Death Comes to the Rectory by Catherine Lloyd

Sir Robert Kurland is somewhat astonished to hear that his aunt is pregnant. She's not exactly old but she has a grown child, Henrietta. True, Henrietta isn't very pleasant and her husband, Basil, is even worse. And, since she's married to his wife Lucy's father, it's not as though he wanted to think of them like... that. It's just unfortunate that Basil and Henrietta have decided to visit right as that announcement is made. And it's while any number of other family members are visiting for the baptism of Lucy and Robert's younger child. 

It's the odious Basil who ends up dead in the rectory study. Henrietta is quick to blame Lucy's father. Is it because she believes her accusation or because she knows that her mother has signed a will making the reverend her new beneficiary. 

There are any number of suspects as Northam was not only a blackmailer, he put together a Ponzi scheme that ruined any number of people who are in the immediate area.

As is usual in this series, there is a very convoluted ending but overall an enjoyable listen.

Three and a half stars

This book came out 

Kurland St. Mary Mystery #8

Follows Death Comes to the Nursery

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own

Death Comes to the Nursery by Catherine Lloyd

Finally, Lady Lucy and Sir Robert Kurland have their longed-for child. And he's about to have a sibling. Agnes is going to need some help in the nursery. She recommends her cousin, Polly. But, when she arrives, Polly is unexpectedly attractive. And there are soon fights over who will get to go walking with her. Unfortunately, that only leaves more suspects when Polly is found dead. And solving this murder becomes only more tangled when they discover that Polly... isn't actually Polly. So who was she? And how did she get into their house?
The ending on this one was a little convoluted but most of the story was very enjoyable and there are even some breadcrumbs set up for the next book in the series. 

Three and a half stars

Kurland St. Mary Mystery #7

This book came out January 28, 2020

Follows Death Comes to Bath

Followed by Death Comes to the Rectory

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own 

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

Told mainly from the point of view of the heroine, this book explores a fake dating situation that, of course, turns into a full blown relationship by the end of the book. 
Writer and barista Emily Hung has a mother who is full bore into matchmaking. Emily is the second of five girls and her youngest sister just got married leaving her as the only single child. Add in the fact that she's working in the arts and she just feels like her mother doesn't approve of Emily's lifestyle. Enter, Mark Chung. The son of Emily's mother's friend, he is held up as a paragon. And at her sister's wedding, Emily is forced to spend time with the man. Mark, spends most of that time on his phone. Obviously, he isn't very interested either. But, to get her mother off their backs, they decide to fake date. This gets very involved with cake decorating dates and meeting to sync their stories.
It is during these meetings that Emily starts to notice that Mark may be different than she originally assumed. Not quite as lofty and maybe, just maybe, he is interested in her too.
I wish we had gotten more time with Mark. I think we were almost three quarters of the way through the book when we switch to his perspective. Because we saw so much from Emily's side, I was left feeling that there was more to explore from him. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 7, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle

Molly Griffin is a crystal tuner and the biggest job of her career is jeopardized when a man is found dead in her shop. It's not like her life isn't complicated enough. Her sister was part of the Hollister Expedition, the one that was lost in the underground Glass House sector three weeks ago. But her mothers finally found the one person who made it out alive, Joshua Knight. 

His psi vision burned out after the expedition, Joshua doesn't have any memories from that night. He's recently escaped from a psychiatric institute and is living in a house of mirrors; one so spooky the town gifted it to him at no cost. He's startled to see Molly show up on his doorstep but he can't turn her away as the local fog is getting too intense. That night starts their relationship as Molly ignores one of Joshua's rules but then saves him. 

The story is a little disjointed but I think regular Ghost Hunters readers will enjoy it.  

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 7, 2024

Follows Sweetwater & the Witch

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

Archie and Clementine grew up together but haven't seen each other for about five years. Still, when her father sends him a letter asking for help, Archie is ready to ride to the rescue. He even drags along his two best friends because they're supposed to be on their annual "Earls Trip" (only two of them are earls, one is an heir.) They seem surprisingly okay with detouring their trip to help rescue Clementine who is hell bent on rescuing her sister, Olive. Then all five trundle off to continue on the earls trip. Without chaperones. To a house that has a bunch of bushes in phallic shapes.

