Verse and Vengeance (A Magical Bookshop Mystery #4)

Author:  Amanda Flower

Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Also Available: LP)

ISBN #:  9781643851518

Crooked Lane Books

313 Pages

$23.60; $1.99 (Limited Time) Amazon

December 10, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A bicycle race is not Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly's idea of a pleasant pastime.  But police chief David Rainwater wheelie wants them to enter the Tour de Cascade as a couple, so she reluctantly consents.

The Tour de Cascade is the brainchild of Violet's Grandma Daisy.  The race is a fundraiser to build the Cascade Springs Underground Railroad Museum.  But not everyone in this Niagara Region village supports the race.  As if the bike race weren't tiring enough, pesky private investigator Joel Redding is snooping around Charming Books.  It takes all of Violet's and Grandma Daisy's ingenuity to keep Redding from discovering the shop's magical essence -- which communicates with Violet through books.

When Redding perishes in an accident during the race, David discovers that the brake line of the private eye's bike was cut.  Worse, Violet tops his list of suspects.  As Emerson the tuxedo cat and resident crow Faulkner look on, Charming Books steers Violet to the works of Walt Whitman to solve the crime.  But no other names ring a bell as culprits, and as David's investigation picks up speed, Violet will have to get in gear to clear her name.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Violet Waverly is the caretaker of Charming Books, which includes the magical tree inside, Faulkner the crow, and Emerson the little tuxedo cat.  The bookshop gives people the exact book they need -- whether they are looking for it or not.

She's also in a relationship with police chief David Rainwater, and is afraid to tell him the truth about the shop, deciding that it might permanently end their relationship if she does.  But she also knows deep down that if she doesn't tell him, the relationship will suffer anyway.  It's a conundrum she's finding hard to figure out.

But now PI Joel Redding, who stalked her once before, is back in town and seems to be picking up where he left off.  When she spots him taking a picture of her during the bike race she's entered with Rainwater, it bothers her.  But when the police find his body farther down the road, it's discovered he's been murdered, and now they need to find out who did it.  With clues showing up around town for Rainwater, it's the poetry of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass that are leading Violet on the case.  A copy was discovered with the body, and Redding left a clue in the shop for Violet.  Now, with Rainwater telling her to leave the case to him, with him wondering what Violet knows and why she won't tell him, and with Violet worried about one of her students hiding somewhere in the village, the only thing she has to go on is the poetry of Whitman.  But can it give her the answers she's looking for?...

First off, I have to say that the blurb is wrong; Violet is never considered a suspect in this murder.  It's a student of hers who is the main one, and that's what the story is about.

Saying that, this is the fourth book in the series, and we have Violet and David hopefully progressing in their relationship, and Violet's father in town to impart knowledge he has of her mother to her.  Violet's grandmother also has something for her, which makes Violet even more confused about her future.

But the plot of the book was interesting: what did Walt Whitman have to do with Cascade Springs, and why is the bookshop throwing copies of Leaves of Grass at her every time she turns around?  It's dissecting the poems and looking for answers, and it all comes down to one of the oldest motives for murder.  It's a tale worth reading, and I enjoyed it highly.   While the ending was a bit cryptic, it wasn't a cliffhanger, and I am hoping the series will continue.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Verse-Vengeance-Magical-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/1643851519/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3730815082

More on Amanda Flower's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/amanda-flower/

Death Bee Comes Her (An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery #1)

Author:  Nancy Coco

Genre:  Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496727022

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$8.99; $6.89 Amazon

January 26, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

With her Let It Bee honey boutique buzzing along nicely, life is as sweet as nectar for Wren Johnson -- until she takes a morning walk along the Pacific beach with her Havana Brown cat, Everett, and stumbles upon the body of Agnes Snow, the cranky queen of the local craft fairs, stiff as driftwood.  More unfortunate?  Clutched in the victim's fist is a label from Wren's homemade beeswax-and-honey lip balm.  Which makes Officer Jim Hampton focus his dreamy-blue Paul Newman eyes on Wren as suspect number one.

