"A Midwinter's Tail" by Bethany Blake is a Cozy Mystery

In A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake, there is a murder in a small town and Daphne is out to solve it with a little help from her dogs.  This book was okay, but needed more action for me.  I enjoyed how the dogs were used in the story though and liked the storyline.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"All Good People Here" by Ashley Flowers Does Not Live up to the Hype

In All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers, Margot goes back to her home town.  It has been 20 years since a young girl was found killed there and now it has happened again.  Was it the same person both times who did the killing and if so, why?  Margot's job depends on her getting answers.  Somebody wants her to leave it alone, or else!  This book needed more action.  It did pick up at the end at least.  I liked the storyline, but the characters were just so-so.  I don't get what all the hype was about for this one.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Winners" by Fredrik Backman

The Winners by Fredrik Backman is the last of the three books about Beartown and its hockey team.  Beartown and their rival, Hed, still hate each other.  Beartown is really good and plans to shut down Hed from playing hockey again.  There is so much stuff that goes on in this that it would take too long to explain it all.  I will just say I got to know the characters very well.  I think this is a great series and this book is as good as the first two--Beartown and Us Against You.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"What Comes After" by Joanne Tompkins

In What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins, two young teen boys are found dead in the woods of a small town.  They were friend.  A few weeks later, a young teen girl comes out of the woods but who is she and why is she here now?  She gets involved in the lives of both of the dead boys' families.  What are her secrets?  This book is really good.  I enjoyed all the characters and the good story line.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"One Two Three" by Laurie Frankel is Enjoyable

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel is told by three female triplets.  They live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and nothing much goes on.  When a moving van comes to town, it is big news!  This story is told very well.  I enjoyed the three girls who narrated it very much.  I was into it from page 1.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Girl in Cabin 13" by A. J. Rivers

In The Girl in Cabin 13 by A. J. Rivers, Emma finds a dead body on her porch with her name written on his hand!  Emma, an FBI agent, is sent to da small town to find out why people are vanishing.  The secrets are many and no one is talking.  This was good!  Emma was a great lead character and action flowed throughout the book with a good ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

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"Big Lies in a Small Town" by Diane Chamberlain

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain is a fascinating story about a several artists--two during the depression (Anna and Jesse) and one in 2018 (Morgan Christopher).  Jesse Jameson Williams is a well-known black artist who likes helping young, struggling artists.  This is a story about mistakes and moving forward.  There are a lot of questions, the primary one being why Jesse would choose to insist that Morgan Christopher be the one to restore an old messed up mural painted by Anna Dale to be hung in his art museum by August 5, 2018, opening day.  Other questions include:  Why did Jesse have the mural? What happened to Anna Dale?  Will Morgan be able to finish the mural in time?  Why did it have to be done by August 5?  Questions are answered gradually in alternating chapters told by Anna and Morgan.  

I was drawn into this story right from the start and really got to liking the characters.  The book is sort of like reading a puzzle as the pieces begin to fall into place.  Issues addressed are racial relations, alcoholism, rape, and family secrets, friendship and recovering from past mistakes.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)     

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"The Bright Lands" by John Fram

In The Bright Lands by John Fram, the small town of Bentley loves their high school football team.  The town has secrets and now the star quarterback goes missing before the biggest game of the year!  This might be the biggest secret of them all.

This novel is told by a bunch of people which added to the story in my opinion.  This is a wild book for sure, but in a good way with a few twists and turns.  I also liked the ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 29:  "But they'd kill me if I went to the station.  I ain't even supposed to be here."

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"When You See Me" by Lisa Gardner (Both Liked This One!)

When you See Me by Lisa Gardner is about how a small town is a center for evil.  This book focuses on the good guys following up on old murder cases when they keep finding skeletons of dead bodies buried in shallow graves in the Appalachian Mountains and stumbling on something even more complex.  One of the main characters is a young teenage girl who watched a bad man kill her mother with a bullet when she was just six that went through her throat and also hit the girl, taking away her ability to talk.  She is a big help to the task force working on solving these crimes.

This book is well written in that in spite of all the different characters, I was able to keep them all straight and never once felt confused.  I felt sad for the little girl (Bonita).  I liked that the task force included a couple civilians as well, one a computer analyst and the other a survivor of rape and kidnapping by a serial killer (Keith and Flora).  This book kept my interest from start to finish. 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 7/20/20

In When You See Me by Lisa Gardner, bodies are starting to pile up in the hills of a small town in Georgia.  Now it's up to detective D.D. Warren and her crew to find answers and put an end to it.  There are lots of characters in this book and lots of action!  It flows well with an exciting final part.

(5 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  I fly like the wind, I want to believe.  I hurtle myself into her arms.

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"Cold Woods" by Karen Katchur

Cold Woods by Karen Katchur is good stuff! When the long buried bones of a man turn up, the detectives know that it’s a cold case. After all, they guess it’s been 30 years! Three women, who were teen friends at the time, know something about the man that was killed and buried. Will the truth of this come out after all these years?

