Picture taken by me
Title: Easter Bunny Murder
Author: Leslie Meier
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2013
Version: Hardcover
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery
Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Spring has sprung in Tinker's Cove, and Lucy Stone has a mile-long to-do list. From painting eggs with her grandson, to preparing the perfect Easter feast, to reviving her garden after a long, cold winter, she hardly has time to hunt for a killer with a deadly case of spring fever... Lucy has always loved covering the annual Easter egg hunt for the Pennysaver. Hosted by elderly socialite Vivian Van Vorst at Pine Point, her luxurious oceanfront estate, it's a swanky event where the grown-ups sip cocktails while their children search for eggs that are as likely to contain savings bonds as they are jelly beans. But when Lucy arrives with her three-year-old grandson, VV's normally welcoming gates are locked, and a man dressed as the Easter Bunny emerges only to drop dead moments later… Lucy discovers that the victim is Van Vorst Duff, VV's grandson, and soon learns that not all is as it seems at idyllic Pine Point, where the champagne and caviar seem to be running dry. Always a social butterfly, VV has been skipping lunch dates with friends, and her much-needed donations to local charities have stopped with no explanation. Maybe she's going senile, or maybe her heirs are getting a little too anxious to take over her estate… As Lucy gathers a basketful of suspects, she's convinced someone's been hunting for a lot more than eggs, and she'll have to chase the truth down a rabbit hole before the killer claims another victim… "
My Review:
I have read another of the books from this series and loved it, so when I decided to search for an Easter themed book I knew the author and series I was headed for. I may not be reading the series in any kind of order, but this author is amazing in how she writes, so it doesn't even matter because this book was great as a stand alone book! What I loved most about this book is that the mystery of it all starts very soon after diving into the book and it continues until the very last page. I was sure I knew the answers to the mystery, but then I was thrown for a loop and was surprised to learn I was on the complete wrong track. I fell in love with the characters and their personalities. The author did an amazing job with details in this book too, it was a book that I could feel myself being transported into without feeling like there was too much detail in the words for description. I found this book super easy to read also, it just flowed along and I never once found myself not wanting to get back to it after putting it down. The chapters were a bit longer than I usually like, but there were breaks throughout the chapters also, so if I wanted or needed to stop a few minutes for something I could without having to feel like I had to stop in the thick of a chapter. I loved the feel of the Easter holiday in the book and I loved the basis of the plot. I found it refreshing that the townspeople were all willing to help the "millionaire, rich lady", even though they were on very different levels. They loved her because she was simply a nice rich old lady whom they all loved because she never came off to them as better than them and was always sharing her wealth with the community to help in any way she could. In return, when she was in need of help, they were right there to do everything they could to help rescue her, even when it was from her own family. I loved everything about this book and will definitely come back to this author in the future for more mysteries. I highly recommend this book to any mystery lover that is also looking for a heartwarming element underlying.
5 out of 5 Stars
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Title: Dachshund Through The Snow
Author: David Rosenfelt
Pages: 342
Publication Date: 2019
Version: Hardcover
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery
Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"This Christmas, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, can't say no to helping young Danny and his dachshund, Murphy.
Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, have started a new Christmas tradition. Their local pet store has a Christmas tree, where instead of ornaments there are wishes from those in need. One poignant wish leads Andy to a child named Danny, whose selfless plea strikes a chord. Danny asked Santa for a coat for his mother, a sweater for his dachshund, Murphy, and for the safe return of his missing father.
It turns out Danny's father doesn't want to be found, he's on the run after just being arrested for a murder that took place fourteen years ago - a murder that Danny's mother swears he didn't commit.
With his trademark humor and larger-than-life characters - including a police officer and his K-9 partner, Simon - Rosenfelt never fails to deliver as Andy and his eccentric crew dash to reunite a family in time for Christmas."
My Review:
This book was a great book from cover to cover. There was mystery, suspense, relationships, family, friendships, murder, humor, and dogs (who doesn't love adding in dogs?!). The characters were absolutely amazing and so well developed I felt like I knew them and was part of the situations going on in the book. It was written in such a way that I almost felt I should be emailing or visiting with the characters, especially Andy Carpenter. He is a well respected, but not so much lived by those who have to go up against him, defense lawyer....who just happens to absolutely have a soft spot and deep love for dogs. He is supposed to be retired, but that never lasts long, especially if the person he is being approached by has a cute fluffy dog companion. I can't even say how much I loved this book! I, for once, don't have a single bad thing to say about this book after reading it. I must admit...the title and the cover are what drew me in first, but I was quickly sucked into the plot as I cracked open the book. Another thing I liked, was the fact that this is not the first book in this series, but it did amazing as a stand alone read for me, even though I had never read any of the other books. I will not hesitate at all to pick up another book from this author. His input of little jobs of humor were also great throughout the book. I especially giggled at the description of a table in a room and how on it was "a David Rosenfelt novel". Way to insert your own plug! I loved it. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, especially if you are a mystery lover. This book had an ending that made me simply sit back and go....WOW!!!
