Category Archives: Reviews

After the 1st book in the “True Colors” series, blew me away, I was looking forward to the next offering in the series. I was rewarded! In “The Pink Bonnet,” author, Liz Tolsma, explores the underbelly of Memphis Tennessee in the 1930s when parents dared not to leave their children alone, for fear they may just disappear.Imagine leaving your child with a neighbor so you can go on a job interview. You return home to discover the neighbor has given her to someone who runs an orphanage. What lengths would you go to, to get her back? That’s just what Read more…

“Those People” by Louise Candlish is a mystery/psychological thriller set in England that strikes at the heart of where you live. I found it incredibly gripping, similar to the 1990 film, “Pacific Heights,” about a bad renter. Only this was more disturbing, because you don’t have to become a landlord, but you can rarely control who moves into your neighborhood. What’s your recourse when the new neighbor on the block is a menace?The characters were well written and easy to relate to.I couldn’t stop turning pages to see what would happen next. What would this lunatic newcomer do next? And, Read more…

“The Sentence is Death” by Anthony Horowitz is the 2nd book in the Detective Daniel Hawthorne Series. The first book in the series is “The Word Is Murder.” What makes this series so unique is how “meta”[1] it is. Horowitz places himself in the story as a writer who is following and working with a disgraced detective turned police consultant, Daniel Hawthorne. They don’t particularly get along. Horowitz spends a great deal of time trying to solve the mystery himself, while also trying to find out what Hawthorne is trying so hard to hide about his private life. These characters Read more…

“Shadow among Sheaves” is a beautiful allegory of the story of Ruth and Boaz from the Bible. Naomi Stephens sets this tale in 1857, when there was much anti-India sentiment in England, due to a bloody rebellion in the empire’s colony. Yet, Rena fell in love with a British officer and married him. When she and her mother-in-law, both found themselves widowed and destitute, they returned to England. Yet, England didn’t welcome Rene with open arms.The historical context of this book fascinated me. The characters seemed to come to life on the (digital) page. If you don’t know the story Read more…

“Man of the Year” by Caroline Louise Walker immediately grabbed me with its biting honest narrative. Sag Harbor has just honored Dr. Robert Hart as the Man of the Year. His entire community looks up to him (or at least they act as if they do). It looks like he has it all. How far will he go to keep it? As if sensing things aren’t always what they seem to be, Dr. Hart becomes increasingly paranoid.“Man of the Year”…hammers home the principle that honesty is always the best policy. But what if the truth isn’t what you think it Read more…

“A Serial Killer’s Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming by Kerri Rawson is aptly named. The book isn’t about Dennis Rader (also known as BTK) the serial killer who terrorized Wichita, Kansas. It’s about his daughter and her process of recovering after the trauma of learning that her father was BTK. This might sound like semantics, but for me, it made the book an exceptional read. It’s not for gawkers who want an eye full of the gory details of BTK’s crimes. It is a story of recovery, forgiveness, and the immeasurable grace of God.Karri Rawson…was an adult, Read more…

“Whence and Whither: On Lives and Living,” is a collection of writings by Thomas Lynch. Lynch is a poet who also happens to be a funeral director. He is known for his observations on death. “Whence and Whither,” as its subtitle indicates, is much more about life and living it well. It’s easy to see that lynch is a poet, first and foremost. His words go down like milk and honey, for the most part. He, like so many artists, also has no problem questioning the status quo.Lynch doesn’t spare religion in this quest.The author was cynical toward the church, Read more…

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first book in The Marquess House Trilogy by Alexandra Walsh. It’s a British historical conspiracy/thriller with a dose of mystery and suspense thrown in for good measure. This book is structured using 2 distinct time periods. each telling an equally compelling story.In 2018, Pembrokeshire, WalesDr. Perdita Rivers, a respected historian, has just learned that her estranged grandmother has died. Her grandmother was a renowned Tudor historian in her own right. Perdita and her twin sister, Piper, have inherited everything in their grandmother’s estate. This includes the Marquess House and a mystery dating back to Read more…