Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Rarely am I sad that a novella ends. Especially one that is creating a world. I really do wish that this had been a full-length novel though and hope that we see more in this series. Waite starts this series in a trope that is familiar (spaceship) but with some twists (libarary books that hold "people"; drinks that can evoke specific memories.) 
Dorothy Gentleman went to "sleep" some three hundred years ago. In this world, that is not long as your "self" can be recreated from books that are housed in the library and then downloaded into new shells that take on your own features. She is abruptly woken up when the ship's AI, Fairy, senses someone has destroyed Dorothy's book. As one of the ship's detectives (and the aunt of the person spearheading this ship), Dorothy was one of the few people who had a backup. Unfortunately, the other reason Dorothy has been awakened is because there has been a murder.

Five stars
This novella came out March 18, 2025
ARC kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own


Monday, March 17, 2025

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose

One day, Pomona Afton is the toast of the town. Her wealthy family gives her entree into any number of soirees and parties and ensure that she never has to work. And hers is as disfunctional as any number of books have described wealthy families. Though they don't interact often, Pomona's grandmother rules the roost. Even so, Pomona does ignore her when she starts texting and leaving messages. She assumes she'll have time to find out what her grandmother wants. Too bad her grandmother is savagely murdered. Even worse, her grandmother recently updated her will so that, if she did die, all of the family assets were to be closed up immediately meaning Pomona has no home and no money with only 30 minutes to get out. 
For awhile, she's able to live with her brother and his girlfriend but soon realizes that is too small of an apartment. She decides to take her old nanny up on her offer to live with the woman's son. His apartment is even worse but at least she has the opportunity to work in the coffe shop he manages. And it's at his place that she decides she's going to solve her grandmother's murder.
Large parts of this story are improbable and some aren't even the zany stretches I so often enjoy but there is some real growth in Pomona's character (it seemed awfully fast though there were some hints she was ready to change before her life was turned upside down which helped.) It's fluff that wasn't fairly clued but provided me with some entertainment. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out March 18, 2025
ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own


Sunday, March 16, 2025

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian



 stars
This book comes out March 18, 2025
Secret Staircase Mystery #4
ARC provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own



Friday, March 14, 2025

The Kidnapper's Accomplice by C.J. Archer

I think most reviews will start with the shocking reveal that, in this book, Willie wears a dress. It's a bet with Lord Farnsworth that goes wrong but it's not as large a part of the story as the blurb might want you to believe.
The bulk of this book is the repercussions of magicians coming out in the open and one particular magician who wants India to use her magic to extend his spells. When she refuses, he pairs up with another magician to take drastic measures.
We do see that India has been working on new spells with Fabian and they have created a flying carpet which eventually comes in handy. Also, we learn a little bit more about the mysterious Sir Charles.

Three stars
This book came out September 1, 2020
Glass and Steele #10
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Thursday, March 13, 2025

She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot

I love this book. A lot. It is a great thing to pick up and read when I need to go to sleep 'cause I know it so well that it doesn't make me want to stay awake but enough to hold my interest if I can't go to sleep.
By the same author as the "Princess Diaries," this book is about a screenwriter whose boyfriend left her right after she created a vehicle that shot him to instant stardom. The movie was the "Hindenberg," an obvious reference to Titanic that is pretty hilarious.

Well, the author, Lou, is doubly screwed because the actor on her latest show is Jack Townsend, the man who sets her teeth on edge and is the ex-boyfriend of the woman with whom her ex eloped. So she's having a bad day. One that only gets worse when the pilot of the plane that Jack and Lou are on points a gun at Jack's head and announces that he's going to die. Even though they overpower the pilot, it's too late and the plane is crashing. So now, Lou is in the frozen woods of Alaska with people trying to kill the man she's with and a major snowstorm coming in.
It seems like this would be a strange time for romance, but it works.

Five stars
This book came out December 3, 2002
Hard copy of mine
Opinions are my own


Monday, March 10, 2025

The Imposter's Inheritance by C.J. Archer

In previous books, India had been given a secret. She kept the secret, but someone else didn't and now Matt's familiy is being threatened. There are a number of other things happening in this book meaning it did get a little chaotic. For such short books, there is a lot going on in them. 
The promise to Lord Coyle is dealt with, there are any number of characters whose stories move forward a little bit but it feels like India and Matt have more or less stalled where they are, like their story has stopped now that they're married. 

Three stars
This book came out February 4, 2020
Glass and Steele #9
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own



Saturday, March 8, 2025

The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets by S. K. Golden

Evelyn is just trying to make it through life with agoraphobia. Plus, her paramour, Mac, took off at the end of the last book. But she's maintaining. At least until someone sends her a tiara. It's that tiara that attracts the attention of a group of ladies lunching at The Gold Room. Their leader appears to be a woman named Lois. And it's Lois who ends up dead. 
While dealing with the fallout from that death, Evelyn is also working around the rumors of the Gentleman Thief. He robs the wealthy leaving only a red pocket square behind. 
I enjoyed this book. I really liked that Evelyn is getting out of the hotel more often (whether by hook or by crook.) Didn't love the end of her foray into the city but I am excited to see what happens in the next book. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out March 11, 2025
ARC kindly provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own