Tag: reviews

Review: The Room at the End of the Hall

REVIEW: THE ROOM AT THE END OF THE HALL By Susan McCormick

Fiction, Mystery

4****

Blurb: When rising star surgeon Michael Baker moves home to care for his estranged alcoholic mother, his life falls apart. One patient dies, another lands in the ICU, he loses his chairmanship, and the new chairwoman takes a nasty tumble on the roof. His mother cries murder, but did her alcohol-addled brain suffer one fall too many? Or…is he the cause?

THOUGHTS: Michael Baker is a surgeon who moves from his home on the East Coast to Seattle to help his aging mother. It’s been twenty-five years since he left there, and more than a year since he even talked to his mother. To say their relationship is difficult would be an understatement. Madge, his mother, is an alcoholic who knows what she is and refuses to give up her drinks. Hospitalized multiple times, she also brings into the room her pink nightdress and strong perfume, all against hospital rules. All Michael can do is shake his head and avoid her room as much as possible. But when her roommate, a young woman Michael operated on for a broken leg, dies suddenly—and then another one ends up in ICU, and then the new chairperson is seriously injured, and her son is blamed, Madge goes all out to find out who the real murderer is.

The story starts off with Michael doing what he can to a avoid his mother, but when his patient dies in her room, he has to figure out what happened and why. Then everything else starts happening that all points to him. As his life tanks, he discovers his lone support is his mother. Especially at the end.

This is a complex story with a lot of suspects and a different sort of sleuth in Madge. And having Michael inherit an almost 4-foot lizard named Frank was so different and made me smile. Nicely done.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book 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” 

Spotlight: Road to Paradise

BLURB:

Sometimes you just need flowers…

It was supposed to be a routine meeting. A potential land sale that would give me the biggest commission of my career. The last thing I expected was a neurodivergent flower farmer who reminded me to slow down and enjoy life. Now, George Jamison threatens to knock me down a rung on my self-imposed climb up the corporate ladder when he keeps sliding into my thoughts with his wide grins and Southern charm. I hardly notice his social awkwardness and autistic tendencies when it’s just the two of us.  And now, after ten of the most glorious days in country paradise, his touch and quiet strength have turned my world upside down.  When I find out his grandfather is dying, I need to help George save the family farm, not sell it – even if it means giving up my career. But someone on the farm doesn’t want me to help George. They don’t want me there at all…

Amazon

“The Singing Author,” Kelly Genelle Fletcher, lives in her very own frat house in Atlanta, GA with her husband Ladd and three sons. She writes her heartwarming/closed-door romance books under her name, Kelly Fletcher, and her steamier books under her pen name, KG Fletcher. As a singer/songwriter she became a recipient of the “Airplay International Award” for “Best New Artist” showcasing original songs at The Bluebird Café in Nashville, TN. She earned her BFA in theater at Valdosta State University, and has traveled the world professionally as a singer/actress. She is a two-time Georgia Maggie Award Nominee, and currently gets to play rock star as a backup singer in the National Tour, “Remember When Rock Was Young – the Elton John Experience.” Kelly is a hopeless romantic. When she’s not on the road singing, she’s probably at home daydreaming about her swoony book boyfriends, or arranging a yummy charcuterie board while sipping red wine and listening to Frank Sinatra. She’s also a conference speaker and loves to interact with readers on social media and share about her writing and singing journey. For more info about tour dates (and FREE concert tickets), go to kgfletcherauthor.com

Review: Mele Kalikimaka Murder

MELE KALIKIMAKA MURDER by Aimee Gilchrist

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Aloha Lagoon Series

4****

Blurb: The only thing that Aloha Lagoon Resort manager Charlotte Conner hates more than her employees working on “island time” is Christmas. It isn’t just the over commercialized tripe, but it’s also the fact that once-upon-a-time her Christmas would-be wedding went up in spectacular flames. Now she has to share the hated Hawaiian holiday with her twin sister (the one responsible for Charlotte’s ruined vows), Alexander Cho (the one currently responsible for destroying Charlotte’s peace of mind and libido), and the body of one very dead assistant. Aloha Lagoon’s police department can’t find anyone else with a better motive for killing Charlotte’s assistant than Charlotte herself, so now it’s up to her, Alex, and her irritatingly ever-present twin to hunt down the real murderer before Charlotte spends her Christmas in a jail cell for a Mele Kalikimurder she didn’t commit. This is one holly-jolly holiday that just might end up deadly!

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book – and I hope there’s going to be a follow-up because I really want to know what happens with Charlie and Alex and Georgie and Martin.

Everything is chaotic at the resort the week before Christmas. There are luaus and parties and games and tons of guests and it’s up to Charlotte (Charlie) the manager to coordinate it all, which she does with lightning efficiency. But when her assistant ends up dead, things start to break down. Then her twin sister Georgie shows up and needs a job. And the assistant manager, Alex, becomes a problem for her emotionally. Charlie can’t afford to get attached. She can’t.
But she does.
As she and Alex and Georgie look into the woman’s death, they discover more than they bargained for. A lot more. Things are not all sunshine and sandy beaches on Kauai.

Definitely recommended.