Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling

August 17, 2023

Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling

When a local man is found shot to death in his bed, acting sheriff Ben Packard finds himself with plenty of suspects, including the man's family, friends, and neighbors. At the top of the list are the man's wife and his ex-wife, sisters who hate each other. At the same time, Packard is trying to decide whether to run for election for sheriff.

Good police procedural, second in the series. Tight plotting, fast pace that will keep you turning the pages. I guessed at some but not all of the players. Packard is a multi-faceted detective: he's very good at his job, he has a three-legged rescue Corgi named Frank, he is renovating his house himself, and he knows how to cook a spatchcocked chicken, all qualities that I like in a man. He's gay, but that doesn't bother me. There is some sex, but it's low-key and not enough to make me jealous. Looking forward to the next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Minnesota lake

Mrs. Porter Calling by A. J. Pearce

August 14, 2023

Mrs. Porter Calling by A. J. Pearce

Emmy Lake is working at Woman's Friend magazine as the Reader and Advice Editor. While her husband Charles is serving in the RAF, Emmy is sharing a house with her BFF Bunty, and their friend Thelma and her children are taking the empty flat in their house. Everything is going as well as it can in the middle of a war, until the mag is taken over by the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter ("call me Egg") who has specific ideas about changing the magazine's format, content, and audience.

The third installment in the Emmy Lake series, warm, cozy, heartfelt. Good escapist reading for a hot summer day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Members of the London fire service during World War II, where Emmy and Thelma work in the evenings

Murder at Ashton Steeple by Karen Baugh Menuhin

August 11, 2023

Murder at Ashton Steeple by Karen Baugh Menuhin

Murder has come to Major Heathcliff Lennox's town of Ashton Steeple. A businessman, Devlin Saunders, is found dead on his balcony from an arrow wound to the heart. He is survived by his not-so-grieving widow, his married lover, and a host of business partners. Scotland Yard asks Lennox and retired Inspector Swift to investigate, but no sooner do they begin than another partner dies under suspicious circumstances. Lennox and Swift hurry to unravel the tangled strings that bind the partners together before more bodies turn up. Lennox also has a personal stake in the outcome.

Lennox's tenth outing with retired Inspector Swift, Greggs the butler, Foggy the golden spaniel, and Lady Persi, Lennox's new wife. I especially enjoy these mysteries since they are set at English country houses. Fun and entertaining as always.

The Cotswolds (exactly what you think of when you picture an English village)

Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins

August 10, 2023

Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins

Julia and Sienna are best friends and business partners, as well as sisters-in-law. Julia is married to Sienna's brother Jason and the couple live with their son in Jason's childhood home. But when Jason's boss Gavin is found savagely murdered and evidence is found in Jason's car, he quickly becomes the main suspect.

Slow burning psychological suspense. Sienna see things in black and white: you're either her friend or her enemy. Julia knows that life has more shades of gray. I guessed the murderer early on but kept reading to find out the motive and the side plots. Would be a good choice for beach or vacation reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

August 8, 2023

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

Anne Lister met Eliza Raine when they were both attending boarding school outside York. Eliza is half-Indian, the daughter of a doctor with the East India Company, sent to England with her sister to be educated. When Eliza and Lister (as she prefers to be called) are forced to share a room, Eliza finds herself unexpectedly enchanted by the unusual girl. They are also physically attracted to each other and the two become lovers and inseparable. Ten years later, Eliza is confined to a psychiatric asylum near the school. She writes to Lister, imploring her to write back and come and rescue her. 

Fascinating historical fiction based on the real lives of Anne Lister and Eliza Raine, who became entangled in a forbidden relationship during the Regency period. Lister lived and dressed as a man, preferring to be called either Jack or by her last name, and had several women lovers. I learned about Lister when I read Gentleman Jack by Sally Wainwright, a biography of her unusual life. Well-research historical fiction, fluid writing. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction or those interested in the history of LGBTQ.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Anne Lister (the real one, not the one from the BBC series)

Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello

August 1, 2023

Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello

Set in 1923 in New York, flapper/model Dot King is a fast-living Broadway girl with several sugar daddies supporting her lifestyle, found dead in her 57th Street apartment. Homicide detective John Coughlin in assigned to the case and immediately sets about identifying Dot's gentlemen friends. Over at the Daily News, Julia Harpman is one of the few women reporters in New York, and the only one covering the crime beat. When it becomes apparent that several influential men were involved with Dot, the police allow the case to go cold. Julia is determined to secure justice for Dot and begins her own investigation.

True crime fiction based on an actual murder case. The story is told from three POVs: the detective, the reporter, and the wife of one of the sugar daddies. The story is well-researched and the author gathered the facts from a variety of sources. I love true crime cold cases so this one should have ticked all the boxes for me. But the story seemed to drag - maybe it was the author's writing style. It was disappointing that the case has never been solved.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Dot King, murdered in 1923, never solved

Hilda Ferguson, Dot's ex-roommate 

The Men Can't Be Saved by Ben Purkert

July 24, 2023

The Men Can't Be Saved by Ben Purkert

Seth is a junior copywriter at a large firm that specializes in branding - not logos or marketing campaigns, but brand identification (think "I'm lovin' it" or "The San Francisco Treat"). After writing a successful tag line for an obscure product, he considers himself to be a creative genius. But then an account executive that he disparaged leaves the firm, taking the company's most profitable account (that Seth also disparaged) with him. With over half of the firm' revenue gone, most of the staff is let go, including Seth. The only job he can find is as a barista, which he considers to be beneath him. With time on his hand, he is left to ponder his life: what does work do to us? who is he without his job? what does it mean to be a Jew? does he have a substance abuse problem or just an addictive personality?

What does work do to us, particularly to men? Seth is an anti-hero whose identity is tied to his job, and when he is let go from his job, he can't quite let go of it. Seth is also obsessed with other things: sex, drugs, his self-perceived brilliance. But he does become more self-aware by the end of the book, also more aware of those around him, able to see others' needs as well as his own. He is assisted in his growth journey by his friendship with an Orthodox rabbi as well as a co-worker. Humorous and a fast read. Reminded me somewhat of American Psycho, but without the violence and killing.

(I seem to be on a roll with books featuring Jewish characters - this is the third book in a row.)

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.