The Perfect Home - Daniel Kenitz

The Perfect Home is Daniel Kenitz's newly released novel.

Okay, hands up if you've ever got lost in the 'house' channels. You know, flipping, restoring, decorating and so much more. (I have!)

The Perfect Home is one of those shows. Married couple Wyatt and  Dawn Decker are the perfect hosts. Their show is doing well, but how can they make it better? Wyatt has some suggestions....

And I'm going to leave things there for you to discover what's next. I have to admit it's a darker plot I had imagined. And, that was a good thing.

Kitzen allows each lead to tell their take on what is happening. The narrative switches back and forth between husband and wife. This style of story telling always keeps me reading 'just one more chapter'. There were some really tense sections that I hadn't imagined when I started the book. The author did a great job of keeping the tension and action rising to the final pages. I wonder about the behind the scenes - I'm sure they're not too far from reality. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Perfect Home.

Beautiful Ugly - Alice Feeney

A  new book from Alice Feeney! I've read or listened to all of her books. There's no way to predict what's going to happen in a Feeney plot and that's definitely the case in Beautiful Ugly.

Grady Green is author who has hit the brick wall - he simply can't write anything, His editor has a great idea and Grady calls his wife to let her know what his editor has suggested. She picks up her mobile and then....nothing....until...

I was hooked! I needed to know what happened in the past and what is happening now. Grady isn't sure what is going on at all. I don't want to spoil this book for you, so I'm going to let you discover alongside Grady.

Now, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I often feel more immersed in a book when I listen to it. Beautiful Ugly is one of those books. The readers were actor Richard Armitage and actress Tuppence Middleton. They both did an excellent job. They spoke clearly and were easy to understand. They captured Feeney's work and used their voices to capture and present the emotions and action of the plot. I liked the presentation - the chapters change with sound effects such as water/waves and the sound of a metronome ticking the time away.

I loved this from the publisher's page...

"Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.

Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do."

9 Hours, 20 Minutes. A five star listen for me.

Shell Games - Bonnie Kistler

I was excited to hear that Bonnie Kistler had a new book out. I really enjoyed her previous book - The Cage. But I have to say that this new novel - Shell Games - is even better!

Have you heard the phrase "Shell games" before? "A shell game is a swindle, a fraud, especially one in which items or information are shifted around in a secret manner to avoid detection." Meet Kate, her daughter Julia and her extended family. Oh, did I mention that Kate is very, very rich? Huh uh.....she is.

And how about the word gaslighting? "To manipulate someone using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning."  

Well, I was totally caught up from the first few pages. We meet all of the characters and I started to slot each of the into their 'place' in the plot. And....they changed their narrative, their standing, their loyalty and more. Just when I thought I had the answer to the whodunit, someone changed their story. I loved being unable to find the answer all the ways to the last pages. (Truly, the last two pages)

Kudos to Bonnie Kistler - a clever writer! See for yourself - read an excerpt of Shell Games. 

April Storm - Leila Meacham

April Storm is a posthumous novel from Leila Meacham. 

Kathryn Walker gave up her dreams to look after her children and her husband - a specialist doctor. An overheard conversation decimates her fragile state even more.

April Storm was a really good domestic and mystery tale. Kathryn is a wonderful lead character. You can't help but be behind her. There are a number of supporting characters that will have wondering if they are truly the persona they purport to be. Some are....and some aren't.

The mystery of the book gives the reader an unexpected who and why. I didn't see it coming. Very different. The ending is fitting, but I still would have preferred the other option. 

If you enjoy domestic mysteries and women's fiction, you'll enjoy April Storm for yourself - read an excerpt of April Storm. 

Booked for Murder - P.J. Nelson

Booked for Murder is P.J. Nelson's (a pseudonym) new book. It's the first in the planned series called The Old Juniper Bookshop Mysteries. (And the title was quite clever.) This a cosy read.

Madeline Brimley goes home to her small town in Georgia as her Aunt Rose has  passed away. And Maddy is startled to find that she has inherited Aunt Roses' bookshop. But someone is not happy with that news...

I liked the premise - who wouldn't want to own a bookstore!  This being a cosy tale I expected an animal in the story as well. Check - a dog. Coffee replaces tea. Also a small town where everyone knows everyone's business. Check - Enigma, Georgia. A cute carpenter. A small police force - who are drawn as bumbling. 

Instead, Maddy sees as herself much more capable to to find who is determined to drive her out of town. It was at this point, I started to not like Maddy. Her background as an actor seems to qualify her (in her mind) as a sleuth. There are many supporting players and each one seems to feature in a twist or turn. 

All the elements are there, but it just feels forced and somewhat clumsy for me. And lastly - this was just a peeve for me - the use of the word 'snapped' to describe the character's tone and delivery. I started to count the use. If this was changed, my apologies. As I have not found out who P.J. Nelson is, I will assume that this a first try at a cozy. Sadly, I don't think I'll be looking for the second entry. 

The Secret of the Three Fates - Jess Armstrong

I really enjoyed The Curse of Penryth Hall - the first book in this series from Jess Armstrong. The second book, The Secret of the Three Fates is newly released. 

 

Our lead character is again, Ruby. She was quick minded in the first book and that trait has only grown. She continues to speak her mind. She is still working for Mr. Owen and they have an upcoming trip to buy some rare books. But that's not quite true. Instead, Mr. Owen has them up in the Scottish Hills - attending a séance. And one of the attendees has been killed....

The supporting cast play their roles very well. But there's one player named Ruan Kivell, who is definitely more than a supporting player. He's a Pellar - a term I had not come across before. "A Cornish term for a sorcerer or wizard." Ruan and Ruby have a history and this new book visits that history and builds on it. 

The plot is wonderfully rich. I like the time period and how that period opens up so many other ways for the plot to go with magic and gothic in the mix. Again, I wasn't able to out the culprit before the last pages. Another great book from Jess Armstrong. See for yourselves - read an excerpt from The Secret of The Three Fates. I'll be waiting for the third entry!

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency - Josie Lloyd

Josie Lloyd's newest book is Miss Beeton's Murder Agency. It was wonderfully fun to read!

In the author's notes, Josie reveals that this is her first 'cosy' book. Well, she's done a great job in gathering and creating all the requisite pieces needed for a cosy. 

The biggest need is for a lead character. Ours is Alice. She's the owner of The Good Household Management Agency - it provides a myriad of fully vetted staff for just about anything you could think of. She's very easy to like. And she has a dog named Agatha - after Agatha Christie of course. The core supporting cast is just as well drawn. The friendship between Jinx and Alice is well written. 

It's easy to find the "baddies", but are we sure we've got the right person? The ah-ha took me right down to the final pages and explanations. 

What else? Ahh yes there is! A possible romance with a member of the local constabulary? The same copper who warned her away from sticking her nose into the case.

And lastly a lovely cosy set of vintage recipes handed down to Alice. "...her Victorian ancestor the very famous Isabella Beeton - she of the Book of Household Management." Those recipes are included!

I really enjoyed this cosy! See for yourself - read an excerpt of Miss Beeton's Murder Agency. I'll be watching for book two in this series.