The First Death by Kendra Elliot

 

Deschutes County, Oregon

When Rowan Wolff was five, she and her brother, Malcolm, were kidnapped. Rowan was saved; her brother was never found. Now, twenty-five years later, Rowan helps to find the lost and the missing with her SAR dog, Thor. And every year on Malcolm's birthday, she returns to the forest where she was found to search for his remains. On one of these searches, she discovers the body of a young woman. Her death seems to match the recent murders of two other young women. Detective Evan Bolton, who's assigned to the case, suspects they might have a serial killer on their hands. And the more he investigates, the more convinced he becomes that these cases relate somehow to Rowan's and her brother's kidnapping.

My thoughts:  Kendra Elliot knows how to craft a compelling mystery with some very engaging characters. Her Mercy Kilpatrick series is a favorite of mine, which is where she first introduces readers to Evan and Rowan. But now they have their own book. And I loved getting to know them better. Thor, too, of course! Elliot does an excellent job of weaving Rowan's past experiences in with Evan's current investigation. And the ending, as the truth of the situation finally comes out, is both exciting and satisfying. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to check out The Next Grave, and read more about Evan and Rowan and their developing relationship. 

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Other Kendra Elliot novels I've posted about:

A Merciful Secret

In the Pines

Top Ten Tuesday...

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme is supposed to be NEW-TO-ME AUTHORS I DISCOVERED IN 2024. But I wasn't feeling that. I read A LOT of new authors every year. And trying to narrow them down to just ten? Not happening. So, I went rogue this week and chose to do TEN FAVORITE BOOKS I READ IN JANUARY OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS instead. Because I always have fun looking back at past reads. These are all favorite reads of mine, and books I recommend!

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

The Children by Edith Wharton

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

The Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Locker Nine by Franklin Horton

Admiral by Sean Danker

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson

Happy Reading!

 

Haiku Reviews

 

Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

A Halloween fling.

Her unexpected pregnancy.

Co-parents? Friends? More?

Romance .... 357 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(I adored Win and Bo and their sweet romance!)

To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

Bachelor detective &

independent photographer

solve case; find love.

"A Proper Romance" .... 283 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Loved the historical time period, the engaging characters & their honest respect for one another.)

Cold as Hell by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

Angels yanked James from

hell to kill monsters and demons

in the wild, wild West.

Western + Supernatural .... 323 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(A dead outlaw cowboy battling evil for the angels of the White Throne. How awesome is that? I totally loved it!)

 

Happy Reading!

Frank & Red by Matt Coyne

 

FRANK:  a cantankerous, irreverent, grumpy and sarcastic curmudgeon. He's also grieving the death of his wife and the love of his life, Marcie. Her death has left him estranged from his son...and unable to leave his home. The farthest he ventures now is his own backyard. And he's not at all interested in meeting or befriending his new neighbors!

RED:  a talkative and inquisitive six-year-old boy who's "all snot and jabber". His dad is living with a new girlfriend, and Red and his mom have just moved in next door to Frank. Now Red is facing a new school with no friends; and he doesn't feel like he can tell his mom about the bully who's picking on him because he doesn't want to make her feel sad. His only hope is Frank.

My thoughts:  This book was a delight! Both Frank and Red are going through some hard things, and there are definitely a few heartbreaking moments along the way, but there were many more moments that made me laugh out loud. Red's kind heart shows in his concern over Frank's sadness; and Frank's responses to Red's persistent offers of friendship were SO funny. I loved these two characters and their poignant interactions. Matt Coyne has written a humorous and heartwarming novel. It's my first 5-star read of 2025.

