Book Blurb: Jim Turner writes crime but doesn’t live it. He respects his grandfather’s tales of heroes but doesn’t believe them. When his failing grandfather sends him to a remote peninsula to write the end of his own heroic love story, Jim includes a war criminal interview to maintain his edge. Chastity is an anomaly, a misfit in pre-WWII culture as well as in Jim’s life. Her spritely charm and endearing features turn Jim’s world upside down, especially when she reveals his grandfather’s peninsula as the site of her upcoming wedding. Do good journalists flee when their interviewee is murdered? Do heroes write fiancés out of another’s story and themselves in? “The End” become the hardest words for Jim to write.

Buy Links: Amazon

Author Bio: Colleen L Donnelly put her science education to use for years and then put it behind her to pursue other passions. Her first love is writing and her second is hunting—hunting for that next good story, hunting for shed antlers or mushrooms in the woods, hunting for the next good author to read. An avid believer in work hard/play hard, Colleen splits her time between indoors and out, always busy at something.

Social Media Links:

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-l-donnelly

Website: http://www.colleenldonnelly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenLDonnelly

Goodreads: http://www.Goodreads.com/colleenldonnelly

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/colleenldonnelly/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/37vcnO4

Twitter:   https://x.com/ColleenLDonnell/

Blurb: In the tumultuous year of 1864, when both the Civil War and Indian uprisings were waging, Melissa Sullivan is desperate to escape a lecherous uncle who is accusing her of killing her aunt. Stowing away in a wagon bound for the Colorado Territory, she soon discovers its owner is a high-handed lieutenant in the Union army who is escaping his own demons. While he believes he has the right to make decisions for her, she is determined to become self-sufficient like her new friend Mavis, an Irish lass with a soft heart, a hard exterior, and a weak acquaintance with the truth. Swept along by the relentless push westward, Melissa finds herself entangled in circumstances far beyond her control. She is faced with limited choices after her arrival in Denver as pivotal historic events, including the Sand Creek Massacre, unfold around her. Will she win the fight to determine her own destiny and will she make the right decision when it comes to love?

https://a.co/d/3wtHBSI

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-might-have-been-marianne-plunkert/1146512932?ean=9781509259939

Wild Rose Press: https://wildrosepress.com/product/what-might-have-been/

Author Bio: After spending 25 years in academia, teaching finance and authoring finance textbooks as an independent contractor for major publishing companies, Marianne retired early to devote more time to her lifelong dream: writing a novel and having it published. What Might Have Been,her debut novel, was inspired by the rich history of the Denver, Colorado, area she discovered while living there. She currently resides in western North Carolina and enjoys hearing from her readers. Connect with her through her website: https://marianneplunkert.wixsite.com/marianneplunkert-4.

Website: https://marianneplunkert.wixsite.com/marianneplunkert-4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marianne.plunkert

X: x.com/marianneP2024

Instagram: Instagram.com/mplunkertauthor

Review: A PAIN IN THE TUCHIS by Mark Reutlinger

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

5*****

Blurb: Yom Kippur is a day of reflection and soul searching. But at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors, Vera Gold misses this opportunity to atone for her many sins when she up and dies. Indeed, Vera was such a pain in the tuchis to all those around her that when her sister claims Vera was deliberately poisoned, the tough question isn’t who would want to kill her—but who wouldn’t? Having already solved one murder with her dear friend Ida, Rose Kaplan has a sleuthing reputation that precedes her. It’s only natural that Vera’s sister turns to Mrs. K for help. So do the police, but when her conclusions conflict with theirs, they tell her to butt out! This case has more twists than a loaf of challah. And with a homicidal scoundrel on the loose, Mrs. K has to act fast—or she might be the guest of honor at the Home’s next memorial service.

THOUGHTS: Oy vey! What a fun story! This is the second in a series and takes place at a Jewish home for seniors. Rose is at it once again with her friends to figure out who killed the nasty Vera Gold and why. It may be the day for atonement, but that’s not happening. I absolutely love Rose and can “hear” her voice in my head as I read (she sounds a little like Barbra Streisand in “Funny Girl”). There a lot of Yiddish terms that the author does a good job of explaining without being over the top with it. And a few misses on Rose’s part – like when she talks about the Hippo laws (HIPAA). The imagery puts you right there, for instance when talking about the big store surrounded with a black moat lined with white stripes (parking lot).

When Rose and her pal Ida decide that Vera was murdered, it’s up to them to convince Vera’s son to exhume her body and perform an autopsy even though it’s against his strict Jewish law. They try to enlist the aid of the Rabbi, but that goes nowhere so Rose twists his words to meet her needs. It’s a tad nefarious, but it works and the race is on to find out who the killer is before it happens again.

Although this is the second book in the series, and I haven’t read the first, I had no problem getting to know the characters and the setting. I had a lot of fun with this story and know I’ll be reading more of these books.

Recommended.

