all your Reads in Here

I know. We're a day early, so I hope everyone finds the post and tells us what you're reading. Tomorrow is November 1, so Treasures in My Closet will be up. If I'd remembered last Thursday, I would have reminded everyone. I'm starting Jenny Colgan's Christmas on the Island , a novel set on a remote Scottish island. I finished the third in Heather Graham's recent Krewe of Hunters trilogy, Echoes of Evil . And, the real reason I read both of them? Susan Orlean is breaking my heart with her latest, The Library Book . I know it's going to get easier to read, but I found myself gasping and tearing up as I read the first 35 pages, the actual account of the fire at the LA Public Library. I was reading it on my lunch hour, and I was getting too choked up. I needed a couple novels. I'll get back to The Library Book . What are you reading this week? Would you share?

I can't tell you how many times I've hosted Libby Fischer Hellmann at a library, or heard her speak at other venues. She's written a guest post about libraries for this blog. But, I've never actually interviewed her. It's time. Libby has a new Georgia Davis mystery,  High Crimes , so it's a perfect time to talk with her. Thanks, Libby, for answering questions. Photo Credit: Michael Candee, First Light Creative Libby, As long as we’ve known each other, I’ve never done a Q&A with you. You’ve written for the blog, but it’s been a few years. Would you reintroduce yourself to readers? Hi, Lesa and her readers. I’ve known Lesa for at least 10-15 years when she was still in Arizona. Not sure how we avoided doing an interview, but I’m thrilled we’re doing one now. Short version: I am an award-winning Chicago crime thriller author, and HIGH CRIMES is my 15 th novel. I’ve also written about 25 short stories and novellas. I used to work in broadcast news, and then publ...

There's no actual blog today. Yesterday, a friend and I went to Nashville for an event sponsored by Parnassus Books. Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke about her new book,  Leadership: In Turbulent Times , and she was interviewed by Jon Meacham. I don't have a report. It was a 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. trip. But, just wanted to let you know where I was, and why there is no piece today. Thanks! Tomorrow's blog is already to go, so I'll "see" you then.

I can always count on Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters books to allow me to escape. Pale as Death , with its connection to a mysterious historical murder, is a fascinating romantic suspense novel. When Detective Sophie Manning and her partner Grant Vining respond to a crime scene in Hollywood, they know it will be an unusual one. Their team tends to handle the vicious and strange cases. But, this one, with a woman's body drained of blood, and dismembered, resembles one of the most famous unsolved murders in Hollywood, the Black Dahlia case. Elizabeth Short was brutally murdered and dismembered. Now, someone has killed a young actress who resembles Elizabeth Short, and the killing resembles the earlier death as well. It's Sophie herself, though, that catches the attention of the McFadden family. She's the spokesperson for the case, and Bryan McFadden and his fiancé, Marnie, worked with Sophie when Marnie was threatened. Now, Bryan is preparing to attend training at Quan...

I tried to hold off. I really did. But, it's so hard to wait until after Halloween to read books set at Christmas when they're showing up in the mail. It was impossible to resist the cover of Miranda James' latest Cat in the Stacks mystery,  Six Cats a Slayin' . So, before the book review, kudos to Dan Craig, the artist who did the cover art. Once in a while, I think it's appropriate to recognize the cover artist. It's almost Christmas in Athena, Mississippi. Librarian Charlie Harris doesn't feel in the Christmas spirit, though, when he encounters his new neighbor, Geraldine Albritton. She's a little too enthusiastic and flirtatious for the staid Charlie. Something seems off about her, and Charlie's co-worker Melba Gilley agrees. Geraldine claims to be from Athena, but Melba doesn't recognize her, and Melba knows the history of everyone in town. Although Charlie does his best to ignore Geraldine, he agrees to attend her Christmas get-together, ho...

Congratulations to the winners of the last contest. Copies of Die Me a River  are going to Jana B. of Tigard, OR, Sue F. from Crosslake, MN and Lisa G. of Pensacola Beach, FL. The copies of Last Call are going to Daniel M. of Weymouth, MA, Jim G. from Prescott, AZ and Taylor W. from Kalispell, MT. The books are going out today. This week, I'm giving away 2 cozy mysteries with autumn settings. Auralee Wallace's Haunted Hayride with Murder is set in New Hampshire as leaves change and Erica Bloom enjoys apple cider and cozy sweaters. She isn't quite as excited when some local teens discover a dead man's foot bones in a boat. And, the bones belong to a long-gone local with scandalous connections to an apple orchard rumored to be haunted by a witch. In Livia J. Washburn's Death Bakes a Pecan Pie , it's time for the Harvest Festival in Weatherford, Texas. Phyllis is determined to bake a killer pecan pie. But, she might be sidetracked. Hollywood comes to town as a mov...

