Out of Air by Rachel Reiss

 Five friends.

One last summer diving adventure.

A spectacular hidden underwater sea cave.

And a curse.

My thoughts:  This novel is immersive, unexpected, and compelling. I really liked Phoebe and her four friends--Gabe, Will, Lani and Isabel--who call themselves the Salt Squad, and who love to spend all their free time diving and exploring the ocean. And I quickly got up caught up in their unbreakable friendship and all their underwater adventures. Especially when they discover that cursed cave, and strange and scary things start to happen to Pheobe and Gabe. It made for an unputdownable read. And all the scuba diving parts felt so real! I could tell Reiss has a lot of experience diving herself.  And I loved how Reiss builds tension throughout the story. She kept me guessing about what was going to happen to Phoebe and her friends right up until the end, and I loved that. I'm so glad I won a copy of this book from Goodreads! It's a fast-paced and fun book.  If you're looking for an entertaining summer thriller, grab some popcorn and a beach chair, and check this one out!  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick book recommendations...

 

The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro

London, 1855. A disturbing murder of a lovely young woman on All Hallow's Eve, and another suspicious death on All Saint's Day, bring police inspector Sebastian Bell and Crimean nurse, Gemma Tate, together. They're both grieving personal losses; and they're both determined to bring a killer to justice. This Victorian mystery is riveting and intricately crafted. I loved Bell's outrage on behalf of the murdered young women, and his willingness to listen to Gemma and her thoughts on the case. And I loved that she didn't go off doing stupid, reckless things all the time. I also loved the atmospheric setting and all the historical details. It's one of my favorite time periods to read about. And this gripping novel is one of the best mysteries I've read this year.  5 stars! 

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (A Haven's Rock Novel)

Murder. A blizzard. And Casey's risky pregnancy and imminent labor. The stakes are high in the isolated town of Haven Rock as Casey and Eric realize there's a murderer in their small community. Who is it? And who will they target next? Can I just say that I love this series and these characters? This is another fast-paced and suspenseful mystery. Though I didn't love it quite as much as her previous novel, The Boy Who Cried Bear. Maybe because Casey and her pregnancy, and subsequent struggle to still be independent and investigate everything, took center stage, pushing Eric and the other characters to the periphery. (Except for their Newfoundland, Storm, whom I love.) But even with that, this book is a very fun and enjoyable read. 4 stars! 

(Murder at Haven's Rock is the first book in Armstrong's Haven's Rock series, which is actually a continuation of her Rockton series. You can read more about those first books here. )

Happy Reading!

Randomness...

Recently finished reading:  Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn

And I'm happy to say that it was just as fun as the first book. Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are the best characters! I love their banter and snark, as well as their intelligence, toughness, and unorthodox skills. 

I also saw this amazing must-see movie:  Rule Breakers.

It tells the true story of Roya Mahboob and the robotics team comprised of four young women from Afghanistan that she started. Their struggles and achievements are inspiring. (Though the ongoing plight of women and girls in Afghanistan, and how hard they have to fight for even the most basic of human rights, continues to break my heart!) Everyone should go see this movie. 

My glad things for last month:

• Listening to (and loving!) Disturbed's new song: I WILL NOT BREAK. It's awesome!
• Chickadees singing outside my window every morning. (They're my favorite little bird.)
• New recipes that weren't too hard to make and that tasted really yummy: Pear & Broccoli soup, Pesto Whirls, and Orange Creamcheese Cake. 
• Getting caught up on AJ Pearce's Emmy Lake Chronicles, and finishing Jennifer Estep's Black Blade series. Both of which I can definitely recommend. 
• Watching a murder of crows hopping around the playground like they own it; and watching all the elementary kids' delight at their antics.
• Getting together with friends for a night of playing games (Wingspan) and catching up.
• And my former boss, who's also a good friend, reached out last week to see how I was doing.

