to a new series. With that, there was a lot going on and one or two threads probably could have been shaved to allow more room for character development. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out August 29, 2023

Followed by the Pantomime Murders

ARC kindly provided by Embla Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Big Nate: Move It or Lose It! by Lincoln Peirce

We get to see Nate's baseball team celebrate their end of year. He also tries to create a superhero universe (of course, the NCU.) But he does have to go back to school where he discovers that his homeroom teacher is none other than... Mrs. Godfrey. There's also a storyline where Alan changes his line to Nate and Nate W is really not excited. Also not excited, Chad when he and Gina are set up as partners for a school project. But it's Nate to the rescue when he hypnotizes Chad to have a bad personality. Hopefully he'll be able to change him back...

Four stars

This book comes out August 29, 2023

Follows Nailed It

Followed by This Means War!

ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann

This book opens from the view of the house turtle. Someone is dead. Well, at least their toes are pointing up and no lettuce is being proffered.

We then move to third person omniscient with Agnes Sharp. There is just a little too much going on in Agnes's world on the day the book opens. Lilith is dead but they do not want the police; the police come anyway. And their news makes it advantageous to let them know about Lilith. Plus, the new lodger, Charlie, is moving in. 

We know from the beginning that Agnes is an unreliable narrator. She has a loud ringing in her ears and she can't hear during those times. Then there are the moments that she is pulled back into the past. And we actively read her thinking about deceiving the police and refusing to think of bad memories.

There are some other glimpses into other characters, especially Marshall who seems to have some memory issues though he also seems to know the identity of the killer. 

I'm assuming this is going to be set up as a series since we have many hints of each of the characters having pasts in various parts of law enforcement. Plus, we haven't learned nearly enough about new lodger Charlie and her handsome grandson. 

Four stars

This book comes out August 29, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Random House and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis

This book mainly focuses on Harper Shaw though there are a number of other stories that get pulled in. Harper is moving to Lake Tahoe to open a bakery. She doesn't start off on the right foot with her landlord, Bodie Campbell who is mourning the loss of his father as well as his career. Harper also meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who reminds Harper a lot of herself. 

As Harper begins to get closer to the people in the town, the ties she sees begin to get more and more complicated. There is also a B plot with Bodie's brother and a woman that Harper is slowly starting to make friends with.

This was a fast, fun, and fluffy book but I didn't feel like I got to know any of the characters really well and I wished for more interaction between Harper and Bodie to really get a sense of their HEA.

Three stars

This book came out June 13, 2023

Follows The Backup Plan

Followed  by The Bright Spot

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Legacies by Jessica Goodman

I saw that a friend of mine had read this books and reviewed it highly so I thought I'd give it a chance. It didn't capture my attention as much as it did her but it was an interesting book.

If you get into the Legacy Club, you are pretty much guaranteed that you are set for the rest of life. This year, there are three young people whose entree is pretty much ensured, Bernie, Isobel, and Skylar. They each of something which might prevent them from getting in but all three also want to make it through the week of hazing to capture a seat in the club. Who or what could possibly stop them? Not even Tori, the nominee from some no-known family in Queens. Will all four make it to the end of the week and be able to celebrate at the Legacy ball?

Three stars

This book came out July 25, 2023

Ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

It is not in dispute that General Fentiman is dead. It's a sad thing. And on Armistice Day, too. The problem arises from whether or not he predeceased his sister. At stake? Half a million pounds. Lord Peter Wimsey is among the people who found the old man and he noticed something strange about the body. But what does it mean? And is that the only thing that is going to make this case complicated?

Lots of British culture included in this story. Lord Peter is a fantastic character to begin with but this book really paints a picture of what it was like to live in England following the first World War. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out in 1928

Follows Unnatural Death

Followed by Strong Poison

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

I wasn't especially in love with the last book but I did enjoy this one. There is a lot more in this book about Delilah's personal journey than building a romance and the ending was a little convoluted but overall an enjoyable book. 

Delilah Harlow is still recovering from the events of the last book when she had her brain pretty much scrambled. When the book opens, she is driven to desperation and she tries a spell from a book that she normally would never touch. But she just wants to have her own mind back. Too bad this particular spell makes her a beacon to all of the creepy-crawlies that normally pass Thistle Grove by. 

Into town strides a champion, Catriona Quinn, whose name is just a little too much on the nose. Her mother did that on purpose but it doesn't mean she loves it. She steps into the hero role, even though her armor is a little tarnished. 

The Witches of Thistle Grove #4

Three and half stars

This book comes out August 22, 2023

Follows Back in a Spell

Followed by Rise and Divine

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own