The Meandering Reader

Sunday, April 6, 2025

When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace

I've been enjoying the fact that this series isn't trying to match up the protagonist. She's still mourning the death of her husband and dealing with the fact that her powers have only recently returned. Brynn, the youngest in a family of witches, speaks to the dead. She's moved back to the family B&B and is currently enjoying the signs of spring. Although, she thinks her aunts may be enjoying it a bit too much as it is usually a time for love and Brynn just isn't ready.

So it's with mixed emotions that she notices a ghost. It's Mortimer Sweete, the co-owner of a local candy store. He's convinced that he's been murdered and he wants Brynn's help.

There's quite a bit going on in this story and the solution is fairly convoluted. The ending sets Brynn up with not only a new mentee but with a possible antagonist.

Three stars

Evenfall Witches B&B #2

This book came out April 5, 2022

Follows In the Company of Witches

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Saturday, April 5, 2025

This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen

Rosemary "Mimi" Louise MacLaine knows her place and is assured in it. She's been on the island of Mackinac for a very long time and knows how her life will run. At least until a mysterious invitation appears on her doorstep. It's an invitation... and an order. Unless she comes to the party and bids on (and wins) a specific item, her dirty secrets will be revealed. It is the latter direction that has Mimi reaching out to her granddaughter, Addie for the first time in months.

Addie is fighting her ex-boyfriend for recognition that she deserves on the massively hit video game that she helped him put together. She argues with her grandmother over that same man and now she's been dumped and pushed out of the company. But her normally unemotional grandmother has reached out with an olive branch and Addie is willing to try.

stars

This book comes out April 8, 2025

ARC kindly provided by PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley

Opinons are my own

Friday, April 4, 2025

The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

There has been a murder at the castle.

Three American authors, supposedly "best friends" (it's said A LOT) are visiting for a writing retreat. They have sold the idea of the three of them working on one book. Emma, Cassie, and Kat met at a conference and became friends. But don't seem to know each other very well. It's just too bad that there's been a murder in the castle.

The chapters go back and forth between police interviews and third person omniscient as they rotate through the characters. There is also a lot of time jumping. It took me a LONG while to get into the book, but then I started enjoying it. However, the ending jumped the shark a little too much for me.

Three stars

This book came out November 5, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Canyons of Night Ghost Hunters by Jayne Castle

Best of the recent Jayne Castle books though it may not make as much sense if you haven't read the other two books in the Looking Glass Trilogy.

Charlotte Enright has always been enamored of Slade Attridge, ever since he saved her from some summer boys and then took her into the Preserve (a mysterious and beautiful area on their island) when she was young. She's back on the island, taking over her aunt's business. Her aunt supposedly dealt in rare antiques but ended up being more of a hoarder than anything else. Apparently she was searching for one particular object she could never find.

Slade is back on the island against his will. He thinks he is losing his psychic powers and is only back temporarily to help fill in until they can get a new police chief.

Someone else is looking for the object that Charlotte's aunt seems to have found. Someone who is willing to kill to get it.

Sets up the possibility of more books on the island, perhaps involving the shortly mentioned friend of Charlotte, Rachel who also has had a heartbreaking past.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 30, 2011

Rainshadow #0

Arcane Society #10

Harmony #8

Follows Midnight Crystal

Followed by The Lost Night

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

After solving her first murder, Vera Wong is riding high. She has her found family and her son is dating a detective. Vera's even calling the detective her daughter-in-law (but she doesn't need to know that.) However, she really could use some more excitement in her life. Falling for a scammer isn't exactly what she had in mind.

stars

This book came out April 1, 2024

Vera Wong #2

Follows Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Gift of Gold by Jayne Ann Krentz

Jonas Quarrel doesn't expect to find the true love of his life in a slightly scary cantina in Mexico but sometimes life is funny. He ends up finding her and becoming the dishwasher at her upscale vegetarian restaurant. He knows they're fated to be and he's going to push and push until he gets his way.

He's also got a talent for touching an object, ones used for violence, and reliving the moment that the item was used.

This book is incredibly a sign of the time in which it was written. It did not age really well. I remember enjoying the book but winced through most of it in re-reads.

Two and a half stars

This book came out in 1988

Gift #1

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own