Waltz on the Big Meadow - Dorothy A. Bell

It's 1897, an abandoned wife and mother with a rebellious teenage daughter faces a dilemma: how to earn enough cash for food and upkeep, and maintain respectability? The gossips would have it that her laundry business is a sham. She's too friendly with her customers at the local bordello and the men at the logging camp. When she takes in a border, a doctor, who arrives without his bride, tongues really start to wag. There is a second chance for love, but it's fraught with obstacles and heartache.

Widowed laundress gets second chance at love and life.

My Review

What a read! I didn't really know what to expect with this one. Yes, there's romance, but that isn't really what this book is about. Or at least, it wasn't the biggest part of it for me. I love history, and books, like this one, that take you back to a particular time. I don't know a great deal about America in the late 1800s. But from the first page of this book I was there.

I think that what I loved most about this book was the women. The pages are populated with such interestingly drawn characters. Women who are finding their way in what was very much a man's world. Women who could find themselves shunned by society if they acted in the wrong way. I felt for both Odessa and her mother Irene as they tried to navigate life. Abandoned by her husband, Irene has few options open to her, but with heart and drive, she manages to make her way in life as the story unfolds.

I was gripped by this story. Grateful that life is so very different for me and my girls. As is often the case, when we think of life being simpler in the past, it often is, but at the cost of women. There is romance here, but it isn't a defining moment for Irene. She doesn't need it, as for her daughter, in many ways she would have been better off without romance.

This was a fantastic read and one that will stay with me for quite some time. 

Author Bio

Married going on sixty years, yes, to the same sweet fella. Moved, relocated at least that many times over the years, but always end up back in Oregon. I was born in Burlington, Iowa but my dad had itchy feet and moved me, my sister and mother to a small town in the Willamette Valley of Oregon when I was ten. And that's when I first met my future spouse in the sixth grade. I've been a store clerk, a meat wrapper, sausage and hamburger grinder, I've put the center stick in kites, pumped gas, and for 18 years I was an aquatic exercise instructor. Love, love working out in the water. Highly recommend a water workout. While doing all of that, I wrote, read, and wrote some more and finally, after many tries and a lot of sell-education on the craft of writing a good story, I was first published in 2014 with my first Oregon Historical fiction romance. I have had a dozen novels published with royalty paying publishers. Ten of which are no longer with a publisher, but I have the rights, and they are in e-book compatible format for any who are interested. Check me out at my blog at https://dabellm3.wordpress.com.  

Murder in the Scottish Highlands - Dee Macdonald

Majestic mountain views, whisky by the fire and… a murder to solve? 

Join Ally McKinley at her cosy little guesthouse in the Scottish Highlands as she tackles her first puzzling case!

For recently retired Ally McKinley, the tiny village of Locharran is the perfect place to open the guesthouse of her dreams in a lovingly restored old Scottish malthouse. Before long she is making friends with the locals, including Hamish Sinclair, the earl who owns the nearby castle. But things take an unexpected turn when her first paying guest, American tourist Wilbur Carrington, is found sprawled across her cobblestoned courtyard with a dagger in his back…

With the police baffled, Ally’s instincts get the better of her, and she can’t resist launching her own investigation. In no time at all she and her Labrador puppy Flora are on the case, making enquiries over tea and excellent shortbread. She finds that Wilbur, a keen amateur genealogist, was convinced that he was the rightful Earl of Locharran… Even worse, he had plans that would put many people out of their jobs and even their homes.

But which of the locals resorted to murder? The hotel owner furiously trying to save his business? Locharran Castle’s fiercely loyal housekeeper who’d do anything for the earl? Or the earl himself, whose entire way of life was threatened by what Wilbur knew?

Looking for clues, Ally finds a faded photograph in a hidden drawer in Wilbur’s room. Could this be the key to solving the mystery? But when one of her suspects dies in a suspicious accident, Ally realises that things are getting a wee bit too close for comfort… Can she uncover the truth or will a killer get off scot-free?

An utterly unputdownable new Scottish cosy mystery series from bestselling author Dee MacDonald. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase.

My Review:

I've read all of Dee MacDonald's Kate Palmer series and really enjoyed them, so when this new series began I was keen to read it too. This time we are in the Scottish Highlands with Ally McKinley, who has moved there to open a guest house from Edinburgh after the death of her husband. She has converted an old malt house and now is looking forward to hosting her guests, unfortunately, one of her first guests turns up dead on her doorstep and she finds herself trying to get to the bottom of what happened.

I really enjoyed the new characters introduced in this book and the setting for the story. The murder itself took a little figuring out, but I think I got there just a bit before Ally. I also liked the way that her new puppy and then potential love interest were all added into the mix.

