Monthly Reread August 2024

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

This book came out November 1st, 1937

Hercule Poirot #17

Follows Dumb Witness

Followed by Appointment with Death

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews 

Innkeeper Chronicles #1

Four stars

Followed by Sweep in Peace

cGraphicAudio borrowed from Audible Plus

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

Innkeeper Chronicles #2

Follows Clean Sweep

Followed by One Fell Sweep

This book came out November 13, 2015

GraphicAudio borrowed from Audible Plus

One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Innkeeper Chronicles #3

Follows Sweep in Peace

Followed by Sweep of the Blade

This book came out November 13, 2015

GraphicAudio borrowed from Audible Plus

Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews

Innkeeper Chronicles #4

Follows One Fell Sweep
Followed by Sweep of the Heart
This book came out December 2018
GraphicAudio of mine

Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews

Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5

Follows Sweep of the Blade

This book came out December 20th, 2016

Ebook of my own on Kindle

Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews

Innkeeper Chronicles #5

This book came out December 13, 2022

Follows Sweep with Me

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Playing the Witch Card by K.J. Dell'Antonia

Flair Hardwicke is in the middle of a divorce and has moved home to Rattleboro, Kansas to take over her grandmother's bakery. She had run away from the family legacy (magic) and still doesn't really want to be a part of the town's celebrations around Halloween. But she's been pulled into the festivities and now her mother is in town along with Flair's bespelled ex-husband.

Throw in an old boyfriend who is now completely successful, his sister who REALLY doesn't like Flair, and a family history that is not only complicated, it may not be as historical as they think. 

This book felt a bit disjointed. About halfway through it got better for a little bit when Flair and the boyfriend started talking more but then fell apart.

Three stars

This book came out September 12, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

Opening lines can make or break a book and this one has a doozy: You see, don’t you, that she’s got to be killed? This is a line that will come back to haunt some of the characters in this book when Mrs. Boynton ends up dead. Certainly none of her three stepchildren nor even her own daughter will mourn the woman. She wielded the family wealth like a jail. For most of them, this was the first time they had ever left home (and what a place to head out to!)

Their are several travelers who they have met along the way who have noticed how strange this family is. Could it be that one of them took matters into their own hands? Or was it something darker?

Of course, it could have been a natural death. But the doctor that was nearby doesn't think so and asks Poirot (who is on his own vacation) for help.

Four stars

Hercule Poirot #18

This book came out in 1938

Follows Death on the Nile

Followed by Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Borrowed as audiobook 

Opinions are my own

Phineas and Ferb Classic Comics Collection Vol. 1 by Scott Peterson; Various

Very much in the spirit of the television show, these Phineas and Ferb stories are quite enjoyable. The rhythm of the story even matches that of the cartoon. I'm not sure how non-watchers will enjoy it but people who know Phineas and Ferb should love it quite a lot.

Stories are just as fantastical as you might expect/want them to be. There are dinosaurs, words of wisdom from Ferb, a giant snowman, and even more adventures. 

Of course, Doofenshmirtz  and Perry are included as well. Doof goes to jail and recruits men to his team, there's a car chase to get back in time for dinner, and an attempt to make himself adorably cute. 

Five stars

This book came out August 13, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Papercutz and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Silver Master by Jayne Castle

Celinda Ingram has moved to a new city in order to avoid a scandal. But now there's a police detective and a private investigator sitting at her desk. Is she going to have to move again?

It turns out that the PI, Davis Oakes, has been retained by the local Guild (a collection of hunters, thought by some to be similar to the mob) to recover an artifact that Celinda unknowingly bought. She is more than willing to turn it over but her dust bunny has other ideas. Davis doesn't want to let her out of his sight because this job is the first major operation since he recovered from a major psychical coma. 

The two are instantly attracted but they have bigger things to worry about since there are some very bad men after the artifact and them.

