Crimson Lake (Crimson Lake, Book One)

 

CANDICE FOX

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Forge, 2020.

How acquired: Borrowed from my mom.

First line: I was having some seriously dark thoughts when I found Woman.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: A unique plot, with Ted, an accused child rapist/murderer (his case was dropped for lack of evidence that could sway a jury) teaming up with Amanda, a convicted murderer turned private investigator, to look into the disappearance of a local well known author. Told in first person POV by Ted, a former police detective, we get a deep dive into what his life is like after having spent eight months in prison and losing his job, his reputation, his wife, his baby daughter, and all of his friends. While working with Amanda, a strange and quirky woman who pled guilty to her crime, he begins to secretly look into her case and stir things up.

I love stories set in Australia, though mostly what I've read was in the Outback, so I did not expect to read about people in cities and towns living with crocodiles practically in their back yards. The author did a wonderful job setting the atmosphere, and convincing me I do not want to live anywhere near a croc. Though I wouldn't mind having a goose and her babies for pets, as Ted finds himself doing.

I never knew where the plot would go next, and the last 30 pages or so had me on the edge of my seat. I need the second book immediately!

Goodreads synopsis: How do you move on when the world won't let you?

12:46: Claire Bingley stands alone at a bus stop
12:47: Ted Conkaffey parks his car beside her
12:52: The girl is missing . . .

Six minutes in the wrong place at the wrong time--that's all it took to ruin Sydney detective Ted Conkaffey's life. Accused but not convicted of a brutal abduction, Ted is now a free man--and public enemy number one. Maintaining his innocence, he flees north to keep a low profile amidst the steamy, croc-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake.

There, Ted's lawyer introduces him to eccentric private investigator Amanda Pharrell, herself a convicted murderer. Not entirely convinced Amanda is a cold-blooded killer, Ted agrees to help with her investigation, a case full of deception and obsession, while secretly digging into her troubled past. The residents of Crimson Lake are watching the pair's every move . . . and the town offers no place to hide.

The Reluctant Christians

 

KRISTINE JOHNSON

Stats: Dorrance Publishing Co., 2023

How acquired: From the author via ReedsyDiscovery.

First line: The child waited, buried deep within the worn blankets of her small bed.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This was a much deeper read than I expected, almost dense, but not in a bad way. The writing felt a little awkward at first, with so many places that seemed to be missing a comma, and then other places that seemed to have extra commas just thrown in wherever. I thought the book needed some editing, but then I began to wonder if this was just the author’s writing style. And once I got used to it the narrative began to flow easier. I was never quite sure in what direction the story would go at any given time, and when I thought I did see the path I was often wrong.

I love a good character study, and the author definitely delivered on that score. I enjoyed watching Kate blossom from a shy quiet child, who hid in her closet at night when her mother had men over, to a confident young woman learning to navigate her way through life. But her mother’s growth and journey was even more satisfying. Nora started the book a very unlikable character, who seemed to be the villain. But thanks to the kindness, although belated, of her ex-husband’s parents, she began to find redemption and became a very sympathetic character.

A vivid and detailed accounting of two women rising above their misogynistic upbringing and finding their own strength and resilience.

*Received via ReedsyDiscovery and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This compelling and exciting fictional story of the Reluctant Christians depicts the lifelong journey of a mother, Nora Young, and her daughter Kathryn (Kate) as they struggle to remove themselves from the restrictive tentacles of life in a small town dominated by a conservative, misogynistic religion. This is a love story that exposes abuse within religious organizations, but by no means is this story anti-religion. Rather, it is a story of self-reliance and resilience that explores the strength of the soul within. This is a love story that spans decades of pioneering a new path for a family in a new time for women who seek freedom, and break barriers of behavior dictation, despite the fear of repercussion. 

The characters find themselves united to bring comfort and forgiveness to their lives. The strength of their relationships challenges them to defy the unjust suffering and persecution of sister ancestors, one another, and all women who have encountered prejudice and abuse of power. Together they rise above with wisdom, compassion, lessons learned and groundbreaking leadership. Together they confront the past and carve the future. There are children to be cared for, loves to be discovered, death and grief to be endured, and life to be lived by the characters entwined in this dramatic love story.

Shadows at Dusk (Missing in Alaska, Book Two)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: The old cargo plane vibrated as the pilot descended into the airdrop zone, the turbulence shuddering through Carrie Jams.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Another wonderfully written, action packed romantic suspense from Ms. Goddard! In this second book in the Missing in Alaska series, Carrie is a pilot in Shadow Gap, ferrying passengers around Alaska, delivering supplies to residents living in remote areas, and whatever else is needed of her. When Trevor arrives in Alaska looking for answers to his sister’s disappearance, Chief Autumn Long, the heroine of the first book, recommends Carrie as a guide. Carrie is reluctant, as she’s about to leave for a long awaited vacation, and despite being intrigued by Trevor, she refers him to another local pilot. But when Carrie’s business partner, mentor, and best friend is murdered, her whole life is turned upside down, for the second time.

I really liked and admired Carrie. Ten years ago she miraculously survived an attack on her life, and still carries the emotional and physical scars. She’s worked hard to overcome adversity, and flying brings her peace and comfort. I loved Trevor. He uprooted his own life to help his sister escape an abusive marriage, and thought she’d created a good life for herself, only to have her disappear without a trace on a vacation to Alaska, leaving only a handful of photos for Trevor to decipher.

So we have two mysteries running concurrently as it becomes clear that someone does not want Trevor investigating his sister’s disappearance, and it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill Carrie. I love an Alaskan setting. The wild land, the mountains, the seclusion, all lend themselves to the perfect backdrop for mystery, suspense, action, danger, and survival. But we also get an engaging story and great character studies of Carrie and Trevor and what drives them. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Montana Detective Trevor West is desperate to learn what happened to his sister, who went missing in Alaska over a year ago, leaving nothing but a few photographs as clues to her whereabouts. At the advice of Police Chief Autumn Long, Trevor enlists the help of an experienced bush pilot. If Carrie James can't help him find the places in the photographs, no one can. 

But Carrie has her own agenda. Grieving the death of her closest friend and the only person she could trust, Carrie will help Trevor find his sister on one condition--that he help her track down her friend's killer. 

As the two close in on the answers they crave, they'll face dangers and connections they could not have imagined. They'll have to learn to trust one another--and face the dark secrets of the past--if they are ever to discover the truth and bring a killer to justice.

Tell Me Another Lie (A Huckleberry Ridge Romance, Book Four)

 

K.T. RAINE

How acquired: BookSirens

First line: The striking contrast of the white rose against the red countertop captured Belle’s attention as soon as she stepped out of the massage room.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: K.T. Raine was one of my new author discoveries almost two years ago, and I have devoured each of her books since then. Each one has been just delightful, and TELL ME ANOTHER LIE is no exception. Would that I could live in Huckleberry Ridge!

Belle is a young widow who recently moved back to Huckleberry Ridge for a fresh start. A massage therapist, her new business is doing well, and the local animal shelter has found the perfect dog for her. She still mourns her husband, but life is looking up. Until she becomes the target of an unknown admirer’s unwanted attention.

Enter Woody. Belle’s cousin, a police officer, asks Woody to keep an eye out for Belle since her business is on his beat. Gentle sparks fly, but neither is looking for a relationship, and they both make some assumptions about the other. Shallow assumptions, but hey, they’re only human. And of course they get over those assumptions as they get to know one another.

The mystery of who the secret admirer is was well plotted, and I didn’t come close to figuring it out. There’s plenty of bantering conversations that made me smile, and I laughed a few times. I adored Woody, he’s a bit swoon worthy! The writing is engaging and characterization of both Belle and Woody is done well, especially considering the book is only 176 pages (the pdf version I read).

My only complaint is one throwaway sentence that came off as a little racist to me, when Woody is on an airplane, in a seat that is apparently on the smaller side. That sentence gave me pause and left a bad taste in my mouth and my brain.

While each book in the series can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book, and then also reading the author’s actual standalone, HOLDING OUT FOR SPECIAL, which is the first of the author’s books that I read. They are all sweet, kisses only, romances with some suspense thrown in, that will leave you sighing at the end. In a good way!

*Received from BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Four years after the death of her husband, Belle Cosgrove returns to her childhood home of Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho seeking a fresh start. With the successful launch of her new massage business, things are finally looking up ... until a secret admirer starts leaving eerie gifts and messages. Can she convince her damaged heart to accept the help of Woody Bannock, a reserved, ridiculously handsome police officer? Book 4 in the clean, contemporary Huckleberry Ridge Romance series.