This is a good read and a strong start to a new series. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Ally soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Author Bio:

Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.

She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.

Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!

Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.

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Honor Bound - Katherine Grey

Bound by honor...tempted by desire

California “Callie” St. John knows just how much one night of rebellion can cost. After narrowly escaping a car bombing, she is forced to acknowledge she needs a bodyguard, just not the one chosen for her. He pushes her buttons and forces his way past her defenses. While she fights to keep the secret that destroyed her family, she worries she's trusting her bodyguard more than she should.

Lieutenant James “Hawk” Hawkins, a member of a special ops unit of soldiers with extra-ordinary abilities, believes acting as a bodyguard to the daughter of one of DC's movers and shakers is a waste of his talents. But as he comes to know the woman behind the icy façade, he realizes she is more than she seems.

When a dangerous enemy from Hawk’s past targets Callie, he’s willing to risk everything to keep her safe. But succumbing to temptation isn't an option...no matter how much he wants to give in. Because secrets always come to light, and the past is never forgotten.

My Review

Honor Bound tells the story of Callie, a young woman who seems to live the perfect life. With her own flash apartment paid for by her father and a life of volunteering for charities, many would love to swap places. Unfortunately, things aren't as idyllic as they seem. Callie's father doesn't care about her and she's completely alone.

When Jimmy is assigned as her bodyguard, he doesn't like her to begin with, her ice queen exterior stops anyone from getting close. I loved seeing how this pair grew to trust one another as they spent more time together.

The story is a tense romantic suspense and I couldn't bring myself to put it down once I'd started. Callie faces danger at every turn. I loved the romance between these two, they were really well-suited and I enjoyed watching them grow closer as time went on. 

This is the first in the Echo Company series and I'd be keen to read more. This is a great start to the series and one I recommend. 

Author Bio

Katherine Grey writes contemporary romances with a hint of the paranormal. She lives in upstate NY with her family. When she’s not writing, she can be found up to her elbows in flour trying out new cookie recipes.

Buy Link: Amazon - Honor Bound

An Irish Bookshop Murder - Lucy Connelly

Meet Ireland’s newest daring detective: she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer.

Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case!

After receiving unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!

Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.

Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the older man—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?

Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.

Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?

Readers who love Agatha Christie, Carlene O’Connor or Faith Martin, you’ve found your newest cozy crime addiction! An incredibly fast-paced and funny whodunnit that will sweep you away to Ireland and keep you zipping through until you reach the very last page.

My Review

I love starting a new mystery series, so I was quite excited about starting An Irish Bookshop Murder. Although it's book one in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series, Mercy is actually a twin, and her sister Lizzy plays quite a role in helping solve the murders.

Mercy and her sister have had quite a hard time recently, so when they discover that not only do they have a grandfather in Ireland, but that he's also left them a pretty cottage and bookshop (who wouldn't love that) they make the decision to move from the US and start afresh. Unfortunately, this new life isn't a completely relaxing one and it's not long before things start to happen and Mercy finds herself in the middle of a real-life murder investigation.

This book has all of the elements that you'd expect from a good cozy mystery; dead bodies, secrets to uncover, a cast of locals, a potential love interest and by the end of the book an animal companion to join Mercy and Lizzy. The town of Shamrock Cove (no really) and the 'court' in which the cottages are set is very Disney Ireland, but that somehow fits better with the cozy murder genre than the real country ever would.
This was a very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to joining Mercy, her sister Lizzy and the rest of the locals from Shamrock Cove in the near future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards and National Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews with Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.

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A Sour Note - Jill Piscitello

When murder provides a welcome distraction…

On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. 

Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

 

EXCERPT:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.

If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.

“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.

“I found it.”

“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.

“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.

“Where was Vic?”

She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.

“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”

“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks.

 

My Review:

There's something just so enjoyable about a good murder. In a book that is, when you can try and work out who is behind it all without endangering yourself at all. It's hardly surprising that when heroines such as Maeve in A Sour Note, can't help but try and get to the bottom of who the murder is, when faced with a mystery.

Maeve has recently returned to her home town, after the breakdown of her engagement. If she was hoping for a quiet life, then she is sadly disappointed. After discovering the dead body of a self-proclaimed local celebrity, the problem isn't that Maeve can't find out who might have killed Trixie, but rather that there are far too many candidates.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I didn't manage to solve it myself, although I think that I was heading in the right direction. Maeve is a headstrong character, who thinks nothing of putting herself in danger to try and find out what's going on and who might be behind the murder.

