Coached Red-Handed

Title: Coached Red-Handed
Author: Victoria Laurie
Published: July 26th 2022 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Life Coach Mystery #4

First Sentence: I watched through the kitchen window as, across the drive, in the doorway of my guesthouse, Gilley signed for the package brought by certified mail, delivered to him by the postman.

Blurb: With Gilley heartbroken over the collapse of his marriage, Cat has the perfect remedy—a three-week-long getaway to Italy. But before the duo can pack their bags and sip prosecco on the sunny riviera, they first must help a troubled client carve out a fresh start of her own. Wealthy Scarlet Rubi desperately seeks a greater purpose and immediate distance from her toxic descendants. The urgency of the situation isn’t quite so clear until Scarlet takes healthy steps towards progress, only to turn up dead . . .

The matriarch of a wealthy family has been murdered in her home after finding a new lease on life. Cat’s suspicions deepen when she discovers Scarlet was set on cutting off her children and grandchildren, each one more money-hungry and dependent on financial support than the last. As Cat and Gilley investigate a slew of sketchy alibis and concrete motives from the corrupt Rubi clan while preparing to leave the East End for Europe, they soon realize the question isn’t who had a deadly vendetta against Scarlet—it’s who didn’t?

My Opinion: Coached Red-Handed is a straight-line mystery. No legitimate (Cat and boyfriend Shep seem old hat after three books) subplots, and a who-done-it that was an easy guess from the beginning. But I must admit – I didn’t figure in the Robocop aspect. The only redeeming factor is Gilley. His humor and kindness are what held this book together.

As for the ending, I can understand Cat’s apprehension, but walking away could add a new dimension, and new characters, to a series that is too cookie cutter.

Listen To Me

Title: Listen To Me
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Published: July 5th 2022 by Ballantine Book
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Rizzoli & Isles #13

First Sentence: I should have worn my boots, she thought as she stepped out of Snell Library and saw the fresh layer of sleet and slush covering the campus.

Blurb: Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are plagued by what seems like a completely senseless murder. Sofia Suarez, a widow and nurse who was universally liked by all her neighbors, lies bludgeoned to death in her own home. But anything can happen behind closed doors, and Sofia seemed to have plenty of secrets in her last days, making covert phone calls to old contacts and traceless burner phones. When Jane finally makes a connection between Sofia and the victim of a hit-and-run months earlier, the case only grows more blurry. What exactly was Sofia involved in? One thing is clear: The killer will do anything it takes to keep their secret safe.

Meanwhile, Angela Rizzoli hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in all the years since her daughter became a homicide detective. Maybe the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Nothing in her neighborhood gets by Angela - not the gossip about a runaway teenager down the block and definitely not the strange neighbors who have just moved in across the street. Angela’s sure there’s no such thing as coincidence in her sleepy suburb. If only Jane would listen; instead she writes off Angela’s concerns as the result of an overactive imagination. But Angela’s convinced there’s a real wolf in her vicinity, and her cries might now fall on deaf ears.

With so much happening on the Sofia case, Jane and Maura already struggle to see the forest for the trees, but will they lose sight of something sinister happening much closer to home?

My Opinion: I had been under the belief that the Rizzoli and Isles series was completed and then was pleasantly surprised when I saw there was a new offering. Once again, having to separate the book series from the television series, I was able to jump back in with just a little reminder of spouses and romantic partners.

The fun of multiple storylines is finding one you like and sticking with it. For me, the narrative revolving around Angela and her neighborhood snooping is what held my attention. Though the murder involving Sofia Suarez, with Jane and Maura, is relevant and twisty, yet took a backseat.

With Angela’s story, you will find parts that appeal and parts that don’t come together well -- why was Angela not invited to the concert -- but the plot would not have been able to unfold otherwise. With Jane and Maura, you will find the police procedural, science, and obscure facts you are used to. It was a fun ride with the three women who have made this series so much fun.

Angela was right -- why don’t people listen to her, since Jane had to get her investigative skill from somewhere, and it certainly wasn’t her father.

Deep South

Title: Deep South
Author: Nevada Barr
Published: 2000 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Format: Hardcover, 340 pages
Genre: Mystery
Series: Anna Pigeon #8

First Sentence: The Rambler’s headlights caught a scrap of paper nailed to a tree, a handwritten sign: REPENT.