Three stars

This book comes out August 1, 2007

Ghost Hunters #4

Follows Ghost Hunter

Followed by Dark Light

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Speak No Evil Detective Sebastian Clifford #2 Sally Rigby

A young girl is left in the square of Market Harborough with a sign around her neck, "Speak No Evil." A year later, she has been living with Birdie's (Detective Constable Lucinda Bird) aunt. There had been no evidence as to where the little girl, called Lacey, had come from or why she had been left there. But Lacey, on a trip to get ice cream, is suddenly terrified. Birdie decides to reach out to Sebastian for help. 

What they uncover is a story that is just plain weird. It involves a brother and sister who are living off the grid and their relationship is... odd. But is everything as it appears on the surface?

Three stars
This book came out July 14, 2021

Clifford#2

Follows Web of Lies

Followed by Never Too Late

Audible book I own

Opinions are my own

Murder Is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens

I had wanted to read this book since it was in a Goodreads giveaway but it took me awhile to get a copy. And I have to say I am a little disappointed as I found Daisy quite annoying. I'm not sure how other readers will feel but she was a know-it-all and didn't listen to Hazel. We do get some back story in that, not only is Daisy the daughter of a peer, but she is used to being the smartest person in the room. Hazel seems to be the only person who has figured that out though as Daisy tends to pretend that she is vapid and vane. 

I did like that there were a lot of slang words thrown in and we learned a bit of history along with the girls.

Before Hazel even stumbles over the body of one of the teachers, the two girls have the detective club. Most of it seems to be devoted to digging up gossip. But one of their teachers IS dead and no one seems to notice or to believe them.

Three stars

This book came out June 5, 2014

Wells and Wong #1

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma

Two of Veera Mathur's best friends have married two of Deepak Datta's best friends. And they've been hanging out. Quite a bit. Which is why it's a shock that he's going to be marrying someone else. Someone she didn't even know he was dating. Oh, and their father's are merging their companies. And Veera's unceremoniously out of a job. Plus, her two best friends are married women which means they are part of a community that Veera can't be a part of. What is she supposed to do? Well, she can take off and travel the world with her twin sister for eight months getting ready to build their business. She doesn't expect to end up in a yachtwreck. But that's where the book opens. With both of their purses at the bottom of the sea, Veera only has one option for who can help. 

Deepak is ecstatic to have something to do. His influencer fiancée just broke up with him via TikTok. Why not fly to India?  At least he can catch up with his best friend. And why not get drunk and then demonstrate a marriage ceremony for an elderly couple renewing their vows? Except that the ceremony is real. Even if they're not legally married, Deepak is strangely reluctant to do anything to rectify the situation. Even though Veera keeps calling it a fake marriage, Deepak, while fully realizing this might help him in his bid to become CEO of their parents' company, is actually just as happy to stay married. 

Of the three books in this series, this was my favorite. I was disappointed that we didn't get more with Veera's father but I really did enjoy this story. I think because Deepak and Veera had such a good relationship when the story opens. Also, Deepak is fairly certain from the beginning that this his end game is going to be Veera.

Four and a half stars

If Shakespeare Was an Auntie #3

Follows Tastes Like Shakkar

This book comes out August 27, 2024

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager

Opinions are my own

Web of Lies by Sally Rigby

Sebastian Clifford is a former police detective and the second son of a viscount. When his cousin's husband, Donald, dies, it appears to be suicide. After all, Donald had been running a Ponzi scheme that was discovered. But Donald's wife, Sarah, isn't so sure. There are some inconsistencies in his supposed suicide note.

As he explores Donald's death, it seems, at first, as straightforward as the police believe. But, as Clifford digs deeper, there is more to it than it first appears. And it may be that Clifford is in mortal danger.

Thank goodness he took on Lucinda "Birdie"Bird, a DC in Market Harborough. She's young and a bit scattered but she strongarms Sebastian into letting her help.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 7, 2021

Detective Sebastian Clifford #1

Followed by Speak No Evil

Audiobook of mine from Audible

Opinons are my own

A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers

Genevieve Timmons is trying to make a living by faking seances. Until the day that one is invaded and Genevieve is arrested. She's certain she's not going to die by hanging like the constable threatens because a fortune teller long ago told her she would die by drowning. And it turns out to be true. She is taken out of jail by Mr. Lockhart. He is a lawyer for Lord Chadwick (most often referred to as Mr. Pemberton by our narrator). Mr. Pemberton's fiancée died under suspicious circumstances the night before their wedding. Mr. Lockhart believes that a seance will help the house with some healing. So Genevieve goes with him to Somerset House. Also in the house are the obligatory housekeeper with an iron heart as well as a former ward of the previous lord, some assorted servants (including Flora who Genevieve befriends), and the new lord's best friend. 

