Harley James and the Puzzle in Paris

Another great book in the Harley James series! 

Harley James is a 12-year-old cryptologist who is part of a secret organization called The Society for Mysterious Artifacts. Her father is the famed archaeologist Russell and James and with her trusty side kick Daisy (her dog) she's out to save the world from these mysterious artifacts falling in the wrong hands.

In this installment, Harley and her dad are in France, just outside of Paris. When an announcement is made that something has been stolen from the Louvre, Harley is immediately on high alert. She is contacted by another member of the society, Veronica and they set off to look for clues. Victoria knows what's been stolen and knows it's her duty to recover the stolen artifact. The legendary amethyst Rose de Paris has been stolen and seeing as her family is one of the oldest in the country, she holds the key, literally to saving the world. 

They're up against insurmountable odds. The secret room that they need to access to save the world is deep in the catacombs under Paris and they've got competition from someone who wants to use the stone to raise the dead, a man named Albert Monet. Harley must use her code breaking skills to defeat Monet and save the city of Paris.

Once again, I am impressed with this series. While they are written for kids, I feel they are very enjoyable for adults as well, especially if you love a good mystery. The chapters are short, and the characters are well written. I love the world building the author has done with the secret society. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

Deadly Intent-A Reggie de Costa mystery

I received an email from the author letting me know that her new book was available if I wanted to check it out. Having really enjoyed her first book The Death Mask Murders, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Reggie de Costa works on the crime beat for a local Melbourne, Australia newspaper in the early 1920's. As an investigative reporter he always has his nose where it typically doesn't belong. He is 40-ish and considers himself to be quite dapper, in his nice suits and bright yellow car. He lives with his mother and his job is his life. His mother, despite her sordid past (a philandering husband that left her destitute) she still keeps within a wealthier circle of friends. One of her friends asks Reggie to investigate a suicide, seeing as he had success solving the Death Mask Murders, and while he is doing so, he discovers a body, hidden in an old trunk, in a dank old basement. Turns out to be the body of a wealthy missing man. 

They story is full of twists and turns as Reggie starts to see that this wealthy missing man is but one of many. Almost all of whom had been poisoned with rat poison. He starts digging into the backgrounds of each man and starts to find a common denominator to all the men, a tawdry woman named, Rita Savage. Reggie often works with the police, sort of a tit for tat when it comes to information, but the new detective isn't very fond of outsider help. He decides to go it alone and ends up almost becoming a victim himself. Can Reggie find out who the killer of all these men is before it's too late?

I really liked this story overall. There were a couple of chapters that were a little long due to deep descriptions of scenes that I felt weren't necessary, but the majority of the book is so fantastic that I can overlook that. I love the world building this author brings to the table and I always love a good period piece. Being that its set in the 1920's, we get a glimpse into a different time for everyone, a time when wearing something as innocent seeming like red lipstick was scandalous. My only hope is that Reggie will find someone that will make him happy and perhaps help him grow up a bit. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.

The Guest House

This book took me by total surprise and was not at all what I was expecting. This book is so many things. It's a psychological thriller, mind bending, tragic, and has so many twists that you won't know what's going to happen next.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting a baby in a few weeks and decide to take a little holiday before the birth to relax a bit. Victoria has chosen a little cottage guesthouse in the country close to a place where she grew up for their vacation. Jamie owns a company called KnowScam, a fraud prevention company and Victoria is a professional musician. After many failed IVF treatments, they're finally close to having the child they've always wanted. Or are they?

On the first night they're there, Victorias contractions begin sooner than expected. They decide to go to the hospital to get things checked out but cannot find their phones or their keys to the car and even worse they discover that they are locked in the guesthouse. With no way out and her contractions increasing, desperate measures must be taken to ensure the safety of both her and the child. 

The story goes back and forth between the events at the guesthouse and what's happening now. It's been a month since they were stuck in the guesthouse and things aren't going well. They are grieving what we are told is the loss of the child. Their marriage in shambles. They start receiving letters and cards warning them of danger if they reveal what happened at the guesthouse, implying they were involved in something nefarious.

So, what exactly happened at the guesthouse? Did the child die? Did someone else die? You have to read this book to find out what happened! You will not be disappointed! I really liked the story build up and the big reveal. The end kind of threw me for a loop and I'm still a little confused by it but all in all, I really enjoyed this story and will be recommending it to anyone who loves a good mystery thriller! I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review. 

Secrets and Lies

This is a sequel book, the first book being The Secret They Kept. There has not been one J.S. Ellis book that I have not thoroughly enjoyed!

Emily Clarke has been on a cruise with her parents after a traumatic event in her life. After returning home, she is once again thrown into a mystery and finds herself at the center. Her old fling, Lucien, a male model with striking features and white, blond hair is back in her life. She comes home one day to find someone has left a blood red rose on her porch with an ominous message attached. She soon discovers Lucien too has received a few of them and thus begins the search for the culprit.

