The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

A Novel of an American Midwife

Book Blurb:

Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need – and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust – but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate and fragile for her to ever let anyone in.

Honest, moving, and beautifully detailed, Patricia Harman’s The Midwife of Hope River rings with authenticity as Patience faces nearly insurmountable difficulties. From the dangerous mines of West Virginia to the terrifying attentions of the Ku Klux Klan, Patience must strive to bring new light and life into an otherwise hard world.

My Review:

Stories set in the early thirties are usually full of grit, hardship, and economic misery. Using the Depression as an atmospheric cloak, this novel explores women and their families’ struggle with the impending birth of a baby.

Patience Murphy may be fairly new to the world of midwifery, but she doesn’t lack compassion nor steadfast courage. Particularly in the south and the conditions of the Appalachian residents during that dark time, it’s a practice that brings both joy and distress, adding yet another burden to an already over-burdened home.

And many of the conditions are desperate, from starvation to the inability to confront catastrophic winters.

I appreciated the hardening of Patience as she tests her skills throughout the storyline, sometimes partnering with the local veterinarian in the care of animals whose owners cannot pay for services except perhaps for the offer of a live chicken in exchange.

Patience is in a community in which she’s virtually a stranger, having fled her previous home under suspicious circumstances. The time is rife with discrimination, raw relations, and the struggle against those who would take the worst job away from your own opportunity for employment.

I enjoyed the many births, the unique circumstances, and the backgrounds of the varied women, and also appreciated the inner knowledge Bitsy could convey. I tired, however, of some soap box discussions, perhaps an attempt to juxtapose that time with the same one we are currently experiencing. Also, I found her background pushing disbelief and thought it was not the first time I felt a separation from the main character.

The book is well paced and kept my attention, but I felt there were a few incongruous issues. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Medical Fiction, Family Life Fiction
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B01GIAIPNE
Listening Length: 12 hrs 4 mins
Narrator: Anne Wittman
Publication Date: June 3, 2016
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links: Amazon-US – Amazon-UK

The Author: Patricia Harman has spent over thirty years caring for women as a midwife, first as a lay-midwife, delivering babies in cabins and on communal farms in West Virginia, and later as a nurse-midwife in teaching hospitals and in a community hospital birthing center.

She spent over a decade in the sixties and seventies in her wild youth living in rural communes in Washington (Tolstoy Farm), Connecticut (The Committee for Non-Violent Action) and Minnesota (Free Folk). During the Vietnam years, she and her husband, Tom Harman, traveled the country, often hitch-hiking, as they looked for a place to settle. In 1974 they purchased a farm with a group of like-minded friends on top of a ridge in Roane County, West Virginia. Here on the commune, they built log houses, dug a pond, grew and preserved their own food and started the Growing Tree Natural Foods Cooperative.

It was during this time that Patsy attended her first home birth, more or less by accident. “Some people are destined,” she has written. “I was staying at a woman friend’s commune when she went into labor and I ended up delivering my first baby.” Soon after, Harman traveled to Austin, Texas to train with a collective of home-birth midwives. When she returned, she became one of the founding members of The West Virginia Cooperative of Midwives. Her passion for caring for women and babies led her to become an RN as the first step in getting licensed as certified nurse midwife. In 1985, with her children, a yowling cat and her husband she traveled north, pulling a broken down trailer to begin her training at the University of Minnesota where she received her MSN in Nurse-Midwifery.

Patricia Harman still lives and works with her husband, Ob/Gyn Thomas Harman, in West Virginia.. Though she no longer attends births, she provides care for women in early pregnancy and through-out the life span. She brings to this work the same dedication and compassion she brought to obstetrics.

#ThrowbackThursday

A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

A Secret Bookcase Mystery

Book Blurb:

In the gripping conclusion to The Secret Bookcase series, Annie Murray races to untangle the ultimate plot twist…

Life is good for Annie: she’s found healing at the Secret Bookcase, her beloved Agatha Christie-themed mystery bookstore in the cozy town of Redwood Grove, and is on the brink of launching her very own detective agency. But she’s still haunted by one unsolved case: the murder of her best friend Scarlet ten years ago.