With fabulous feline support from Everett, Wren must comb the town for clues and clear her name before someone else gets stung.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Wren Johnson owns Let It Bee, a boutique shop that sells all things honey and beeswax - candles, skin care, etc.  She even makes honey candy for Halloween.  But one morning, while she's walking her Havana Brown cat, Everett, he stumbles across a dead body -- Agnes Snow, who also happened to be a rival of her Aunt Eloise, in all things crafty.  When one of Wren's labels is found with the body, she becomes the main (and only) suspect.  Now it's up to her and her friend/employee Porsche to try and figure out who's framing her -- and why they killed Agnes...

This is the first in a new series by Nancy Coco.  Since I've read her other series, I wanted to give this one a chance.  I always give the first in a series a bit of a pass, since the author is trying to figure out the characters and how everything "works."  Saying that, I found a few scenes unbelievable, and there's a big error at the last of the book.  

But I also wondered why an officer was investigating a murder.  Since it wasn't stated that Jim Hampton was a detective, wouldn't the case have been handed off to the homicide department?  A street officer wouldn't handle it.  So that was a big question for me.  There were a few other things that bothered me, but I'm not going to mention them here.

I understand that the characters are going through their development stage, and that's fine.  Wren can turn out to be interesting, but I'm not especially fond of her aunt.  I also wonder if we're going to have the dreaded "evil nemesis" show up in the next book (not needed to make a good book) or a love triangle.  I really didn't understand what a certain character was doing there; it was as if the author were trying out boyfriends for Wren and just couldn't make up her mind.

Yes, I know I'm going on a rant, but I like to read books that are smooth in their transition, even for first in a series.  This one, while it has an interesting plot, has a bit of a problem.  However, I do like the fact that Wren cares for the environment, that she's basically a small-scale beekeeper, and knows her subject well.  This bodes well for the continuation of the series.

I do like Everett, but I'm a cat lover at heart.  I have a Russian Blue, and he has a very definite personality also.  (For instance, Blues do not like change.  If they have their resting places in a certain area, you can't move things around.  They get upset.  He's also very vocal, like Havanas).  So I love books with cats, obviously.

In the end, I did like the plot quite a bit, so that's a plus in itself; and aside from the huge gaffe at the end (which one might forgive), it ended on a nice note and I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Oregon-Honeycomb-Mystery/dp/1496727029/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3727554403

More on Nancy Coco's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/nancy-coco/

Grave Danger (A Boarding Case Mystery Book 4)

Author:  Laura Greene

Genre:   Mystery/Suspense

Digital Book

ASIN #:  B08QD9XP7K

39 Pages

$.99 Amazon

December 31, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Agent Tina James' life transformation proves to be the courageous step she needed to solve the case.  Now she must locate her friend, the chaplain, and figure out if he is Ella's blackmailer.  Time is of the essence and lives are at stake in part four of this addictive series.

One piece of evidence reveals it all -- a woman in Wyoming.  Tina races to find her and learns a morbid family secret that has placed her and those she loves in grave danger.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

In part four of this riveting series, Tina is getting better and determined to find Nick, the school's chaplain who has disappeared.  While she has no clues where he's gone, she receives a cryptic message on her phone that leads her to a mysterious woman in rural Wyoming that may give her a vital clue.  It's Tina's only clue, to be truthful, and she's determined to find out the truth about the girls who died and who drove them to their deaths...

I've been following this tale from the beginning, and honestly, it's the first time I've read a serial mystery.  While it's difficult to wait for the next installment, I have no intention of giving it up, as in each installment we learn a little bit more about Tina and her past life, and what brought her to Newport from Boston.  It's like meeting a person and each time you see them you learn a little bit more about their life.  The mystery is fascinating, and I, too, want to know the answers.  Once learning about the fates of the girls at the school, you want to know the truth of the matter, and the only way to do this is to immerse yourself in a story that gives you small clues in each reading.  I enjoy the series highly, and hope the next installment is soon.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Danger-Boarding-Case-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08QD9XP7K/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3725097852

More on Laura Greene's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/laura-greene/

Saddled with Murder (Dr. Kate Vet Mysteries #1)

Author:  Eileen Brady

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; [Audio CD]; Digital Book

ISBN #"  9781464212710; [9781662047855

Poisoned Pen Press; [Dreamscape Media]

416 Pages

$7.99[ $21.43]; $6.15 Amazon

October 27, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's the Christmas season and veterinarian Kate Turner is not feeling very jolly.  She's overworked, underappreciated, and dealing with two dissatisfied clients.  Throw in a very complicated personal life and Kate's definitely got a case of the holiday blues.