As her life begins to fall apart around her, can Emily find out who is torturing her and Lucien and even worse, who is attacking the ones they care about?

This is another great story! While it definitely can be read as a stand-alone book, I highly recommend you read the first one (and anything else that she has written). The story is written well, with great pacing. I was guessing until the very end! Packed with suspense, jealousy and intrigue this is definitely one you will not want to put down. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

Fall and Foul Play-Lana Honeywell Book One

Lana Honeywell is back (a prequel novella is before this book) and she's left her busy PR job and stressful life behind to take a year to herself in the quaint town of Cherry Grove. Living her best life in her tiny house, she's been trying to get to know the townspeople better and decides a good way might be joining the local field hockey team. The fact that she'll get more time with Wyatt, the hunky park ranger, is just a bonus, right?

After a match one night, a rival from the other team is found dead and with foul play suspected, everyone is a suspect, including Lana. As she starts digging, she discovers the quaint town is full of lies, secrets and bitter disputes. Can Lana discover who the murderer is before she's the next victim?

As if she doesn't have enough on her plate with yet another murder, her ex-fiancé, Callum comes to town in an attempt to win her back to Sydney. Lana must decide what she really wants, the fast paces life of Sydney or the laid-back feel of Cherry Grove and bigger than that, Callum or Wyatt.

All in all, this was again, another great story. I really love a great cozy mystery and the world building that Megan does is fantastic. You will not be disappointed with anything this author writes.  

Sunshine and Suspicion-A Lana Honeywell Mystery Novella

As a huge fan of the Lemon Tree Bay series by this same author, I was excited to see a new series come out. This was a great novella and a perfect introduction to Lana Honeywell and Cherry Grove.

Lana Honeywell has an extremely busy life in the world of PR. She seems to have it all. Shes engaged to a celebrity, the hunky star of a soap opera, Callum Fox and has a glamourous job working with celebrities all day. Unfortunately, things are not as great as they seem. Her job is very intense, and she has just found out Callum is cheating on her.

After the disastrous ending of her engagement, she decided to move to Cherry Grove. Her great-aunt Mildred had some property there. Mildred has since passed and left the land to Lanas's father, so she has decided to put a tiny house on it and take a year off from her life.

Life has other ideas though and on her first night in town she stumbles upon a dead body. Unfortunately, it's the same man she had argued with earlier in the day and of course, as an outsider she is an immediate suspect. She decides to do some investigating and is soon able to flush out the culprit. A bonus, Lana meets the local park ranger, Wyatt, and starts to rethink her stance on no men.

This is a great start to a new series. Megan Mayfair is one of those authors that I will immediately pick up and I am never disappointed with her stories. The characters and the world building are wonderful, I love the cozy mystery format and I definitely recommend anything she writes. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

Murder Among Friends-Charlie Kingsley Book 4

Charlie Kingsley is back again in an all-new story from the haunted town of Redemption. As usual her amateur sleuthing skills are put to the test when a group of college kids come to town in search of the Fire Cottage, a local legend. 

Charlie stops to help a woman who has fainted on the street and has no idea that she is about to fall into another mystery. Naomi and her friends, Lynette, Raymond, Mace and Sloan are in Redemption to go camping with the hopes of finding the Fire Cottage. The Fire Cottage is local lore and is said to be a source of many of the disappearances in the area. Raymonds uncle went missing ten years before when he also went looking for the Fire Cottage. Mace is an aspiring film student focusing on documentaries and is excited to tag along and maybe use the local legend as a topic for a documentary. Everything starts out well until Lynette goes missing. Charlie immediately senses that the kids are not telling the whole truth as to what happened to Lynette. Can Charlie use her amateur sleuthing skills and her charm to solve this case?

Michele Pariza Wacek never disappoints. The world she has created in Redemption is incredible. I love the characters, the lore, the location and the mysteries that occur there. The author has weaved such a wonderful story with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. I look forward to more stories from this author and from Redemption. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review. 

The Perils of Poison-Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries: Book 3

Megan Mayfair has done it again! The third book in the Lemon Tree Bay mystery series is just as great if not better than the first two. I really love a good cozy mystery and these books have it all. Murder, mystery, intrigue, and a little romantic drama as well. 

The series centers around Clara Mitchell. She is a local hairdresser and amateur detective. She has been dating Lucas for a while now and their relationship looks to be heading in a more permanent direction. Claras ex-boyfriend, Adam Billings, a local cop, is also around and often causes trouble between Lucas and Clara. 