When Annie heads to Santa Clara for their annual book fair, she’s looking forward to meeting fellow booklovers. And she’s also got a secret mission: she’ll be close to Silicon Summit Partners, the powerful investment firm she just knows had a hand in Scarlet’s death. But when an industry colleague is murdered at the book fair, Annie is first on the scene to investigate. The suspect list reads like a book lover’s who’s who: a celebrity author with a suspicious agenda, a rival with a grudge, and even a kindly grandmother pursuing her lifelong dream of owning a bookstore.

With her fellow bookseller and crime-fighting partner Fletcher playing Watson to her Holmes, can Annie catch the killer before they strike again? And will it distract her from her mission to finally bring her best friend Scarlet’s murderer to justice?

This fun-filled and clean cozy mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of Lauren Elliott, Merryn Allingham and M.C. Beaton, and book lovers everywhere.

My Review:

I’ve been a fan of this author for some time. She can weave a great cozy mystery at the same time as infusing the storyline with engaging atmospherics.

“A hint of a strong antiseptic cleaner hung in the air, mingled with the distinct scent of corruption.”

Annie Murray has been looking forward to this book fair for some time, not just because she’ll hook up with industry colleagues, but it will give her access to the Silicon Summit Partners, who Annie has long suspected was instrumental in the death of her best friend, Scarlet, who was soon to be her partner in their new detective agency, Novel Detectives.

It’s not like Annie hasn’t gained some experience in the latter and, fortunately, she has a close associate, Fletcher Hughes, who’ll have her back at the book fair and at the investment firm she’ll investigate while there.

While Annie is attending the book fair and learning about virtual reality reading, there is a suspicious death. The victim was pushing his virtual reality reading device heavily surrounded by contentious activity. Was it the motive for murder?

Perhaps the headset wasn’t fully ready for market? Annie is working, unofficially, with the slightly green detective on the case while she proceeds with plans to secure evidence from the investment firm.

It looks like Annie has a strong set of support characters for her work with her new agency as well as backup for her bookstore, the Secret Bookcase. This series culminated with the exposure of Scarlet’s killer, so while this might have been the final episode of this series, the spin-off, Novel Detectives is slated to start early in 2026. It’s looking to be a good one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries, Cozy Animal Mysteries, Amateur Sleuths
Publisher: Storm Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1805089919
ASIN: B0DVZDJ13Q
Print Length: 238 pages

Publication Date: June 16, 2025 Just Released!

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: ELLIE ALEXANDER is a voracious storyteller, a lover of words and all things bookish. She believes that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over thirty published novels and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.

She loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.

Find out more about Ellie, her books, and writing courses by visiting her online:

Website: https://www.elliealexander.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexander

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elliealexanderauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliealexanderauthor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliealexanderauthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ellielovesbooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elliealexanderauthor

Cozy Summer Reading — AI generated graphic courtesy Gemini Flash 2.5

Body of Evidence by Stephen Penner #BookReview #legalthriller

A Rain City Legal Thriller Book 6

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

She was murdered ten years ago. Now she has a story to tell.

Seattle Attorney Daniel Raine is hired by one Jim Carpenter who has been charged with a cold case murder.

A body has been discovered, buried under Carpenter’s business. When the remains are identified as a missing girl who was responsible for the DUI death of his own daughter, he instantly becomes the prime suspect.

It’s a clear case of a grief-stricken father out for revenge.

Believing Carpenter’s vehement protestations of innocence, Raine sets out to find out what really happened on that fateful day ten years ago.

But the case gets increasingly difficult as Raine finds himself battling a power-hungry prosecutor with an eye on higher office.

Even worse, all the witnesses seem to have something to hide, and as he digs for the truth, Raine has to fight through a tangled web of secrets and lies.