I've only read contemporaries by Jenny Holiday and those a generally fairly fun. This book, though historical, still has those contemporary beats. If I had thought or known to expect an overlay of contemporary banter, ideals, and jargon over a historical setting, I think it would have made the book more enjoyable for me.  

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 23, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick

Caroline Fordyce, the well-known widowed author of sensational novels, seems to be caught up in a real-life sensation of her own. She was just trying to do research for her next novel but, after the medium she was visiting is killed, Caroline comes under the focus of Adam Hardesty. Normally, she is not the sort of person he would focus on. At least in her opinion. They move in entirely different social circles. So why is he focusing on her now? Soon the two are caught up in a world of murder and blackmail. And, quite possibly, they are finding their way to true love.

A typical Quick book. Good for a light, fast read.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 25, 2005

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus catalog

Opinions are my own

An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz

 In my life, I've never had the urge to see a ghost. Neither has Alyssa Mann but, after a 40th birthday party gone awry, here she is with a ghost in the house. Then another. And all of them want something. But she doesn't know how to help them. So she enlists the help of the medium who seemed to have unlocked the power.
Suddenly, she and her two besties (as well as the psychic, Corinne) are trying to figure out why the ghost of an obnoxious young man whose death was declared a suicide is hanging around her. He's the first, but he certainly won't be the last. Except the only one she doesn't see is her husband. Which is probably good because, like many cozies, there is a Hot Detective.
An interesting start to a series though I don't generally enjoy books where the point of view switches and this one was so infrequent it often confused me the first three or four sentences when it switched. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 9, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Death Comes To Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd

After the less-than-romantic proposal at the end of the last book, Lucy Harrington is ready to be home. Especially since her best friend is getting married to a man that is perfect for her. Too bad his best friend is Major Robert Kurland, a man Lucy would be perfectly happy to avoid. 

She'd also love to avoid Robert's former fiancee, Miss Penelope Chingford, and her family. Too bad the three women have not only been invited to the wedding, they're staying at the vicarage with Lucy and her father. And, unfortunately, Mrs. Chingford hasn't gotten any more pleasant, still spreading venom hidden behind sugared words.

It's even more unfortunate that Mrs. Chingford gets engaged to Lucy's father. And then ends up dead. Was her fall down the stairs an accident? Or murder? It's up to Lucy and Robert (only recently reconciled to each other) to figure out exactly what is going on.

I fell in love with the first book and enjoyed this one as well, though not quite as much. The patter between Lucy and Robert wasn't as fresh. Though I did enjoy seeing Penelope Chingford become almost likable.

Kurland St. Mary Mystery #3

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 24, 2015

Follows Death Comes to London

Followed by Death Comes to the Fair

Hard copy from library

Opinion are my own

Death at the Drive-In Angie Fox

I do NOT remember that many people knowing that Verity talks to ghosts but, we are already suspending disbelief in this story, so why not here as well? Even more startling, Verity actually works with Virginia (her current AND ex fiances mother, read the rest of the books in the series, it's worth it)

Frankie is really excited to show off his new still to his girlfriend Molly but she's been possessed. And this ghost is a young woman who was killed in 1956. 

Kitty Cunningham disappeared and was assumed to have run away with her boyfriend. But her boyfriend was the son of the local mob boss and a hit had been put on her so no on really knows. It's going to be a race against time to figure out what happened to her since her possessing Molly means that she can drain Molly's power, and Frankie's as well. And if they are drained, they will cease to exist. 

Four stars

This book comes out March 19, 2024

Follows Dread and Buried

ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

Tempest Raj finally figures out the mystery of her mother's death in this book. It's not particularly fairly clued and I wish we had gotten to know the twists a little bit more (trying to be cryptic here...) but I enjoyed the ride.

Tempest has bought the old Whispering Creek Theater, the one where her mother disappeared from. She should be rejoicing but she is worrying about Julian Rhodes. Her family did some construction on his house and now he's suing them. So when she gets a phone call to meet him at the theater at midnight, she is less than ecstatic. When she arrives, Julian is dead. Apparently dead from a contraption that stabbed him through the heart. A note, in her handwriting, is on the door. 