To make matters worse, Kate's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is mugged and robbed after they have a heated argument in the hospital parking lot.  Then, two of her dissatisfied clients turn up dead (which really gets Kate's tinsel in a tangle).  All of these events seem like coincidences, but they add up to something much more venomous.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Dr. Kate Turner is a veterinarian who is working on a one-year contract for a vet who decided to take a year off.  She's been settling into her new position nicely, but now it's the Christmas season, which has always been difficult for her due to a very personal tragedy.  When one of her employees asks everyone to make a selfish Christmas wish, she reluctantly joins in, not realizing that her 'wish' to make a couple of her patients' owners 'disappear.'  When the video starts to go viral, it seems that her wish is coming true, and now she's in the middle of a murder investigation.

But when she has an argument with her ex-boyfriend Jeremy in the parking lot of the hospital, he's soon attacked and she wonders if someone is stalking her.  But with a new maybe-boyfriend hovering occasionally, and suspects nearby, Kate starts to think someone specific was targeted and she's just the cover for it all...

This is listed as the first in a new series, but looking at the author's website, I discovered that this is listed as book 5 of the series, so now I'm wondering if I need to go back and start at the beginning to get the entire picture of Kate Turner, DVM.  Hmmm...

Saying that, I liked the fact that the author is a true DVM, and her knowledge is extensive.  While others might not find it interesting, as a pet owner, I certainly do.  People like myself consider our pets as part of the family, and care for them in the same manner (FYI, my cats are indoor cats; I would never consider allowing them outside, especially in the area where I live.  Just sayin').

Anyway, I enjoyed this book for the most part.  There was enough going on to keep me interested throughout, and honestly, I liked Jeremy more than Luke.  But not having read the other books, perhaps there's something I'm missing about the man's personality.

The mystery was well-drawn, and gave us enough suspects to chew on.  It also handed us plenty of red herrings, and there were a couple of times I thought I knew who the killer might be (not the obvious person, of course), I had to change my opinion as I got closer to the end -- which is how it should be.  When it all came together, it was rather sad how one person can treat another (in the situation that is, and I won't give it away here).  The book also shows us how social media can influence and sometimes hinder our lives.

But I will say that I was a bit disappointed in the end.  I absolutely detest cliffhangers - I call it holding the reader hostage - because you are obligated to pick up the next book to find out what happens.  Forcing the reader to purchase another, not by choice.  Don't get me wrong; the murder is solved admirably and everything is wrapped up nicely, but there are loose ends that I was looking forward to finding out the answers, and they never were.  It's irritating.  But, because the book was written well, and the characters authentic, I give this four stars.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Saddled-Murder-Dr-Kate-Mysteries/dp/1464212716/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3708098597

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/eileen-brady/

Wedding Bear Blues (A Teddy Bear Mystery Book 4)

Author:  Meg Macy

Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496729156

Kensington Publishing

336 Pages

$15.95; $9.99 Amazon

December 29, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

At the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha will be selling plenty of bride and groom teddy beasrs come springtime.  But this Valentine's Day weekend, she'd take any of those silent, stuffed couples over the real thing.  Sasha and her sister Maddie are bridesmaids at Cissy Davison's upcoming wedding in Silver Hollow.  Cissy is fuming over the worst choice of best man -- the jerk who broke her sister Debbie's heart -- and the groom-to-be won't budge in his decision.  At the rehearsal dinner you could cut the tension with a wedding cake knife.