A web that will soon turn deadly…

His Review:

Attorney J. Daniel Raine enjoys his role as a Prosecuting Attorney. He is noted for his ruthlessness in getting criminals off the street. They are wards of the courts, usually for their remaining lives. However, he is assigned the task of being a defense attorney trying to keep a lovely mid-thirties defendant out of a life sentence. She is very pretty and is like a lost puppy needing rescuing.

Raine is up against a very seasoned prosecuting attorney who really wants to see him fail at his new role in defense. The judge does not allow him a motion to free him from this task. His attitude is “if I am the defense attorney then she is not guilty!” He finds every loophole possible and ignores evidence that implicates his client.

C E Williams This is a very interesting book and is engaging and interesting. I can thoroughly recommend to any who enjoy a solid legal thriller! 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Inkubator Books
ASIN: B0FB9LNVXQ
Print Length: 295 pages
Publication Date: June 8, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Stephen Penner is an author, artist, and attorney from Seattle, Washington. He has written more than 30 novels and specializes in courtroom thrillers known for their unexpected twists and candid portrayal of the justice system. He draws on his extensive experience as a criminal trial attorney to infuse his writing with realism and insight.

Stephen is the bestselling author of several top-rated legal thriller series. The RAIN CITY LEGAL THRILLERS deliver the adventures of Seattle attorney Daniel Raine and his unlikely partner Rebecca Sommers. The DAVID BRUNELLE LEGAL THRILLERS feature Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. And the TALON WINTER LEGAL THRILLERS showcase tough-as-nails Tacoma criminal defense attorney Talon Winter and her closest allies. Stephen is also the author of the MAGGIE DEVEREAUX PARANORMAL MYSTERIES, recounting the exploits of an American graduate student in the magical Highlands of Scotland, and several other stand-alone works.

In his spare time, Stephen enjoys painting, drawing, and spending time with his family.

Sunday reading — AI generated graphic courtesy Gemini flash 2.5

The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood #AudiobookReview #bookclubs #TBT

Editors’ pick Best Literature and Fiction Books

I was thrilled to find an active, dynamic book club at our local Y and attended for their June selection: One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood. The book club meets once a month and is very popular. They have a curated list of books and the members have already chosen one for each month of 2025. Each have available a “Book Club to Go” kit. The book selection next month is Beartown by Fredrik Backman, and of course, I’m familiar with Backman.

Book Blurb (audiobook):

For years, guitarist Quinn Porter has been on the road, chasing gig after gig, largely absent to his twice-ex-wife Belle and their odd, Guinness records-obsessed son. When the boy dies suddenly, Quinn seeks forgiveness for his paternal shortcomings by completing the requirements for one of his son’s unfinished Boy Scout badges. For seven Saturdays Quinn does yardwork for Ona Vitkus, the spry 104-year-old Lithuanian immigrant the boy had visited weekly. Quinn soon discovers that the boy had talked Ona into gunning for the world record for oldest licensed driver. Despite himself, Quinn picks up where the boy left off, forging a friendship with Ona that allows him to know the son he never understood.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

My Thoughts

There are many reasons I read, few of them would to become depressed. On reflection, yes, it’s a good book, heavy on relationships, memory, love, loss, and hardship. The storyline is unique, rift with emotion.

But Lordy, is it a downer!

The Boy is an atypical youngster, unusual, quirky, and autistic. He’s also smaller than his peers and smart as a whip. He’s sweet. The kind of little boy you just want to hug. But sadly, much of the book is a deep dive into 104-year-old Ona Vitkus’ life and that of the boy’s father, Quinn, trying to complete his son’s Boy Scout badge work.

The Boy discovers Ona’s amazing history and becomes determined to get her into the Guinness Book of World Records. Unfortunately, he doesn’t live to see through the process.

I never warmed to Quinn, but did get an occasional chuckle from Ona’s character. Sharp as a tack, she has memories sufficient to cross your eyes. But then, many of those are of hardship and loss.

When the end arrives, it’s quiet, low-key, and almost slips by (in my case) the listener. Is it a satisfying ending? You’ll need to read the book and then you tell me. I felt relieved the experience was over but also with just a blush of satisfaction at the wrap-up and epilogue.

