Faithless in Death : An Eve Dallas Novel by J. D. Robb

I loved this return to normal. The last book was fine but there was too much trying to bring back every character ever. The "bad guys" were a little two-dimensional but not horribly so. It was more building off of stereotypes to create a shortcut so that each person could get a little more depth. We also got more about our favorite characters with Mavis and Leonardo taking a pretty big life step that is just so true to their family.

The case starts out with the murder of a young artist. A wealthy, engaged socialite discovered the body and made a frantic 911 call. She claims that she was just visiting a friend but Eve and even Peabody are seeing cracks in the story. As they dig, they begin to find that the case might not be as simple as they originally thought and that finding the killer might mean having to take down a giant cult at the same time.

Four stars

This book comes out February 2nd, 2021  
Follows Shadows in Death

Followed byForgotten in Death
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023 as audiobook from Libby

Convincing Alex by Nora Roberts

Bess McNee just wants to do a little research for the soap opera that she is a writer on. Dressing up like a prostitute seems like a good idea to create some realism in her characters. She doesn't realize that she might get pushed into picking up a couple of guys. Or that they might be cops. When she ends up at the police station, she is delighted. 
The arresting officer, Alexi Stanislaski, is not so delighted. There have been several women killed lately and he doesn't need some... writer... out making it worse. But she just keeps putting herself in his way. And she might seem a little ditzy but she has a sharper mind than he first sees.
A nice addition to the series. Maybe doesn't age as well as a couple of the other books but isn't egregious.

Three stars
This book came out March 1st, 1994
Follows Falling for Rachel
Followed by Waiting for Nick
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

The Smart Bitches podcast recommended this book as being better than the Dresden Files.
Kate Daniels doesn't belong to the Order but when her guardian is killed, she's pulled into the investigation. She's not official but at least she's involved. She'll encounter vampires, shifters, and an "Unpire" (maybe, not sure on spelling since I was listening) before the book is over.
This was a little hard to keep up with on audio but I enjoyed it as much the second time I listened.

Kate Daniels #1

Three stars
This book came out March 29th, 2009
Followed by Magic Burns
Borrowed as an audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Reread March 2024

Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings by Stephanie Laurens

For the third year, Lady Osbaldestone's grandchildren have decided they want to come visit her before going to the larger family gathering. This year, the original three and their cousin Melissa are joined by her sister Amanda (Mandy). They come to the village in a propitious year. Lady Osbaldestone's plum trees have cast off an abundance of fruit. Her cook has offered to make everyone in the village a plum pudding in order to have something to do with them all. The village has been taking up a collection of pennies in order to have something to put in the plum pudding and that is the children's first task, to sort the coins and clean them up so they can be put into the food. But when they find three coins that are obviously older than the currently used currency, it's time to call in reinforcements. A professor and his amanuensis niece are called in and a mysterious gentleman with ties to the professor show up. The stories of love and mystery don't twine as well in this book but still a fast, fun, and fluffy that would be good to pick up when you just need a palate cleanser.

Three stars

This book came out October 17th, 2019

Follows Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols

Followed by Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Intrigue

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own 

Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters

 Ah, Jacqueline Kirby, I love you. An older, sexually-liberated female who solves mysteries? Um, yes please. It's a little disconcerting to read how romances are described in this book but this was written in a different time so...
Jackie is going to a Romance Novel convention, just to get out of Dodge. Her current love is getting a little clingy and this librarian (!) needs her space. So it's off to New York and some down-time with authors. Except that it's not really less stressful. Backbiting authors, conniving agents, and sneaky reporters all add up for a scintillating time for Jackie, until one of the reporters gets murdered. And there is a surfeit of suspects so, while it took a while to get into the book, the solution was not what I expected.

Four stars
Follows The Murders of Richard III
Followed by Naked Once More
This book came out January 1st, 1974
Audiobook from Audible Premium Plus
Opinions are my own

Reread October 2022

Mrs. Astor's New York: Money and Social Power in a Gilded Age by Eric Homberger

I can't remember why I picked this book up. There is something very intriguing about the 400 and the woman who ran them. Homberger excels when he writes about the neighborhoods of New York. Unfortunately, that is a small portion of the book. Well-researched, this book is mainly a litany of names with stories here and there to highlight... well, that's where I got lost. While each chapter had a theme (only six chapters but they are LONG chapters), some of the stories fit more loosely than others. An interesting read but definitely took some time to get through.

Three stars

This book came out

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols by Stephanie Laurens

Once again, Lady Osbaldestone's three grandchildren are joining her for a village Christmas. They had so much fun last year that they begged to come back. This year, her granddaughter Melissa (a cousin of the original three) is also there. Her older sister was invited to a house party but Melissa has hit her teen years hard and her mother is scared to take her. Therese decides to do what she does best. Meddle but only from a distance and only when she should.

This year, there is a new organist who has a mysterious past. There is also a female visitor to the village. One who knows her own worth and is ready to wait for the right husband. 

Again, Laurens-light. Not super-complicated but not a lot of depth either.

Three stars

This book came out October 18th, 2018

Follows Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose

Followed by Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own