THE QUICK RED FOX by John D. MacDonald is from a well know series starring Travis McGee. Travis McGee is a colorful resident of a Miami marina who lives on his houseboat, the Busted Flush, and works as a private detective when the spirit, and his finances, move him. Get the picture? In this so

Pam Jenoff books do not disappoint! Fiction based on History over two time periods (1950’s and 1933-1944). Two women’s lives intertwined as history unfolds. Three countries: London, England, Paris. France, and Germany. It starts with Louise who works in a thrift store. She finds a bracelet that reminds her of time in France. A mystery to solve is revealed.

Insightful, uplifting and inspirational!

Five high school friends make a forever pact to protect each other called the covenant. One night out in the woods a mysterious staircase appears and one friend walks up it never to be seen again. Years later, the friends are brought together to see another staircase in the woods and they all walk up it this time in hopes of finding their friend. What lies at the top of the staircase is a haunted house of sorts with a changing labyrinth of rooms and horrors and replays of their traumas that they must overcome to get out. Will they get out of this nightmare? Do they find their long gone friend? Read and find out.

Sophie is celebrating her 16th birthday party at her father and step-mothers lavish but perhaps haunted home in the Texas Hill country. There is a large cast of characters that may initially seem unrelated, and many red herrings. I felt it was a bit slow in the beginning, but the stage had to be set. Slowly surprising secrets are revealed. Read for detail, but even so this one is so twisted I didn’t have a clue. Good guys and bad guys are not always obvious in this one. A good read.

I didn’t realize this was the horror genre, not my typical read. Thematically it addresses issues around families and secrets and betrayals, but on the surface, true to its plot, it is a horror story, and a pretty scary one. Eight-year-old Bella has a friend, but she lives inside the closet. She is not invisible but can take many shapes and forms. Bella names her “Other Mother”. She wants Bella to let her into her heart, but Bella continues to resist. “Other Mother” starts out as a good friend, and Bella has no other friends. As Bella’s mom and dad’s relationship seems to be crumbling, “Other Mother” seems to become more aggressive and stronger. What follows is this family’s journey to be free from “Other Mother”. I am not quite sure how it ended, and I have now read the ending three times. I am still thinking about it.

In 1936, a young Charlotte Cross has the chance of a lifetime to explore the ruins of Ancient Egypt at an archaeological dig in Valley of the Kings. She is given opportunities to work alongside archaeologists, excavate artifacts, and do research on an ancient female pharoah, Hathorkare. She falls in love with a fellow archaeologist from London and then tragedy strikes. In 1978, Charlotte Cross is now a curator in the Egyptian wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY. Over the years she has continued to research Hathorkare and come up with a theory of her demise. On the night of the Met Gala, Charlotte's extensive research and an Egyptian artifact are stolen from the museum! Nineteen year old Annie Jenkins, who just began working as an assistant to Diana Vreeland, former Vogue fashion editor and organizer of the Gala, becomes a person of interest in the robbery. Charlotte and Annie team up to clear her name and find the thief and stolen artifact. This leads them to Egypt where the story began. If you like archaeology, ancient history, and this author I think you will like this book. I think it is Fiona Davis' best!

A good book but disappointing overall. This was very predictable and had twists and turns that were not necessary. Additionally the main character's backstory in the first 3 chapters means nothing to the plot. The big reveal comes too early and the story has a huge setting to utilize, but they keep it in one small closet. It gets boring very quickly. The main character's survival is also not believable. While reading, I could hear Agatha Christie spinning in her grave like a rotisserie chicken.

A riveting historical novel/romance taking place during WWII in England and Ireland. It's the fifth in the Knocknashee series by one of my favorite authors. Grace and Richard have loved each other for four years, but it was never the right time to express their love.

This book is an adult romance novel about Harriet and Wyn, who have been the “perfect couple”, but they break up. However, they still pretend they are dating because they don’t want to ruin their friends’ last trip at the cottage. I give this book a three out of five stars because it was a good read. I didn’t hate it, but it was not exactly my type of read. For an adult romance, the problems and fights that the characters had felt very teenager like arguments. I liked the friendship dynamic and how there were multiple characters all with their own internal problems so overall it was a good read, just not my favorite.