Into the Fire (Undaunted Courage, Book 1)

IRENE HANNON

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Fire was cleansing.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I really really enjoyed this one. Bri is an arson investigator, called out to investigate a fire that killed a retired arson investigator. She’s irritated when her boss calls in the ATF and tells her she’ll be working with an ATF Special Agent, but Marc is not quite what she expects and she’s intrigued by him. As he is by her. Bri is a wonderfully nuanced character. A former smokejumper, her life was changed after a fall caused by a malfunctioning parachute, the physical effects of which still linger. Just prior to that, she had a bad experience with a fellow smokejumper wooing her and then showing his ugly side. So getting closer to Marc or having any type of relationship with him is not in her plans. Marc, meanwhile, left his big time job to move home when his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. He doesn’t have a bad relationship behind him, but his plan is to get focus on his grandmother and his new career and not get back into the dating pool for awhile, so pursuing Bri is not on his agenda. I loved the slow build up of the relationship between Bri and Marc, which often took a backseat to the investigation. Because this isn’t just a love story. This is a romantic suspense, and the author provides plenty of the latter as Bri becomes a liability to the serial killer who’s victims are dying in fires made to look like accidents.

The mystery of who was setting the fires and why was very well done. I was a little stunned when we finally learned who the culprit was. The writing and the characterization are wonderful and engaging. There is a lot of action as the investigation ramps up, as well as the danger to Bri, but we also get to know both Bri and Marc really well, as we’re inside their heads and privy to what makes them tick. I really liked Bri, and I loved Marc.

Irene Hannon is quickly becoming a favorite author who’s entire backlist I want to read now. 

*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

As a former smokejumper, arson investigator Bri Tucker knows her way around fires. But after a mysterious blaze takes the life of a former colleague, Bri inherits a curious puzzle from him that raises questions about several fiery deaths. Someone, however, doesn't want her picking up where he left off in search of answers. 

When she teams up with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis to solve the puzzle, the danger escalates. But will they manage to track down the person behind the mysterious deaths before their budding romance--and maybe even their lives--go up in flames?

On Moonberry Lake (Moonberry Lake, Book 1)

 

HOLLY VARNI

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Her mother knew when someone was pregnant and when someone was dying.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Cora returns to Moonberry after her mother’s death, a place she hasn’t been since she was a child, and moves into the rundown family lodge that she’s now inherited. The back cover copy states that she “…finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors who all have something to say and something to teach her.” And that is the most true sentence I’ve read all week, as it seems each new resident of Moonberry we meet is more outlandish than the last one.

But the book is about more than just the eccentric residents of a small town. It’s about a woman who was raised to run when things go bad, and has spent most of her life looking for something without knowing what, and then finding it in this small town. Friends, family, a purpose, love and acceptance, and faith. And no matter how eccentric or weird those outlandish characters are, they are never caricatures but are portrayed lovingly and realistically.

The writing is beautiful, but then Revell has curated an absolutely wonderful group of authors, so that’s a given.

*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cora Matthews's life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return to normal. Whatever "normal" is.

It certainly isn't what she finds at Moonberry Lake. After she receives her family's dilapidated lakefront lodge as an inheritance--with a surprising condition attached--Cora finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors who all have something to say and something to teach her.

As Cora works to put her life back together, she must decide if she is willing to let go of the past, open her heart to love, and embrace the craziest version of family and home she could ever have imagined.

Cary Grant: A Touch of Elegance

 

WARREN G. HARRIS

Edition read: Hardback, Doubleday, 1987.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Even Cary Grant had to die sometime, but in Davenport, Iowa?

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Cary Grant is my one true love. I discovered him when I was a teenager, just a few years before his death in 1986, after watching Bringing Up Baby for the first time, and I’ve been in love with him ever since.

I’ve not read a biography about him until now. I think I just didn’t want my image of him tarnished. I’ve read things over the years, magazine articles, mentions in biographies of other Hollywood stars, internet stories, and of course I was aware of his LSD therapy, the allegations of cruelty to his wives, claims of him being cold or distant on the set of his movies. But on a recent trip to Half Price Books I picked up three different books about him. I think at this point in my life I realize that he is untarnishable in my eyes. Nothing will change how I feel.*

The author touches on those stories in his biography, as well as the rumors of homosexuality. He reports the known facts, interspersed with quotes from people who knew Cary, but he never expresses an opinion or suggests whether or not there is truth to any of those claims. And yet what could have come across as dry reporting is told in an interesting, engaging, and always respectful manner.