Book Club Thoughts

When I mentioned that I thought the book could be depressing, there were a number of agreeable head nods and quiet affirmations. As always, there were a number of varying take-aways, each finding a different point to the story.

While there was a division of opinion on the major characters, the fact that “the boy” is never named became quite the point for extended discussion, including research into why the boy was not named. And, yes, I was caught off guard as well at the end of the book, realizing that the main character did not have a name. (Many of the members thought the author’s explanation was a rather weak one.)

One hang up occurred when the question of Friendship vs Family ties came up as we delved deeply into the character of the father, Quinn, and that of Ona, who, at 104 had outlived all her friends and only had a son still living whom she did not know. So it was that we could understand, perhaps, the deeply personal and loving relationship that this special boy and a centenarian could develop.

Once again, it was fun to hear all the different opinions the same novel could develop and open my eyes to the prose, purpose, and meaning that I might not have digested. The voting was lively but on the whole—they liked it!

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with a copy of the audiobook and the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Club rating

Book Blurb (print):

Winner of the Nautilus Award and the New England Society Book Award, Monica Wood’s The One-in-a-Million Boy is the incandescent story of a 104-year-old woman and the sweet, strange young boy assigned to help her around the house—a friendship that touches each member of the boy’s unmoored family.

“The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don’t they teach you anything at school?”

So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who’s been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she’s confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.

One Saturday, the boy doesn’t show up. Ona starts to think he’s not so special after all, but then his father arrives on her doorstep, determined to finish his son’s good deed. The boy’s mother is not so far behind. Ona is set to discover that the world can surprise us at any age, and that sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find ourselves again.

Book Details:

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Literature & Fiction, Family Life Fiction
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Narrator: Chris Ciulla
ASIN: B01E5126WY
Listening Length: 10 hrs 27 mins
Publication Date: April 18, 2016
Source: Audiobooks – Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

Monica Wood - author — Monica Wood author photo courtesy Goodreads

The Author: Monica Wood is the author of four works of fiction, most recently The One-in-a-Million-Boy, which won a 2017 Nautilus Award (Gold) and the 2017 fiction prize from the New England Society in the City of New York. She also is the author of Any Bitter Thing which spent 21 weeks on the American Booksellers Association extended bestseller list and was named a Book Sense Top Ten pick. Her other fiction includes Ernie’s Ark and My Only Story, a finalist for the Kate Chopin Award.

Monica is also the author of When We Were the Kennedys, a memoir of her growing up in Mexico, Maine. The book won the Maine Literary Award for Memoir in 2013, and the Sarton Women’s Literary Awards for Memoir in 2012.

Monica Wood website

Book Club — AI generated graphic courtesy Gemini 2.5 Flash

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave: A Novel by Elle Cosimano #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Books of the Year So Far 2025

Book Blurb:

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets . . . before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

My Review:

It’s been a year since I read Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice and now here we are with Book 5 of the quirky, irreverent series featuring a writer (Finlay) who’s hit the wall and is usually frantically trying to stall her New Jersey(?) editor while she comes up with something. Her best friend, Vero, has a dubious background and often times comes up with slightly illegal solutions to Finlay’s current problems.

And Finlay seems to have them. Usually of her own making.

She has two little ones and miraculously manages all the mischief-making without involving the young and innocent.

Finlay and Vero (who was originally supposed to help her manage the babies, the house, and be a quasi-assistant), are of similar age and persuasion. They are young, smart, and independent. Their dialogue is fast, snarky, and very contemporary.

I was hooked by the first installment and read each one since. I found a few over the top for me but came back for more anyway. This one includes an old lady (good old Mrs. Haggerty—the neighbor—save me from the narrator’s switch in voice—so annoying).

The plot, however, is clever, twisty, and humorous and I found it fast and fun. Just the right amount of romance (Finlay has a hot cop boyfriend and Vero also a new love interest), sexual innuendo, and trash talk. For the most part, the narrator does a credible job with the switch in voices and situation. Gotta run to keep up!

