Review - The Tooth of Time

Title: The Tooth of Time
Author: Sue Henry
Publisher: Onyx (April 3, 2007)
Format: Paperback; Pgs 288
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library
Series: Maxie and Stretch #2

The Tooth of Time reads more like a travelogue of New Mexico than a murder mystery. I would say that you are about halfway into the book before the main mystery appears. There is a brief mention of a body in a yarn-dying vat prior to that, but it is quickly brushed over. It is not until the very end of the story, before you are told that the two murders that appear in the book are related.

Maxie McNabb and her dog Stretch are once again on the road traveling in their Minnie Winnie and exploring the Southwest. They have stopped in Taos, New Mexico to check out a yarn store and perhaps learn a bit about weaving. After a brief encounter with a fellow shopper, Maxie is surprised when she is asked to visit the same woman in the hospital after an apparent suicide attempt. Being the good-natured woman that she is, Maxie visits and decides to take Shirley home until she can get her feet under herself again.

Disappearing the next morning, Shirley leaves a trail questions and swarthy characters in her wake. Taos may not be a large community, but they do seem to have questionable people so when Maxie does not reveal what she may know about her houseguest, her poor frightened pooch is dog-napped until Maxie hands over the goods. Yes, it is that trite.

Apparently, you do not come between a senior citizen and her traveling companion, so with the help of her new friends and a very convoluted story of conning and deceit that does not come to a full conclusion, you find yourself suddenly at the end of the book wondering if you missed something. I cannot say that I liked this book; I like my murder mysteries to be more about the bodies and less about the RV and its hiding spaces. Not to mention a satisfactory ending that does not have me scratching my head wondering if either there were pages missing or if Sue Henry got as frustrated with the storyline as I did and decided to put us both out of our misery.

I recall enjoying the first book in this series, The Serpents Trail much more than this book. I will continue with this series and hopefully, the next book The Refuge will capture my attention a bit more.

Review - Gilly Salt Sisters

Title: The Gilly Salt Sisters
Author: Tiffany Baker
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 14, 2012)
Format: Hardcover; Pgs 384
Genre: Fiction
Source: Library

Maybe I missed something earlier in the book, but until the end, I had been slightly distracted as to what time period the story took place. There were some very old-fashioned sequences and ideals, but at the same time, I was sure it was current day. Surface it to say, this books spans the lifetime of two very different sisters.

Claire Gilly is a woman of the earth, she loves the Gilly Salt Creek Farm that she has grown up on in an isolated Cape Cod village called Prospect. The land and its traditions talk to her, yet her younger sister Joanne is a different sort all together. She cannot wait to leave. This land and its history only bring heartache. It is a place that is cruel to men, they either die or leave and Joanne wants nothing to do with either ,so when she creates an opportunity and finds herself marrying the son of the wealthiest family in town, she thinks that all her sorrow is gone and her wishes have been answered.

That is not the way it is in small towns, deeply buried secrets that have a tendency to divide families will one day surface and the Gilly sisters, who have a very troublesome relationship, must decide if their bond and salt are stronger than the Turners and what they are willing to do to separate them from their land.

There were many parts of this book that I loved, the sisters’ relationship was fascinating to me, from an early age, they could not see their need for each other. Their lives were so entwined that one could truly not survive without the other. Other parts of the book, the new girl in town (see, I cannot remember her name), were not necessary. That storyline did not bring to the forefront any more information than what was apparent. The book dragged in parts and at times, I literally put it down to find something that was more interesting to read.

If you are considering a book by Tiffany Baker, I would recommend The Little Giant of Aberdeen County This one, The Gilly Salt Sisters, not as appealing or memorable.

Waiting on Wednesday - How Lucky You Are

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: How Lucky You Are
Author: Kristyn Kusek Lewis
Publisher: 5 Spot (September 4, 2012)
Format: Trade Paperback; Pgs 352
Genre: Chic Lit

Overview:

In the tradition of Emily Giffin and Marisa de los Santos, How Lucky You Are is an engaging and moving novel about three women struggling to keep their longstanding friendship alive. Waverly, who's always been the group's anchor, runs a cozy bakery but worries each month about her mounting debt. Kate is married to a man who's on track to be the next governor of Virginia, but the larger questions brewing in their future are unsettling her. Stay-at-home mom Amy has a perfect life on paper, but as the horrific secret she's keeping from her friends threatens to reveal itself, she panics.

As life's pressures build all around them, Waverly knows she has some big decisions to make. In doing so, she will discover that the lines between loyalty and betrayal can become blurred, happy endings aren't always clear-cut, and sometimes you have to risk everything to gain the life you deserve.

First Chapter First Paragraph - A Brew to a Kill

Title: A Brew to a Kill
Author: Cleo Coyle
Publisher: Berkley (August 7, 2012)
Format: Hardcover; Pgs 384
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: Library
Series: Coffee House Mystery



Hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea

Chapter 1

“In times like these, Clare, failing to take a risk is the biggest risk of all.”

Across the café table’s cool marble surface, Madame Dreyfus Allegro Dubois pinned me with her near-violet eyes. “Don’t you agree?”

Of course, I agree. I wanted to shout this, scream it. Risk and I were old friends, and if anyone knew that, my octogenarian employer did.

“Investing in the new coffee truck was my idea,” I reminded her between robust hits of espresso. “I know it’s a smart idea.”

“Good. Now all you must do is convince him.”


Overview

A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder?