Parker and Pentecost Mysteries by Stephen Spotswood
Fortune Favors the Dead – locked door murder; dysfunctional family Murder Under Her Skin – traveling circus; small-town Virginia
Category: a) Likeable
Appealing and likeable despite flaws.
Faithful Place by Tana French
An undercover cop reluctantly returns to the Irish neighborhood where he grew up when a discovery in an abandoned house forces him to reconsider the event that changed his life over 20 years ago. Though technically part of the Dublin Murder Squad series, this novel functions perfectly well as a standalone. Tana French takes a… Read More Faithful Place by Tana French
Broken Places by Tracy Clark
First in series – Chicago Mystery featuring Cass Raines. Cass was a Chicago cop until the ego-driven actions of a bad cop forced her to shoot a young black kid. The incident didn’t cause her to resign – the commendation she received for her actions did. Now, she’s a private investigator still dealing with the… Read More Broken Places by Tracy Clark
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
#3 in The First Law trilogy The conclusion to an adventurous, inventive, and bloody trilogy with fascinating characters and complex plots. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie – he knows how to spin a good yarn. This final book in the First Law trilogy hits all the notes. The odd combination of travelers has returned… Read More Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Seeing Red by Sandra Brown
Sandra Brown delivers another compelling romantic thriller with a complex and twisted plot, though this particular story may take one turn too many to be plausible for some readers. The relationship between the two appealing main characters develops quickly and is hot and steamy. Brown skillfully handles both elements – the sexual tension never interferes… Read More Seeing Red by Sandra Brown
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
As the author describes it, this is a playful reimagining of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol that incorporates historical facts but sometimes changes or embellishes them to fit the story. Silva captures the tone of Dickens’ era and quite probably what his life was like at times – he was well-known and popular… Read More Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
The Secret Life of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen
“Another year, and I still don’t like old people.” Hendrik Groen decides to start 2013 by keeping a diary of his days at a care home in North Amsterdam. He has many opinions on “the oldies” as he calls them, and about the world at large, that he shares amidst the everyday monotony of the… Read More The Secret Life of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
I am thinking how I am going to spend the next year ignoring the fact that there will be any year beyond it – I will get wildly drunk whenever possible, dally with pretty girls who have foreign accents, and wake up beside Percy, savoring the pleasant kick of my heartbeat whenever I’m near him.… Read More The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha #1 A boy and a girl, orphaned by war, grow up to be best friends. Alina feels something more for Mal but he’s still playing the field. When their military unit is sent forth by The Darkling, a most powerful and unique Grisha who leads the Second Army, to cross the Shadow Fold,… Read More Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf
Amelia Winn’s life was turned inside out when she was struck by a car and lost her hearing. No longer able to work or communicate easily with her family and friends, she turned to alcohol. Just as she’s trying to turn things around – to get a job, to repair her estranged husband’s faith in… Read More Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf
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