Enjoy something modern, engaging, and entertaining? If you haven’t already, might try this one.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Humorous Fiction & Satire, Women Sleuth Mysteries, Humorous Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0D3622PF1
Listening Length: 9 hrs 11 mins
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Publication Date: March 4, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Elle Cosimano is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Award winner, and an Edgar® Award nominee. Her acclaimed young adult novels include Nearly Gone, Holding Smoke, The Suffering Tree, and Seasons of the Storm. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a PEOPLE Magazine Pick and one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2021. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Time. Elle lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia. You can learn more about her at her website: http://www.ElleCosimano.com.

Photo courtesy of Holly Virginia Photography

Happy Listening!

Four eBooks, Three Genres – Mini-reviews Dogged Pursuit, Fatal Verdict, Smoke on the Water, What We Left Behind

During the time I took a quick blog sabbatical, we continued to read or, in my case, listen to audiobooks. Woefully behind on reviews, I’m posting shortened versions of some of the novels we enjoyed during the hiatus. (Links on individual covers are to Goodreads.)

His Thoughts:

Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt

Minotaur Books
July 1, 2025

Car bombs are a very hands-off way to kill someone. No looking at the victim or victims, just a simple explosion and the deed is committed. The killer never has to look the victims in the eye. However, there are certain skill sets that are required to use this method of killing.

Ryan Tierney is arrested and placed into prison despite the fact that he was not involved in the crime. Andy Carpenter is hired to defend him. The evidence points to Ryan, including a car with his license plates witnessed at the scene of the crime by two police officers. The case seems open and shut.

David Rosenfelt writes a very entertaining novel with many twists and turns. He has been hired to defend this potential killer and is unfamiliar with the client he is defending. The dialogue is very entertaining between Andy and the various characters in this novel. It harkens back to some of the old Sam Spade novels I read as a teenager. I recommend this book as a fast-moving thriller. 5 stars – CE Williams

Note: This is a prequel to the popular Andy Carpenter mysteries and explains how he came to quit working as a prosecutor and opened his own practice as a defense attorney. It is also an introduction to his connection with Tara (his rescue dog).

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Fatal Verdict by Peter O’Mahoney

Thomas & Mercer
July 1, 2025

Sammy is not the brightest individual in any room, but a stroke of luck makes him an instant five times millionaire. He cannot believe his luck. Friends who had seemed to write him off years ago are suddenly back wanting to spend time with him. A lovely young lady named Haley has confessed undying love. The world is looking very positive for Sammy.

Sammy rewrites his will and five days later Sammy is discovered in the shallows with a bullet in his head. His most recent fling is now a suspect in his murder, but his brother Ken is brought in for questioning. Ken swears that he had nothing to do with the killing but that the money rightfully belongs to him. Sure, Sammy bought the winning lottery ticket but Ken felt that Sammy should never have actually got the proceeds. Ken has worked his whole life and why shouldn’t he have those winnings. Adding insult to injury, Sammy paid off some of Ken’s debts; but would not give Ken any money! Ken is a habitual drug user.

Haley is a beautiful and vivacious thirty something who discovered Sammy’s fortune and immediately latched on to him. A new will had been drafted five days before Sammy’s death and all of the money was left to Haley. Ken is livid and threatens Haley feeling the money was his rightful inheritance! He has a solid alibi.

This story features a prosecuting attorney who has been hired to defend Haley. He puts together a great defense team and the climax is very entertaining. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

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Smoke on the Water by Jack Bartley

Koehler Books
April 15, 2025

One of the ways to pay for college was to join the service during the Vietnam War. Tuition was paid and after graduation, the rank of Ensign was given. However, there was a price to be paid. Usually, sea duty followed graduation after a short introduction to military discipline. Following his graduation, the main character Lieutenant Junior Grade Jason Conley finds himself stationed on a destroyer escort off the coast of South Vietnam.

Support fire for the ground troops was supplied by the USS Everett stationed about one mile off the coast. Flashes from shore were followed by large water spouts which often times marched towards the ships on picket. The Everett only had a five-inch gun which was used to protect their position. The Vietnamese would go onto the sandy shore with the guns mounted on truck beds and try to sink the ship. The pucker factor was extreme.