I enjoyed the setting of this book and the other characters that made up the pages. These are people that Maeve has known all of her life, but hasn't been around for quite some time.
I really enjoyed this murder mystery and I'd been keen to read more about Maeve and The Music Box in the future.

About the Author:

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

 

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.

 

 

Social media links:

Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram  ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub

 

 

Tip the Piano Man - Rosetta Diane Hoessli

When little Piper Callaghan appears at Hope’s Home, too traumatized to speak after discovering her murdered mother’s body, Dr. Madison Wagner hopes to make the child’s possible father, writer Luke Callaghan, take responsibility for the bloody chaos he’s apparently created. For his part, Luke has his own story and refuses to be patronized.

But when they discover Piper is the victim of prominent citizens profiting from an online international child sex ring, Madison and Luke understand they’re in this fight together. And guiding them from beyond the grave is a murdered young mother seeking retribution…and atonement.

Madison and Luke must prevail against overwhelming odds, or their relentless pursuit of truth will hurtle them toward a shocking reality neither ever anticipated.

My Review

What a story this is. It left me both gripped and completely unsettled at the same time. This thriller deals with one of the most unsavoury and sick crimes, that of child molestation.
The book follows Madison, who runs a home for vulnerable children and Luke, who finds out after the death of his estranged wife that he has a daughter. Between them they grow closer as they discover all that Luke's daughter Pipper and other children have suffered at the hands of these evil characters.

This book won't be for everyone. It doesn't shy away from the terror and pain that children can and do suffer at the hands of such people. This is a story of evil. The darkest, purest and most horrifying evil. But of course, you can't help but read and find out if Madison and Luke can track down the men behind this.

Tip the Piano Man is a horrifying, yet gripping read. It's well worth a read.

Rosetta Diane Hoessli

Rosetta Diane Hoessli has been a freelance writer since 1985. A winner of national and state-wide writing contests, she has served as senior feature writer, columnist, and executive editor for three (3) regional publications – two in San Antonio and one in Houston, Texas.

Rosetta also collaborated with New York socialite Jeanette Longoria in Longoria’s self-published book entitled Aphrodite and Me: Discovering Sensuality and Romance at Any Age, co-authored biographical novel Falling Through Ice with Carolyn Huebner Rankin, and edited a book of short stories, Working On the Wild Side, compiled and written by Florida Fish and Wildlife officer Jeff Gager.

WHISPERS THROUGH TIME (2021) was Rosetta’s first solo novel, and was Book One in a series by the same name. TIP THE PIANO MAN, a mystery/suspense novel, is her second book and was released by The Wild Rose Press in 2024.

Today, Rosetta focuses most of her attention on writing historical fiction and traveling with her husband, Kevin. They reside in San Antonio, Texas with their two rescued fur-kids, near their daughter and two grandchildren.

 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RonniHoessli

 

Facebook Author’s Page: https://www.facebook.com/RosettaDianeAuthor

AllAuthor Landing Page: https://allauthor.com/page/rosettah21/3/

Follow me on Twitter (X)! My handle is @DianeThomp3419

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tip-Piano-Rosetta-Diane-Hoessli/dp/1509254412/

AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/page/rosettah21/3/

The Wild Rose Press: https://www.thewildrosepress.com

Barnes & Noble Book Store: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tip-the-piano-man-rosetta-diane-hoessli/1144905691?ean=9781509254415

BooksAMillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509254415

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tip-the-piano-man-rosetta-diane-hoessli/21260577?ean=9781509254415&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwildrosepress.com%2F&source=IndieBound&title=

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/tip-the-piano-man/id6478547553

Island Detour - Maria Imbalzano

Falsely accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape, but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton, are anything but tranquil.

 

Max is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames the demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside him.

My Review

Island Detour is an opposites attract love story. I'm not sure that you could get two more opposites than Max and Sophie, or at least on the surface. They have plenty in common and have similar values when they get to know one another.

There are some romance novels where there's a little bit of misunderstanding that could be solved by simply communicating. Then there are books like this, when I could have burst into the pages, given them both a good shake and shouted 'just talk to each other!' Every time they came close to understanding one another, one or the other would make an assumption or get the wrong end of the stick. I think that this is one of the most frustrating romances that I've ever read. That of course meant that I was completely invested and wanted to know what was going to happen between them.

Some of the things that Sophie and Max were upset or worried about, I didn't really understand. But it was important to them. I don't really understand the way that American private schools work, I actually wasn't sure how old the students were (high school? University? I don't know) but that didn't really matter, this wasn't about them.

Sophie and Max ultimately made a great couple, both encouraging each other to be the best they could be. A great read.

Bio

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states.  Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.