November 2024 Monthly Rereads

Opinions are my own

Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern

Three stars
This book came out September 17th, 2019
ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

Four stars

This book came out May 16, 2023

Follows Soulmate Equation

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 21st, 2009

Meg Langslow #11

Follows Six Geese A-Slaying

Followed by Stork Raving Mad

Audiobook from Audible

Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews 

Three stars

This book came out July 6th, 2010

Meg Langslow #12

Follows Swan for the Money

Followed The Real Macaw

Audiobook from Audible

The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews

Four stars

This book came out July 19th, 2011

Meg Langslow #13

Follows Stork Raving Mad

Followed by Some like It Hawk

Audiobook from Audible

Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews

Three stars

This book came out June 17th, 2012

Meg Langslow #14

Follows The Real Macaw

Followed by Hen of the Baskervilles 

Audiobook from Audible

Hen of the Baskervilles

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 16, 2013

Meg Langslow #15

Follows Some Like it Hawk

Followed by Duck the Halls

Audiobook from Audible

Duck the Halls

Three stars

This book came out October 22nd, 2013

Meg Langslow #16

Follows Hen of the Baskervilles

Followed by The Good, the Bad, and the Emus 

Audiobook from Audible

The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews 

Four stars

This book came out July 8th, 2014

Meg Langslow #17

Follows Duck the Halls

Followed by The Nightingale before Christmas

Audiobook from Audible

The Nightingale before Christmas by Donna Andrews 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 21, 2014

Meg Langslow #18

Follows The Good, the Bad, and the Emus

Followed by Lord of the Wings

Audiobook from Audible

Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews

Four stars

This book came out August 4, 2015

Meg Langslow #19

Follows The Nightingale Before Christmas

Followed by Die Like an Eagle

Audiobook from Audible

Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews

Four stars
This book came out August 2, 2016

Meg Langlsow #20

Follows Lord of the Wings
Followed by Gone Gull

Audiobook from Audible

Gone Gull by Donna Andrews

Three and a half stars
This book comes out August 1, 2017

Meg Langslow #21
Follows Die Like an Eagle
Followed by How the Finch Stole Christmas

How the Finch Stole Christmas! by Donna Andrews

Three stars

This book came out October 24, 2017

Meg Langslow #22

Follows Gone Gull

Followed by Toucan Keep a Secret

Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

Four stars

This book came August 7th, 2018

Meg Langslow #23

Follows How the Finch Stole Christmas!
Followed by Lark! The Herald Angels Sing

Book from Audible

Lark! The Herald Angels Sing by Donna Andrews

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 16th, 2018

Meg Langslow #24

Follows Toucan Keep a Secret

Followed by Terns of Endearment

Audiobook from Audible

Terns of Endearment by Donna Andrews

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 6th, 2019

Meg Langslow #25

Follows Lark! The Herald Angels Sing

Followed by Owl Be Home for Christmas

Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews
This book came out October 15th

Meg Langslow #26
Follows Terns of Endearment
Followed by The Falcon Always Rings Twice
Borrowed as ebook from Libby

The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

This book came out October 20, 2020

Meg Langslow #28

Follows The Falcon Always Wings Twice

Followed by Murder Most Fowl

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai

Simi and Chloe are ride-or-dies. The book opens with Chloe running to help Simi when there is a man who is mostly dead in Simi's aunt house. So when Chloe calls after a white hacking job turns out to be not so... white, Simi jumps into action. It's there that she meets Jack. 

Jack is a professional thief. A charming thief. One who knows a lot about plants. But he's willing to help Simi. Sort of.

In the best sort of heist, they assemble a team. One that includes Simi's Uber driver, a former suitor, her coworker, and her eighty-something aunt. I may be missing someone but it's a full crew. 

And it's a fun story. I'm glad I listened to it because, if I had been reading, I may have given up because it took a bit to get started.

Three and a half stars

This book came out 

Followed by 'Til Heist Do Us Part

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna

Lyndy and Stella need a break, They've got too many people giving them advice on how to move forward with their lives. So they head up to visit some of Stella's relatives in Scotland. Freddie and Alice are heading up with them as well. And who else shows up? Freddie's father, Sir Edwin.

