Eleni By: Nicholas Gage

A fascinating read on one man's journey to learn about his mother, his homeland and who was responsible for her murder.  Set in the midst of the Greek Civil War, the author uses his investigative know how to piece together what really happened to his mother, and to find some sort of closure to the upheaval it all caused in his and his family's life.  At times infuriating, horrifying and deeply moving this is ultimately a tale of the power of a mother's love and a son's love for his mother.

Lost Daughters By: J. M. Redmann

I love the way that Redmann can write a whole handful of characters and kept them individual and easily identifiable and memorable.  I pick dup this book and within two pages I was brought back two years to when I was given another book in this series.  All the characters came flooding back to me and it was like I read the other book yesterday-that is serious writing!  In Lost Daughters here are 4 main mysteries and they all are intertwined and are all brilliantly laid out and satisfyingly resolved.  This series is spectacular!!

Rise & Shine Benedict Stone By: Phaedra Patrick

After reading this author's first book, I was so excited to dive into this one.  Unfortunately, it was a disappointment for me.  I didn't find the any of the characters likable or sympathetic and I didn't buy a lot of the premises for how each of the characters were acting and reacting to each other.  The major conceit of the book could have been fantastic, but instead of focusing on the gem stones and that plot line, way too much time was spent on the family situation which, as stated earlier, I didn't buy into, so I was left feeling rich by the whole experience.

More than Friends: Books 1-3 By Aria Grace

I was pleasantly surprised at how well written this 3 book set was.  Not much happens in the first 2 books-your typical romance, no big surprises. The 3rd book however, has a great story and real nail biting tension involving a local gangster.  A lot of fun to read this set!

Sal Mineo By: Michael Gregg Michaud

I've always been fascinated with Sal Mineo, but haven't read a great many books about him.  This bio read like I was chatting with his friends.  There was an ease to it that forced the reader to get to know the subject in a way that a number of bios don't.  I always love learning new information about someone I thought I knew-good bad or indifferent.  Sal would have been 80 this year and his indelible mark on the entertainment and pop culture landscape is still evident.  A great read!

Serial Killers: 130 Facts & Trivia By: Brian Barry

A compilation of facts and figures relating to some famous, and no so famous serial killers across the years.  A quick read, but for fans of true crime, no new information about cases that are well know.

Escaped Killer By: RJ Parker

I guess when you get a freebie on Amazon, you have to expect your going to get what you pay for.  In this case, a short on a serial killer in Canada.  This is just a bare bones description of the crimes.  Not all that well written-reads more like an extended wikipedia entry than a short story. Although I will say that I'd never heard of this particular criminal, and found the ineptitude that led to his escape, staggering!

Destination Unknown By: Agatha Christie

Another Christie that I'd never heard of, and that isn't a traditional mystery.  Espionage is the watchword for this taut book where the reader is kept in the dark, as much as the protagonist is.  Really fascinating plot and interesting characters.

A Pocketful of Rye By: Agatha Christie

Only Agatha Christie can get away with having her detective not show up until half way through the book!  I don't recall Miss Marple ever being so righteously angry before and it was delicious to witness.  When her former maid is murdered at the home of the most deplorable family I've ever come across, Miss Marple arrives to find out why-in this tale of revenge, family and greed.

And the there were Crumbs By: Eve Calder

Kate arrives in a beautiful town on a small island.  All she wants is a job and a new life; what she gets is a broken down car, a minimum wage counter job, a dog, and a mystery to solve.  All is not lost, she also gets a community of diverse, talented, charming neighbors and friends to help her along the way.  This is a delightful, well written and well plotted cozy, in what I hope is a long series.  Be forewarned, you'll need tissues handy for the last couple of chapters!

Sealed Off By: Barbara Ross To Be Published: 12/31/19

This soon to be released, 8th installment of the Maine Clambake Mystery series contains all of the wonderful scenery, characters and intrigue that you've come to expect from his fantastic series, but it contains so much more.  Marguerite and Tallulah are back for a visit! (Fans of this series, will  be thrilled by this news.) Between the clambake and renovating the old family home, Julia and the her family get embroiled in a mystery on their island and a mystery in their past.  The development of both story lines and the continued development of the Snowden family history is a delicate balancing act, and it comes together beautifully in Sealed Off!

Hidden From History: Reclaiming the Gay & Lesbian Past Edited by: Martin Duberman, Martha Vicinus & George Chauncey, Jr.

An absolutely fascinating collection of essays/papers covering a variety of locations, times, and aspects of gay history.  Not shying away from controversial views, this collection attempts to answer the questions of is there a gay history, if so, when does it start, and how do we uncover it, when there are differing views on what it is and the difficulty of looking at our past with modern sensibility and the past was VASTLY different.  I'm telling you, this is one great collection and will make you think and re-think!  I was enthralled!