It's Thursday! Time to talk books (although I'm always willing to talk books). What are you reading today? By the time this posts on Thursday, I'll have read about fifty pages in Dean James' tenth Cat in the Stacks Mystery series. Six Cats A Slayin' is set in the Christmas season, as you can tell by the title. And, it has one of the best cat covers I've seen. David Rosenfelt has the best dog covers, in my opinion. As I write this, I don't have much to say except librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, take in five kittens who were left on the porch. Other than that, I know there are problems with Charlie's new neighbor. Since I don't like reading the book flaps because they give away too much of the mystery, that's all I know at the moment. What are you reading this week?  We're interested. And, for those of you who prefer dogs over cats, I've also posted the cover of Rosenfelt's new book, Deck the Hounds .

Today, David Carlson is my guest blogger and author. He's the author of three mysteries featuring Christopher Worthy, a Detroit police detective, and Father Nicholas Fortis, a Greek Orthodox monk. I reviewed his second book in the series, Let the Dead Bury the Dead , in September 2017,  http://bit.ly/2PQIPjh . Now, as to David Carlson's guest post. A couple weeks ago, twelve authors wrote about the libraries they love for an article in The New York Times,  https://nyti.ms/2QPSC9b . Carlson wrote a piece for us about libraries. Thank you, David. MY DEBT TO LIBRARIES David Carlson                 I think it was Voltaire who wrote that entering a library always humbled him.  Since I was a boy, entering a library has given me a different feeling—excitement.  Perhaps if I’d thought more about it, I would have felt intimidated by all the knowledge stored on the shelves.  But as a boy, I felt a...

I hate to repeat the words that appear on an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy). But, Tatiana De Rosnay's latest novel,  The Rain Watcher, truly is heartbreaking. It's an emotional book about one family, caught up in their own secrets at a time of disaster. It's also beautiful. At thirty-five, Linden Malegarde is the youngest in his family. An internationally known photographer, he's witness to his family's reunion. His mother, Lauren, insists that only the immediate family meets up in Paris. Linden and his older sister, Tilia, are joining their father, Paul, and Lauren. It's a celebration of Paul's seventieth birthday, and Paul and Lauren's fortieth wedding anniversary. But, the celebration doesn't come about exactly as planned. It's been raining for two weeks in Paris when the family arrives in January. There's no sign of it letting up, and Lauren is upset that all of her plans are falling apart. While Linden and Tilia worry about their fath...

The Snow Foresters are a set of 20 new ghost stories from the pen of David Phelps, who is a traditional storyteller. They are all set in the Welsh Marches and, although newly written, the stories are all based on ancient folk stories from the area. There are the deathly cold Snow Foresters, a problem with some unwanted guests and what happened when the Goddess Sekhmet became involved in the

Galleon is a debut steampunk novel from Ruby Smith. It takes place in Gallow which is in a word called Eera. The populous is facing a time of great change. No more so than in the capital city of Cerrano. Cerrano is an amazing place, peopled largely by immigrants and inventors. There are some people there who do not have any magical abilities and they are starting to wonder about their lowly

I always enjoy author interviews, and I hope readers do as well. I have an opportunity to meet, and introduce you to authors who might be new to us, even if they've been writing for a while. Today, J.J. Hensley has answers to some of my questions. Hensley's latest crime novel is  Record Scratch . Thank you, J.J. J.J., what can you tell us about your background without then having to kill us to keep it secret? Surprisingly, my background isn’t really secret at all! What I can’t always get into is the methodology surrounding the duties I performed. I grew up in West Virginia, graduated from Penn State, and served a few years as a police officer in Chesterfield County, Virginia before I got hired on as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service. During my first couple of years with the Secret Service, I worked out of the Richmond, VA Field Office and conducted investigations into criminal activities such as counterfeiting, check fraud, and other economic crimes. However, during ...

This post isn't what I planned for today, but I received this book in the mail yesterday. It's a quick read. So many of us could use the book M. Sweeney edited,  Hugs from Obama: A Photographic Look Back at the Warmth and Wisdom of President Barack Obama . Hugs from Obama is a "photographic tribute to his compassion and warmth". There are pictures of the President with children, hugging John Lewis, meeting with the Dalai Lama, with his family. There are pictures you'll recognize, along with quotes from speeches he made throughout his presidency. The book includes lines from his speeches at conventions, from inaugural addresses, from his farewell address. The chapter titles emphasize the tone of the book; "Embracing a Legacy", "Leadership", "Unity", "Hope and Change", and "Progress". In so many speeches, President Obama touched on the past while emphasizing the present, and, sometimes predicting the future. In fact...