Based on some of the glimpses we see of other characters, Sir Edwin is beloved by no one. So it's no surprise that he ends up dead. Especially since he had been accused of attacking a laundry maid. 

The local police land on a suspect pretty quickly. It's Lyndy. After all, his fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.

This book was fine but I've enjoyed others in the series more.

Three stars

This book comes out November 26, 2024

Follows Murder on Mistletoe Lane

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Witch Is Back by Angela M. Sanders

Reverend Clarence Duffy has died and the town is excited to see inside his house since he had been a shut in for two years. It's called the Aerie and there's going to be an estate sale. His son Adam had been his caretaker. It is he, his brother Benjamin and Benjamin's wife who are running the estate sale. 

But that's not the biggest news in Josie's life; it's what her mother says to her as they're leaving that chills her to the bone. She sees disaster ahead. Josie needs to tell Will that she's a witch. 

I liked this book since it moved a number of relationships along. The mystery was sort of a side piece but we get to learn more about Josie and Will as well as her parents. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 26, 2024

Follows Gone with the Witch

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Murder at King’s Crossing by Andrea Penrose

Sheffield and Cordelia are finally married. But the day is marred when news of a dead man carrying an invitation to their wedding arrives. At first, Cordelia fears it is her cousin. She is just as heartbroken to learn it is a man with whom she grew up. Her friend, Jasper, was the one who helped dress as a man to attend university. He was also an inventor and the prologue lets us know that he has just stumbled upon something incredibly important. Something big enough to be killed for.

At the same time, Peregrine has been sent home from Eton giving Wrexham and Charlotte a chance to get the third Weasel under their roof. 

Lots going on in this book. I don't know that it would be a good book to start the series with but is a good addition for those who have already reading.

Four stars

Wrexford & Sloane #8

This book came out September 24, 2024

Follows at Murder at Merton Library

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Spy Test by Joel Jessup

Definitely buy this book as a hard copy. Navigation, puzzle solving, and readability will all be better that way. 

This is a collection of puzzles that are a nice range of types. There are cryptograms, pictures, and logic puzzles. Each is designed to tell you whether you could be a spy. Is that true? Eh. But they're fun even if a little frustrating to navigate as an ebook. 

Three stars
This book comes out November 19, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Mirror by Nora Roberts

We return to the same set of characters as Inheritance. Owen and Sonya had gone through a magic mirror and were in the past, when one of their ancestors was getting married. And they witnessed his bride's death. 

They are quickly brought back to the present day where Sonya's significant other/Owen's best friend, Trey, waits for them with Sony's best friend, Cleo. They are moving further along in finding out how to solve the curse of their family. Sonya's dreams continue but she and Cleo are trying to build good vibes in the house to combat the evil spirit.

There's not a ton that happens in this book that didn't happen in the first book. The plot moves, but a lot of it is the same thing we saw in book one. Cleo and Owen get together in this book and we get to see more interaction with Chef Bree who is a fun character. Nothing ever really drags but there's not a lot that's new either. 

Three stars

Lost Bride Trilogy #2

Follows Inheritance

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

Generations ago, a sailing ship lost a treasure off the coast of Nova Scotia. Decades ago, a group of friends found the treasure. Then, it disappeared. Since then, there has been a society of their offspring dedicated to finding the treasure. But they are all in their eighties and nineties. Or dead. 

This book jumps between characters as well as between the past and present. We also move from first person narration, to third person omniscient, to a different third person omniscient, to some epistolary. And there are layers of the mystery. In other words, there's a lot going on. There's even a touch of fantasy at the end. For someone who doesn't mind a sort of sprawling book that runs all over, this is going to be a great book. 

Three stars

This book came out October 15, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Grove Atlantic and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Body at the Grand Hotel by Benedict Brown

At the end of the last book, Marius got some new information about what may have happened to his father. But he is trying not to dwell on that and is excited to be distracted by a letter inviting him to be an honorary member of the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society. They are inviting him to give a speech the night before the local October Ball. Marius decides, why not? Bella, Inspector Lovelace, and his family all decide to come along as well. 

When he gets there, he discovers that the group is not exactly the fans he had supposed them to be. Instead, he is thrown to the wolves by their leader, Mrs. Thistlethwaite. The same Mrs. Thistlethwaite who Marius finds dead in the hotel pool the next morning. 

