Encore in Death J. D. Robb

Big time star Eliza Lane has fulfilled her dreams and is living her best life; even returning to the play that made her a star, this time as the mother. She is throwing a party to celebrate but it soon turns into panic when her husband, Brad Fitzhugh, big time star himself, dies. 

Dallas and Peabody are thrown in among the bright stars, many of whom have secrets to hide, some of them decades old. But is the motive for this murder rooted in the past or the present? And who really was the intended victim? 

There were a lot of red herrings and unexpected twists in this story. I was very much reminded of a particular Agatha Christie mystery which I won't name because I think there are hints to the ending of the story. Some of the red herrings were dealt with a little too quickly but overall I really enjoyed this addition to the Dallas series.

Four stars

This book comes out February 7, 2023

Follows Desperation in Death

Followed by Payback in Death

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

January 2023 Rereads

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #7

This book came out May 8, 2006

Follows Owls Well that Ends Well

Followed by The Penguin who Knew too Much

Audiobook from Audible

The Penguin who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #8

Three stars

This book came out August 7, 2007

Follows No Nest for the Wicket

Followed by Cockatiels at Seven

Audiobook from Audible

Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #9

This book came out July 8th, 2008

Follows The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

Followed by Six Geese A-Slaying 

Audiobook from Audible

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

Four and a half stars

This book came out October 18, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 3, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Mastered By Love by Stephanie Laurens

Royce Varisey, Duke of Wolverstone, has spent the greater part of his life as Dalziel, master spy. But now his work is done and his father is dead. He has to go back to the home he was thrown out of and take over. But when he gets back, he finds that Minerva Chesterton, his mother's ward, has transformed into Wolverstone's chatelaine. Royce is immediately attracted, but is frustrated when she doesn't seem to return his feelings.

Minerva has always loved Royce, but she knows that he has to marry soon which will break her heart. She is willing to stay on at Wolverstone but then she is going to go live her own life.

Unfortunately, Royce's last spy doesn't believe that he has given up the chase and is going to work to ensure that he is never captured.

Four stars

This book came out July 28, 2009

Follows Edge of Desire

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Something About her by Rachel Higginson

Dillon's brother Ezra has decided that he wants her to be the new executive chef at his least successful restaurant. She's not at all sure that she's ready to be in charge but this might be her one shot. Besides, her friend Vera's brother Vann sort of goads her into it. Then he rescues her when her car battery dies. And then when she needs help taking charge in her own kitchen. He's there. 

And I liked that about Vann? What I didn't like as much? Same thing as Book 2 in this series. There's a lot of concentration on the fact that Dillon was sexually assaulted and then it's all taken care of in a few sentences. It was better in this book but still fixed rather fast. Overall, still a good read.

Three stars

This book came out February 26, 2019

Follows The Problem with Him

Ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The Problem With Him by Rachel Higginson

A sous chef in a popular kitchen, Kaya Swift is pretty certain that she is one day going to be a head chef. If only Wyatt Shaw, the head chef, weren't such a hardass. And if only he weren't so darn hot.... But he's the head chef and in charge of her. Kaya thinks they have a hate-hate relationship but it might be that Wyatt sees them differently. She loves being a chef and knows that her time at Lilou, one of the best restaurants in the city, is coming to an end. She is ready for the next step in her professional career but there is the possibility of something good with Wyatt.

I didn't love the end; would Wyatt know about Kaya's job for 3 weeks before she does? That's just... ick.

Four stars

This book came out June 26, 2018

Follows The Difference Between Us

Followed by The Something About Her

Ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The Biscuit Barrel Murder by Geoffrey Start

I requested this book from NetGalley based on the title. A couple of the reviews that were available compared this to Blotto and Twinks; I have no clue what that is but I'm always up for a new mystery series. And this one is not a bad start to a series (I think?) but there are a LOT of people that are introduced and some odd leaping about from first person to third that threw me off in the beginning. There are also a lot of characters. A LOT of characters.

Sir Wispy Fescue, Strangely Drye, and Wanda Cushway have a detective agency. They are hired to prove by Lord and Lady Alfreton to prove that their daughter, Miss Josephine Leighton, did NOT murder her fiancee, Viscount Thurmaston, with the biscuits that she baked for him weekly. So the team are off on an adventure to interview various suspects (all of whom Sir Wispy seems to latch on to at various points as being the murderer which was sort of interesting). Also included on the adventure are Sir Wispy's and Strangely's wives, Constanza and Libby who seem rather tolerant of their sleuthing although Libby does seem overly worried about Sir Wispy not getting hurt which, of course, he does. 

Not sure if this is a series; it might make some sense if it is since so many people were introduced so quickly. I would be interested in reading more though. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out January 28, 2023

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and The Book Guild

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm by Betty MacDonald

I like the first two books in the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series but after that... eh. The books are usually charming with their magical realism. This book features a lot more magic, a lot less realism.

We start off with the Not Truthfulness Cure. We've got a young gentleman who can't seem to tell the truth and there are a lot of different stories going around town. So he's left with Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for a month. Yes. His parents just drop him off at a woman's farm, out of town (she's moved since the first two books) and this is someone they don't really know. Okay. 

Next up is the Pet-forgotten cure where a little girl can't take care of her many, many pets. 

In the Destructiveness Cure, we meet Jeffy who likes to take things apart. Of course, being at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's will show him why that's not a good idea. Suddenly in this book, Penelope the parrot, who was a regular parrot before, talks in full sentences.

There is also the Fraidy-Cat Cure. Phoebe is scared of everything but when Mrs Piggle-Wiggle gets trapped and getting over being a fraidy cat has to happen quickly.

Lastly we have the Can't Find It Cure where Morton comes up with a fabulous treasure... which was how the last book ended.

You can probably tell that I was frustrated with this book as being a retread of a lot of earlier stories.

Two stars

This book came out in 1954

Follows Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic

Followed by Hello Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own