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Bear Necessity by James Gould-Bourn

Writing With Fire

 

I ran across this 2021 documentary at my library last week and checked it out on a whim. And I'm so glad I did! It's a compelling look at an independent newspaper in India run solely by Dalit women. If you're not familiar with India's caste system, the Dalit are on the lowest rung and are considered untouchable by all the other castes. Their lives are not easy. But these women journalists are so brave. Wanting to change their country for the better, they tackle the hard subjects from violence to women, illegal mining and political corruption. It's an eye-opening look at India--heartbreaking at times, yet also inspiring. I can see why this feature documentary was nominated for an Academy Award, and why it won two awards at Sundance Film Festival. I absolutely loved it! 

Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher

 

First line:  They say York is the most haunted city in England, but I'm probably the only person in it named after a ghost.

The plot:  December 1851. Lizzy Grimm and her mother live above their small shop, Grimm Curiosities. For awhile, Lizzy's mother worked as a medium to help pay the rent, but a year ago she was stricken silent. Now it's up to Lizzy to take care of her mother and to keep her late father's antique shop open, but things aren't going well. She finds unexpected help from Antony Carlisle, the oldest son of the local baron. His younger sister has also been stricken silent. He and Lizzie team up to try and discover why. And they think they just might find the answers they're seeking in her father's treasured set of books about ghosts, faeries, doorways, otherworldly creatures, and yuletide myths. Only someone else really wants those books--an older gentleman who is also interested in Lizzy.

My thoughts:  This book is an enchanting combination of mystery & romance with a touch of fairy tale magic. Oh, and ghosts! I loved the Grimm's small curiosity shop and the ghostly atmosphere permeating York. All the old buildings and narrow alleyways called ginnels made for a great setting. And Lizzy and Antony are both very engaging characters. I loved how their cautious friendship deepened into something more over the course of their search. There's even a ball. And the magical elements made this book even more fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Happy Reading! 

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  BOOKISH GOALS FOR 2025.

I haven't actually set many bookish goals this year, at least not any real specific ones. I know I want to read more fantasy this year, and catch up on some series. I also want to allow room in my reading for bookish serendipity...and for rereading when the mood strikes. And I should probably limit the number of Goodreads Giveaways I enter because I think that's what's helped make my Want to Read list sooo long. But those are more thoughts than actual goals. 

I do however have one specific bookish goal:  Read More Nonfiction. I even have a list of the 12 nonfiction books I intend to read this year. Here they are:

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

Patton's Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith and Victory in World War II by Alex Kershaw

The Cave: A Secret Underground Hospital and One Woman's Story of Survival in Syria by Amani Ballour, M.D. 

Clay and Bones: My Life as an FBI Forensic Artist by Lisa Bailey

The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator's Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford, Jr. 

Lay Them to Rest: On the Road With the Cold Case Investigators Who Identify the Nameless by Laurah Norton

Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

Twisting in Air: The Sensational Rise of a Hollywood Falling Horse by Carol Bradley

Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy, A Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr.

Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Brent Underwood

And I also have an alternate if one of the above turns out to be a DNF. (It's been on my TBR list for awhile, and it's one I do want to read.)  The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry that Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak.

Good luck with ALL of your bookish goals this year! 

And Happy Reading.

January's Bookish Art...

 

"...what we read is what we are,

or what we are becoming."

--Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Ruined by Reading 

P.S. I'm still having trouble commenting on Wordpress blogs. So, if you haven't seen any comments from me yet this month and I normally do comment on all of your posts...check your spam box. I think that's where my comments have landed. Don't you just love technology gone wrong? 

Have you met Emma M. Lion?

 

I first heard about The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower last year when one of my co-workers mentioned that they were her favorite novels. But at the time, my TBR list was really long, and I had a stack of library books I needed to read, so I soon forgot about them. Then, last month, my co-worker brought them up again; she'd pre-ordered Vol. 8 and was eagerly awaiting its arrival. So I decided to check one of them out. Only there were over 40 library holds on Vol. 1, and I figured it would take months before I'd get my hands on a copy. When I mentioned this to my co-worker, she not only brought me her copy of Vol. 1 the next day, but Vol. 2 as well. 