The description of life in the U.S. Navy during the war is well-developed by this author. The young sailors were usually stationed out of Hawaii and to a much lesser extent Guam. The duty stations were usually for four to six months and life aboard ship was close at best. Naval tradition usually keeps the officers and enlisted men separated. This story tells the relationship between men aboard a smaller ship with fewer men. Jason made friends with a number of enlisted men and this is frowned upon by his superior officers.

The relationships between the crew members are vital to the overall mission and working together breeds comradeship and brotherhood. The story illuminates the problems that some of the crews on smaller ships faced. The antics and relationships with shore-based personnel, particularly nurses, are similar to my experience in the Navy. This book is riveting and well documents the extreme highs and lows of the period. It is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or wishes to become familiar with Naval participation in the early 1970’s. 5 stars – CE Williams

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What We Left Behind by Luisa A Jones

Storm Publishing
May 30, 2025

War is on the horizon and the bombing of London is expected to commence soon. Children are assembled and sent to the country with the anticipated bombing of London close at hand. Many of the parents are poor working class and the feeling is that they are dependent upon the charity of others. The children are torn from their homes and sent miles away to the Welch countryside.

The attitude of the men living in England was one of patriotism or shame that they are not fit for military service. Looked upon as less than manly, their favorite escapism is beating their wives and children. Some of the boys emulate their fathers and treat the girls and their younger brothers and sisters with contempt.

The volunteers who take these children in are burdened with more mouths to feed than anticipated. The shy and withdrawn children are usually picked on by their older siblings and other kids. Letters from home are very important to help the children adapt but they are often misplaced or not sent at all during this tumultuous time.

This story visits the nightmares that were endured by both the caregiving volunteers and the children they were trying to help. The author is very adept at providing a look into this very tumultuous time in history. The story is both heart-wrenching and engaging at the same time. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review these books. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

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Blackout: A Thriller by David Rosenfelt #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Doug Brock #1

Book Blurb:

New Jersey state police officer Doug Brock has been after infamous criminal Nicholas Bennett for years. When Bennett kills someone close to Doug, Doug’s investigation – and his life – start spiraling out of control. He’s placed on indefinite suspension from the police force and breaks things off with his fiancée, but he can’t let the case go, and he continues an off-the-books investigation on his own.

When Doug’s former partner on the force, Nate Alvarez, receives a call from Doug saying he’s discovered something big, something terrifying, something they need to call in the FBI to handle, Nate is furious that Doug has still been working the case. But when the call ends abruptly, and shortly afterward Doug is found in a hotel room, shot and in critical condition, Nate’s anger turns to fear.

When Doug finally awakens from his coma, however, he has no memory of the case or even the last several years of his life. But the pull of what he might have discovered is too strong, and he finds himself immersed in a desperate search for truth once again, regardless of the danger.

My Review:

I discovered the Andy Carpenter books just around installment 14 (2016) and have read or listened to most every succeeding book since. When The K Team splintered off of the Carpenter books, I started reading all those. So, yes, I’m a die-hard fan of David Rosenfelt, but it was surely the dogs in the Carpenter books that caught my attention.

Of course, if I found another series that Rosenfelt wrote, I dived into those. And, I hate to admit it, but his narrator for the Carpenter books, Grover Gardner, has in no small part cemented my love of the series, ergo, the author.

Still, although there is a sense of the signature wit and snark of Rosenfelt in his other series, it’s the Carpenter books that keep me coming back.

This particular time, I found Book 1 of the Doug Brock series (2016) (not sure there was ever a Doug Brock #4), and listened to it. Yes, I’d previously listened to both Books 2 and 3 back in 2020. Hey—they’re good. Short, well-paced, intelligent. A detective with a life-changing injury is left with amnesia but can’t help working on a case that was plaguing him before he got hurt.

The thing about Rosenfelt’s characters is that while they may not be wholly sympathetic, they are engaging. His plots look simple on the surface then submerge to layers of twists, turns, and red herrings and the chemistry between main character and support characters is electric with natural dialogue that conveys their emotional connection.

