The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot

 

from the blurb:  Twenty years ago Emily Mills’s father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed.

Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night—until an eerily similar murder brings it all back. It also brings FBI special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. As eager as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.

my thoughts:  I've read many of Elliot's mysteries, but somehow missed this one. And it's a good one. I really liked Agent Zander Wells and his partner, Agent Ava McLane; they worked well together, even when the local sheriff  wasn't very cooperative. I also liked Emily and her three elderly aunts. They are an eccentric bunch and made me laugh. I thought Elliot did a great job of weaving together the past and present mysteries. And she always brings life to her Oregon setting, which is another thing I like about her books. This is a compelling and well-written novel. 

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima

 

Deputy Mattie Walker and her K-9 partner, Robo, have their hands full when a simple welfare check leads to murder, and a routine traffic stop reveals drugs and a possible link to a human trafficking ring. 

Once again Margaret Mizushima has crafted a tightly plotted and dynamic mystery. This is the 11th book in her Timber Creek K-9 series, and it's every bit as good as all her previous books. This is one of my favorite series. The mysteries are always interesting and the characters entertaining. I really like Mattie and her veterinarian husband, Cole, and how well they deal with their demanding jobs, his two daughters, and their ever-deepening relationship. And I love Robo! He's such a cute and engaging character. Dogs make every book better imo. And Robo is the best.

Happy Reading!

Other books in this series that I've reviewed:

Killing Time (#1)

Stalking Ground (#2)

Hunting Hour (#3)

Burning Ridge (#4)

Tracking Game (#5) 

Hanging Falls (#6) 

Striking Range (#7)

Gathering Mist (#9) 

Dying Cry (#10) 

Randomness

 I finally got around to watching the first season of Wednesday last month, and I loved it! Especially the clever dialogue and all the quirky characters. It was just so fun. 

And I'm very excited that a new season of Tracker starts on Sunday. It's one of my favorite shows. My other favorite? The Amazing Race! I don't always love the teams, but I do love seeing all the places they go. 

I'm still DNFing a lot of books. I'm not sure why...maybe because I'm running tired, or feeling more stressed lately. Maybe it's work taking up so much of my free time. Whatever the reason, I'm finding it hard to stick with a book that doesn't instantly pull me in. I don't seem to have any patience for slower starts, so-so plots, or 3-star characters. But I did do a lot of rereading last month because of it. Thank heavens I have so many favorite books sitting on my shelves. I'm hoping to actually finish more books this month; I have a new stack checked out from the library and they all look good. So fingers crossed! 

Favorite line from a recent read I did manage to finish: "The next morning, the autumn weather had changed from golden to Gothic." --Julia McKay, Something About September

Top Ten Tuesday

 

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

This week's theme is a FALL-THEMED FREEBIE.

So I decided to have a little fun and go with Fall Titles.

1. The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson

2. Fall With Me by Amanda Jones

3. The Friendly Fall by Kristine W. Joy

4. Fall I Want by Lyra Parish

5. Just Don't Fall by Emma St. Clair

6. A Sweet Alaskan Fall by Jennifer Snow

7. Never Fall For Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath

8. See You Next Fall by Annabelle McCormanck

9. The Fall Back Plan by Melanie Jacobsen

10.  A Fall to Remember by Ellie Alexander

Happy Reading!

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

 

Who:  Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Emma Orczy and Margery Allingham.

When:  1931

Where:  London, England and Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France

What: These five mystery writers, otherwise known as the Queens of Crime, are determined to solve the very real murder of a young English nurse named May Daniels.

Why read it: This book is a fun combination of historical fiction and mystery. And it's so well written. Dorothy Sayers is the main narrator and the main driver of the plot. I thought the author did a good job of depicting her and the other four women authors. I really enjoyed their interactions. And the mystery was interesting, too. I liked how these five women call on their unique writerly skills to aid in their investigation. It's an interesting time period to read about, too. All in all, an entertaining and satisfying novel. 

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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:  BOOKS ON MY FALL 2026 TO-READ LIST.

Always an easy one. 

Though narrowing down any booklist to just 10 books is always tricky for me. 

But here are 10 books I really want to read this fall.

1. Well Versed by Jen DeLuca

2. Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima

3. The Pumpkin Bride by Fiona Buttercup

4. Some Kind of Haunted by Hazel Beck

5. The House at Devil's Neck by Tom Mead

6. Chasing Creed by Alex Kava

7. Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison

8. A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham

9. The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson

10. The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty

11. The Monk by Tim Sullivan

12. I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie by Jaclyn Smith

See...once again I didn't manage to stick with only 10 books. Oh, well.

What books are you looking forward to reading this fall?

Happy Reading!

Stay For a Spell by Amy Coombe

     An old woman handed me a key, told me she hoped it would unlock my heart's desire, and now I'm trapped inside a bookshop. 

    I think about it for a moment. My head's clearing up and I'm steadier on my feet than I was a moment ago. I'm stuck inside a bookshop. A thousand miles from my parents. Unable to carry on with my royal duties. I'm stuck. Inside. A bookshop.

    For as long as it takes someone to break the curse, or for me to fulfill it and unlock my heart's desire. 

    I lean my head against the door and start to laugh.

What's the one surefire way to break a curse, any curse, according to every story, every legend, every fable recorded? True love's kiss. And what does true love look like, if you're a princess? .... It looks like a prince....my parents? They're going to try to find a prince. 

My thoughts: A princess. A curse. A pirate. Seven princes; seven kisses. And one magical bookshop. What an enchanting novel! I loved Princess Tanadelle (Tandy to her friends), and her funny predicament. All the princes who come to rescue her with their unromantic kisses totally made me laugh. I also really liked Bash, the teasing and sarcastic pirate, who has a curse of his own, and all the magical creatures and characters who help Tandy with the bookshop. This cozy fantasy has humor, heart and a sweet and swoony romance. I read it in a day and loved every page.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!