This was a good book until the very end when it went off the rails a bit. Just a little too much for me. But overall, an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 23, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

Adrienne is down to her last twenty dollars when she arrives at Ashburn House. She doesn't remember much about her Aunt Eleanor and she's not sure why the house was left to her. What she does have is hazy memories of fleeing the house in the arms of her mother when Adrienne was young. 

But, her mother is now dead and Adrienne is in reduced circumstances so a free place to stay is a godsend. But the house is eerie. Set apart from the rest of the village and old, Adrienne is trepidatious about staying in this place. Especially when she realizes there are no mirrors. And there are words etched into tables, walls, and even her aunt's headboard that, without a context, are confusing.

I really enjoyed this book which was odd because I'm not much for thrillers but this one was a really fast read and I was almost halfway through when I realized this wasn't a straight-up mystery.

Four stars
This book came out July 20, 2016

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Dark Light by Jayne Castle

Sierra McIntyre is an investigative reporter for a tabloid newspaper. In the beginning of the fifth book set in Castle's futuristic/sci-fi Harmony, she is sitting in the office of the local Guild boss, trying to get to the heart of some mysterious disappearances of some former hunters. When the boss, John Fontana, unexpectedly proposes a Marriage of Convenience (two people can dissolve a marriage immediately unless there are children, in which case, the people involved are immediately entered into a Covenant Marriage), Sierra is surprised but agrees to go along for the sake of getting her story.

The two are immediately attracted to each other but need to take some time during the marriage to figure out exactly what the other person is about. Luckily for them, they have some added distractions of finding the lost Hunters, being chased by a Motorcycle Gang and dealing with some near death experiences.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 24, 2008

Ghost Hunters #5

Follows Silver Master

Followed by Obsidian Prey

Hard copy of my own

Opinions are my own

A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor by Darci Hannah

Chef Bunny is invited to be on a new show, "Food and Spirits" but the show is not what she thinks it is. She’s actually been conscripted to be on a show where the hosts cook dinner (her part) and talk to ghosts. They’re going to start at Bramsford Manor where there is the legend about a Mistletoe Bride.

This is a mystery so, of course, there is another body that turns up at the manor. And Bunny is the unfortunate person to discover it. And the way she discovers it is by following the white rabbit, a relic of her childhood and one that never leads to anything good. And this time, it leads to her becoming the chief suspect in the murder. She decides to call in reinforcements, her psychic Granny Mac.
There were some places that didn’t flow well but I couldn’t tell if that was because of a slight difference in language (the author may be Scottish and I am not) or if it was pre-editing or just a stylist choice I couldn’t get on board for.
Overall, I enjoyed the book (although the fantasy elements did surprise me) and I’d read the next in the series.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out August 20, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Rise and Divine by Lana Harper

Daria "Dasha" Avramov is a devil eater and it's complicated her life in any number of ways. First, demons do NOT taste good. In fact, they are downright nasty. And eating them makes her thirsty. Really, really thirsty. And her ability makes it so that it is very easy for her to be pulled across the veil. In many ways, she'd actually prefer to be there. But Ivy Thorn isn't there.

Ivy knew that Dasha had a complicated past. Well, and that her current life is complicated. Her future probably will be as well. That's why the broke up. But she is incredibly hot. Which is why they got back together. But then they broke up again. Ivy would have said they were never, ever, ever getting back together but then things start happening 

Four stars

This book comes out August 20, 2024

The Witches of Thistle Grove #5

Follows In Charm's Way

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance by Catherine Lloyd

At the end of the last book in this series, Caroline's aunt had died. This book opens with an invitation to her aunt's funeral as well as a reminder that Caroline needs to get in touch with her father's lawyer about his will. Since her father was rather profligate, Caroline does not feel the need to rush over since she is fairly certain it will just be the lawyer wanting her to pay some of her late father's debts. 