In his book Human Resource Alignment human resources guru Stephen M Flynn offers his readers a highly useful, practical advice on how to configure a more commercially viable HR strategy. Nearly two decades ago when he was first appointed to work as an HR director, Stephen M Flynn was faced by a challenge. He had to devise a completely new Human Resources strategy for his employer which would

After finishing work early for once, a young lady leaves her central London workplace as she heads home for a lovely evening with her family. Only she never made it. Three hooded figures attack her and soon she is lying dead as thje attackers make good their escape into the rush hour traffic. The case is presented to DCI Colm Elliot. He realises that he knew the murder victim from a

Unauthorised Action is the final instalment in the thriller series from Alan Hunt. In the aftermath of devastating terror attacks in London the Foreign Office is shaken to the core by the murder of Kate Thomas, an attractive young diplomat. Adam White, a fellow diplomat, is immediately suspected of the murder. But his fiancee, Alison, firmly believes in his innocence and sets out to find the

Red Snow is a debut mystery novel from Larraine Susan Harrison for young readers which also touches on contemporary issues. Megan is 12 years of age. She was convinced that she had all the details of what caused the death of her mother. But Megan was wrong. Very wrong indeed. There was a great deal about the death of her mother that she did not know. She finds herself facing a veritable

In Gabriella Thomas' The Cats of Butterwick Sands readers will meet with the cats of Butterwick Sands. The cats are lead by a very special cat called Percy. Percy is very clever, very dignified and also very popular in the small seaside resort town of Butterwick Sands. Sadly, Butterwick Sands had seen better days and it is now a little bit tired and in need of some Tender Loving Care or TLC

The Conquistador's Horse is a story for children written by author Barry Cole. It is set in North America during the years 1540 to 1550. It tells the fictionalised account of historical events surrounding the events that brought horses to the American native tribes. A Cheyenne hunting party with Tall Bull are crossing the Arkansas river, they are taking something of a risk, for they are

Rift Wars the Entity Within is a science fiction debut novel from Nitin Suneja which is aimed at a young adult audience. It tells the stroy of Jon Farrell who, at the age of 15, has to flee the ruins of the Roman catacombs. Unfortunately for Jon and his parents, his parents did not survive. When he reaches the surface he discovers that the entire ancient cit of Rome, which he was visiting

The Horsekeeper's Daughter Is the true and absolutely amazing account of the life story of one 19th century woman's journey from a mining village in County Durham to the rainforest's of Queensland, Australia. Sarah Marshall left her pit village during the wintertime of 1886. She bravely used the Single Female Migrant Scheme to emigrate to Australia. A battered and very elderly attache case

Sleeping Through War  is a novel from Jackie Carreira. It is set in the year 1968. 1968 was a time of great political upheaval. The Vietnam War was raging, students were rioting, nuclear bomb test were commonplace, civil rights were being fought for. Everywhere it seemed to be a highly volatile year, 1968. But life for the vast majority of people had to continue as normal. As it always does.

Although this is a fictionalised account, the man featured in The Man Who Lived Twice written by David Taylor, Colonel George S Leger Grenfell, was very very real 19th century military figure. Of Cornish extraction, he was an extremely brave soldier of fortune who fought on four different continents before emigrating to America to fight on the side of the Confederate forces. He rode with the

Sir Sam Fay Railway Manager Elite This is the first ever full-length biography of one of the greatest ever rail managers of all time. Sir Sam Fay's start in life was not, as one might have expected, in an industrial setting. He was born in rural Hampshire in 1856. He started his working life with the London and South Western Railway. From humble, clerkly status, he swiftly rose through the

Emotional Sandwiches is a new self-help book from trained holistic therapist Sarah Ashley Neil. Everyone of us is being encouraged to look within for the answers. And these answers, or so we are told, will then solve our dilemmas and problems. That sounds great. But is it actually true? And if true, is it true for everyone? Sarah asks her readers, instead, to explore their relationships with

Poet Sarah Davis has decided to share with us, the reading public, her experiences as a young mother in her debut collection of poems Baby Daze. Mums and Dads will find this book of poems to be very relatable indeed! All aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and baby's early days are covered in these poems which are thoughtful, humorous and heartwarming. The early scan (see the little heart

Clash of Kings is a new historical Viking adventure novel from the pen of author Peter Wilks. It is the eight book that he has published with Matador, but trhe difference is that unlike his other novels, this one is not aimed at thew younger audience. This novel is a drama filled exciting adventure novel set during the times when Viking warriors were the terror of Western Europe. The novel