HUNKS OF THE MONTH by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, M/M, LGBTQ+

4****

Blurb: Former fashion photographer Sterling Vaughn reached the pinnacle of his profession only to have his life and heart come crashing down around him. Now he’s attempting to rebuild his life as a portrait photographer in the town where he grew up. Connor Hillyard is proud of his Scottish ancestry and dresses accordingly. The civic-minded college history professor has spent more of his life collecting degrees than experience. His only family is his sometimes matchmaking great-aunt Lucille, who thinks nothing of pulling him into her community gardening projects. When Lucille needs a photographer for a calendar project to save her failing garden club, she recruits Sterling, who ropes Connor in as a model. Their eye-opening hunky gay calendar pulls the two men closer together. But just as things get interesting between them, the calendar polarizes the town, threatening to pull Sterling back into the high-profile world of fashion and away from the man who brought his heart back to life.

THOUGHTS: Who doesn’t love a gorgeous man in a kilt? When Sterling meets Connor at Connor’s aunt’s home, his interest goes zing. But Sterling is starting his life over after a bad breakup that also doused his career as a fashion photographer. Now, he takes senior pictures of high school kids. Then Lucille, Connor’s aunt, talks him into doing a calendar to promote her community garden club. But they don’t want just any calendar. They want to do one with hunky men (mostly gay) holding flowers. With Connor’s help, they get the couples needed and Sterling manages to talk Connor into doing a month – then Connor turns the tables and makes sure Sterling does it with him. Meanwhile, the connection between the two grows hot and heavy.

The story is fun to read and the conflicts keep the action moving. And there’s a HEA ending that satisfies.

Recommended.

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

3***

Blurb: Tina Bender is the gossip columnist at the infamous L.A. Informer tabloid. She knows everything about everyone who’s anyone. And she’s not afraid to print it. That is, until she receives a threatening note, promising, “If you don’t stop writing about me, you’re dead.” Teaming with a built bodyguard, a bubbly blonde, and an alcoholic obituary writer, Tina sets out to uncover just which juicy piece of Hollywood gossip is worth killing over.

THOUGHTS: This started out fun with great characters that sometimes made me laugh–or wince. Tina is a gossip column writer for a Hollywood paper. She has a lot of “friends” (i.e. informants) and a lot of enemies. When she gets a death threat, the paper hires a bodyguard for her. One she doesn’t want–but the guy is a hunk, so maybe she can deal. And she lives with her elderly aunt who is a bit…challenging. And an elderly neighbor who complains a lot. When her neighbor is killed in Tina’s home, things get real for Tina.

The storyline was decent, the characters really fun, and the ending really good. But…the spelling, grammatical, timeline issues in the book really stopped me cold more than a few times. And that’s what cut the number of stars. I was tempted to give it a 2, but I really did like the ending, though I will say it was a total surprise because we weren’t given any idea of this possibility early in the story.

Recommended with reservations.

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

3***

Blurb: Murder disrupts the peaceful, predictable daily routine of life for four quirky librarians who must protect their life-altering secrets in the first contemporary mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas.

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge…. In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too. Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won’t be enough anymore. When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together…. All in a day’s work.

THOUGHTS: The librarian in me was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting into the story. The only saving grace for me was the ending. This story takes place in a small branch library in Austin, TX. There are four librarians: Sophie (branch manager), Hazel (brand new to the library), Jonathan (big guy librarian, ex-football player), and Astrid (librarian). Each one has secrets of their own that they are reluctant to share, but when a murder happens that ties the library to it, they have to come clean.

Honestly, with all the different POVs, this reminded me a little of the movie “Clue”. We learn all about each one, and about their secrets, and why they kept such secrets. They band together to help each other and to help solve the mystery.

It’s an “okay” book, but not one I’d read again. It’s not bad, it’s just not great.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, British

4****

Blurb: The annual Charleton House Food Festival is about to begin. But the first item on the menu is murder… Nestled in the idyllic setting of Derbyshire’s rolling hills, the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family seems an unlikely location for murder. But when a young man is bludgeoned to death with the portafilter of a coffee machine, recent thefts from local stately homes are put in the shade, and caffeine-loving café manager Sophie Lockwood finds her interest piqued by a pair of unusual cases. Who would want to brutally murder a gentle giant of a man? And why would a thief, with an endless treasure trove to choose from, make off with a bowl from Charleton House that only has sentimental value? Enlisting the help of her charismatic and eccentric colleagues, including quick-witted tour guide Mark, Sophie sets off to extract inside information from Detective Constable Joe Greene in return for a generous supply of chocolate croissants. But just as Sophie finds her suspicions falling on a likely suspect, a trail of coffee beans leads to a shocking revelation that turns her caffeine-fuelled investigation on its head. Fans of T E Kinsey and M C Beaton will love Death By Dark Roast. Join Sophie and the Charleton House team for a festival of coffee, cake and crime.

THOUGHTS: this was a very British cozy mystery set in a Duke’s “castle”. During a food festival held on the grounds of the estate, there is a theft, and a murder. Sophie is the manager of the three cafes on the grounds and is a coffee addict. There are two competing coffee companies in attendance. Sophie’s preference is the one run by two sisters. But when one of the men in the other mobile unit is found murdered, they become suspects—as well as several other people. And Sophie is determined to figure out who did it.

This is a good start to the series. There are plenty of twists and turns and a satisfying ending.

Recommended.