The Prisoner's Key by C.J. Archer

Matt and India are enjoying married life and India is starting to work with a friend of her grandfather's learning the laguage of magic. Her tutor, Charbonneau (my spelling might be off, I listened to the audiobook) comes from a wealthy French family. He is a second son so they'd prefer he marry someone for politics or money. He wants to marry a magician. So, when Louise more or less proposes, he turns her down. But then, Charbonneau is sent to debtor's prison and any number of people would like to help him out, including one very sneaky magic obsessed lord. When Charbonneau (a lead magician) escapes, everyone is on high alert.

Three stars

This book came out September 3, 2019

Glass and Steele #8

Follows The Cheater's Game
Followed by Imposter's Inheritance

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Give 'em the Pickle by Robert E. Farrell

This book is definitely from the 90s. The cheerfulness, the simplicity, it's very much a feel-good self-help kind of book. The overall message, if you can do something small t9 make your customer happy, is a good one. 

30 years out though, many of his examples feel fairly cheesy and out of step with the customers.we see today. There is a focus on "the customer is always right" and that pendulum is swinging back to the original finish of that quote, "in matters of taste. 

Three stars

This book came out in 1995

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

How Spider Saved Valentine's Day by Robert Kraus

I just rediscovered this book from my childhood and it is adorable. It has some good repetition that children will enjoy because they can participate.

In this book, it's Valentine's Day. Spider, Ladybug, and Fly remember valentine  for each other but forget about the two hungry caterpillars who sleep in the back. Luckily,  they come up with a plan. And the caterpillars have a surprise of their own.

Fours stars

This book came out in 1986

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

The Cheater's Game by C.J. Archer

Shenanigans abound when Buffalo Bill Cody's show comes to London. While India is impressed, Willie is not. But she doesn't mind playing cards with some of the men who were in the show. It's just too bad that Duke gets into a fight with one of them. And that man ends up dead.
While the "posse" is wrestling with that issue, India's got some added trouble. Her name is starting to get out in the magician's community and her grandfather seems more concerned about making sure people know they're related than keeping her safe.

Three stars

This book came out March 12, 2019

Glass and Steele #7

Follows The Ink Master's Silence
Followed by The Prisoner's Key

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb

We get to learn more about Summerset in this book which is always fascinating. It was sort of easy to tell where this book was heading when an older gentleman, one who was part of a super-secret group during the Urban war, arrives in New York. He has been summoned by an old friend and he wants to uphold the promise he made to that friend. Though they have not spoken in decades, they are bonded by war. So when that gentleman dies, and the case is handed off to Eve, the fat is in the fire. 

This book felt a little more formulaic than most and I'm not sure why. Maybe there was less of their lives outside of the mystery. I still enjoyed the story. 

Four stars

This book comes out February 4, 2025

In Death #60

Follows Passions in Death
Audiobook ARC from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley

Ebook ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Agatha Christie: First Lady of Crime, editor H.R.F. Keating

I got this in a blind date with a book bag and felt like it was worth reading. I probably wouldn't have picked it out myself but it was interesting. Keating brings together a number of authors to look at various aspects of Christie to look at why she was so successful. The essays are varied and topics include: dissecting her writing style, talking about times they met her/her personal life, her disappearance (about which much has been made), the things people don't think of like Mary Westmacott or Christie's 12 plays, her take on artists and writers (not complimentary), and the way her works have been adapted for movies. 

Three stars

This book came out 

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Bride's Runaway Billionaire by Pippa Grant

Both the hero and heroine have been side characters in previous Grant books. They've both also known the glare of the spotlight. Jonas Rutherford was a child star in his family's movies (and still is in movies.) Emma went viral as a bride who's wedding went off the rails when her fiance's misdeedsd came to light at the altar. The two meet each other at a low point in their lives and Emma ends up pregnant.

I didn't love the time jump but the after parts were pretty funny. Emma actually understood Jonah not contacting her after a relatively short amount of time (i.e. it didn't drag on too long.)

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 18, 2024

Three BFFs and a Wedding #2

Follows The Gossip and the Grump

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own