Good Reads: The Whole Town's Talking

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Whole Town's Talking is about a small Missouri town from it's settlement in the 19th century to it's demise. Told through the stories of it's inhabitants, it a feel good, sometimes poignant story of everyday lives and their sometimes greatness.

I thoroughly love Fannie Flagg books, but this one lacked some of the easy flow of her earlier books. However, it's a good read with a great deal of warmth. Perfect for a winters day.

Good Reads: A Killer's Guide to Good Works

A Killer's Guide to Good Works by Shelley Costa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Killers Guide to Good Works is the second book in the Val Cameron Mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

The plot was very good; fast paced and detailed. Shelley Costa is an accomplished author and at times writes so beautifully that I would read a section, stop, exhale and relive her words. After reading the prologue I found myself grinning and rubbing my hands together at the thought that I had a whole book of her writing before me.

So if I enjoyed the book so much why did I only rate it as four stars? Because it read like a first book. None of the secondary characters from the first book were in this one. Val's love interest has flown off into the sunset and only rates a couple of sentences. It was disconcerting. I hope this isn't one of those series where the main character has a new man in each book. I enjoy watching characters' relationships grow over time.

I enjoyed A Killers Guide to Good Works and look forward to reading future books in the series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

*Sex and violence is not graphic in this novel.

Good Reads: From the Sideline

From the Sideline by Amy Avanzino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the Sideline is the second book in the chick lit Wake Up Call series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Each book in this series centers around a different woman, each part of a circle of women friends. Autumn was summarily dismissed and divorced by her husband; adding to her insecurity after being raised by alcoholic parents. Both she and her son are beaten down, but her son expresses interest in little league football. Soon she is sitting on the bleachers watching her son find his way, while she copes with the other, rather rabid, football league parents.

The author hit the nail on the head with her characterizations of parents with children involved in sports. It's funny with occasional moments of sadness, but we get to witness the evolution of Autumn and her son as they find their way back to their true selves. I did have a problem identifying with Autumn and felt that she too easily reverted into old, bad habits when faced with adversity.

I highly recommend this book and this series. I look forward to reading more about this group of friends.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: A Robot in The Garden

A Robot In The Garden by Deborah Install
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Robot In The Garden is a sweet, quirky read. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

The Hero, a house husband, finds a homemade robot sitting under a tree in his back garden. His rigid wife, who wants a modern kitchen android, tells him to throw the endearing robot into the trash. After she leaves him the H decides to travel the world with the robot to find it's creator.

This is a story about personal growth and kindness. I liked the fact that instead of a sappy happy ending, we receive a thoughtful HFN.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: With a Vengeance

With a Vengeance by Annette Dashofy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With a Vengeance is the fourth book in the Zoe Chambers Mysteries series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Someone in the county is staging emergency scenes, luring in first responders, then shooting them. Police, fire and EMS responders seem to be fair game and everyone, including Zoe and Pete, are operating under incredible stress until the killer can be found.

I enjoyed the exciting and fast paced plot, but I felt as though they just sort of bumbled onto capturing the bad guy. I would rather have seen better investigative technique.

Zoe and Pete's romance is moving very slowly. I mean, like a snail's pace. She's rather stay with co-workers families than sleep in Pete's guest bedroom??!!

Overall, this was a good read with a few weaknesses. It ends with a HFN.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: The Murderer's Daughter

The Murderer's Daughter by Jonathan Kellerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Murderer's Daughter is an extremely well written and professionally edited murder mystery/suspense novel.

Grace grew up in the foster system after witnessing the gruesome murder/suicide of her dysfunctional parents. Thanks to a supportive foster couple she ends up with an excellent education and a career as a psychologist treating patients that have experienced or witnessed trauma. Her very controlled life is thrown out of order when a prospective patient is murdered and the murderer is now intent on eliminating her.

This was a fast paced book with interesting, well developed characters. The chapters alternate between Grace's childhood experiences and her current dilemma.

Grace is the type of character that I thoroughly enjoy. She is realistic, strong and determined. While she has some quirks, understandable with her background, they only make her more interesting.

Warning: this book does include sexual content and violence.

I highly recommend The Murderer's Daughter. I'm not sure if it will be part of a series, but it reads as a standalone with a HFN ending.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Compelled

Compelled by D.B. Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Compelled is book 10.5 in the Vampires in America paranormal romance series. It is an very well written and professionally edited novella.

Cyn and Raphael owe Nick, a sorcerer and Cyn's ex lover, a favor for assisting Cyn when she freed Raphael from his captors in a previous book. Nick needs their assistance to steal the magical handcuffs that were used to restrain Raphael.