The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith

 

The plot:  October, 1893. Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer, Sherlock Holmes-loving cowboy detective, and his younger brother, Otto "Big Red" Amlingmeyer, are on another case. Only this time it's personal. Five years ago Gus's sweetheart was murdered, but back then he didn't know how to 'deducify' the truth about what happened to her. Now that he knows Sherlock Holmes' Method for solving crimes, he's hoping to track down  the real killer. Only San Marcos, Texas, is not the same town it once was; and no one there is glad to see the Amlingmeyer brothers. But they're about to stir up some trouble, because Gus isn't going anywhere until he finds out the truth. 

My thoughts:  What a fun read! Otto, who narrates their adventures with amusing sarcasm and homespun humor, and his much more serious, even grumpy, brother, Gus, are the best characters. I loved getting a glimpse into Gus's past in this book. And the way these two get into and out of impossible situations is always entertaining. They're such a great team. And the time period is one of my favorites. Plus, I find the whole premise of these two cowboy sleuths acting like a Western version of Holmes and Watson irresistible. This is the fourth book in this series (though it could easily be read as a standalone), and just as good as all the others. 

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Other Steve Hockensmith reads:

Holmes on the Range

The White Magic Five and Dime

Haiku reviews...

 

Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh

Dark secrets come out

as Bree investigates the

murder of Claire's parents.

Mystery .... 304 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This is the 9th Sheriff Bree Taggert mystery and it's another good one, mostly because Bree and her partner, Matt Flynn, are such great characters.)

Only In Your Dreams by Madison Wright

Grey's loved Finley for

years. So when she needs a fake 

boyfriend, he's ALL in!

Romantic comedy .... 351 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(I loved this charming, clean romance! It's as delightfully sweet and fun as her previous novel, Off the Beaten Path.)

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

Cousins switch places

during London Season. Each find love.

But will their love survive the truth?

Regency romance .... 257 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Cute and clean romance; a little silly and a bit shallow, but still fun.)

Happy Reading!

The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan

A popular sorority girl.

An unsolved murder.

A campus podcast with chilling repercussions. 

From the blurb: 

"Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later, while interning at the medical examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested.

"Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn't sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace's last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise.

"New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast—before the killer silences him forever."

My thoughts:  This mystery is well-written and compelling. I liked both Lucas, who's young and naive but well-intentioned and determined, and Regan, who's tough and smart; and I quickly got drawn into Lucas's podcast and subsequent murder investigation. The who and why of Candace's disappearance and death did not come as a total surprise, but there was good suspense right up to the end. I enjoy Brennan's mysteries and this one is no exception. She does an excellent job of weaving together all the various elements. And I also really liked the Flagstaff, AZ, and college campus setting. Altogether, a very fun read.

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 SPRING 2025 TO READ LIST. 

Though my spring To Read list is certainly not set in stone; it's more a list of possible reads, and might change at any moment as my mood changes. But here are twelve books I'm thinking about reading this month and next. 

World's Greatest Sleuth! by Steve Hockensmith

The Family Experiment by John Marrs

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer

A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

A Whisper of Death by Darcy Burke

Deep Freeze by Michael G. Grumley

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf

Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz

Cold As Hell by Kelley Armstrong

Happy Reading!

The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer

 

First line:  Two little black penguins were the first to know the secret.

First published:  1931

The plot:  Hildegarde Withers, 39, pragmatic, no-nonsense, single teacher of third graders, teams up with New York City detective, Oscar Piper, to solve the murder of Gerald Lester, who she discovers floating, dead, in the penguin pool at the New York Aquarium. And playing detective is what she's always wanted to do.

"I can get a substitute for a few weeks," suggested Miss Withers eagerly. "I'm having the time of my life. ... That's why I came to New York ten years ago, instead of keeping on teaching school out in Iowa. I wanted a little excitement, though it's little enough I've got at Jefferson School. This is great fun, and better than any detective story I ever read....It's the ambition of my life to play detective."

 My thoughts:  This is not a mystery to be taken too seriously, but it is an entertaining step back in time. Oscar Piper and Hildegarde Withers are amusing characters. I enjoyed how they worked together to figure out the murder; their disagreements and arguments were equally amusing. Derbys and hat pins, the stock market crash, guesses and interrogations, all play a role in this fun 1930s mystery. I liked it, and wouldn't mind reading some of Palmer's other Hildegarde Withers mysteries. 