After reading this I want to go back and rewatch a lot of Cary’s movies that I haven’t seen in awhile. And there are some movies that I’ve not yet seen as I’ve not yet found them, but hopefully someday.

*Well, I guess if I learned he murdered someone, or pulled some Harvey Weinstein shit, that might put me off, but I’m pretty confident in my devotion.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Dashing, debonair, and above all, elegant – these words will always call to mind the incomparable Cary Grant. Yet, more than anyone else, Cary Grant himself recognized the discrepancy between the sophisticated romantic hero he portrayed on screen and the private man haunted by fear and self-doubt.

In the movies, he always got the girl – from Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story to Ingrid Bergman in Notorious and Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief. But in real life, Cary Grant was unable to find happiness in love, and it wasn’t until his later years – and his fifth marriage – that he would at last meet the woman who would bring him peace and contentment.

His fans hailed him as the ultimate lady’s man, but he was also portrayed as a man’s man – outrunning a killer crop-duster in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, or brandishing a sword as a nineteenth-century soldier in Gunga Din. Who would have known that beneath this confident exterior was a frightened little boy whose mother had been taken away to a mental institution when he was ten years old, and whose father lived a double life with his mistress and their illegitimate son? It was only after more than a hundred psychiatric LSD treatments that Cary Grant could confront the pain and hurt of his early years.

Now, in a sensitive and moving biography – the first since the star’s death – veteran writer Warren G. Harris explores the many faces of one of Hollywood’s most enigmatic and best-loved idols.

He Should Have Told the Bees

 

AMANDA COX

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 8/29/23.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Callie’s ears filled with the sound of windshield wipers slapping and Momma’s incessant muttering.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Oh this book is good. So very good.

Beck is mourning the loss of her father, her rock, her constant in a storm. She now lives alone on their farm, taking care of her horse, her mini donkey, her chickens, her goats, and most importantly, her bees. In the apiary, a huge field with fifty beehives, is where she feels the most at home.

Callie is happily looking forward to opening her own store, where she’ll sell her hand made candles, and hold candle making classes. Then her absentee alcoholic mother shows up on her doorstep, admitting for the first time that she needs help and is willing to try rehab. Suddenly Callie is faced with the choice of either selling the building she just bought to pay for her mother’s rehab, or turn her mother away.

Beck and Callie are thrown together when they learn that Beck’s father has put his property into an irrevocable trust, and they are both the beneficiaries. They either keep the farm together, or they sell it and split the proceeds.

I repeat, this book is so very good. Descriptive and beautifully written. So much angst. Justified angst. Both Callie and Beck are beautifully written. Beck’s feelings of grief mixed with anger and betrayal were very understandable as she grapples with worry over whether Callie, a stranger, will want to sell the farm, taking away the only home Beck has ever known. On top of that she suffers from severe anxiety anytime she leaves the farm. I very occasionally have panic attacks, and the description of what Beck goes through when one hits her were very realistic. Beck starts out pretty much feeling all alone in the world now that her dad is gone, and I loved how her circle slowly widened. First there was young “Katya”, who was staying at a neighboring farm for the summer and kept turning up in the aviary when Beck was working with her bees. She was quite adorable, and precocious - the author did a good job of keeping her just this side of over the top. And then Annette, a friend of Beck’s father, who kept stopping by to drop off casseroles or desserts, and who Beck found annoying but began to realize might have been closer to her father than she knew.

Callie’s story, and her feelings, were a little more removed from my own experiences. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, knowing that the sale of the farm could solve all her problems, but also knowing what it would do to Beck. This isn’t a romance, but there is a burgeoning one between Callie and Luke, a friend from church who often has a booth at the same events where Callie sells her candles. I very much liked Luke and his steadying presence, he was definitely good for Callie.

And the bees. I’ve never given honeybees much thought, other than to avoid them while remembering the time when I was a kid and I stepped back from a curb and got stung on my heel. The descriptions of the aviary and all the care and maintenance Beck put into her hives was fascinating.

All in all this was a wonderful reading experience, and I look forward to more from this author.

*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

Comfort & Joy

 

KRISTIN HANNAH

Edition read: Hardback, Ballantine Books, 2005

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Christmas parties are the star on the top of my “don’t” list this year.

(Synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I went into this book expecting a typical heartwarming Christmas story. You know the type, a character facing a crossroads, maybe not looking forward to all the Christmas holidaying but eventually, through friends or faith or a new love, finding their Christmas spirit. What I got was an incredible story of a woman at a crossroads, anxious to escape her life and finding…herself, her second chance at happiness…

Ok, so it still sounds like a typical heartwarming Christmas story. But it is so much more than that. And so not typical but completely unexpected.

With Christmas practically upon her, Joy, a high school librarian, is struggling to get into the holiday spirit. She’s recently divorced. She and her sister, who used to be her best friend, are estranged after her sister betrayed her in the worst possible way. On the last day of school before the Christmas break, she’s forced herself to go out and buy a tree, but when she arrives home her sister is waiting for her. Horrified at the news her sister gives her, irrefutable evidence of her betrayal (like she even needed more evidence), Joy feels suffocated and takes off. When she finds herself at the airport, she sees on the departures board a town in Canada called Hope. It turns out to be a small chartered plane, and the counter attendant points out the man who chartered it and says to check with him.

“Excuse me,” I say, trying – without much success – to smile. “I need Hope.”

Since there is one empty seat, he agrees to sell it to her.

But the plane crashes in the Olympic rain forest of Washington state. Up until this point, I was already fairly invested. The narration is in first person POV, and is engaging and lyrical. Joy’s account of the plane crash, which she describes second by second in detail, was mesmerizing and gave me chills. She survives the crash, in incredible pain but relatively unharmed, and manages to flee towards the woods just before the plane explodes, briefly losing consciousness. And then upon waking, seeing ambulances and first responders in the distance, she realizes that nobody knew she was on the plane, nobody will be missing her until school resumes after the holidays, nobody will be looking for her. So instead of walking towards rescue, she turns and walks away. This is apparently the point in the story where a lot of readers were turned off. There are a lot of reviews on Goodreads complaining about the implausibility and having to suspend disbelief. But not me. I was right there with her, hanging on her every word, never doubting her for one minute.

While on the plane she read an article in a magazine about a fishing lodge in Rain Valley, and when she realizes she is close by, she seeks it out, only to find it rundown, with a for sale sign. She doesn’t see the owner anywhere, but his son, Bobby, shows her to a room. In the morning, she meets his father, Daniel, who basically ignores her. He spends all his time making repairs around the lodge in preparation for selling it, and Joy finds herself either spending time alone, exploring and taking pictures, or hanging out with Bobby, an unhappy eight year old who misses his recently deceased mother and is angry at his father for planning to move them away. The bond that grows between Joy and Bobby is indeed heartwarming, while Daniel’s gruffness and vacillating between seeming to welcome her and ignoring her begins to hurt her feelings.

But as Joy is slowly falling for Daniel, and finding happiness and contentment at the lodge, the story suddenly took a severe left turn and went off in a direction I never saw coming. And I spent much of the rest of the book on tenterhooks, not knowing whether to be disappointed or hopeful.

To say this book just completely swept me off my feet is an understatement. I loved it. I loved it so much that when I turned the last page, I almost wanted to go back to page one and start over. In fact I’m still tempted to do so, because with the benefit of hindsight I’m sure I would pick up on things that neither Joy nor I could possibly have understood the first time around.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would.

Synopsis from dust jacket:

Joy Candellaro used to love Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she finds herself at loose ends. Recently divorced and estranged from her sister, she can’t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the rural Northwest.

Yet Joy’s best-laid plans go terribly awry. The plane crashes deep in the darkness of a forest. Miraculously, Joy and her fellow passengers walk away from the wrekage as the plane explodes. There, amid the towering trees, Joy makes a bold and desperate decision to leave her ordinary life behind and embark on an adventure...just for the holidays.

Following the death of his ex-wife, Daniel O’Shea has returned to the small town of Rain Valley. Now he is a single father facing his son’s first Christmas without a mother. Eight-year-old Bobby isn’t making it easy – the boy has closed himself off from the world, surrounding himself with imaginary friends.

When Joy and Bobby meet, they form an instnat bond. Thrown together by fate, these wounded souls will be touched by the true spirit of Christmas and remember what it means to be a family.

Then a dramatic turn of events shows Joy the price of starting over. On a magical Christmas Eve she will come face-to-face with a startling truth. Now she must decide: In a time of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, can she find the faith to reach for the love she has found...and the new life only she believes in?