This is a twisty turning mystery that is maybe a little overwrought. There was some time spent in a crossover with Brown's Lord Edgington series and that did feel a little forced. The ending was interesting but I'm not sure everything was sewn together successfully. Still, an enjoyable read, overall. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out November 15, 2024

Follows The Castleton Affair

Marius Quin Mystery #4

ARC kindly provided Storm Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala

It's Corn Festival time in Shady Palms. They have a small-ish town so they have teamed up with nearby Shelbyville. Of course, Brew-ha has a stand. And they impress not only the mayor of Shelbyville but also her wife. And it's the wife that ends up dead in a corn maze with Adeena nearby clutching a knife.

Lila has a lot of realizations in this book, especially as she ends up talking to the murdered woman's best friend who also ran a business with her. The parallels in her own life are startling. The woman even has a doxie as well. 

I didn't love the ending of this book. It didn't feel as sewn together as previous books but the overall tone of the book is the same as previous in the series and the story moved along the characters really well. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 12, 2024

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #5

Follows Murder and Mamon

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi

I listen to the Lazy Genius podcast and thought I might read Adachi's books. I like reading about ways to simplify life, especially if I can do it lazily. Are any of the ideas really new in the realm of self-help? Not the overall pictures. But I did like the subset of "Let People In" that mentioned not telling people that you're sorry. Don't pre-apologize for things that don't matter.

Three stars

This book came out August 11, 2020

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte

I can't remember why I put this on my TBR list. It's fine (telling you how to better organize your self and your life by using technology). However, I feel like this is one of a number of books that was probably a 10 minute speech that someone enjoyed and had the author try and build it into a larger book.
While none of Forte's ideas are particularly new, they actually acknowledge that by talking about where they got their ideas from.

Three stars

This book came out August 2, 2022

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Dead Letter Delivery by C.J. Archer

At the end of the last book, Sylvia found a clue to her mother's past. Fairly soon into this book, we have confirmation of her link to Marianne Folgate. Sylvia also gets a link to her grandparents in the form of letters that arrived after they were killed. The first several that she reads are bills but then come several, asking for her mother's hand in marriage. It seems that her mother had magic and word had gotten around. 

There is one man, Reid, who writes first to ask for Marianne to be married to his son, then three years later asking if they know where the is son is. Could it be that Marianne and Robin's disappearances are related?

This line of questioning will take them around London and to an old sanitarium. It's still in use for the soldiers coming back from the war but does it have any connections to the past?

Three and a half stars

This book came out March 5, 2024

Glass Library #4

Follows The Untitled Books

Followed by Secrets of the Lost Ledgers

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War

Khin Haymar is ecstatic to learn that she's being offered a story about Tyler Tun. She's excited for the job opportunity. The fact that Tyler is Hollywood's current Hottest movie star doesn't hurt. Soon she's getting to know this thoughtful, sexy many outside of his shiny star-ness but there's one night at a party when she's approached by a strange man. He attacks her and... well, she does something bad. And Tyler sees her and accidentally helps. They decide to cover it up for... reasons (?) I get that Khin is probably under some stress but her decisions don't really make sense. 

From there, the two are stressed but falling in love. Then there's the (I think unnecessary) late misunderstanding. And the ending felt a bit rushed. 

The marketing on this one is a bit off. The blurb I read said this made it feel like it would be a funny romance and, because of that, it took me a while to get into this book. 

Three stars

This book came out October 8, 2024

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Blood on the Banisters by Benedict Brown

It's finally time for Christopher's brother to be married to the lovely Cassandra. We've seen them both in previous books in the series so it's an exciting time. At least, for most of them. His brother, Albert, is a bit nervous because there is a tradition on the bride's side that the groom sleeps at her family home the night before the wedding. Cassandra, of course, will be sleeping at his parents' house. Albert is especially nervous because he hasn't yet met her brothers and they will be a feature of their wedding night. 

Oddly, Cassandra's mother, the Duchess of Hinwick, stays at their house rather than sleeping with the other women. And it soon becomes obvious that she is the ruler of their family. Not only that, all of her family members resent her for keeping them on such short leashes. So, it will not be a surprise to the reader to discover that the woman is murdered. What is surprising is that Albert is the one who is discovered to have blood on his hands even though there are many people at the house who have much higher motives for murder. This even includes Cassandra's ex-fiancé who shows up for some of the festivities. 

