Week in Review #32

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

Hi Everyone! The weather sure has been strange this past week. It got cold enough I had to build a fire again...blah! Hoping this coming week will be nicer.

How is April already ending!!!

Not a lot worth noting happened this week. I did watch some more movies, I like Killer Animal movies so watched The Bees and Kiss of the Tarancula both from the 70s, the spider one was better than the bees...lol.

Have a great day and happy reading!

What you might have missed on my blog

Review of Heart of Evil

Books I have added

• It Found Us - This cover is super creepy for a middle grade horror book, but I do love this author!
• Escape From Grimestone Manor - Looked like a fun light spooky middle grade.
• Murder at Merton Library - Can't wait to get to this one! I love this historical mystery series!
• The Camp - Sounded like a fun slasher campfire story.

Books read last week

• Discovery of Witches - Fantastic reread, love the All Souls Trilogy.
• Gone Missing - Another good read from the Kate Burkholder series.
• Thin Ice - This is a little grittier of a cozy mystery and enjoyable. Set in Alaska!
• Daughter Unto Devils - So boring!!!!
• A Killer Carol - Loved this one and so sad it's the last in the series but I finished a series. :)
• Freddie McFright's Chilling Night - This was a cute short middle grade book

Currently reading

• The Nightmare Man - This one has been decent so far. I am about 50% into it.
• Who Was Daniel Boone - My kind of biographies! Short and to the point for Middle Graders...lol. I will finish this one tonight.

What might be up next

A Few books that are on my radar for the first one May! :)

How was your week? What did you get?

Two Bloggers, One Series ~ Heart of Evil (Krewe of Hunters #2)

 So last year I got Barb to try book one in the Krewe of Hunters series (Phantom Evil) and she really enjoyed it so even though I am currently on book 17, I told her I would go back and reread the books with her and so that is what we are doing. I really like this series! Go see what Barb thinks of it so far! 

-------------------------------------------

Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.

Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare & often inexplicable intuition. Among the Krewe of Hunters is an old flame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.

The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried even in death.

This one starts out with a Civil War reenactment that ends in a murder. One on the Yankee's side was not able to play in the reenactment, so they asked Charles from the Southern side to go and play a Yankee and well he wasn't happy about it and whined. So another guy spoke up and said that he would do it and that Charles could play Marshall Donegal and well that probably saved the one guys life but it was death for poor Charles.

When Charles goes missing Ashley Donegal is really worried something bad has happened, like she just knows, but they look all over and can't find him. Her grandfather who knows Harrison (founder of the Krewe) gives him a call and in come the Krewe of Hunters. The krewe is a special team of investigator with some slightly different skills, most of them have some sort of paranormal specialty, whether it's seeing ghost, hearing them, communitcating with them, etc. But they are all law enforcement and are still there to look for the evil in men not really thinking it's a ghost.

One of those team members is Jake who is the first on the scene because he has ties to the Donagals, he is Ashley's ex and can see ghost which is the one thing that ruined their relationship. Now though Ashley is seeing the ghost of her ancestor who is trying to help her out and now she is seeing Jake in a different light. 

When they find Charles body the way it was and then someone else turns up missing then dead and found in the swamps with the gators they are in a hurry to find out who is behind these because it sure isn't a ghost and someone may be after some revenge on the Donagals putting Ashley in danger. 
So I first read this one in 2016 and I will say that though I could recall a few things as reading this I couldn't remember much and enjoyed my second read. I know this series is very formulaic and not for everyone but for me it's just a paranormal comfort read and I haven't disliked one yet...lol. 

I love all those involved in the Krewe, Jackson is still my favorite (Phantom Evil), but I liked Jake. I did find it interesting that Ashley had to see a ghost for herself to help her see that Jake meant nothing bad when he told her what he did when they were together. I loved the ghost of Marshall Donagal he was a hoot!

So I love this series but can see how it would be hit or miss with some, so if you like paranormal romances give it a try and see where you fall.

