This was such a fun story. I loved that Jamie Bond’s father was so sure she was going to be a he, that he named her James when she was born. Though she goes by Jamie. I also enjoyed the play between Jamie and her father, Derek. He was a successful P.I. until someone wanted him dead. Jamie left a high-end modeling job to come home to take care of her father and take over the P.I. business. They mostly work divorce cases, but Jamie is determined to find who shot her dad, which gets her into a lot of trouble. The action is good, the suspense ramping up until the end with a sort-of satisfying ending. But also with a tiny thread left dangling that we know there will be more to come. Something I am definitely looking forward to. Amazon
THE POISONED KING: This was an amazing fantasy story aimed at YA readers, but as a senior adult, I really enjoyed it as well. It is the second in the series and you don’t need to have read the first one to know what’s going on, but I strongly recommend that you do, if only to enjoy more of this world. The world building is excellent with impossible animals, scenery, and events to capture your imagination. I especially loved the creatures – especially the royal birds and the gesture language they taught to Anya, the princess. And I laughed out loud at the Harpy for a librarian! The story is peppered throughout with imaginative images and there is an extensive section at the end of the book that shows what the animals look like and describes them and their abilities. Christopher is back in this second book, but the story is more about Anya – though it takes both her and Christopher working together to solve the problems they are faced with. There is a lot of action, adventure, treachery, and revenge—and finding out what your true self is. And the ending definitely satisfied.
The story has the usual crazy family members – Sally’s father Dom who runs the local funeral home and has suspect taste in clothing and social graces; her mother who’s more into fashion than anything else; and her grandmother who can take on anyone, including Ice Pick. Though Sally swears she’ll stay out of the investigation – after all, she has a new baby to consider — that doesn’t happen. Which puts her, her best friend, and one of Guido’s daughters in mortal danger.
Yes, the story, like all the other ones in the series, is full of stereotypes. But it’s so much fun that you have to laugh at it all. And thank goodness for Sally’s grandmother who keeps everyone together, taken care of, and fed! I want her for my granny!
This is a lovely story about two people who have a shared love of art, but come from two different backgrounds. It is a deep romance that shows a lot of conflict between the two until they can put their differences aside and let love conquer all.
I am very familiar with this author’s books – and have been in love with her work from the beginning, and this book is no exception. The world building/descriptions put you right there on the farm with George and Madison. I could almost smell the lavender in the fields. The way she introduces George and his neurodiversity is well-done. And having an autistic person be the hero of the story was so touching. I love the way she introduces him, and the back-and-forth between him and Madison. Plus Madison’s journey from big-city land procurer to farmer’s love interest is perfect. The last scene in the book was the crème-de-la-crème. A HEA ending that leaves you smiling.
Misty Simon never fails to entertain with her witty cozy mysteries. They not only have the mystery, but quirky characters that make you laugh. Yes, there are dark moments – like the murders – but there are also lots of lighter times that let you know these characters could be real people.
This includes a story within a story. The main character, Aubrey, is a new writer attending a private writing retreat being hosted by Willow Fox, a famous author. Aubrey is excited to be there, but there are a lot of underlying tensions that she picks up on. The book opens up with Aubrey working on the first chapter of her book, “Murder for Shore”, a cozy mystery. But after the first workshop, a real murder mystery occurs as Willow ends up dead. Aubrey’s friend, Jenny, is the prime suspect and she feels that it is up to her and her other two friends to prove to the handsome detective Tate that Jenny is innocent. But there are a lot of suspects and everyone seems to have a secret—and a motive. When Aubrey and her friends go snooping, they discover that even the building has secrets. As the mystery unfolds, so does Aubrey’s writing so you get to read Aubrey’s story as she’s writing it. (But it’s not finished before the book is, so you need to read the entire one in “Murder for Shore”.
This was an interesting premise to a story in that it’s written by the main character of another book! I love that the character says who her favorite authors are, including the publisher of this book. LOL The story is actually a good one full of mystery, secrets, and a touch of romance. I also loved that the hero of the story comes across as neurodivergent (autism?) in the beginning but his love for Daphne brings out the hero in him. And there’s a decent ending to both the mystery and a HEA for the romance.
Sparkling Book Reviews 