Reading a Steve Berry novel ticks two of my favorite boxes: history; and international thriller. I always learn something, or find something to read more about while in the midst of the heart pounding action. Seven religious artifacts, a pile of old papers, and Poland all conspire to keep the reading on the edge of their seat! If you haven't read Steve Berry, you're missing something special!
It's always a delight to visit with Lilly and the rest of the Garden Squad. The wonderful thing about reading Julia Henry's series, is the time she takes to set up the situations and relationships within her stories. The reading is brought along with the characters through their day until they are unexpectedly faced with a murder. This brings the characters up short, and the reader. It's a subtle way of writing, but oh so effective. Wreathing Havoc takes place at Thanksgiving, and involves the local theatre and the local theatrical troupe, memories and people from the past and alots of twists and turns. The diverse characters that make up the Garden Squad all bring a different energy and perspective to everything, allowing the group to tackle numerous mysteries all at once. It is such a creative and fun series that everyone should be reading!
The problem with reading one of Hank Phillippi Ryan's books is that you are compelled to read it as quickly as possible and then in a blink of an eye, your finished...and you have to wait for the next one. Her Perfect Life pulls the reader in from the get go, and it is impossible to put down. You get the feeling that if you close the book for just a moment, you'll miss something. It's hard to discuss Ryan's books for fear of giving away a major, or minor, plot point, so I'll just say, set aside a long afternoon, or start in the early evening, put on a neck brace, because the twists and turns come at you at break neck speed, and enjoy the ride!
Yet again, I find myself a little stunned at how much I enjoy this series! I never would have thought that a Quaker Mid-Wife series would be my thing, but there is something about Rose that is so engaging and appealing, I can't help but be sucked in! A Changing Light moves with the times as new advances in the world mirror the advances in Rose's life. The annual opening of the carriage manufacturers plants/showrooms brings all the locals and many foreign representatives to Amesbury. It also brings another murder for Rose to become involved with. With exquisitely painted scenes and visits from characters form pervious books in this series, A Changing Light is a wonderful exclamation point to this beautiful series.
Oh, Chloe...the poor girl can't catch a break. In the second installment of this fine new series, Chloe returns from packing up the rest of her belongings in Chicago to make a go of setting up roots in Emerald Cove. Of course, there are complications with this plan. A ghost ship, a corpse, a possible threat to her new home and new job. What I adore about Harris' novels (in this series and her Sarah Winston Garage Sale series) is that she manages to throw extra mini-mysteries into each story, so it's not just the murder that needs to be solved. These extras complicate and distract the heroine as well as the reader, to keep everyone on their toes, until the oh, so satisfying conclusion!
A re-read, because I ran out of new things to read. Found it as fascinating this time as the first time.
