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
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
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