The news at her aunt's funeral is not what Caroline expected. She and her sister both receive some inheritance. The news at her father's lawyer's is also unexpected. Both sets of information are going to lead to some harrowing experiences for Miss Morton... and her sister. 

Four stars

Miss Morton #3

Follows Miss Morton And The Spirits Of The Underworld

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own 

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

I enjoyed this book and think I will look for it in a hard copy. 

Goldsmith talks not only about the things that you SHOULD do but also the things you should NOT do. He mentioned that too many of us fall into the trap of thinking that we can just do MORE of the thing that got us to a particular point to help us get to the next level. There is also a lot of food for thought about how we talk to the people around us, being realistic without too much positivity or negativity.

Four stars

This book came out January 9, 2007

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

This book is told mainly from the third person omniscient for Kat and Dorothy, both of whom live in Shelley House. Kat has only recently moved in but Dorothy has lived their most of her life. What brings the two together? The threat of eviction. Well, Dorothy doesn't believe it will happen and Kat is cynical about what they can do. But then someone in the building is attacked and the two, as well as the other people in their apartment building will band together and form a community.
I don't love time jumps but, other than that, this was a nice, easy read even though it dealt with some tough topics.

Three and a half stars

This book came out 

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Juniper Bean has just hit a low point in her life (and her life has had some LOW points). So she's moving back to the town where she grew up. And, shocker, her new roommate is her old tutor. 

Aiden is NOT happy to see Juniper. She's the student who gave him a Christmas gift and then tried to kiss him. He could have gotten in so much trouble so he rebuffed her as hard as he could. Now she's living in his house acting as if that interaction never happened.

I never connected with Juniper nor could I really understand what the two of them had in common other than attraction. And this story line felt sort of adjacent to the mystery of the body that the two discover which is somehow tied in to the mystery of Juniper's birth.

Three stars

This book came out March 31, 2023

Happily Ever Homicide #1

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

A number of people are gathered at the Manor in Tome. Francesca Meadows has refitted her family mansion to be a fancy health spa and this is the opening weekend. But there seem to be a number of things going wrong. Not with her new husband of course; she and Owen Dacre are just perfect. Aren't they? But there are little cracks starting to show everywhere. Not everyone is who they seem to be and the past may be coming back to haunt her.

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 18, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Wow, if you liked Practical Magic, you will really enjoy this book as well. The Waverly family is well known in Bascom, North Carolina as being a little strange. The apples from the tree in their back yard will show you the most significant happening in your life. If it's good, the rest of life pales in comparison and if it's bad... you spend the rest of your life trying to avoid it. That's what happened to Claire and Sydney's mother. She ate an apple and spent the rest of her life running. It affected the way both Claire and Sydney grew up. Claire clung to the town while Sydney couldn't wait to get away. But now Sydney's back with her young daughter.

I would definitely compare this to Alice Hoffman, not least because of the mystical elements, Claire is a fantastic gardener and can cook emotions into the food she serves up in her catering business. Sydney's daughter knows where things belong. And Clair and Sydney's cousin Evanelle always knows when to give people things (including giving condoms to a married woman whose husband is known to be impotent). Great read, would love to read it again.

Four and a half stars

This book came out August 28, 2007

Waverly Family #1

Followed by First Frost

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus catalog

Opinions are my own

A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

While we've met Ben in previous books in the series, I don't think it's necessary to have read them before diving into this book. It will help keep track of secondary characters to have read the other books. 

Ben is fairly content in his life. He has good friends, a great family, and a business that's expanding. He could use someone to fall in love with though. And the wedding that opens this book makes him especially maudlin. Which is how he ends up buying a plastic rock that supposedly contains a vampire succubus. For 99 cents (plus shipping), why not?
Eleanora has been trapped in that plastic rock off and on for over 600 years. She knows a little bit about the real world since the witch who imprisoned her, Isobel, lets her out every once in awhile. Mostly to sic Eleanora on Isobel's enemies but there have been opportunities to learn more about the real world. Still, it's been nearly 60 years since she was last out. But her new owner, Ben, seems like a nice guy. Which is very confusing since this not what she's used to. She's certainly attracted to the man though and that is helping while she tries to navigate the contemporary world and free herself from the stone. 