Blurb: Anna Pigeon finally gives in to her bureaucratic clock-and signs on for a promotion. Next thing she knows, she’s knee-deep in mud and Mississippi. Not exactly what she had in mind. Almost immediately, as the new district ranger on the Natchez Trace, Anna discovers the body of a young prom queen near a country cemetery, a sheet around her head, a noose around her neck. It’s a bizarre twist on a best-forgotten past of frightening racial undertones. As fast as the ever-encroaching kudzu vines of the region, the roots of this story run deep-and threaten to suffocate anyone in the way, including Anna. (Penguin Random House)

My Opinion: The book was sluggish and was missing the usual dry humor between Anna and Molly. Then add in the dark history of the south and the good old boys refusing to let a woman tell them what to do, and you end up with my least favorite book in the series. In the past, Nevada Barr has been able to bring out the beauty of the park she is working. Not this time. I found nothing but dark hatred that never sat well with me.

If I was a fan of recommending books to skip in a series -- this would be it. Unfortunately, for people like myself who need to read a series in order and not miss a single chapter, you will have to work your way through and hope that Anna, Piedmont, and Taco, will make it to another park, in a more hospitable place, in more or less, one piece.

The Locked Room

Title: The Locked Room
Author: Elly Griffiths
Published: June 28th 2022 by Mariner Books
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Ruth Galloway #14

First Sentence: Prologue. At first, she thinks that he’ll come back.

Blurb: Ruth is in London clearing out her mother's belongings when she makes a surprising discovery: a photograph of her Norfolk cottage taken before Ruth lived there. Her mother always hated the cottage, so why does she have a picture of the place? As she died three years ago, Ruth can't exactly ask her, and her father denies all knowledge of the picture. The only clue is written on the back of the photo: Dawn, 1969.

Ruth returns to Norfolk determined to solve the mystery, but then Covid-19 rears its ugly head. Ruth and her daughter are locked down in their cottage, attempting to continue with work and lessons, but, in reality, becoming lonely and frustrated. Happily the house next door is rented by a nice woman called Sally, who they become friendly with while standing on their doorstep clapping for carers.

Nelson, meanwhile, has no time to be bored. He's investigating a series of suicides that could be the work of a serial killer. It's only when he links them to an archaeological discovery that he thinks of Ruth. He breaks curfew to visit the cottage to find Ruth chatting to her neighbour, whom he remembers as Dawn Lancaster, a carer who was once tried for murdering her employer. When the deaths continue, Nelson vows to take Ruth and Kate to live with him. But they, and Dawn, have vanished.

My Opinion: This book had a different feel. It might have been that it takes place during the early days of covid and the memories it brings back. Maybe it was the lingering anticipation of a loved character battling the virus or all the bits and parts of what lockdown can do to people. Either way, The Locked Room was one of my favorite books in the series.

There is some science and history surrounding the plague and the Gray Lady, but the book centers around the people who have always been a part of Ruth’s life. There is a new surprising addition, a person that Kate hopes will bring joy and has helped her make peace with her mother.

The overall feel of the book was community. How bad times can bring people closer and how you need to keep an extra eye out for those around you and appreciate what each brings into your circle of friendship; surprisingly, the murders took a backseat for me.

And then the end, what could that mean. What is the future for Nelson?

The Hidden One

Title: The Hidden One
Author: Linda Castillo
Published: July 5th 2022 by Minotaur Books
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Kate Burkholder #14

First Sentence: Prologue: He’d always know this moment would come.

Blurb: The discovery of an Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo.

Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.

The town’s elders arrive in Painters Mill to ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help, but she quickly realizes she has a personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate’s first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions she knows. Though Bishop Stoltzfus was highly respected, she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that resulted in his own brutal death?

Someone doesn’t want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. Is she too close to the case―and to Jonas―to see clearly? There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever? (GoodReads)

My Opinion: Midway, I wanted to start putting the puzzle pieces together. Who was involved in Ananias’s murder had me doing the usual – who is the less likely, scenario? Which is always the starting point for me. Then figuring out the why. The snippets of clues started pointing in one direction. The ages and dates lined up, but would that have been a leap too far?

Turns out I was leaping in the right direction and I am glad that Linda Castillo didn’t answer all the questions. She didn’t dummy down the history for everyone. She left it as the perfect opening for people to remember history or to do their own deep dive down the google rabbit hole.

One of the best books in the series.