I liked this book. The pacing of the book is good. It did go back and forth in time though of which I am not a fan. The surprise ending made up for that.
(Gerard’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  Side by side, they tossed more and more dirt on him.  When they were close to finishing, their fear kicked into high gear.


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"Under Currents" by Nora Roberts

Under Currents by Nora Roberts is a very interesting read about overcoming domestic violence. Zane, 14, who dreamed of becoming a pitcher for the Orioles, and his younger sister Britt are physically and emotionally abused by their well-respected parents and comprise the main story line which follows them into adulthood.

 I really liked Zane and his sister as well as their aunt Emily. Another subplot is Darby who divorced her abusive husband pretty quickly and after her mother died in an automobile accident, moved to Walker Lakeside Bungalows in North Carolina to buy her own home and start up her landscaping business. Darby took self-defense classes after her divorce so knows how to defend herself. (Zane and her are my favorite characters so was happy when they became an item.) The third subplot is about Clint and Traci Draper, another domestic violence situation where Clint’s family lives all around and spies on Traci constantly. This book has bright spots though too, it is not all fighting. I enjoyed the addition of Zod, the ugly dog and liked learning some about a landscaping business. I also enjoyed the happy family interactions.

I liked this book a lot because it was interesting to me how people helped those who were in the abusive situations. It has some violence, action, love, family, romance and mystery. It is contemporary fiction and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about relationships and family issues. It could also be considered inspirational for anyone who is suffering from domestic violence or abuse.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
Under Currents by Nora Roberts centers on Zane Bigelow.  Zane has a rough childhood as he has an abusive father who gives beatings to everyone in the family!  Zane feels he has to do something to put a stop to this.  He also deals with this when he grows into manhood.  The book is divided into four parts.  The first part is very good and action packed.  The fourth part is also very good and has good action in it. 

The second and third parts I did not enjoy as much.  The author has a good flow to this book and keeps things moving along.  I liked Zane, Darby and Zod the best!  On the strength of the first and last parts, I give this book 5 stars.

Teaser from page 390 (Large print version): “All of them, every one, had played a part in ruining his life, in humiliating him. He would ruin theirs, every one.”


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"Before She Was Found" by Heather Gudenkauf

Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf is about a sleepover that went very wrong. Three girls decide to check out an abandoned rail yard at the outskirts of town. One girl is found on the tracks in a very bad way. The other girls are nowhere to be found! What happened and why?

I thought this was very good. The pacing of the book is good as the suspense builds. Will the truth of that night come out? If you could figure out how this all plays out, you are better than me.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf is a story about three 13-yr.-old girls and how a prank destroyed several people’s lives. This is a sad story about bullying and a police investigation about attempted murder. A sleep over ends in tragedy when the three girls go out around midnight to the train yard. This is a mystery of who beat up and stabbed Cora. Was it her friend? Was it the bully? Was someone else there who did it?

I did not figure this one out and was into it right from the start. It’s a good story that warns of internet danger.  I liked Violet and Max, did not like Jordyn but liked her grandfather and thought Cora was very stupid.  I didn't care much for Kendall either.  I had to go back and read the beginning again though because I didn't think it was congruent with the ending.  Even after I reread it, I was still confused.   (4 stars)

Teaser from page 23: She is moving toward us as if in slow motion. Eyes unfocused, unseeing. The front of her white T-shirt blooms red.


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"Prince Crossing" by JoHanna Reardon

Prince Crossing (The Blackberry County Chronicles Book 3) by JoHannah Reardon can easily be read as a stand-alone. This is an inspirational Christian fiction story about a young preacher and his wife answering a call to a small country church, their first. James, the young preacher, is very excited but his wife, Vicki, is reluctant. She is from a wealthy family and used to fine things and getting her own way in the city. As she opens herself up to God and seeks his help, she finds lots of people in the little town who she befriends and helps. Their ministry experiences some ups and downs as they try to establish themselves in the community.

This is told from the prospective of the preacher’s wife and is very believable and a pretty good story about a small-town country church. It moves a long quickly and does not have a lot of character development. I liked that it included the couple’s interactions with people in the community and not just those who attended the church.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 34: When I finally left Edith’s home, I felt sad, then frustrated, and finally angry again. I suddenly knew to the depths of my being that I was out of my league and didn’t have a clue as to how to carve out a ministry in this place.


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Texas Ranger by James Patterson

Texas Ranger by James Patterson is about the murder of Rory’s ex-wife, Anne. Rory, a Texas Ranger, is on his way back to his hometown to respond to Anne’s call for his help. She was getting death threats. Rory arrived too late and found her all shot up in his old living room. Rory surmises that it was a crime of passion and immediately determines to go after her killer. This is one that caught me completely surprised at the ending when the killer was finally revealed.

I thought this was a good murder mystery but also had women chasing after Rory and a look back into Anne’s relationship with Cal, her truck driver lover. I would recommend this if you like murder mysteries.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 37: Her breathing is fast and her voice is shaky. Immediately, I know that something is up. “I need help. I’m scared. Can you come home?”