I read both books this past week--my first fiction reads of 2025--and they are utterly delightful. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion take place in 1883 in London. As Vol. 1 begins, Emma is twenty, an orphan, and just returning to her family home, Lapis Lazuli, in the heart of St. Crispian's, after several years of being her Cousin Matilde's (unpaid) companion. She's spunky, a little quirky, and honest about her shortcomings. And she loves to read. She's also poor, but hopeful of gaining her home and her independence when she turns twenty-one, despite her Cousin Archibald's stealing and interference. I was completely charmed by her and her journal entries. These books are not very long--only 120 pages or so--they read fast, and are quite entertaining. And I can't wait to read the next six volumes. Luckily, I know my co-worker will happily let me borrow them whenever I want. I really owe her for telling me about these fun books! 

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme is MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS RELEASING IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2025. 

And do I have a list! 

Beg, Borrow or Steal by Sarah Adams  (Jan. 7th)

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix  (Jan 14th)

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young  (Jan. 28th)

Nemesis (Orphan X #10) by Gregg Hurwitz  (Feb. 11th)

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett (Feb. 11th)

Cold as Hell (Haven's Rock #3) by Kelley Armstrong  (Feb. 18th)

Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon (Mar. 4th)

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (April 1st)

Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham  (April 8th)

Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes  (April 8th)

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry  (April 22nd)

The Love Haters by Katherine Center  (May 20th)

I'm sure I've missed some, so let me know what books you're eagerly anticipating coming out in the next few months. Especially if you think it's one I'll like, or an author you know I love!

Happy Reading!

The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker, PhD

From the blurb:  "So why fun? If happiness is a mirage, then fun is your backyard oasis. While happiness is a state of mind and a reaction to your circumstances, fun is an action you can take here and now, practically anywhere, anytime. Research has shown that pursuing fun is enormously beneficial to our physical and psychological well-being."

 

3 Favorite Quotes:

"Happiness is a state of mind, but fun is something you can do. It doesn't require education, money, or power. All it requires is intentionality. Fun is immediate. And it is uniquely yours."

  

"When you fill your life with fun and novel experiences and feed your brain lots of new information--learning, traveling, meeting new people, trying new activities--you look back on life in general with greater satisfaction."

"Extraordinary experiences require us to make deliberate choices. Transformative moments don't often fall out of the sky, but there are definitely ways to increase their frequency. Choosing fun every day in small, seemingly superficial ways can, over time, lead you to new patterns of behavior--new and better choices. What starts as a dance of whimsy may lead to you discovering The Mystery, with joy lighting the path. How might your life improve after a month, or a year--or ten years--of making fun a habit?"

My thoughts: I love Rucker's premise and the exercises he suggests, and totally agree that we all need to have a little more intentional fun in our lives. Everyday. Even if it's something small. It's something I intend to work on this year. 

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Happy Reading!

P.S.  I've been having trouble getting my comments to go through on some Wordpress blogs; I don't know why. I've never had trouble before. But suddenly my comments are disappearing. Are they lost in the limbo of spam? Who knows. But Helen, Susan, and Lisa...if you don't see any comments from me on your most recent posts, that's why! I'm not ignoring you, I promise. And hopefully it sorts itself out soon. 

Welcome to 2025!

 

For me, the beginning of a new year is always a time for self-reflection. A time to consider if I'm where I want to be, what changes I may want to make, and what goals, if any, I want to set. And it's a time for me to reset my focus for the upcoming year. Because if I don't clarify my thoughts and write down my goals, dreams and intentions, then I won't accomplish anything. And there are definitely some changes I'd like to make in my life, because I am still a work in progress. 

So, here's the short list of things I want to be more Intentional about doing this year:

• Self care
• Being mindful in the moment
• Breathing
• Seeking God, and trusting Him
• Having fun!
• Kindness (towards others, but also towards myself)
• Gratitude and Gladness
• Connecting with others
• Being open to new adventures

Mostly, I hope that 2025 turns out to be a good year for all of us. 

Happy New Year!