We see more of Tempest and quite a bit from her mentor in this book. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out March 19, 2024

Secret Staircase Mystery #3

Follows The Raven Thief

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde by Stephanie Laurens

Drago Helmsford, the Duke of Wyld, has decided to take a wife. His aunt has the perfect candidate. But a drunken night of revelry leads to a misunderstanding and he ends up engaged to Meg Cynster. Though she is in her tenth season, it is more by choice than anything else. When they realize that they are probably going to have to bite the bullet and stay engaged for awhile, Meg and Drago do something unusual in a romance novel, they actually talk to each other and come up with a plan. As they are pretending to be engaged, they learn that they might actually like each other well enough to actually get married. It is then that the accidents start to happen... who is trying to kill them? And which one of them is the true target?

If you've read Laurens before, you'll know who and can probably figure out why but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. 

Cynsters Next Generation #13

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 17, 2023

Follows Miss Flibbertigibbet and the Barbarian

Followed by A Family of His Own

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz

When she was a teenager, Grace Elland stumbled onto a murder scene and rescued a child. An incident that left the killer dead. But now she's found another murder victim, that of her employer, Sprague Witherspoon, a motivational speaker.

The current murder investigation get entangled when the chief of police introduces her to Julian Arkwright at a blind date. The chief is married to graces best friend and they both think she need some companionship. As long as it turns out that she isn't a murderer.

Julian and Grace are drawn to each in ways that are more than just physical. Grace hires Julian is her consultant and Julian allows Grace to help him punch up his "Speech from Hell." But somebody sending Grace some nasty emails and now they're upping their game. So it's time for Julianne to step in and help Grace figure out exactly what's going on.

The story was very reminiscent of many of Krentz's older stories - in the very best ways. This book reminded me of why I love this author so much and why I continue to read all of her books under whatever name she's writing.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 6, 2015

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime

Opinions are my own

Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

Olive loves her triplets. She does. And she's ecstatic that they've found the loves of their lives. But. Could she maybe catch a break? Chubby, with dirty blond hair that doesn't hold a curl or a color, Olive is generally happy about her life but she really could use a break. Or two. Moving into her crush's apartment isn't exactly the break she was hoping for. However, she's decided to take on the assignment she's given her students and try to stretch her wings. And now that her roommate seems happy to help...

Baxter Donovan is a Guardian Angel but he doesn't much like the position. He likes it even less now that he's been assigned to guard Olive. There are three rules to being a guardian angel: don't tell your Assignment you're their designated guardian, don't get your Assignment Killed, and don't fall in love with your Assignment. Bax has come a little too close for the Guardian Angel Affairs lately and his father isn't pleased. It's just too bad that this latest assignment might find him breaking more than one of the rules. 

Three and a half stars

Supernatural Singles #2

This book comes out February 13, 2024

Follows Not Your Ex's Hexes

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

Opinions are my own

Death and the Victorians by Adrian Mackinder

If you've studied the Victorians at all, you will probably know a lot of these stories. It is, not surprisingly, very Euro-centric. Very focused on England with all of the, what we would call nowadays, weirdness: seances, memento moris, and the scare of Jack the Ripper.

I was disappointed that there were topics that weren't more deeply delved into (not Jack the Ripper, as Mackinder says, that has been well-covered.) This book is shorter than many nonfiction books and could have stood with more pages. I did appreciate that one chapter was mainly dedicated to books of the time that focused on death. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 30, 2024

ARC kindly provided b Pen & Sword and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Accidentally His by Sabrina Jeffries

Lady Verity is the last of the three sisters who run Elegant Occasions to find a long-term partner. She assumes that she would never marry but fate may have other plans even as she is sure it will remain true. 