Glimmer Falls #3

Three and a half stars

Follows A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer

I really enjoy "How Did This Get Made" but wasn't sure I wanted to read about someone else's trauma. I did like that Paul Scheer read his own book. And it was spliced together with clips of Paul reading sections at various podcast shows. 

There was quite a bit of trauma but Paul tells the stories with a bit of humor (thus the title). But there are also a lot of stories just about Paul's life.

Four stars

This book came out May 21, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

Technology was touted as making our lives easier but that is often not what has happened. Instead, we are working harder than ever, often, without considering what it's doing to our mental health. there is an overwhelm of emails.
Newport brings together the works of many other authors who have written similar themes. There are stories of people who have worked both slowly and productively. He also presents ideas on how achieve productivity without burning yourself out.
This book was fine but it felt like a lot of filler- references to other similar books or the author's own writings.

Three stars

This book came out March 5, 2024

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Revenge Club by Kathy Lette

This book is very much an updated First Wives' Club (the movie) if Stockard Channing had lived. There's even a reference to "Sisters are Doing It for Themselves." 

Four women are in their late fifties. Three of them think they are at their pinnacles. They are about to find out that that is the opposite of the truth. But they are willing to fight their way back up to the top. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out August 6, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Aria & Aries and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Big Witch Energy Molly Harper with Amanda Ronconi (Narrator), Teddy Hamilton (Narrator)

The Wiltons can't leave Starfall Point or they will die. This has been true for generations. And it was true for Caroline Wilton's brother. Once he died, her family fell apart. Her father has been depressed since then, her mother took on most of the burden of the family bar (the Wilted Rose) and allowed her to take on the rest of it. Her other two brothers do the bare minimum. Or even less than. So it's mostly up to her. Thank goodness she has her two friends, Alice and Riley, her coven, to keep her sane. But could she also have someone from her past?

Benjamin Hoult has just moved back to town with his two teenagers. He's not expecting to see his old flame so quickly. So when he sees her, it's more awkward than he ever thought possible. It doesn't get better, especially when his daughter rides her moped into Caroline. But that opens up the door for his whole family to spend more time with her. And it's weird how they seem to fit. Which is good because the three witches will need the help of a new generation to take on a generations-old bad guy who is still trying to pull strings.

I really liked that both Mina and Josh were real characters; not just kids dropped into the story.

Four stars

This book came out

Starfall Point #2  

Follows Witches Get Stuff Done

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel

This is one of those books where, if the characters had just TALKED to each other, there wouldn't be nearly so much drama. Patel navigates this terrain more deftly than most authors but it's still quite a bit of sturm and drang where there doesn't need to be. There are also some really HEAVY topics that I wasn't expecting based on the cover or the description. 

Liya Thakker has a reputation in the Indian community. It's (mostly) undeserved but her parents believed the source of the rumors and have treated her badly ever since. But that hasn't stopped her father from simultaneously treating her badly but also trying to get her married off. Liya most definitely does NOT want to be married and has expressed that but he lives in a mysoginistic world and he keeps trying to force it on her as well. So, when a man shows up to what was explicitly promised to be a family dinner, she bolts. 

Jay Shah doesn't want to get married either but he's willing to go along with what his mother wants if it will make her happy. He's not happy to be literally bowled over by Liya. When he sees her out and about and then at work, he makes his displeasure very known. Because what he knows that she doesn't is that her company is about to go under and he's their best chance of it being saved. 

Really more like three and a half stars but rounded up for Goodreads.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 12, 2020

The Trouble with Hating You #1

Followed by First Love, Take Two

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

What the Vicar Saw by Benedict Brown

This book opens with a funeral and a dead body. To be clear, the funeral was for one man (a despicable baron whom no one in the small town of Condicote liked) and the dead body is that of another (the local vicar.) Christopher and his grandfather are on the spot because the family had come down to look at the church as a possible wedding venue for Christopher's brother. While there, their paternal grandmother insisted that they stay for the funeral. 