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"That's Not What Happened" by Kody Keplinger

That's NOT What Happened by Kody Keplinger is a book about six survivors of a school shooting who try to piece together what actually happened.  In a small town at the local high school, a shooting took place.  Flash forward three years and this came out to tell the story of one girl who had words with the shooter.  But one girl knows the real story of how it went down and wants the truth to come out!

If you are looking for an action book, this is not it.  It is an interesting look of how a group of teens each have their own version of what happened.  For the most part, this book kept me engaged.  The down parts were few and far between.  The best part of this book were the letters on the strength of that, I give this book 5 stars!
(Gerard's review)

That's NOT what happened by Kody Keplinger is about six survivors who actually were with classmates when they got shot.  This book focuses on the aftermath and how these six dealt with their traumatic experience.  When a story develops that isn't true about how Lee's best friend was killed, Lee decides she has to set the record straight.  She gets all the survivors to write letters telling their stories of what happened to them.

I was somewhat confused, thinking this was about the Columbine shooting; however, it is a fiction story that appears to be loosely based on that which I found kind of distasteful.  It's well written and certainly interesting. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from pg. 11:  And there is so much that you--and they--don't know.  So many stories that had gotten mixed up, confused, or misrepresented.

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"Eleanor" by Rachel Wesson - Book 10 in Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Series

Eleanor by Rachel Wesson is another good 1800 historical fiction story about how the ex-slaves longed to find their family members that they got separated from as slaves.  Eleanor is the new school teacher in Clover Springs who came from England.  This is a beautiful story of true friendships between blacks and whites as well as how racism still existed after the slaves were freed. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 207-8:  Seems I was an embarrassment to my family.  Despite my pale skin, I am the daughter of an ex-slave.

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"Us Against You" by Fredrick Backman--We Both Liked This!

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the sequel to Bear town. It is about the aftermath of the rape of Maya and how Bear town and Hed become not just rivals, but enemies! This book really centers on the community and the way society changes. There are many well-developed characters in this, not just the hockey players. When the hockey coach takes most of his good players and plays for Hed instead, Bear town has to rebuild its team, starting with finding a new coach who is a woman! This second book shows how politicians use their power and comparisons are drawn between them and “the pack.” The characters feel like real people—both good and bad at the same time with real life problems.

This book started out pretty slow for me because I’m not into politics and wanted more hockey. The beginning of the book is spent on political deals and trying to build up a hockey team, but then the violence started and I began to get attached to the characters. I really liked Benji, the pack, Ramona, Vidar, Amat, Jeanette (martial arts teacher) and Elisabeth Zackell (hockey coach). This is mostly a sad story with a few bright spots. It is about loyalty and dynamics of friendships which I found interesting. If you enjoyed Bear town, I think you will also enjoy the sequel.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the follow-up to Bear Town and is as good!  It picks up where Bear town left off.  I loved both these books!  I really enjoyed all the different people in this one.  The writing is so good I read every word!  What I enjoyed most was that from page to page I never knew what character was going to tell the story next or what the outcome would be.  The twists and turns were very good!  I WANT MORE BEAR TOWN!
(5++ stars) 

Teaser from pg. 9: The worst thing we know about other people is that we’re dependent upon them. That their actions affect our lives.


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"Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

In Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, Finn lives in the small town of Bone Gap with his brother.  One day Roza goes missing.  People assume that she ran off, but Finn claims she was taken, and he will get her back!  The story line was okay to start off, but got a bit wild at the end.  I enjoyed Finn, but the other characters were shallow.  It was an okay read with a good ending.

Teaser from page 22:  "It's been two months today," said Finn.  "Why aren't you out there looking for her?"
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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"Before I Let Go" by Marie Nijkamp

Before I Let Go by Marie Nijkamp is about two young girls named Corey and Kyra.  They are best friends living in a small town.  Corey has to move away but promises to come back.  Days before she is supposed to come back, she learns Kyra is dead.  How?  Corey wants answers but when she returns to the small town she thought she knew, it is not the same and answers will be hard to come by.

Teaser from page 12:  Except that flower petals lie scattered across the floor, and her voice still swirls around me, singing the song that Kyra sang to me first.  Endless night, endless day, come to steal your soul away.

I thought this book was good even though it went back and forth in time, but I was okay with it.  I would have loved more action but I still give this book 5 stars because the message is important and needs to be heard!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Deep Freeze" by John Sandford

In Deep Freeze by John Sandford, a local woman has been found dead, frozen in a block of ice!  The town is small and everybody knows everybody's business.  Virgil, a detective, is familiar with this town and is back again to try to find the killer.

Teaser from page 9:  "Come on, Gina, get up"--but the fact was, Gina Hemming was deader than the aforesaid deer, looking up at him with half-open blank gray eyes.

I thought this book was just okay.  The story line was good enough; however, some parts of the book dragged.  The ending was a bit anti-climactic.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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