Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

Auntie Aprils niece, Divina, has come to visit but there is something strange going on. Divina is close lipped about parts of her life and April is not trying to hook her up with Marcus (Mae's younger son) which she tries to do with any woman that's available. That includes Teresa, a young woman from the auntie's church who comes to help clean when their new laundromat is vandalized. Everything escalates when Divina is found dead and then one of the aunties is attacked.

This book has Lila being a little more forward and more off the mark than I remember from other books but still an enjoyable read. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out September 19, 2023

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #4

Follows Blackmail and Bibingka

Followed by Guilt and Ginataan

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin

If you are used to listening to Rubin's podcast, listening to her in a longer format is rather odd. A lot of the ideas in this book are discussed on her show. She talks about how she spent time exploring each of her five senses. Is any of it groundbreaking? Maybe not. But it is grounding and a good reminder that we all need to remember not to neglect any of our senses. Instead, we should remember each of these senses and to care for them as well. We can use our senses to indulge in healthy ways. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 18, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Tempest at Sea Lady Sherlock by Sherry Thomas

Charlotte Holmes is dead. At least that's where she was presumed to be at the end of the last book. Now, she has the chance to come back under the protection of Lord Remington (not a fail safe but no small measure) if she can help him find a missing dossier. It has been some time but she has hopes that she will be able to get some information from a governess, Frau Schmidt, who will be sailing on the Provence. Coincidentally, Charlotte's sister Livia will be on board as will Charlotte's lover, Lord Ingram and his two children. Also boarding the ship are an old adversary of Charlotte's, Inspector Brighton, and the man who made such a massive failure of Charlotte's attempt to ruin herself, Roger Shrewsbury. 

Shrewsbury once again marks himself inept as he makes an unpleasant remark about a young woman boarding the boat with her brother. Her brother, a wealthy man, takes exception to the remark and punches Shrewsbury. So the trip is off to an interesting start. It gets more interesting when the brother is murdered and Inspector Brighton is asked to look into the mystery. Is he actually solving the crime or is he trying to suss out more information about Holmes?
The mystery is not exactly linear as beats of the story are interspersed with more information about what actually happened the night of the crime. I think regular readers will enjoy the story but there is a lot of information that gets tacked on, especially at the end, that has no bearing on this story.

Lady Sherlock #7

Four stars

This book came out March 14, 2023

Follows Miss Moriarty, I Presume?

Followed by A Ruse of Shadows
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg

Nick wakes up from a drug induced nap to find that not only is he in a life-like mock-up of a bank, he's no longer in America. He has been kidnapped in order to help the Road Runners, normally a smash-and-grab crew, to make a big heist.

Kate realizes that he's gone and is able to follow but soon finds herself embroiled in a plot to take down a sociopath, Dragan Kovic. She is set up to be Nick's bodyguard.

Once again, her father and his cohort, as well as many of the crew from earlier Fox and O'Hare books make an appearance. It's a fast and easy read.

Four stars
This book came out June 21, 2016

Follows The Scam

Followed by The Big Kahuna

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

Alexei Vasiliev is dead. He made escape rooms in life and has one last, grand puzzle left for after his death. The first three chapters introduce the first three players: Henry Hall who is in solitary, a former cop kept separate from the general population; Joy Reese is a movie star and Alexei's widow; Dr. Oscar Evans is an epidemiologist who has been ignoring the signs of his own cancer. Oh, and Henry has a handler named Atkins who doesn't seem to fit in his own skin. These three (four?) come together and solve the first puzzle which gets them the option to either keep playing or to leave the house. All continue to play where they are joined by Dr. Rudyard Thomas, an associate professor of archeology. As they wait, Joy notices a timer counting down and the five of them witness a devastating act which leads to a sixth member joining them, Ileana Athanasiou, a politician. 

I really liked the first three quarters of this book and there were hints about what the end was going to be but it still felt a little like a hard left turn. I think other people would enjoy this book more but I am just grateful that I finished it during the daylight hours. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out September 15, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Postman Always Dies Twice by Zara Keane

There wasn't much to this book but it is a nice addition to a fast, fun, and fluffy series. If you are looking for something light, this is a perfect read. A number of coincidences and some information at the end that means it isn't fairly clued but an amusing read. 

The island postman is something of a Lothario. It's well known that he sleeps with as many women as possible. Maggie doesn't particularly enjoy his attentions but she is still shocked when she finds his body at the bottom of a cliff on a dark and stormy night. Sergeant Reynolds immediately gets her back up when he arrests not only her friend Lenny's brother but their grandfather as well. But she doesn't lose too much time since she has been hired by her former nemesis, Melanie, to look into the ghostly appearances at the Whisper Island Hotel. It will be up to Maggie to put everything right and tie up this mystery with a bow. 

Four stars
This book came out April 17, 2017

Follows Dial P for Poison

Followed by How to Murder a Millionaire

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Job by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg

Kate and Nick are off again. As the book opens, somebody is robbing famous museums. And trying (sloppily, in Kate's opinion) to frame Nick for it. They discover it's one of his old teammates, Serena Blake. She needs help in getting revenge on the man who killed her brother. A mobster whose face her brother has changed, Menendez is one bad dude.

It's a bit light and fast but sometimes, that's just the kind of book I'm looking for. A great book while in the midst of a number of weighty non-fictions.

Three stars

This book came out November 1, 2014

Follows The Chase

Followed by The Scam

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own