That is, until best man Dylan is found dead, impaled with an ice pick.  Although jilted Debbie is the most likely suspect -- the blood on her dress doesn't help her case -- the bride begs Sasha to prove her sister's innocence.  If anyone's going to walk down the aisle, Sasha will need to find the cold-hearted killer who iced Dylan...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sasha runs her family's teddy bear factory in Silver Hollow, Michigan.  It's nearing Valentine's Day and Cissy Davison is getting married.  She's finagled both Sasha and her sister Maddie as bridesmaids in the wedding, something Sasha isn't looking forward to.  That, and having to wear four-inch heels.  The night of the bachelorette party, a drunken best man stumbles in and tries to tell one of the bridesmaids that he's sorry and innocent - but no one is having it and the groomsmen drag him out.  While Sasha wonders about the comment, she doesn't say anything.  The next day at the wedding dinner, Dylan is found dead by Sasha's sister Maddie, and now, after hearing conversations at the party and during the dinner, Sasha looks on everyone with suspicion.

It isn't until the main suspect is found to be Cissy's sister Debbie that Cissy looks at Sasha with desperation.  She wants her to prove Debbie's innocence - but Sasha isn't relishing getting involved in another murder investigation,  Especially when there's so much going on and she hasn't got time.  Or the fact that people are pointing fingers at everyone else.  But when another tragedy occurs, Sasha starts to put things together.  Or does she?

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read every one of them.  My only complaint with this series is that the author has so many characters throughout that it's hard to keep them straight; so on top of the wedding party, we have extended members of Sasha's family thrown in, too.  I like the series, but the author needs to cut down the number of characters in each book - it will please the reader not to have to write out a 'cheat sheet,' too.

There was also a darker side story thrown in that had to do with children.  I'm not sure why it was there, because the mystery should have been enough.  It was just interspersed here and there and that didn't give it any steam on its own, and took away from the murder.

But back to that:  after sifting through the characters I pretty much figured out who the murderer was early on.  But then I have to say that I read a lot of mysteries, so I've gotten pretty good at this anyway.  Still, I think that the writing was good and the plot had enough drive for it in itself, but it's the mass of people in the book (not to mention the local characters that own shops thrown in for good measure) that make the book confusing.

All in all, I did like the ending and how everything turned out, and that's what a mystery should be in the first place.  I will continue to read this series because of that.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Bear-Blues-Teddy-Mystery/dp/1496729153/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3707744843

More on Meg Macy's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/meg-macy/

Murder is a Must (A First Edition Library Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Marty Wingate

Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; [Audio Book]; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781984804136; [B085Q25D33]

Berkley Publishing

336 Pages

$17.99; [$24.50]; $13.99 Amazon

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her postion at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House.  She's even made progress with Lady Fowling's former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar.  The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters.  Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.

Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors.  Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.

When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she's unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs.  Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past?  Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hayley Burke is settling into her new life as curator for the late Lady Fowling's First Edition Library at Middlebank.  She has her own flat in the home, and even the company of the house's resident cat, Bunter.  She's even coming to get on a better footing with Miss Woolgar, Lady Fowling's secretary, who also lives and works there.  But Hayley is not only starting her own salons with noted writers, she's on a mission -- she wants to have a public exhibition of some of Lady Fowling's first editions, along with a history of her life and what it all meant to her.

The ideal location would be the Charlotte, but they're completely booked and Hayley can't find a location...until almost a miracle occurs and now she's faced with finding an exhibition manager.  Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, she discovers her old boss Oona Atherton in town, who happens to be the best at what she does, and Hayley hires her.

But it seems the woman hasn't changed, and runs roughshod over everyone, Hayley included.  But when a tragic event occurs and Oona is killed, Hayley is faced with the realization of not only needing to find another manager, but the fact that a murderer is on the loose, and they might be someone she already knows...

I have read all of Ms. Wingate's books, and they are top-notch.  Her writing is crisp, clear, and descriptive, and this book is no different.  We are transported to England, and become a part of Hayley's life, along with her strengths and yes, her insecurities.  She's also got a blossoming relationship with Val Moffat, a local writing teacher who helps her and supports her in her endeavors, and that's a refreshing thing in itself.

When the unpleasant woman dies, Hayley could easily spin into panic mode, but she keeps her wits about her and carries on, trying to balance her personal life -- which is a tale unto itself at the moment -- and her professional life, which is needing more attention than before.  She's afraid of putting her career in danger and disappointing people, but refuses to allow it to get the better of her.

What Ms. Wingate has brought from all this is a very human character in Hayley Burke; much like anyone else we could know.  We cheer for her when she rights things; we feel her worry and watch as she figures things out.  But when Hayley is looking for a killer, she's got suspects she's focusing on, and wanting to know who killed Oona. 