Happy Reading!

I won a free book!

 

Got it in a Goodreads giveaway! Out of Air by Rachel Reiss. It sounds very exciting. Treasure hunters. A sea cave. Strange changes when the divers surface. Maybe something supernatural? Mystery & suspense. Everything I enjoy in a book. And I can't wait to read it. I just need to finish a few library books before they're due first. 

Happy Reading!

March's Bookish Art...

 

Charles Edward Perugini -- Girl Reading

"Books are such an underrated essential. Every book is a key that unlocks another world, leads us down the path of a different life and offers the chance to explore an unexpected adventure. Every one is a gift of either knowledge, entertainment or pure escapism."

--Bella Osborne, The Library

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

 "I would answer violence with art."

"At a quarter to eleven on August 12, 2022, on a sunny Friday morning in upstate New York, I was attacked and almost killed by a young man with a knife just after I came out on stage at the amphitheater in Chautauqua to talk about the importance of keeping writers safe from harm. ... On that beautiful morning in that attractive setting, violence came running at me and my reality fell apart."

In just 27 seconds, Salman Rushdie was stabbed 15 times in the face, neck and chest; the tendons in his left hand were severed, and he was blinded in his right eye. Miraculously, he survived. This book is his musings on that day, and on his recovery, his love for his wife, sons, and friends, the importance of free speech, writing as art, and on his getting a second chance at life. It's quietly thoughtful, emotional, and smart. Rushdie has such a gift with words. And his writing is always literary and meaningful. This short memoir is no exception. I'm really glad I chose it for my nonfiction read this month. 

"Language, too, was a knife. It could cut open the world and reveal its meaning, its inner workings, its secrets, its truths. It could cut through from one reality to another. It could call bullshit, open people's eyes, create beauty. Language was my knife."

Happy Reading!

The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot

 

First line:  The breeze carried the scent to Detective Evan Bolton's nose, and he instantly knew his day was going to suck.

The case:  First, retired cop Rod Mcleod, Detective Evan Bolton's friend and mentor, is murdered. Then Rod's daughter, Sophia, goes missing. As Evan investigates the murder, he discovers that Rod was looking into some old cases. It's puzzling. Could the killer be someone in law enforcement? And is Evan next on his hitlist? 

My thoughts: This mystery has great writing, likable characters, and some nice twists. The suspense really mounts as Evan's investigation puts his own life in danger. Rowan and her search-and-rescue dog, Thor, are also on the scene. She and Evan are so great together; I love how they support each other both on the job and at home. And I really like how Kendra Elliot writes mysteries. She's become on of my most favorite authors. And this book? As compelling and entertaining as all her others.

Happy Reading!

Previous book about Rowan and Evan:  The First Death

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 THINGS CHARACTERS HAVE SAID.  But I haven't really been keeping track of that, and while I do collect quotes from the books I read, none of them seemed to fit this prompt. So, I'm going rogue.

Last year, my blogging friend and reading buddy, Melody Lee, passed away. And I have really missed her this year. I've missed chatting with her about books, and reading her posts, and most of all, I have missed our buddy reads. Over the years we must have read over 30 books together. So for this week's TTT, in honor of my friend, I decided to post MY FIRST TEN BUDDY READS WITH MELODY.

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Happy Reading!

Randomness...

 TV shows & series that I really miss:  

⏺Dwight in Shining Armor

⏺The Big Leap

⏺The Eco Challenge (which was the best adventure race ever!)

TV shows I'm very happy are coming back soon:

The Amazing Race

Project Runway

New album I am totally loving:

(Nate Smith:  California Gold)

 

And my list of 'glad things' from last month: 

• 
  One of the fourth graders I work with told me I was her favorite teacher.
• I bought a new game called Trails that is a lot of fun to play.
• My nephew got his first 'grown up' engineering job which made my entire family cheer.
• I got a cute dragon squishmallow for my half birthday that totally makes me smile. 
  