This is a short, but fun romp with Cyn and Raphael's relationship at the forefront and the intense competition and hate between Raphael and Nick.

Compelled is a must read for any reader following this series as it sets up future books that contain the sorcerers.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Santa 365

Santa 365: A Chet and Bernie eShort Story by Spencer Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Santa 365 is a fun Christmas romp with Chet and Bernie. It is a well written and professionally edited novella.

This is a quick, fast paced mystery that is swiftly solved and remains upbeat throughout the story.

Definitely a must read for Chet and Bernie lovers.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Diner Knock Out

Diner Knock Out by Terri L. Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Diner Knock Out is the fourth book in the Rose Strickland Mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

I love this series; the heroine, Rose, is smart and determined to make it through life as an independent woman. The secondary characters are complex and fully part of the plot.

The plot is a fast paced mystery intertwined with the romance between Rose and her underworld boss boyfriend.

I would suggest that this series of mysteries be read in order; this book wouldn't read well as a standalone novel. It does end with a satisfying HFN.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Guaranteed To Bleed

Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Guaranteed To Bleed is the second book in The Country Club Murders series. It is a well written and professionally edited, full length mystery novel.

The heroine is a widow (the first book was about her husband's murder) and part of the Kansas City country club set. She has been programmed to deny her feelings and hide any unpleasantness in her life by her controlling mother and promiscuous late husband.

In Guaraneed the h stumbles upon the body of a teenager under the bleachers at a high school football game. She finds herself and her daughter embroiled in a murder investigation, while she dodges the lawyer her matchmaking mother has decided should be her next husband. And there's the handsome police detective that keeps getting drawn into her life by the murders she stumbles upon.

The mystery was complex and fast paced; and the characters well developed. I was disappointed to see that the h was still allowing her mother to manipulate her. With everything she's been through she should have developed the strength to break free of outside influences.

All in all, Guaranteed To Bleed is a satisfying read with a HFN ending. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: The Scam

The Scam by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Scam was truly a fun read in so many ways. It is the fourth book in the Fox and O'Hare series. It is very well written and professionally edited.

Fox is a male con artist that was pursued and finally caught by the female FBI agent O'Hare. They are now partnered together as a secret FBI team tasked with conning criminals that have never been caught by traditional (legal) means. In The Scam they set out to run a con on a casino owner laundering organized crime money through his casinos.

The plot was fast paced and creative. We see more of O'Hare's retired black ops father and the relationship between Fox and O'Hare continues to develop. The ending was a shocker and made me wish that this series put out more than one book a year..

Overall, this is a great read. Lee Goldberg is doing a good job with this series. The Scam ends with a cliffhanger instead of the usual HFN.

Good Reads: Wake-up Call

Wake-Up Call by Amy Avanzino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wake-up Call is a very well written and professionally edited, full length novel.

The heroine wakes up one morning to find herself living a life she doesn't recognize. Due to a head injury she doesn't remember the last five years of her life; she's no longer a fit, executive, but is an overweight, stay at home mother of three. She struggles with adjusting to this life she doesn't remember or want and learning to love her husband and children again.

The plot of this book is refreshingly original. I empathized with the heroine on many levels; including being shocked by her appearance. After raising children many of us don't recognize the reflection in the mirror. I also enjoyed the heroine's intelligence and loving nature as she dealt with readjusting to her new (to her) life.

I highly recommend Wake-up Call. It ends with a satisfying HEA.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Scents and Sensibility

Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scents and Sensibility is the eighth book in the Chet and Bernie mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Chet and Bernie are concerned about their elderly next door neighbors and set out to find the couples' son. A son that has just spent fifteen years in jail for kidnapping. What seems like a straight forward case soon turns into a murder and police corruption investigation.

I love Chet's, the dog, narration of the plot with his free form way of thinking. Bernie is struggling in this story and I deeply identified with his need to help the weak and helpless people in this world.

Scents and Sensibility is a fun and poignant read. I highly recommend this entire series.

Good Reads: Dollar Daze

Dollar Daze: The Bottom Dollar Girls in Love by Karin Gillespie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dollar Daze is the third book in the Bottom Dollar Daze chick lit series. It is an adequately written and professionally written full length novel.

This book tells the story of relationships and how rigid ideas can negatively effect them. The characters are endearing and delightfully human. I did feel that the use of multiple POVs was a bit confusing and made the story seem disjointed.