4 stars

Week in Review #31

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

This past week most of my spare time has been used cleaning out a part of our house that seemed to be the catch all for all things. It's an open area room upstairs next to my room that has never been completely fixed (We built our own house and this section sort of just got forgotten) and I want to make it into a library so been cleaning it out slowly since it wreaks havoc on my back.

I needed a Discovery of Witches TV series fix so subscribed to Shudder for a few months so I can watch it. It's probably more of a Matthew Goode fix...lol. :) That is pretty much the only thing I have watched of interest this past week.

Oh and I think Spring is confused because we had a Frost Warning last night and it was 32....burr!

Have a great week and happy reading!

What you might have missed on my blog

Review of The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency

Review of The Grand Sophy

Books I have added

• Murder in the Scottish Hills - I enjoyed The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency and so when I seen another one was coming out next month I had to grab it. :)

Books read last week

• Let's Get Invisible - It's the 6th book in the Goosebump series and I thought it was okay.
• The Grand Sophy - It was okay, Sophy was fun but didn't feel like much of a romance book.
• Breaking Silence - Very dark Amish books, so not cozy...lol. Really like this series though! Kate Burkholder use to be Amish but left and now she is a police chief.
• Spy Camp Graphic Novel - Enjoying my second time reading this series but though Graphic novel form.
• The Five - This was okay, makes me want to read a Ripper book now though. 
• I Want My Hat Back - Cute picture book, read it for Picture This Readathon.
• I Will Chomp You! - Another cute picture book.
• The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency - I enjoyed this one but thought the first part was a bit slow. 

Currently reading

• A Discovery of Witches - I need to speed up my read so I am done by the end of the month but really enjoying my reread.
• Gone Missing -The Fourth book in the Kate Burkholder. Just started this one on chapter 4.
• Cover Her Face - Almost finished, it's okay.
• Gustav Gloom - Just starting this one.
• The World of All Souls - This is interesting, kind of a fictional behind the scenes look at the world of All Souls, like you get all the charcters broken down, more about the world and all that good stuff.

What might be up next

How was your week? What did you get?

Review of The Grand Sophy

 Recieved a copy from Netgalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

When the redoubtable Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy is ordered to South America on business, he leaves his only daughter Sophy with his sister, Lady Ombersley, in Berkeley Square. But Sophy's cousins are in a sad state, and she's arrived just in time to save them all. But she hadn't reckoned with Charles Rivenhall, the Ombersleys' heir, who is very unappreciative of her efforts.

-------------

I think I have only read one other book by this author and it was a long time ago, but I was curious about this one when I seen it on Netgalley so grabbed it. 

I had to remind myself while I was reading this that it was written a long time ago when romances were written differently because this really didn't feel like a romance. I know it was I believe suppose to be mainly about Sophy, hense the title, but it was hard to believe in the conclusion.

Since Sir Horace was going to be gone to South America he asked his sister if it was okay to leave Sophy with her. It's funny because she is a grown woman but yet couldn't stay by herself, but such was the times. Anyway, Sophy is not your normal lady, I mean she comes bearing monkey as a gift for the kids!

When Sophy arrives she pretty much takes over things in a grand way. She was raised differently and is really one to put plans together to push people in the right way and this doesn't go very well with Charles Rivenhall, the heir and person in charge of the household. 

He doesn't like Sophy's interferences with how he is dealing with his sister and many other things. It was really hard to believe that in the end he falls for Sophy.

Although I will say I think I know pretty much the time he started to think a little differently about Sophy, but still he was pretty gruff about things right up till the things that happen at the end making this hard for me to believe in the romance. 

That aside I really liked Sophy and she made me laugh a lot, she was spunky, and brave and really turned the household upside down. So overall, I thought this was an okay read and would try more from this author.

3.5 stars

eARC Review of The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency

 

I was given this book by Netgalley and the Publisher for a fair and honest review.

When Maud McIntyre sets up her own private detective agency, she never imagines her first case will involve murder… A mystery in the Highlands? The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency is on the case!

Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid, Daisy, form a detective agency, they never dream their first case will take place at a glamorous house in the Scottish Highlands. But when the Duchess of Duddingston, concerned that a notorious jewellery thief will target her lavish weekend party, employs Maud to go undercover as a guest to find the culprit, the agency has its first case to solve…

Undercover with Daisy as her maid, Maud follows a trail of clues across the Duddingston House estate. And as she meets the weekend guests, she hopes one of them will reveal themselves as the jewellery thief. But when one of the house guests is discovered dead, Maud and Daisy realise they’re not only hunting precious gems, but a murderer…

As Maud and Daisy investigate, they realise that a connection in Edinburgh might hold a vital clue that will help them solve the case. Travelling back to the city, Maud hopes that what she and Daisy uncover will help them piece together the murder mystery at Duddingston House…

But when Maud receives a telephone call from the Duchess requesting urgent assistance, she realises that the murderer didn’t have just one victim in mind. Speeding down the drive to Duddingston House, Maud and Daisy hear gunshots ring out across the estate. Will they reach the Duchess in time to save her? And will they catch the murderer in the act?

So in this start to a new series Maud and her former maid decide they are going to be private detectives. They solved a case earlier and think that makes them qualified to do the work and have opened a place, but their first would be client thought they were men and didn't want to hire them, then they get lucky when a Duchess walks in also looking for a man, but thinks it's interesting that it's two females and decides to hire them.

There has been a lot of recent jewelry thefts and the Dutchess in throwing a party and doesn't want anything to happen to any of her guess things, so Maud and Daisy go undercover to see if they can figure out who might  be the person stealing things before it happens and if not catch the person whodonit, but they get a murder as well as a theft. 

Everyone's a suspect so it's a hard case for thier first official case and everything is riding on getting things right. The guest are all wealthy or at least have the appearance of wealth so why would they need to steal jewelry? 

This is just one of the cases the ladies have as they are also hired to find a dog, a missing person and some scadalous letters. 

I thought this was a decent start to a series even though it took longer than I would like for the murder to happen when I am reading a cozy mystery. I also thought it had a lot of things happening with all the different cases they were working on at the same time.

It's set during the time when Scotland was having their sufferage movement and at times I thought there was a little to much additude with the two main characters. I get the time period but for me it was a bit much, others will like it more than me. It's my only real gripe and it's my opinion. 

I like how it wrapped up and how certain things came together and was satified with who the killer was and how it was solved. It was a decent mystery.

I will be looking forward to the next one in this series.

4 Stars

Week in Review #30

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

My back is still bothering me a little bit but it does feel better than it did last week. I think the stacking of the wood during winter is wearing on me, but what can you do when you need it to stay warm.

So I am participating in a Booktube event called Old School April, the host has a discord and it's a readathon and watchathon. There are teams and you collect points for what you read and watch. I am grabbing the watch points as most of what I am reading don't count...lol. She also has watch parties on discord where she streamed Night of the Lepus, Dolls and Teen Witch. Then I watched Alligator 1 & 2 and Crocodile. (She is a horror reader/watcher but she also likes other things, I just happened to decide to watch old killer animal movies for my points...lol.) Also watched High Spirits and Hair Spray (the 1989 version which is my favorite) A lot of my free time was watching movies...lol. (I can read and watch...lol)

What you might have missed on my blog

Review of American in Scotland

Review of Hidden Summit

Books I have added

 Nothing

Books read last week

• Just Plain Murder - The sixth book in the Amish Mystery series and one of my favorite series. Only one more left and I will finish the series, so sad.
• Treacherous is the Night - Second book in the Verity Kent series and I liked it but not as much as the first book.
• The Last Party - It was decent, but not sure what I thought of the DC Morgan, she was a bit morally gray, I get why and don't blame her on some things but she is a cop so I don't know if I like it. The twist at the end was interesting though. :)
• I Funny - Cute middle grade humor book.
• An American in Scotland - A solid start to a new mystery series called Scottish Isle, I really liked this one.
• Karma Moon, Ghost Hunter - This was a fun middle grade mystery with a bit of paranormal.