5 out of 5 Stars!!
Pic taken by me
Title: Winter Grave
Author: Helene Tursten
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 2019
Version: Hardcover
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery
Summary Via Book Jacket:
"When a little girl disappears a few weeks before Christmas, suspicion falls on the last person she was seen with: the mentally disabled teenage boy who gave her a ride home after school. Complicating the matter is the fact that detectives can hardly get a word out of him. When a second child disappears and a police officer is found dead, tensions in the small town of Stromstad reach and all time high.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Detective Inspector Embla Nystrom has just returned to work and is still recovering from her recent brush with a killer, which left her unable to get back in the ring to defend her title of Nordic light welterweight champion. As she hunts for the missing children, Embla can't help but think of the case that has been haunting her for years: the disappearance of her childhood best friend. Could the incidents be linked? With the passing of each dark winter day, the odds of finding the children alive shrink, and the desperation mounts. Their parents want answers and will stop at nothing to get them."
My Review:
This was a different book for me to read. I have not read any translated books before, but I was excited to read this one, as it was translated from Swedish...which is part of my cultural background. I love mystery reads, so it was extra exciting to read anyway. I found that the kickoff of this book happened almost right away and I was thinking, wow this is moving right along. However, I found soon that it seemed to lull a bit and was hard for me to get excited about picking back up. Some of this may be the wording or the choppy sections, which I know were probably due to the translation. I stuck it out, as I still really was interested in seeing how the plot turned out in the end. It did pick up some, but then hit another lull...and so it continued throughout the book. It's like it picked up and you think, yes here we go, and then it was like....just kidding. Overall, it was an okay book and was interesting to read if for nothing else than to say I read a book that was originally written in a language from my Swedish heritage and that was set in Sweden. The characters were also pretty neat to watch throughout the book. It was interesting to see how investigations and police departments are seen and set up in Sweden. So overall I found it to be a neat book, but maybe not for just the mystery plot of it all. Not sure if you didn't have a special interest in the setting if you would really bother to stick it out through the lull moments or not. I say, I may not recommend this book to just anyone, but if you have any Swedish heritage in you, give it a whirl, it was interesting if for nothing else but to see it from the Swede angle. :)
3 out of 5 Stars
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Title: Such A Perfect Wife
Author: Kate White
Pages: 354
Publication Date: 2019
Version: Hardcover
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery
Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"On a sunny morning in late September, Shannon Blaine, a blonde, green-eyed 34-year old wife and mother of two, sets off on a jog along the rural roads near her home in Lake George, New York. It’s her usual a.m. routine, her “me time” after dropping the kids off at school…except on this day she never returns. The residents in the idyllic lakeside town—which is popular with summer tourists—are stunned. Would Shannon have just taken off, overwhelmed with the pressures of being the perfect wife and mother? Did a stranger snatch her? Or could her husband be responsible for her disappearance?
The hot new online magazine Crime Beat wants to cover the case and they hand the assignment to noted true crime writer Bailey Weggins. It doesn’t take long for Bailey to see that the story has fars more facets than she initially realized: a bitter sister, an unfaithful brother-in-law, an evasive deacon, and a creepy motel owner who watched Shannon run every morning. When an anonymous caller reaches out to Bailey and gives her the cryptic clue that Shannon was a “good Catholic girl,” the tip eventually leads Bailey to the grisly discovery of Shannon’s body. And suddenly, based on what else Bailey finds, everything about the case shifts, suggesting that Shannon’s murder isn’t an isolated incident but rather the work of a serial killer with a very specific calling card. Bailey sets out to expose the killer before another woman has to die, including herself."
My Review:
Wow, just wow....This book was absolutely amazing!!! I simply loved this book for a few reasons. First, it was a book that wasted no time getting into the mystery of it all and it never stopped. It was non-stop action and wonder from beginning to end of the book, very fast paced too. I love a book that keeps me guessing as I turn the pages and read more and more chapters, makes me feel like I am living the book instead of just reading the book and looking in. Secondly, I LOVED the characters, mainly Bailey, the reporter for Crime Beat. I could see myself being like her, there to simply observe the situation, but what fun is that, I too would have to get involved more and would probably find myself investigating too. I must say, this book had me quite flustered with wondering what really happened to Shannon and why it happened. I usually can figure out the mystery about midway through a book or at least well before the end, but this book had me puzzled right up until all the answers were revealed. Even then I was left going....why did I not see that or think of that?! I would definitely seek out more books by this author. Her descriptions were amazing and I found myself seeing what the characters did and feeling what the characters felt. That takes a special talent to make happen and this author has that talent by the boat loads! Absolutely amazing book and I highly recommend you check this book out for a good mystery read that you will be able to simply get lost in.
5 out of 5 Stars for sure!!!!