When the answer comes quite random it seems, but really not so, Hayley unknowingly puts herself in danger too late.  But watching the outcome is the best part, and the ending gives us even more to look forward to in the next book.  I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait for the next one.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Must-First-Library-Mystery/dp/1984804138/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3702143512

More on Marty Wingate's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/marty-wingate/

Close to Her Killer (A Boarding Case Mystery Book 3)

Author:  Laura Greene

Genre:   Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:  B08P5SYT5L

Independently Published

44 Pages

$.99 Amazon

December 14, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Agent Tina James is unsettled when she finds out one of the students has been followed home by her killer.  It is Agent James who must now protect the student with her life.  A struggle to uncover the killer, in part three of this thrilling series, lures Agent James into facing her own troubling past.

Meanwhile, a grotty rumor is spreading at the school which places one of her closest allies at the center of her case.  With no one left to trust, Agent James is forced to discover within herself a deep tenacity that she needs to solve the case.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

This is part three of a thriller that involves Agent Tina James as she tries to solve the case of a young girl who committed suicide, and others that might also be at risk.  When she manages to figure out which girls are being targeted, she thinks that she has a handle on what's going on.  But it's not quite as cut and dried as she thinks.  The girl that's been targeted isn't rescued yet, and Tina finds that she needs to face her own fears if she's to get anywhere at all.

While I don't normally read books with cliffhangers or short stories, this series has me intrigued enough to wait for each installment, and that's the best recommendation that I can give it.  I wait anxiously for the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Close-Killer-Boarding-Case-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08P5SYT5L/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3694973949

More on Laura Greene's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/laura-greene/

Meet Isabel Puddles (A Mitten State Mystery)

Author:  M.V. Byrne

Genre:   Mystery 

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496728319

Kensington Publishing

336 Pages

$15.95; $9.99 Amazon

November 24, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

The only thing widow Isabel Puddles loves as much as her hometown of Gull Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan is cozying up to a good mystery -- but she never expected to be caught in the middle of one...

To the tourists and summer residents, Kentwater County is a picturesque community of small-town charm, fruitful farmland, and gorgeous freshwater beaches.  To middle-aged widow Isabel Puddles, it's where she enjoys breakfast every morning at a local cafe′ with her childhood best friend and spends her evenings cozying up with a good book and her devoted Jack Terrier, Jackpot.  In between, Isabel makes ends meet through a variety of trades -- preserving pickles, baking pies, working the counter at her cousin's hardware shop, and occasionally helping "fix-up" the hair of corpses at the local funeral parlor.

When Isabel discovers a two-inch nail embedded in the skull of Earl Jonasson, it seems the octogenarian may not have died of a stroke.  His son is quickly arrested when his alibi doesn't check out.  But Isabel has known Earl Jr. since they were kids and can't believe he'd murder his own father, regardless of his financial difficulties.  As gossip about Earl Sr.'s land and insurance policy money starts to spread around the county, Isabel finds herself conducting her own investigation to clear her friend's name.  But real detective work isn't like Jessica Fletcher's Murder She Wrote mysteries, and she's meeting dangerous suspects who don't like Isabel poking around in their business...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I wanted to read this book because the premise sounded interesting, but the book fell a little bit short for me.  First off, we certainly did meet Isabel Puddles.  In fact, we learned everything about her that there is to know.  How many people do you meet where they tell you there life story at the first meeting?  Well, this book is much like that.  In fact, so much information was given that there won't be anything left to know about her in future books (if there are any planned).  It's like everything was thrown at us as fast as it could come.  

I felt as if it detracted from the murder, which should have taken front and center, but didn't.  It took awhile to get there, because we were learning All About Isabel.  Not that this is a bad thing; it just took so long to tell it all, and the book could have been sheared down at least two dozen pages less.  Yes, I get that the author wanted to give us background, which is always appreciated; but there was so much of it that I began to find Isabel the most boring woman on earth.  She was constantly telling us stories that were decades old and weren't needed to tell the current tale.