How to Train Your Demon

Title: How to Train Your Demon
Author: Julie Kenner
Published: Martini & Olive June 16, 2022
Format: Kindle, 228 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Series: Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom #8

First Sentence: Grief is a tricky thing.

Blurb: If you want something done, ask a busy person. Kate Conner could kill whoever first said that.

As if the full-time mom, part-time demon hunter didn’t have enough to do, she’s now been given a third job—as headmistress at a special academy for up-and-coming slayers.

Kate’s first charge? Her own teenage daughter Allie, who thanks to her unique heritage, has more power than either she or Kate understands. And definitely more than either knows how to use.

But they’ll have to figure it out fast when dark forces descend on the school, and … Seriously, can Kate just catch a break already?! (GoodReads)

My Opinion: I have loved this series from the beginning and was disappointed in the rumors there would be a television series -- that never came to fruition. Yet glad there is a new book when I thought the series had ended. I know, so many conflicting emotions surrounding a book about a demon hunting soccer mom.

Julie Kenner does an admirable job of rehashing the past books and relationships but to fully appreciate what is going on, new to this series readers must start at the beginning for all the minutia and humor.

The final chapters started too simple, too anticlimactic, and then a punch to the gut and you are in a mad race to the end.

The reader needs to remember that this is a self-published book and you will find editing and continuity issues.

The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club

Title: The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club
Author: Lynn Cahoon
Published: June 14th 2022 by Kensington
Format: Kindle, 232 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Survivors' Book Club Mystery #1

First Sentence: Rarity Cole was living and loving her second shot at life.

Blurb: Two things got Rarity Jones through her breast cancer treatments: friends and books. Now cancer-free, Rarity is devoting her life to helping others find their way through the maze to healing. She’s opened a bookstore focusing on the power of healing—Eastern medicine, Western medicine, the healing power of food, the power of meditation, and the importance of developing a support community. To that end, she’s also started the Tuesday Night Survivors book club. With its openness to new-age communities, Sedona, Arizona, is the perfect fit for Rarity’s bookstore and the tightly knit group.

But their therapeutic unity is disrupted when one of their members suddenly goes missing. Martha has always kept to herself, never opening up much of her personal life to the group. Now she’s nowhere to be found. With her car abandoned on a trail and her dog left with a friend, Rarity is sure something terrible has happened—but will she be able to uncover Martha’s secrets before it’s too late? (GoodReads)

My Opinion: Finally, an amateur sleuth who is not dating the local detective. A woman who is slightly older than usual and has a realistic look at life after her battle with breast cancer. Rarity Cole brings a fresh breath of air to those tired of the usual fill-in-the-blank cozy genre. As she and her friends share their recovery stories, a love of books, and a passion for sleuthing, the reader meets a captivating group that will be a pleasure to follow for years to come.

Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today

Title: Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today
Author: Valerie Bertinelli
Published: January 18th 2022 by Mariner Books
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Genre: Mid-Life Crisis

First Sentence: About a year ago, after an online cooking demonstration, a friend of a friend reached out to me about a difficult situation.

Blurb: Valerie Bertinelli shares an inspiring blueprint that offers women in midlife support and hope. She shares personal stories that many women will relate to from her past decade: hitting her fifties, taking care of her dying mother, the evolving relationship with her husband, a career change, her relationship with food, and the battle to believe in herself as she is.

Despite her success receiving Emmys for her Food Network show and critical praise for her books and cookbook, Bertinelli still judged herself harshly if she gained a pound or showed too many wrinkles. But after her mother died, she found an old recipe box with notes of the strong women that came before her, reminding her that she has to find out who she is and take care of herself. Saying, “enough already!” Bertinelli set out on a journey to love herself and see that perfection is not the goal; it’s the joy we can find every day in our lives, our loved ones, and the food we share. Recipes and advice will be sprinkled throughout the book.(GoodReads)

My Opinion: Repetitive words of encouragement. Repetitive sections of self-doubt. Repetitive passages of body image. It will be up to the reader regarding what they want to listen to and when they want to tune out. When you want to cheer her on and when you want to repeat after her "Enough Already".

Valerie Bertinelli is an actress I have grown up with -- Her shows bring back memories, her movies are familiar, and her cooking shows are drool-worthy. Yet, until I came across this book, I never thought about the person behind the screen. It was strange for me to read how normal she is. How unexpected her ex-husband was and how relatable her everyday struggles continue to be.

By the end, the book was cathartic—but I do not know for which one of us.