Currently reading

• The Scottish Detective Agency - I am enjoying this one but it's a bit slower than I would like. I am almost done though so will probably finish it today. 67% in.
• A Discovery of Witches - This is my print book and I am just going slow and enjoying my reread. :)
• Breaking Silence - Just started this one so only like 3% into it.
• Let's Get Invisible - This one is okay and I almost finished it, so it will get finished soon.
• The Grand Sophy - Just started this one on audiobook so about 8% into it and so far it's okay.

What might be up next

How was your week? What did you get?

Audio ARC Review ~ An American in Scotland

 

I recieved this from Netgalley for a fair and honest review!

The small idyllic town of Sea Isle, Scotland, harbors some dark secrets, and Dr. Emilia McRoy is determined to uncover all of them—no matter what the diagnosis in this charming cozy, sure to enchant fans of Sheila Connolly and Charlene O’Connor.

Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of. Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her. When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she’ll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell. Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found. Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur. The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes. And then there are her sleep issues. It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night. But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again.

I love books set in Scotland and add a mystery and I am sold! I grabbed it without really know anything about it...lol. That can work sometimes and sometimes not, but lucky for me it worked!

Emilia needed a change and when she finds out she has Scottish ancestry she decides to take a job in a small town in Scotland as the local doctor, but she didn't read all the fine print. It's not long after she arrives that she find a dead body and learns that she is also the coroner and the big freezer in her home/doctor's office is the freezer for the bodies! 

It turns out to be murder and she quickly finds out that the Laird, who owns her home/doctors office, is also the constable, among other things and he quickly gets on her nerves, she finds him rude. Though everyone in town loves him and she soon finds out he isn't as bad as first impressions. 

Emilia decides since she is the coroner she will look into the death and finds out that the old man who died wasn't a nice guy and there could be just about anyone in the village who would want him dead. The more she tries to figure things out the more threats she gets on little slips of paper. 

I really liked the setting of this one, it has a great cast of characters and a pretty decent mystery. Emilia is making friends, something she didn't have a lot of back home. Everyone in town seems pretty friendly with the exceptioin of a few. They treat Emilia real nice because they want her to stay as they need a doctor. 

The narrator, Kimberly M. Wetherell, does a great job with this and uses a lot of different voices and they didn't sound cringy or anything. 

If you enjoy historical mysteries I would recommend this one.

5 stars

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Hidden Summit (Virgin River #15)

It's time for trip back to Virgin River for Barb and I and we were so happy! It's a lovely place to be and this one was a good one too! After reading what I have to say go check out what Barb thought at Booker T's Farm.

Sick of running into her cheery ex-husband and his new wife, Leslie Petruso accepts a job at the Virgin River branch of Haggerty Construction and takes the high road right out of town. Now she's got Paul Haggerty's business running like a well-oiled machine. In fact, things are so busy Paul jumps at the chance to hire an extra set of hands.

Just like Leslie, Conner Danson has been burned by love. But if Leslie was disappointed by her relationship going bad, Conner was decimated. He's got no time for women... although he spends an awful lot of time pretending not to notice Leslie. And she's pretty busy "ignoring" the chemistry between them.

According to Conner and Leslie, they have only one thing in common—they're done with love. But everyone in Virgin River can see that things are heating up at Haggerty Construction. And as far as Paul Haggerty can tell, the best thing he can do is hang on to his hard hat and watch the sparks fly!

The author introduces us to two new characters and if you have ever read this series you know there are already a lot of characters so I was worried that I might not like it as much but I should have know all would be fine. We get enough of the other characters that I already love mixed in. 

Leslie is trying to get away from her ex-husband who wants to still be friends even though he is married with a baby one the way. She wants to put distance between them and excepts a job at Paul Haggerty's construction business as she knows him. She is working as a secretary.

Conner is in witness protection till he can testify againt a man with connections that he seen murder another man. When Connors business is burned down it was time to run and Bree a lawyer from Virgin River is working with him and has him come there to hide out. He gets a job at Haggerty Construction, so I am sure you can see where this is going. :)

I really liked both the main characters in this one. Man was Leslie's ex a jerk and full of himself and sort of gets what he gets in the end! Leslie would crack me up because he came trying to talk to her and she shot him with the fire extinguisher when he wouldn't leave!! Great moment!

Connor comes with his share of baggage too, like someone wanting him dead, but he also had a bad break up that leaves him a bit gunshy, but things just really click between the two and they just made a great couple.

When I read one of these books it always feels like coming home to a great place, fun characters and I know I am always going to have a good time. 

4 stars

Week in Review #29 ~ Happy Easter

 

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

So I learned cleaning can be painful as I was trying to clean out the catch all room, my dream is to someday make it my library. I was moving boxes around and going through them and then the next day my back was hurting but still not real bad but the day after that I couldn't hardly get out of bed, felt like I was 90, hunched over. Of course this was on Good Friday and my doctor was closed and I don't have the extra money for an emergency room visit, so I toughed it out. Took some ibruprofin and rested. Yesterday I felt a little better but still hurts. I hate being a chunky gal and trying to lose weight but that is not going real great. It just makes my body ache so much! So anyway wasn't the greatest of weeks. :( Upside, I found two boxes of books I had forgotten about so I have something to go through. :)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Books I have added

Ghosts, Toast and other Hazards - Only thing I remember is it has a ghost elephant in it and that was enough...lol.

Books read last week

• Dog Squad - This was a cute middle grade book!
• Whale Done - The latest Funjungle book, I love this series!
• April Fools - Old school horror fun but it could have been better.
• Scaredy Cat - This one was a bit to silly for me but still cute.
• Bright Young Dead - A decent historical mystery.
• The Gamble - I enjoyed this one but thought it was a tad to long.
• Hidden Summit - This one enjoyable. Almost finished with this series as Barb and I have only 4 to go!

Currently reading

• The Last Party - I have just started this one so no opinion on it yet, only really read the prologue. This is an audiobook too, like 3% in.
• The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency - This one comes out this month and it's a little slow but only 22% into the ebook so it still has time to pick up, the murder hasn't happened yet so hopefully that will get it to pick up.
• A Discovery of Witches - I am sure you have seen this on here before! I am hosting a readalong on my youtube channel as I had some people ask me about it, so doing a reread. :)
• Just Plain Murder - I am enjoying this one and I am over halfway so should get this finished soon.
• Spy Camp Graphic Novel - This is an ARC and also a reread as I have read the actual book but now reading it in graphic novel format. So fun!
• Treacherous is the Night - This one is okay so far but only about 18% into the audiobook.

What might be up next

How was your week? What did you get?

Week in Review #28

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

Not much to report this past week was uneventful which is good. I am enjoying the warmer weather! I could do without the storms though!

Have a great week and happy reading!

What you might have missed on my blog

Of Manners and Murder

Burn the Negative

Books I have added

 Nothing!

Books read last week

• The Black Echo - The first Harry Bosch book and I really enjoyed it.
• Cold Blooded Myrtle - I really like this middle grade mystery series!
• Murder in the Bowery - #20 in the Gaslight series! Love this series!
• Vicious Vet - #2 in the Agatha Raisin series! It was fun.
• FrankinSchool - Cute kids books (eARC)
• Burn the Negative - Should have liked this one more than I did, last 20% was good but was kind of bored though it. I do think others will like this one though! (eARC)
• Hunting Time - #4 in the Colter Shaw series and I really liked it, lots of action!
• The Gullfather - Fun middle grade graphic novel (eARC)

Wrapped up a lot of books I was in the middle of and read some little books so even though it looks like a lot it isn't. :) 

Currently reading

 

• Bright Young Dead - #2 in the Mitford series, set in 1925 and only 10% but good so far.
• April Fool's - Figured it was a good one to start yesterday...lol. It's for Old School April a readathon on booktube I am participating in. :) 30% in.
• The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency - First in a new series, historical mystery set in 1911 and it's not bad so far but only about 18% into it.

What might be up next

 

How was your week? What did you get?