Many of you may have already heard from Midnight Ink authors or Terri Bischoff, acquisitions editor at Midnight Ink. The publisher is closing after the spring/summer 2019 season. Staff at Midnight Ink will lose their jobs, and so many authors will have to try to find a new home for their books. So, today, I'm posting a reminder. This doesn't represent all of the authors or books from Midnight Ink. Check the website. This just represents the books I've reviewed in the last year that were published by them. You might want to watch for these books or the authors. There are some excellent selections here. Last Call by Paula Matter -  http://bit.ly/2QWPppr The Negotiator by Brendan DuBois -  http://bit.ly/2DoDhL2 Hollywood Endin g by Kellye Garrett -  http://bit.ly/2NOpNrM Big Woods by May Cobb -  http://bit.ly/2J58255 Beyond the Pale by Clare O'Donohue -  http://bit.ly/2jHipC5 Fiction Can Be Murde r by Becky Clark -  http://bit.ly/2yKX9Cz Scot Free by Cat...

Congratulations to the winners of the last contest. Burning Ridge is going to Dianne C. from Elk Grove Village, IL, G.B. from East Lansing, MI, and Jane T. from West Linn, OR. Karen R. of Katy, TX and Sandie H. of Sarasota, FL won The Cats Came Back . The books went out on Wednesday. This week, I'm giving away multiple copies of two mysteries. If you are a fan of debuts, you might want to enter to win Paula Matter's  Last Call . It launches a terrific new character and series. Bartender Maggie Lewis is suspended from her job at a Florida VFW after someone kills an obnoxious customer, and sets Maggie up as a suspect. Since the local police never found her husband's killer, Maggie sets out to solve the case herself. Die Me a River is the latest book in Denise Swanson's Welcome Back to Stumble River series. School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd is on maternity leave with her newborn twins, but while she and her husband, Wally, are meeting with a priest about the christen...

"On the road again." I'm actually traveling today and tomorrow, so I won't be around to discuss books. Instead, I'll be in the car for about 5 1/2 hours each way. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take up the challenge. Let others know what you're reading or listening to. Maybe you'll have a discussion here. I hope you do. I'd love to catch up with it on Friday evening. In the meantime, I'll leave you with an article. Jeff sent me the link from The New York Times for "12 Authors Write About the Libraries They Love". Of course, I found it moving. I hope you enjoy it.  https://nyti.ms/2QPSC9b I wish you a week of good reading!

Spider Zero Seven is Mike Borlace's own very personal memoirs of life as a combat helicopter pilor with the Rhodesian Defence Force during that country's civil war during the 1970s. Although small, the RDF was a highly professional army and, as he points out, helicopters played a very important role in the operations of the RDF whilst fighting against Communist backed guerrilla forces such as

Far Far the Mountain Peak a Bumpy Journey is a new novel from Arthur Clifford. Long time readers of this review emporium will recall Arthur's previous novel Far Far the Mountain Peak which introduced us to John Denby. We left John as he was coming to terms with his adolescence in the 1980s. We pick up John's story when John is now attending a private school. Like many people John has

The Folded Notes is an historical romance set in the 19th century. Catherine Rose is an Englishwoman who is travelling with her mother to India to meet her father who is working at Punjab University. However, fate intervenes and she meets a newly qualified Sikh engineer called Kharak, who works for the Indian Railways. They fall in love with each other, but will destiny, in the shape of her

One of my book loving friends, Kay, blogs at Kay's Reading Life . She also comments on this blog on Thursdays when we do "What Are You Reading?" Kay recently suggested a book of essays called  I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel. She mentioned it here, but she also reviewed it on her blog. I had to stop reading her review. I'll go back after I write this piece. But, she's right. This is such a perfect book for those of us who are avid readers that I bought four copies for friends. Bogel opens by talking about this librarian's favorite question, "Can you recommend a good book?" The answer will be different for every reader, but it's a challenge to find your way to success. In chapter after chapter, she lists and addresses feelings readers share. Take the chapter "Bookworm Problems". Do you recognize any of these? "Your library holds all come in at the same time.""Your To ...

Lou Berney acknowledges his mother's love of a good story in his introduction to November Road.  He discusses the many ways she influenced this novel, from her claim he was conceived the night John F. Kennedy was assassinated to her stories of a road trip and an epileptic dog. That introduction is enough to suck readers into this surprising story. It's just too bad the introduction was only in the ARC, not the actual book. I read the ARC, but agreed to participate in the blog tour for November Road because I think this is the book you need to read this fall. Frank Guidry loves his life in New Orleans. He has gorgeous women, great food, power and influence, thanks to his role as a lieutenant to the powerful mob boss Carlos Marcello. But, Frank isn't stupid. It doesn't take him long to realize Marcello had something to do with President Kennedy's assassination. And, Guidry himself delivered a car to a spot close to Dealey Plaza just two weeks earlier. As some of Guid...