That being said, I had a hard time getting into the mystery itself because of this.  Every time we were given a bit of it, she started telling us another story.  The murderer became apparent early on, but I was waiting to see how the sheriff and Isabel put everything together.  It wasn't until the end that Isabel had her 'aha' moment, which was fine with me; and the ending brought everything together nicely.  I only wish we had more to learn about Isabel, but I think we've learned it all. 

https://www.amazon.com/Isabel-Puddles-Mitten-State-Mystery/dp/1496728319/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3685955463

More on M.V. Byrne's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/m-v-byrne/

Buried in the Dark (A Boarding Case Mystery #2)

Author:  Laura Greene

Genre:   Mystery/Serial

Digital Book

ASIN #:  B08MYM4G5H

Independent

44 Pages

$.99 Amazon

November 30, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

The case is underway and Agent Tina James receives a piece of evidence that will change the entire trajectory of her investigation.  In part two of this riveting series, could the suicides really be murder cases?  But who is behind them?

As the secrets of Hartford Boarding School spill over, it is not without consequence.  Agent James is making hostile enemies along the way.  They have a target on her and threaten her life.  With no time to spare, she must hurry to find the culprit before another student loses her life, or she herself loses her own life.                            

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

This is the second installment of the Boarding Case Mysteries, and I have to say that I expected it to take up where the last one ended, but unfortunately, that was only touched upon, and we weren't given any conclusion to that.  Instead, we are given another mystery to solve -- this one where Agent James' home and car have been invaded, and she wants to know who is doing it.

She is also still trying to find out what is going on at the school, and when an unexpected event occurs, she must try and figure out how to deal with that while also having problems with overwrought parents and hostile parents.  It's a slippery slope she needs to understand, and is doing her best.

As a second installment, it's pretty decent, but it has moments where it jumps around from place to place, and I would like to see the next installment pretty much pick up in one place and stay there.

https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Dark-Boarding-Case-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08MYM4G5H/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3674402075

More on Laura Greene's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/laura-greene/

Ray By Ray : A Daughter's Take on the Legend of Nicholas Ray

Author:  Nicca Ray

Genre:   Biography/Film

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781941110874

Three Rooms Press

301 Pages

$13.49; $10.99 Amazon

April 28, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

Nicholas Ray was cinema,  The legendary director of such classic films as Rebel Without a Cause was an innovative force who dramatically changed the Hollywood landscape.  He was also Nicca Ray's dad, Nick.

Through his movies and letters along with her intimate interviews of family members and Hollywood icons, Nicca stitches together the seemingly disparate pieces of the real Nicholas Ray: a man so devoted to his craft he insisted on spending the last hours of his life surrounded by a film crew; a man who lost everything to drugs and gambling; an absentee father she longed to connect with.  Along the way, she unravels the lives entangled in Nick's, including those of Gloria Grahame, Dennis Hopper, John Houseman, and the Ray family itself.

An essential new perspective, with more than 50 photos and letters from the author's personal archive, Ray By Ray redefines this legendary figure through the eyes of a daughter searching for the truth about her father.

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I wanted to read this book because I love everything about the Golden Age of Hollywood and classic movies.  I own thousands of them.  I don't watch the films of today, but if you ask me about anything doing with the classics, I'll know.  Saying that, I was really hoping this wasn't just another book about a Hollywood child who was telling everyone that their life was ruined by their absent parent, and even though they were brought up in luxury, they felt sorry for themselves and trashed their parent.

This book is less about Nicholas Ray and more about Nicca Ray.  I don't know how that affects anyone who reads it; it's more of a cathartic lesson by Nicca to bare herself evenly and cleanse her own ghosts to the world.  That's not a bad thing; but to be honest, does anyone really care about Nicca Ray?  Has anyone even heard of her before now?

I am glad she was able to get clean and sober; I am glad she's not another person lost to the drugs that would have killed her.  But unfortunately, this book was less about Nicca's relationship with Nick than about Nicca herself.  It started out fine, but then went all over the place until we finally come to the ending.  It's like it's trying to be told from different directions and then come together at last.

I wish I could have enjoyed this book more, but I found much of it to be boring, and it just couldn't hold my attention all at once -- I had to read this in several settings.

https://www.amazon.com/Ray-Daughters-Take-Legend-Nicholas/dp/1941110878/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3672601283