proof By: David Auburn

This was a second read of this for me-and it is still absolutely stunning!  Auburn manages to create real people with minimum effort, and there are some beautifully crafted jaw-dropping moments in this look at family, heredity and math!

 

The Nap By: Richard Bean

This was a second read for me.  The first was in 2019 and I thought it was utterly hilarious.  This time around I still found it utterly hilarious, very Ted Lasso-ish.  I did feel that the ending was a little abrupt and a little to pat, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Mummy Case By: Elizabeth Peters

Amelia, Emerson and Ramses run rampant in the Egyptian desert in this riotous installment of the Amelia Peabody series.  A crappy dig site, mummy cases coming and going, a couple of deaths and a child who gets into and out of everything will keep the reader laughing and totally engrossed.  

The Curse of the Pharaohs By: Elizabeth Peters

As far as I'm concerned the mysteries in the Amelia Peabody series are secondary to the absolutely delightful relationship between Amelia and her husband.  Their way of working and communicating is just such a chuckle that you'll easily fall for them.  This second book in the series also introduces the reader to Amelia and Emerson's son Ramses, who is a chip off the old block..definitely the child of Amelia and Emerson.  This series is such fun!

Murder in a Cape Cottage By: Maddie Day

Maddie Day has out done herself with this, the 4th book in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series, due out in September of this year.  We are a week away from Mac's wedding and she has to solve a murder before she says I Do-of course the murder happened 80 years ago, but that won't stop Mac or her intrepid Book Club members from doing their best.  Full of history and family and wedding joy this is a pure joy to read!

 

Razorblade Tears By: S. A. Cosby

 

Cosby is one of my new favorite authors, and that's after only two books!  His use of words and his story ideas are absolutely breathtaking!  He somehow manages to write a gripping thriller, wrapped around current social issues without beating the reader over the head with platitudes or telling the reader what to think.  All sides are presented and as Ike repeats in the book-"I'm stating facts".  The twists and turns in this superbly plotted thriller left me screaming out loud at numerous points throughout the book.  I can't praise Cosby's writing enough-he is quite simply the most exiting author writing today!

Crocodile on the Sandbank By: Elizabeth Peters

This was slow going for me because I thought I was reading a mystery and kept waiting for the dead body.  It took me a while to realize that wasn't the mystery trying to be solved and then this flew.  Amelia is such a fantastic character and her relationship with Mr. Emerson is too delicious!!! Plus I do adore Egyptian history, so this is perfect for me. 

The Plot Thickets By: Julia Henry

 

Visiting with Lilly Jayne and her gardening pals in Goosebush is like going home.  I Love this series.  I adore the characters and the small town feeling-it brings me back to my youth growing up in a tiny town on the South Shore.  Plots aplenty populate this story and they are all interwoven with care.  Ms. Henry weaves these intricate plot lines together seamlessly and without confusion.  Aside from a couple of corpses the Garden Squad Mysteries are an absolute delight!

Midnight Hour: A Chilling Anthology of Crime Fiction From 20 Authors of Color Edited By: Abby L. Vandiver

This is a delicious collection of crime/revenge stories.  Vandiver has curated a varied group of stories all by authors of color and all richly detailed and uber creative.  Writing short stories is no easy task and all the authors included have written beautifully detailed and oh so satisfying stories.  What I really love about anthologies is it gives me samples of work by authors I may not have heard of previously, but can now add to my list of must reads!!!

In The Dark We Forget By: Sandra SG Wong

This was absolutely riveting!  It grabs you from the very start and doesn't let go until the very end.  The reader can't help but be sucked into this story and go through everything that Cleo is going through.  Just astonishing storytelling!!!

Best New England Crime Stories: Bloodroot Edited By: Susan Oleksiw, Ang Pompano & Leslie Wheeler

I've been lucky enough to read several of the Best NE Crime Stories Anthologies over the years and I have to say Bloodroot is my favorite and is chock full of fantastic shorts.  Even if short stories aren't your thing, you'd be hard pressed to not enjoy this brilliantly curated collection of short crime stories!

One-Shot Harry By: Gary Phillips

 

Reads like a pulp novel from the 30's; set in the early 60's and sadly completely relevant in the 2020's!  Harry Ingram, a no nonsense photographer and part time process server has a number of mysteries to solve in this twisty thriller, against the backdrop of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s upcoming rally in downtown LA.  Ingram is an endless fascinating character and his relationship with Anita Claire is charming, amusing and real.  I can't beleive I've not read any of Phillip's work until now-this won't be the last!

Black Ice By: Brad Thor

Well, it was bound to happen, but it tool until book 20 before I felt "meh" about a Scot Harvath adventure.  While I always enjoy the geopolitical slant of this series, I felt a lack of urgency in this story and a lot less action than usual.

 

Batter Off Dead By: Maddie Day

 

What I adore about Maddie Day's writing is her character development.  Robbie and all of the folks in her books are fully developed people dealing and coping with real issues...with a murder or two thrown in.  The Country Store Mysteries is one of my absolute favorite cozy series.  I love visiting with these people and untangling the murders alongside Robbie.  Batter off Dead is a great addition to this series: a well plotted mystery; lovable and loving characters; and food so precisely painted you can taste it! 

Murder at the Lobstah Shack By: Maddie Day

A visit with Mac and her Cozy Book Club is never a dull time.  Riffing off of a Barbara Ross cozy, Murder at the Lobstah Shack is full of twists and turns and manages to touch on social issues in a  natural way.  Even though there is murder involved, this is a lovely read, because the characters all have heart!

 

The Neverending Story By: Michael Ende/Translation by: Ralph Manheim

I've always loved the movie The Neverending Story.  Never knew it was based on a book.  Now that I've read the book, I can say that the movie is loosely based on only half the original source material.  A clever never ending loop of a story, that goes to some very dark places, this is an absolute gem of storytelling!