When the vicar didn't show, Christopher and his grandfather went looking. They found the body and also discovered that there was an item missing from the church. That same item was found in the hands of a man who has had some shady dealings in town and he is immediately arrested. But did he really do it? While Lord Edgington is sure, Christopher is not. But then somebody else dies and, at least for Lord Edgington, the case is reopened.

We actually start to see more growth for Christopher (physically as well as mentally) which is nice. While I adore Hastings and Watson as characters, they never changed. We get to see that in Christopher. 

Four stars

Lord Edgington Investigates #9

This book came out March 24, 2023

Follows The Snows of Weston Moor

Followed by Blood on the Bannisters

Borrowed as Audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

This is one of my favorite Poirot stories. Partly because of the story itself and partly because I love the David Suchet episode of this story; the dog that plays Bob is adorable.

Emily Arundell has fallen down the stairs. She nearly died. Her family said that she slipped on her dog's ball (Bob has a habit of dropping the ball down the stairs and then chasing after it) but that doesn't seem quite right. She writes to Poirot in April, asking him to come.

Poirot receives the letter in June. Why was it posted so late? And was Miss Arundell's eventual death because of some food she ate that upset her stomach? Or did one of her loving relatives help her along?

Four stars

This book came out July 5, 1937

Hercule Poirot #16

Follows Cards on the Table

Followed by Death on the Nile

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

On the Street Where You Live by Mary Higgins Clark

There is... a lot... going on in this book. MHC often has several stories that come together in the end but this feels like more than usual. 

Emily Graham felt a pull toward the house in Spring Lake, New Jersey. It was a house that her family used to own. The one where her great aunt disappeared from. But, she's got money from selling off some stock before a tech company went under. So she buys the house. It's getting her out of town after her divorce and after her stalker is put in jail. All she wants to do is put in a pool and be able to relax. But that plan goes by the wayside when a set of bones is uncovered. Well, it's actually two sets because a second set, because one is her great and and the other, a woman who had gone missing within the last five years. Oh, and someone is still sending her creepy letters.

Three stars

This book came out in 2001

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

If you've ever looked up how houses have fared after a makeover show, you'll see that people are often unhappy. Based on what she's hearing through the grapevine, the Smetkamps are going to in the same place. They've won a makeover from Marvelous Mansions but the producer seems shady and the workforce is unsettled. Meanwhile, Meg is just trying to make sure they stay in code. 

Someone seems particularly against the show though (or maybe it's the Smetkamps) because they've gathered up the wild turkeys and released them on the Smetkamps street. There's a fairly amusing bit where an Amazon driver almost gets taken out by the turkeys. He makes it out alive with some help but someone else on the street does not. So, Meg is once again sleuthing a murder mystery. 

This book doesn't have much with Josh and Jamie, nor Michael. We do see any number of other regular characters in this book though and it is a nice addition to the series. 

Four stars

Meg Langslow #35

This book comes out August 6, 2024

Follows Let It Crow, Let It Crow, Let It Crow

Followed by Rockin' around the Chickadee

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

ARC of audiobook kindly provided by MacMillan and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

High Energy by Dara Joy

I used to have a copy of this book and I remember LOVING it. You've got a prototypical manic pixie dream girl matched up with a richer than rich physicist who can do no wrong. In the reread, that did bug me more that poor Zanita couldn't seem to do anything right but I still felt some of the joy that Joy's deft prose brought. It's really more of a three and a half star review but rounded up for Goodreads.

Zanita just wants her big break. She KNOWS she could be an amazing hard-hitting journalist (even if it's for her grandfather's small town paper) but she just needs the chance. So she'll find her own story. Even if that means hunting down a visiting psychic. Except... Tyberius Evans is a tall, incredibly handsome man and she feels like she knows his name from something else...

In a crowd of men (this was the 90s), Zanita stands out. Tyber is instantly entranced. He knows he'll do anything to keep this pretty lady around. Including some things that are a little shady in this day and age but were terribly romantic when I was younger and dumb.

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 1, 1998 

Tyber and Zanita #1

Followed by High Intensity

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own