• A friend gave me daffodil bulbs about twenty years ago and I planted them in the front of my house, and every year they're the first flowers to come up; they remind me spring is on the way. I'm always grateful and glad to see Susie's daffodils blooming.
• And Beth Brower's Emma M. Lion books continue to amuse and delight; I've now read the first seven books in the series and loved them all. Though I am sad there's only one more to go. 

Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep

 

What it's about:  Lila Merriweather is an orphan. And a thief. She carries her mother's black blade and knows how to placate the magical faeries and monsters that live in and around Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia. And she has a rare magical talent that she keeps secret. She's also been roped into playing bodyguard to Devon Sinclair, only son and handsome heir of the powerful Sinclair family. Because someone's trying to kill him. And her, too. 

What I thought: Talk about a fun mix of modern and magic! There's intrigue and mystery, action and adventure. And I loved Lila and Devon; they're great characters. Lila is sarcastic and smart and can beat Devon in a sword fight, while he's got his own secrets and talents. Plus, he likes her. Lila's also determined to find out who murdered her mother...and to get revenge. The second book in this fantasy trilogy, Dark Heart of Magic, is equally well-written and compelling. I loved both books and can't wait to read the third.

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 BOOKS SET IN ANOTHER TIME. 

And I had a lot of fun coming up with ten of my favorite historical fiction reads...all set in very different times and places. 

King and Goddess by Judith Tarr

(Egypt, 15th century B.C.)

Jerusalem by Cecelia Holland

(Holy Land, 1187 AD)

Picture Maker by Penina Keen Spinka

(North America & Greenland, 14th century)

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

(Italy, 1327)

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

(Paris, 1490)

Tokkaido Road by Lucia St. Clair Robson

(Feudal Japan, 17th century)

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

(Istanbul, 16th century)

The Canterbury Papers by Judith Koll Healey

(England, 12th century during reign of King John)

The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

(A novel of Queen Isabella of Castile, 1451-1504)

Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle

(A novel of Katherine Parr, 1512-1548)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Summit's Edge by Sara Driscoll

When a hijacked plane

crashes, Meg and Hawk join the 

risky mountain search.

An FBI K-9 Mystery .... 308 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(One of my favorite mystery series!)

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

Boom! Then time resets.

They're stuck in a loop. Why?!

And how do they get out?

Science Fiction .... 346 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Great beginning. But I felt the story lost some momentum in the middle. And while I liked the ending, I didn't love it. Still a good read.)

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

She finds family

in Scotland along with a

curse, magic, and love.

Paranormal romance .... 386 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Key and Lachlan's romance is full of sparks, lots of spice, and the Loch Ness monster, too. It's a fun one.)

Happy Reading!

Please Tell Me by Mike Omer

 

First lines:  Kathy limped alongside the road in the dark, hugging her doll to her chest. The doll was scared, because of the shadows, which was why Kathy clutched her so tightly. Sometimes, when you're scared, the only things that helps is a hug.

The plot:  Kathy is eight when she's abducted; when she shows up on the side of the road a year later she won't tell anyone where she's been. In fact, she won't speak at all. Child therapist, Dr. Robin Hart, is called in to help. She uses play therapy to help Kathy process her traumatic memories. "But as their work continues, Kathy's playtime takes a grim turn: a doll stabs another doll, a tiny figurine is chained to a plastic toy couch. In every session, another toy dies. But the most disturbing detail of all? Kathy seems to be playacting real unsolved murders." Which makes Robin turn to the police. Because if there is a serial killer out there, Kathy just might hold the secret to his or her identity. 

My thoughts:  The chapters in this quietly suspenseful psychological thriller flip between Robin, Kathy's mother, Claire, and Nathaniel King, the police detective working on the case, as well as a few chapters from the POV of the killer himself. My favorite part was Robin's work with Kathy; I found their play therapy interesting. I also really liked Nathaniel.  My least favorite character was Robin's selfish and narcissistic mother. What a piece of work! The mystery was well-paced. And the murders, though dark and based on horror movie murders, are never described in graphic or gory detail, which I appreciated. And I thought the ending was very gripping. All in all, I really liked this mystery. 

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!