Clara and her mother regularly attend a local yoga class. One evening the class ends abruptly when the yoga teacher keels over dead from an apparent poisoning. This sets off an investigation that leads to finding out the yoga teacher wasn't who she said she was and the disappearance of Gigi's (Claras assistant at the salon) boyfriend, Ollie. Is it possible he disappeared because he was involved in the yoga teacher's death? We soon find out that there is more going on in the small town than anyone could tell from the outside. Adam is convinced the death of the yoga teacher and Ollies disappearance are related. After he is targeted with a lower dose of poison, Clara is determined to figure out exactly what's going on. Putting herself in danger yet again. Can Clara find out what's going on, before another person is hurt?

I really love this series, so I went ahead and pre-ordered this one awhile back. As with the others, I was not disappointed. The characters of the story are so rich and well written, it's hard not to fall in love with them and get caught up in their lives. I found myself trying to decide who to root for when it comes to who Clara should be with, Adam or Lucas. They both have good qualities so it's a hard choice. This book ended on somewhat of cliff hanger in regard to Claras love life and I have to admit, I cannot wait for the next book. The mystery itself, as usual, is well written and the setting is absolutely perfect. Makes me want to live in Lemon Tree Bay. I highly recommend this series and definitely look forward to more.

Horrific Modern Tales

This book was a short read, under an hour. The cover gave me immediate Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark vibes and the artwork on the inside was just as haunting. The stories themselves were good. Some were shorter than others, so short that I thought I'd missed something. They ended abruptly leaving me wondering what the heck I just read. I love a level of ambiguity, but I felt a few of the stories needed more. 

Each story is well written despite my misgivings about the length or the abrupt ending. The illustrations in the book are fantastic! Just what I remembered from similar books as a kid. The stories are clean enough for middle school aged children but strong enough that adults can enjoy them too. All in all, this is a solid read and would be a great addition to any horror library.

The Couple at Causeway Cottage

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I am very impressed. It's the kind of book that I really hated to have to put down, I found myself thinking of it when I wasn't reading and in certain parts my heart was pounding, and I couldn't wait to swipe the page fast enough to find out what was going to happen. 

Mark and Kat have recently bought a cottage on the island of Rathlin, off the coast of Northern Ireland. The cottage is named Causeway Cottage and is everything you'd imagine it would be on a tiny island with a population of about 150 people. They have just moved from London so that Mark could be near his ailing mother. It also seems to be a good place to raise children, which they are currently trying for.

But there are underlying problems that have yet to come to the surface. Kat has a long kept, deep, dark secret and Mark is still in contact with his ex-wife, although to what extent isn't known yet. On the island there is a neighbor that threatens to expose Kats secret. As the story progresses, we find that Kat is not the only one with a deep, dark secret. What will happen when these secrets come to light?

I imagine that living on an island like Rathlin can be idyllic but also isolating depending on who you are and what your life is like. The descriptions of the island are incredible, and I had to look up the place to see it for myself. The story is well written, and the twists and turns will have you turning pages faster than you can read. I love the intricacies that are woven between Kat, Mark and the friends they make on the island. How the author brought it all together really had me entertained and even though I was left wanting more from the ending, its still a solid 5 for me. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely look forward to more from this author. Now, off to find more of her books to read! I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review. 

The Hanging at the Hollow Tree- A Journal Through Time Mystery

I really love historical set books. This book actually takes place between two time periods, 1897 and 2017. This is the second book in the Journal Through Time Mysteries series and I am excited to read the first one and any other ones to come.

The main story takes place in the past. A body is found at a famous landmark in Vancouver, the Hollow Tree, in Stanley Park, a large tree you that is hollowed out and attracts many tourists. A prominent businessman, Arthur Peirce, looks to have committed suicide. Detective Jack Winston is on the case with his assistant Constable Thomas Miller. As the case begins to unfold, and it is revealed that he has been murdered, they soon discover that Arthur Pierce was not who he represented himself to be and may have been pulling a Ponzi scheme. 

The second part of the story takes place 100 years later and involves a museum curator named, Riley Finch. She and Jack solve cases together through a magical journal they are able to communicate through by writing each other. In the present day, Riley is investigating a financial scheme her mother has gotten involved in. 

Throughout the book we see Jack and Riley communicating through the journal. Jack asking if she has any information on the death he's investigating and her giving him advice on how Ponzi schemes work. Riley has also managed to track down one of Jack descendants and she sees him on occasion.

I love the idea of being able to communicate with person from another time through a journal. We find out that the book has magic properties so there is a little suspension of belief but for me that doesn't affect the story. This being the second book in the series, I am most definitely looking forward to more mysteries with these two. The book is well written and clever in the revealing of who the murderer is. I can tell the author did a lot of research involving the history of the time and the setting of the book. The descriptions of the setting are vivid and really take you them. Specifically, the area surrounding the Hollow Tree, which is a real landmark(https://sites.google.com/site/historyofstanleyparkhollowtree/gallery/).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series and very much look forward to more of Jack and Riley and their time traveling adventures. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.