The ending of this book came as a pretty big shock. The author leaves a note that he has been seeding this ending for awhile but I am not so sure that this ending falls under "fair play." I will, however, be interested to see where the series goes next.

Three stars

This book came out June 16, 2023

Lord Edgington Investigates #10

Follows What the Vicar Saw

Followed by A Killer in the Wings

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Misery Hates Company by Elizabeth Hobbs

Though Marigold Manners family is an old one, she is not surprised to learn upon her parents deaths that they have left her nothing. So her lawyer sends out letters to the furthest reaches of her family and a letter comes back from her mother's cousin, Sophronia, inviting Marigold to Great Misery, an island near Salem. Once she arrives though, things start to become eerie. Almost everyone she meets on the way out to the island tells her she shouldn't want to go there. And she immediately starts to wonder when she gets there. There are arguments and talks of a curse. And something in the ocean that looks like a woman. It very well may have been a woman because it seems like there have been many dead young women washing up on the shore. 

With a family that is as antagonistic as they are "not right," Marigold has a hard road to climb. 

This story was set up as a mystery and it was more of a thriller. Marigold and the atmosphere were both well-developed but other characters felt a bit thin. The ending was a bit out of left field for me but I overall liked the book more than not and think later books by Hobbs may be more enjoyable. 

Three stars

This book comes out November 5, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer

Apparently, books that have never been published might be called "untitled." We're told that a few times in this book. We are also reminded, a lot, that the Glass Library has books about magic, not magic books. It's a small thing but this book isn't that long, was the author afraid that we were going to forget?
It's that point that becomes important when Lady Stanhope comes to the library wanting to know if the books she's just acquired are magical books. She is obsessed with magic and paid quite a bit of money for the set. Of course, neither Sylvia nor the professor are sure though both are intrigued by the books which seem to have been written by an author who was popular many years before for a treacly sweet children's book.
Normally, Sylvia wouldn't care but Gabe and Alex have been pulled into the murder of a bookbinder, the same bookbinder Lady Stanhope bought the books from. Could it be that the books are what the killer was looking for?

Three stars

This book came out September 5, 2023

The Glass Library #3

Follows The Medici Manuscript

Followed by The Dead Letter Delivery

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Third Gilmore Girl Kelly Bishop

Has Kelly Bishop been in everything? No. But she sure has done a lot. From starring in the opening of "A Chorus Line" to starring in the seminal "Dirty Dancing" to the namesake of her book's title, "Gilmore Girls." We get to see a lot of the behind the scenes to the production of each of these as well as many more. While she does seem a little blasé about some things (working with Woody Allen) and glosses over other (totally her perogative), even if this book was written by a ghostwriter, you really do get the sense that tone is hers. 

Definitely get this as an audiobook if possible because it is great to hear her words in her voice.

Four and a half stars

This book came out September 17, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Dead Lions by Mick Herron

Dickie Bow has been out of the game for awhile. But when he sees a familiar face, he follows it off a train and onto a bus. But Dickie doesn't make it off the bus. And Jackson Lamb wonders why. Yes, Dickie was an alcoholic and ate terribly but something just feels off. And his suspicion is confirmed by the one word that Dickie has left typed in his phones draft messages.
Suddenly, the members of the Slough House are off and running. But is someone talking out of school and giving information to those outside the unit? And will all of the slow horses be alive at the end of this book?

Three stars
This book came out 

Slough House #2

Follows Slow Horses

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Irresistible Trouble by Pippa Grant

Cooper Rock is a baseball god. But his game is in the toilet. His superstition is that he does better when he's having sex. And he hasn't been having sex. Mostly because he's run in to Waverly again.
We've seen Waverly peripherally in previous books. She's a rock star at the Taylor Swift level. But she's got issues. And Cooper Rock is one of them. Eight years ago, they slept together and she never heard from him again. She doesn't know that her aunt Zinnia (also her manager) scared him away.
Now that they've met again, they know that the attraction is still there. But can two incredibly busy people make a real connection?

Three stars

This book came out September 29, 2022

Copper Valley Fireballs #4

Follows The Grumpy Player Next Door

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own