I have read several books with rather dark themes lately, and even though I have enjoyed them, I decided I needed a lighter pick-me-up for my next read. Scrolling through my library app wasn't bringing me much joy—it must be the season for darker mysteries and thrillers—and then I spotted an Aunt Dimity book. I've read a few books in this series, so I grabbed it and started in. Well, a couple of chapters in now, and Aunt Dimity & the Summer King by Nancy Atherton is more than just a reintroduction to some familiar characters—I've read it before. But I remember it as being a fun, pleasant read, with interesting characters and a good premise. Not just fluffy, but something I could sink my teeth into. So I'm going to read it again! ...

Undiscovered Tomb, Book #15 of the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series is now out! Read it as a stand alone adventure or enjoy it with the series. ...

One of my goals this year was to work on getting some more audio out. While I have a few audiobooks out, most of them are for stand alone books and YA, not on my longer mystery series, which is a poor marketing choice! Audio is expensive, so it can be tough to make your investment back if I don't get many buyers. But I have some strategies in place and hope to be able to pump up audio this year. ...

y current read is Blind Search, by Paula Munier, the second book in the Mercy Carr mystery series. It is set in Vermont and includes lots of description of local flora and fauna (though not in so much detail that you want to skip over it.) Mercy Carr, the main sleuth in the book, is ex-army and has an army-trained dog (Elvis) to help her out with her investigation. Her sidekick is a game warden and also has a dog (Susie-Bear) trained to track. ...

If you haven't yet had a chance to pick up Time to Your Elf, the most recent release in the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series, now is a great time! This weekend only, you can pick up Time to Your Elf for just $0.99. ...

I have recently begun Behind Her Eyes, by Sarah Pinborough. This is a psychological suspense that has apparently come to Netflix, though I haven't watched it. Pinborough weaves a complex web between three characters, David, his wife Adele, and his secretary Louise. There is definitely something wrong in David and Adele's marriage, but Pinborough only hints at what is going on, and from the various reviews and descriptions of the plot, I can only get that what you think is going on is definitely not what's really going on behind the scenes here. ...

March 8 is International Women's Day. The theme for 2022 is "Break the Bias." Since it can sometimes be hard to find books with strong female characters, I decide to make that the focus of my blog post today. I have a number of books and series with female characters. ...

Bobby, book #3 of the Breaking the Pattern series is now out! What ever happened to Bobby? If you've read the first two books, Henry, and Sandy, you may be wondering. If you haven't, that's okay, because you can read it as a stand alone novel. ...

This week I am reading Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time, by Emily Brightwell. I've read a couple other books in the Mrs. Jeffries series (this is book 25 of 40 in the series, so there is plenty for you to binge on! If you enjoy a good British cosy mystery set in Victorian London, then this is a series for you. Mrs. Jeffries is police inspector Witherspoon's housekeeper, and she and the household staff help to solve the murder cases he is working on and subtly feed him the solutions so that he thinks he solved it himself. ...

February 26 is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! Fairy tales originated as oral histories told by travelers or moral stories for children. Who doesn't like gathering around a campfire for a thrilling or scary story? ...

5 stars "another story filled with traumatized “imperfect” people facing daunting challenges and somehow managing to survive, prevail and inspire." ...

One of the books I read this week was Cobblered to Death by Rosemarie Ross. It is a culinary cozy mystery, the first in the Courtney Archer series. Host of a television show about rural cooking, Courtney is helping to cohost a cooking competition, and wouldn't you know it—somebody dies. There are plenty of twists and turns as Courtney (and the local security guy and the sheriff) try to figure out which of the other contestants might have done the dirty deed. ...

Back in the saddle, Private Investigator Zachary Goldman is hired by Kenzie's father to investigate the heist of valuable memorabilia from his favorite sports bar. Kenzie did say that it was a bad idea. Maybe Zachary should have listened ...

It is launch day for Time to Your Elf, book #14 in the Reg Rawlins, Private Investigator series. You can read this fun book as a stand alone, or as part of the series to multiply your enjoyment. ...

Hawkins introduces you to a number of widely varying characters in the wake of a murder of a young man on a longboat. Then she slowly starts to weave the connections between each of these characters, their relationships and their pasts. Even when the murderer confesses, you don't yet know everything and are in for a few more plot twists before it all comes together. ...

This year, I am going to let just a taste of romance into my Valentine's Day post. No, I am still not interested in the love at first sight or romantic date tropes, but I thought I would feature some slow-burn romance in the mystery genre. ...

Wow, this one is an amazing read. In From the Ashes, My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way, Jesse Thistle tells about the road he travelled, homeless and in and out of prison for decades before managing to overcome his addiction, enter university, and discover his heritage while working on a BA in history. He is now a speaker on indigenous history, homelessness, and intergenerational trauma. ...

I am very excited to release Sandy, Breaking the Pattern, book #2 in the Breaking the Pattern Series out into the world today. If you read Henry, Breaking the Pattern, then you have already met Sandy and been intrigued by her having grown up in a life of crime and her relationships with her exploitive father and her half brother, who Henry met in juvie. ...

Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill is the second book that I have read in the Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery series. (And though it is the second book in the series, the other one that I have read is actually #4, Anarchy and Old Dogs.) This mystery series is very different from any I have read before. It is steeped in the Lao setting and culture, with lots of fascinating plant names (like dog fart flowers and bull testicle trees), political red tape, and history. ...