Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon

 

This is the first book in a series centered around Renee "Cash" Blackbear. It's set in the 1970s in the Red River Valley between Moorhead, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota. Cash is nineteen and Native American. She works as a farm laborer driving truck, and hustles pool at night. Growing up, she was bounced around from one white foster family to another. The only constant figure in her life was the local sheriff, who still watches out for her. 

When a man from the Red Lake reservation turns up murdered near the Red River, Cash helps Sheriff Wheaton find out who the man was, and why he was killed. Because they both know no one on the reservation will talk to a white policeman. And Cash has other skills: she can spirit walk, and she sometimes has dreams about the dead that turn out to be true. 

I really liked Cash, which is good because this is a very character-driven novel. And I thought Rendon did an excellent job of capturing the feel of the 1970s, and showing the racism and sexism that existed for a woman like Cash. The mystery was also interesting. My one complaint is Cash's excessive drinking and smoking. The amount of time the author spends on Cash's habit of buying Marlboros, lighting up, smoking, stubbing out butts, sharing cigs, running out, buying more, etc. got old fast and ended up being very annoying. I hope she tones that part down in the next book. Because I definitely want to read the next few books in this series. 

Happy Reading!

August's Bookish Art...

 

Georges d'Espagnat -- Woman Reading in Garden

"Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life."

--Mortimer J. Adler

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

 "Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding." 

From the blurb:  "Afi Tekple is a young seamstress in Ghana. She is smart; she is pretty; and she has been convinced by her mother to marry a man she does not know. Afi knows who he is, of course--Elikem is a wealthy businessman whose mother has chosen Afi in the hopes that she will distract him from his relationship with a woman his family claims is inappropriate. But Afi is not prepared for the shift her life takes when she is moved from her small hometown of Ho to live in Accra, Ghana's gleaming capital, a place of wealth and sophistication where she has days of nothing to do but cook meals for a man who may or may not show up to eat them. She has agreed to this marriage in order to give her mother the financial security she desperately needs, and so she must see it through. Or maybe not?"

My thoughts:  This is such a well-written and compelling book. I had a lot of sympathy for Afi and her situation. She's a bit naive when she first arrives in Accra, and she tries so hard to be a dutiful wife. But it's hard when Eli is never around; then when he does come around and Afi starts to fall in love with him, there's still the problem of the other woman. But Afi has spunk and an inner strength that I applauded. I loved how she defied everyone to find her own success and happiness. One of the other things I loved about this novel was being immersed in the culture and traditions of Ghana and getting to see the roles that women are still expected to fill there. It was very eye-opening, and sometimes sad. But Afi's story is full of heart and hope. 

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu

Two Quick Rom-Com Recommendations...

 

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

"I am convinced dating was created by an evil villain to torture humanity. Dramatic? Not in the least. For introverts like me with social anxiety, the process of dating is equivalent to waxing your bikini line."

So begins another one of Sarah Adams' delightful romances. I love her books. She creates such engaging characters. The spark and romantic tension between Annie and Will in this one was so fun; I loved their humorous interactions and honest heartfelt conversations. Good kissing scenes, too. And Annie's love of pirate romances totally made me laugh.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

"All throughout middle school, my Halloween costume was the duality of light. .... It seemed like a winning idea. And had me wondering if I, too, could contain two--no, a whole multitude of Elsies. Each one would be crafted, custom tailored, carefully curated with a different person in mind. I'd give everyone the me they wanted, needed, craved, and in exchange they'd care about me. .... Funny how my physics career and my people-pleasing career started around the same time."

I love the academic angle in Ali Hazelwoods' STEM romances. And Elsie is such a funny, quirky, and relatable character. She's a theoretical physicist by day, and a fake-girlfriend-for-hire by night. I loved how Jack could see through all her guarded layers to the real Elsie, and how he challenged her to risk being her true self. Their relationship was humorous, charming and deliciously sexy.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

 

The plot:  Rita Todacheene is Navajo. She was raised by her grandmother on the reservation, and grew up loving photography; she also grew up seeing ghosts. Too bad her supernatural gift is taboo in Navajo society. As an adult, Rita now works in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a forensic photographer. She photographs crime scenes, and her gift sometimes helps her see clues the police miss. Though she tries very hard not to let any of the ghosts around her know that she can see them. It doesn't always work. And her latest case just brought a very angry ghost into her life, one who was murdered and who is determined to make Rita find her killers. 

My thoughts:  What a spellbinding read! Rita is such an interesting character. I loved how the author interweaves her childhood and all her first ghostly experiences with her present day life. The well-drawn New Mexico backdrop along with Rita's detailed camera skills ground the novel and give it a real sense of authenticity, which contrasts nicely with all the supernatural elements. And Emerson does an excellent job of creating tension and suspense. I was drawn into Rita's life, and her job, and the mystery surrounding the angry ghost. I really hope Emerson is planning on writing a sequel.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Randomness...

I'm so glad it's August, because we're finally getting a break from all the triple digit heat. July was a long string of 100+ days which I did not enjoy. But this week it's looking like we'll be in the low 90s, and maybe even drop into the high 80s. We might even get rain! Keep your fingers crossed. 😎

 So, I finally got around to reading this one: 

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson had been sitting on my shelf gathering dust for at least three years, but I can now check it off my TBR list. And while I didn't end up loving it, I did like it, and am glad I read it. Cussy Mary Carter is an interesting and sympathetic character, and the novel is rich with historical detail. But because of the time period and setting  (Appalachia, Kentucky, 1936) lots of very sad things happen in it. 

Books I checked out of the library for August:

(These are all books that other bloggers recommended to me...so if you see a book on this list that you loved and reviewed, you're the reason I'm reading it now.  Thank you!)

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep

Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

Murder on the Red River by Marcie Rendon

The One by John Marrs

The Stand-In and The Comeback by Lily Chu

Just add books to this list and you have me in a nutshell:

Happy August...and 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 Forgotten Backlist Titles.

Here are ten twelve books I love that no one really talks about any more, but that are definitely still worth checking out. 

On Bear Mountain by Deborah Smith

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

Words by Ginny L.Yttrup

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib

Drenched in Light by Lisa Wingate

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

Coastliners by Joanne Harris

The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel

The Passion Dream Book by Whitney Otto

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

Happy Reading!