We've met Rafe Wolfford in previous books as a man who is interested in Verity and her family, but not primarily for reasons of marriage. Instead, he is trying to figure out if someone from her family is feeding information to the enemy (France.) This same someone shot the uncle who raised him. Though the man was strict, Rafe still loves him and would like to find the culprit.
The two are brought together in deceit but the attraction that they have is visible to all and, when the chance is offered, the two may decide to stick it out for the long run. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 23, 2024

Follows What Happens in the Ballroom

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

This book centers, as the title would suggest, around Miss Margery Benson. Her life is a drudgery. Teaching is not fulfilling and a drawing one of her pupils does of her wakes her up to her reality. She basically implodes her life that day. Her last effort? A trip to New Caledonia to find the golden beetle that reminds her of the happiest times in her life. But first she must find the perfect traveling companion. She ends  up with Enid Pretty, a young flibbertigibbet whose past is not at all spotless and who meets none of the requirements Miss Benson had advertised for. But, as often happens (especially in fiction),  Miss Pretty is exactly what Miss Benson needs.

I didn't love the ending though, with this being a more literature-minded book, I guess I should have expected it. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 23, 2020

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Always Remember by Mary Balogh

Ben Ellis and Lady Jennifer Arden both know what it is to be on the outside. He was born a bastard and she has a twisted leg which means she will never walk. Both are stalwarts of their families in different ways and the families have gathered at Ravenswood for the summer. 

The two don't actually come together because they are outsiders but because Ben tries to help Jennifer and Jennifer falls in love with his daughter. At first, Jennifer is resistant to Ben's help but she really would like to walk, at least some form of it. Or find any way she can to get some freedom (he also shows her how to drive a gig.)

It's a quiet story with a LOT of characters from previous stories and it got rather confusing there for awhile even though I have read the previous books in the series. I'm not entirely convince that the two are in love but I do see how their personalities would mesh well together. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 16, 2024

Follows Remember Me

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

The Witch Is Back by Sophie H. Morgan

Emmaline Bluewater was engaged to Bastian Truenote until the day he ran away. He didn't even leave a note for her, just for his parents. Emma was already known as lesser in their witchy society. Her family isn't prominent and, as a later born child, she doesn't have a lot of power. When he left, it was the lowest point of her life. But it opened the door to letting her escape her overbearing mother.

It's seven years later though and Bastian has just walked back into her life as though he never left. She's not very happy but he's got a hell of a reason- if they don't marry, his mother will die. So she agrees to a marriage in name only, just so that the contract will be fulfilled.

I wish we had seen more about she formed a friendship with Leah and more about how she, Leah, and Tia opened a bar. I also thought it would have been nice to know more about what she and Bastian did for the Exhibition.

Three and a half stars

This book came out 

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

I saw this book on the 2023 NPR Best Books and it was worth the read. It took me some time to appreciate the story as the first week is somehow most of the first half of the story but I ended up being glad I stuck with it. 

Set behind the scenes of an SNL-esque show, we meet Sally Milz, one of the writers. She enjoys her job but is stymied by how her fellow writers (male) keep hooking up with these superstars (female.) In fact, she makes a rule out of it. Everyone laughs. Except Noah Brewster who is a guest on the show. However, the two of them seem to have a connection. But maybe only Sally feels it. Then COVID hits and the two start communicating through email and getting closer without being physically close. Love ensues. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 4, 2023

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz

Though this is the second book in a series, there is not much overlap with the book before and stands alone nicely. In this book, we are following Talia (one of three presenters on the Lost Night podcast.) She has been given a tip from a woman named Phoebe who purports to have a list of other people who have been experimented on. But when Talia shows up at the cabin, no Phoebe. But there is a Luke Rand and he also wants the list. In fact, he tries to hold Talia psychically to see if she knows where the list is. Talia manages to break free and also manages to find a pendant that she knows will lead her to Phoebe.

The search will take she and Luke to a San Juan island where they will have to pretend to be a couple. They go under the guise of attending a meditation retreat but they aren't interested. Luckily, the retreat is just a cover for some more nefarious happenings. 

Like usual, there are a LOT of things happening in this story. And you think you get to the end but then there's another end. And another. This book didn't sound as much like Krentz as she has added some current-ish phrases. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 9, 2024

Follows Sleep No More

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby March 2024