Sylvia's Second Act by Hillary Yablon

I saw this book on NPR's list of Books We Love for 2024 and thought it looked good. I didn't realize exactly how much the main character relied on Sex and the City as a reference for how to live in New York. 

The book opens with Sylvia walking in on her husband of several decades having sex with a woman in their retirement community. It's a woman she doesn't particularly like which just makes it worse. Sylvia retreats to New York and her daughter. When her daughter scoffs at the idea that Sylvia will get a job, she calls her best friend and decides to prove her wrong. 
Sylvia and Evie soon figure out that they might have been a bit naive about how easy it would be to find housing and work. And they're going to learn some more life lessons but they'll come out alright in the end. 

Three stars

This book came out March 12, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

What You Are Looking For is in the Library Michiko Aoyama with Alison Watts (Translator)

This book of short stories is nothing if not a love note to reading and to libraries. Each of the main characters has come up against an important time of life and need some guidance through. The patrons are looking for different books and are dealing with a range of problems but coming to the library, talking to the librarian, help solves them all.

Three stars

This book came out November 9, 2020

Hard cover I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Murder in the Churchyard by Catherine Coles

Previous books in the series introduced us to Evelyn's friend, Isolde. She has been attracted to the local doctor but seems to have been holding herself back from him. It turns out, it's because she's already married. And the man himself is in town, doing shady things that a bad man married to a good woman does in cozy mysteries. 

Of course, that is the man who ends up dead. Tommy and Evelyn are on the case. We also have it reiterated several times that they are sad because they don't have children, reminding us that detective work is not the sum whole of their lives. 

Tommy and Evelyn #2

This book came out January 29, 2021

Three stars

Follows Murder at the Village Fete

Followed by Murder in Belgrave Square

Ebook of mine on Kindle
Opinions are my own

The Mill House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, Ho-Ling Wong (Translator)

Flipping back and forth between a year ago and the present, the book also switches from a third person (selectively omniscient) to first person. The first and third chapters are mirrors of a particular day in both 1985 and 1986. The imagery drew me into the story and set the tone for the story going forward.

There is some casual misogyny around Fujinuma's young wife (who was previously his ward) and the bookshelf is otherwise mired in the mores of 1988 Japan but it is an interesting story. And I felt it was clued fairly.

As a native English speaker, it was sometimes difficult to keep the names straight but the overall story of a man who was horribly burned in a car accident and now lives behind a mask was enjoyable thoug a bit confusing. 

Three stars

This book came out in 1988

House Murders #2

Follows The Decagon House

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Spy x Family, Vol. 10 by Tatsuya Endo

Oof. We get the story of Loid's early childhood  and it is bleak. We see the start of a war between East and West and how it decimates and grinds people down.

We also see the story of an opera singer whose trip to the West might begin to thaw tensions... as long as the bad press about him doesn't get out.
We also get the story of Yor rescuing the former first lady, Desmond's mother. She joins her for a rousing game of volleyball and then some tea. Meeting Melinda gives Yor a friend and some chance at normalcy.

Four stars

This book came out April 4, 2022

Follows Vol. 9

Followed by Vol. 11

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C.L. Miller

Carole and Freya had been invited to join a cruise as antiques experts. But the invitation was rescinded. Oh well. When asked to come to a local maritime museum where a picture donated by Freya's old mentor, Arthur, had been stolen, they are looking up information and discover that the cruise is, indeed, still on. And they'll be able to join. 

Once they get there, they recognize some old friends, some of whom are not using the names they had the last time Carole and Freya saw them. Also on the cruise? Supposedly a big bad who is getting ready to turn over his name and his business of obtaining certain objects and then selling them off to the highest bidder. And a number of his usual bidders are on the ship as well, all of them wanting to keep their secrets.

This book took me awhile to get into it and I didn't remember all of the side characters from the previous book but there were a number of hints as to why they were important so I think new people would be fine as well. I think the transitions from third person narrator to another narrator to first person kept me from really ever immersing myself in the book but it was a good read. 

Four stars

This book came out February 18, 2024

Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder #2

Follows Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder

Followed by Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Prisoner's Key by C.J. Archer

Matt and India are enjoying married life and India is starting to work with a friend of her grandfather's learning the laguage of magic. Her tutor, Charbonneau (my spelling might be off, I listened to the audiobook) comes from a wealthy French family. He is a second son so they'd prefer he marry someone for politics or money. He wants to marry a magician. So, when Louise more or less proposes, he turns her down. But then, Charbonneau is sent to debtor's prison and any number of people would like to help him out, including one very sneaky magic obsessed lord. When Charbonneau (a lead magician) escapes, everyone is on high alert.

Three stars

This book came out September 3, 2019

Glass and Steele #8

Follows The Cheater's Game
Followed by Imposter's Inheritance

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own