While the Patient Slept by Mignon G. Eberhart

stars

Sarah Keate #2
This book is being reissued February 3, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Penzler Publisher and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Funny Man Patrick McGilligan

A deep dive into the life of Mel Brooks. This book starts, as many good books do, at the beginning, with Brooks' birth in 1926. The whole first chapter is devoted to his first eighteen years, growing up in New York as the youngest of five, being coddled and cosseted. The books moves on to his time in the army during WWII, his time in television, and his movies. There are touches on his marriages and other romances. 
This book is not sycophantic, acknowledging that Brooks was often a horrible coworker and employee, stealing ideas, not crediting people, and often raging at them. 
I'm not sure why, in this day and age, various slurs were in this book They weren't needed for verisimilitude and any number of other words could have been used instead. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out March 19, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Final Target by Nora Roberts

Arden is just starting out as an author at the beginning of the book. She's at a book signing and shrugs it off when one of her fans asks her to grab a meal or coffee with her. But then she sees him again. And again. And someone breaks into her house. Then again, when she's home. But he's wealthy so he gets off with a time of five years. 

In that time, Arden begins to heal, writes more books, and decides to move to Oregon, following her family. She also meets the people of her town, including Joe Riley who owns the hardware store as well as his grandson, Gideon. Gideon is a double-threat as a romance hero, being not only a woodworker but a former cop. 

Of course, the two begin to fall in love. But the danger still lurks.

If you like Roberts, you will enjoy this book. It definitely follows her formula but it's a good formula and enjoyable. 

Four stars

This book came out May 26, 2026

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene

Nancy is trying to relax and read a book but is having trouble concentrating. Luckily, she's interrupted by a knock on the door. Not so luckily, it's Nathan Gombet who is trying to get something from Carson Drew. Her father isn't home but, when he comes back, confirms that Gombet is someone that Nancy should avoid.

Luckily, she has a mystery to distract herself. There are a pair of elderly sisters who are concerned that their house is haunted. Nancy decides to stay at their house so she can experience what they are hearing. And it is certainly puzzling, but she is able to figure out what is happening in the end, leaving the sisters with a happy ending.

This book hasn't aged as well as the first one. I think it was just some of the language that made me realize how old these books are but I'm going to keep working my way through the series. 

Three stars

Nancy Drew #2

Follows The Secret of the Old Clock

Followed by The Bungalow Mystery

This book came out in 1930, rereleased June 16, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Dover Publications and Netgalley

Opinions are my own

Freedom by Angela Merkel, narrator Juliet Stevenson

I was a little intimidated by the 27 hour listening time but was intrigued by a woman who I only knew a little about. And I'm glad that I picked up this book. Not only is it well-written, Merkel has lead a fascinating life. The narrator was a perfect fit, reading the book as I imagine Merkel would, albeit in German. 

As the foreward notes, the book is almost equal between her time out of the chancelloarship and in it. She starts at the beginning, growing up in the GDP, eastern Germany. She was born before the Berlin Wall went up, and was old enough to understand what happened when the wall came down. 

During her time as the Chancellor of Germany, Merkel dealt with any number of political pitfalls. There is a large section given to refugees in Germany. She also crossed swords with Putin and spent time with both Bush and Obama (she speaks of the latter two highly.) She speaks very... professionally about President Trump.

Four stars
This book came out January 1, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, narrator Ari Graynor

Isabel "Izzy" Spellman grew up with parents who are private investigators. She also grew up with an older brother who was perfect. So she decided to become a nosy screw up. That more or less changed when she messed up enough to bother even her brother when she turns 23. Now she's 28 and her sister has been missing for three days. There is a little bit of hopping in time but most of the story is told in chronological order describing her parents, her former cop uncle, and her fourteen-year-old sister who wants nothing more than to be a private investigator. 

This book has actually aged better than I thought.

Four stars

#1 Spellman Series
This book came out January 1, 2007

Followed by Curse of the Spellmans

Audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garfield Beefs Up by Jim Davis

Lots of familiar themes in this book  - though some of them went on a little long. Jon can't find a date. Garfield taunts dogs and is friends with mice. Somehow, though, he tends ot eat mice. We also have long stretches of Garfield watching tv as well as making various snowmen. We even get a few strips of Garfield doing his stand up comedy on the (back?) fence. 

Four stars

Garfield #37

Follows Garfield Hogs the Spotlight

Followed by Garfield Gets Cookin'

This book came out October 1, 2000

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own