Dollar Daze can be read as a standalone, but I suggest reading the first book in the series, where the characters are introduced, before reading this one.

I can recommend recommend Dollar Daze to anyone looking for a light romantic read involving mature women.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: MacDeath

MacDeath by Cindy Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MacDeath is the first book in the Ivy Meadows mystery series. It is well written and professionally edited.

The heroine, Ivy (Olive), is a professional actress in a local, small performance of Macbeth. She pays her bills by holding down "real" jobs. When the leading man is found dead on opening night she is convinced that he was murdered. With the help of her private detective uncle, she sets off to solve the crime.

Sometimes the first book in a series can be hard reading because the necessary introduction of characters can bog the plot down. But Cindy Brown handled the challenge very nicely. The characters were fully developed and the plot moved along briskly.

I recommend MacDeath and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: The Deep End

The Deep End by Julie Mulhern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Deep End is a very well written and professionally edited murder mystery. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down.

The heroine is a country club wife, barely existing while under the thumbs of her philandering husband and manipulative mother. Only her art gives her hope. When she discovers the body of her husband's mistress she becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders. She decides she must solve the murders in order to prove her innocence.

At times I was annoyed with the h's passivity, but she did begin to grow stronger as the plot developed. The secondary characters were interesting, especially the two men that become romantic interests.

The plot was full of twists and turns. It held my interest and at times contained a quirky humor. I didn't figure out who the murderer was until it was revealed.

I highly recommend The Deep End and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Nun Too Soon

Nun Too Soon by Alice Loweecey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nun Too Soon is the first book in the Giulia Driscoll mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited novel.

The plot is original, not fast paced, but moved forward steadily to the conclusion. The heroine is an ex-nun, and private detective, married to a police detective. Her agency is hired by a private company to investigate employee theft and an attorney to investigate the murder his client has been accused of committing. Both cases end up overlapping with common perpetrators. I found the plot to be interesting, because I enjoy investigative details.

I would have like more details about the main characters' background. I was left wondering why Giulia was no longer a nun, how she met her husband, how they married and how did she become a private detective.

Overall, this is an entertaining mystery novel and I look forward to reading more books in the series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: The Job

The Job by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Job is the third book in the Fox and O'Hare series written by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. Both of them are experienced writers and their skill shines in this relatively new series.

Nick Fox, the Hero, is a legendary thief and con man that escaped capture until he met FBI agent Kate O'Hare. Due to a secret agreement with the government they are now partners in investigating and arresting the baddest of the bad. In this book they take on a drug cartel leader and his psychotic body guard. The action is fast and the plot complicated and fascinating.

Both of the main characters are well developed and easy to like and identify with. There is a host of great secondary characters, but Kate's dad, an ex Navy intelligence officer, is my favorite. I laughed like crazy as he described the intelligence skills and self defense he is teaching to his grandchildren.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series and, while The Job could be read as a standalone, I think it is best to read the entire series in order. It ends with a satisfying HFN.

Good Reads: The Bullet Catch

The Bullet Catch by John Gaspard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Bullet Catch is the second book in the Eli Marks Mystery series. It is well written and professionally edited.

Eli has been cast adrift, with his girlfriend asking for a "break" , his fear of heights growing and dealing with his ex wife and her new, homicide detective husband. He is asked to work on a film about a magician killed while performing the Bullet Catch, a particularly dangerous magic trick. Soon he finds himself embroiled in a homicide investigation or rather several homicides, as people around him keep being murdered.

The plot is interesting and filled with a variety of secondary characters. But I think my real love in this series is the main character, Eli. He is a sort of Everyman, just a nice man trying to live his life well. It is easy to identify with him and cheer him on while he deals with life's verities.

I highly recommend The Bullet Catch. It can be read as a standalone, but it is more fun to read the series. It ends with a satisfying HFN.

Good Reads: Dang Near Dead

Dang Near Dead by Nancy G. West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dang Near Dead is the second book in the Aggie Mundeen Mysery series. It is a decently written and professionally edited murder mystery.

I was put off by the first half of this book. A large number of characters are thrown at the reader, references are made to the first book without any explanation, and the plot seems erratic and disorganized. The heroine, Aggie, comes off as irrational and, frankly, not very bright.

Somewhere between 50% and 70% the story finally became more appealing and the reader is finally able to keep up with the plot.

Due to the lack of recapping the first book I would say that Dang Near Dead is not a standalone novel. It must be read after the first book to understand the characters and plot. It ends with a HFN with a tiny bit of cliffhanger at the end.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.