I enjoyed this book but I’ve been spoiled by Andy Carpenter. The narrator just slightly misses the mark for me as well. Okay, I’m just spoiled all around by the lawyer, his dogs, his support characters, and the narrator.

Apparently, you can’t beat that combination.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedural Mysteries, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.
ASIN: B01D083OCO
Listening Length: 7 hrs 21 mins
Narrator: Jeff Steitzer
Publication Date: March 15, 2016
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US

The Author: David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, is a graduate of NYU. He was the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a writer of novels and screenplays. “Open And Shut” was his first novel; “First Degree,” his second novel, was named a best book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and 35 dogs.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog #WomensCrimeFiction

A Suspenseful Domestic Thriller with Shocking Twists, Unravel the Deception

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

It is June 21^st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there’s a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn’t a hostage. Her husband – doting father, eternal optimist – is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says…

My Review:

There’s nothing like an all out race that slams at 150 mph into a wall. Sorta what this novel does as the beginning is both a shock and thrill ride.

New mom Camilla didn’t have a particularly restful night and hoping for a little help getting ready for her first day back to work discovers her hubby’s note. Harried and a little resentful, she manages both herself, the baby, and the house and gets to her own job. Before she can get settled down, however, the police are asking to speak to her.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister — Famous Last Words – UK cover

There is an apparent hostage situation in London. She’s thinking hubby is a hostage, but no, they inform her, he is the hostage taker.

Whoa! Switcharoo! Not what the reader expects and it’s a great hook. With two POVs, hers and the hostage negotiator, things progress swiftly until the whole premise hits that proverbial wall. The hostages are killed and Luke manages his escape.

Part II, left without the rug underneath, the reader is now a hostage as well—hanging onto the storyline simply because you have to know the how, why? Cam insists he’s innocent. But in the face of everything, including damaging videos, does she really still believe it can’t be him? If it IS him, WHY?

What follows after that mad scramble into incredulity are the personal back stories and struggles with Cam and the negotiator, Niall, who with the death of the hostages now has those deaths and failure laid at his feet.

AH! Then Part III kicks in and the pace picks up again, but that middle part definitely slows and chills the narrative. In the meantime, some seven years have elapsed, it’s old news, and her life may be changing with a new romance. She decides it’s time to have Luke officially declared dead.

Now the hitch in the giddy-up. Oops. Maybe not. Truth to say, she might always love Luke. If it’s him, trying to reach her—she must know.

Yeah, those twists. It’s possible you also figured out a few things, stretched your imagination. Great characters. I found Niall particularly engaging and empathetic. Still, there’s a whole story yet to reveal denouement. A surprising departure from most plots, tension filled, suspenseful. If you enjoy thrillers, you’ll enjoy this one—even through the slower part. 4.5 stars

I read Wrong Place Wrong Time and I’m still experiencing vertigo from that one. This one pushes disbelief and also leaves you tilted. The author looks so innocent in those author photos, hard to believe these plots come from that mind.

Many thanks to my local library for the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Crime Fiction, Domestic Thrillers, Women’s Psychological Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0063338449
ASIN: B0D3CH5FZS
Print Length: 332 pages
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Gillian McAllister

As you find me, it’s winter 2025 and my new novel is Famous Last Words, a thriller with a marriage at its centre. It asks the question: what would you do if your husband is caught up in a siege in central London? Only, the police tell you he isn’t one of the hostages: he is the gunman… I hope you like the answer!

As to me, otherwise, I am the author of these novels:

Everything But The Truth (2017)
Anything You Do Say (2018) called The Choice in America
No Further Questions (2018) called The Good Sister in America
The Evidence Against You (2019)
How To Disappear (2020)
That Night (2021)
Wrong Place Wrong Time (2022)
Just Another Missing Person (2023)
Famous Last Words (2025)

My most popular novel is probably Wrong Place Wrong Time, which was selected for the Radio 2 book club and was the Reese’s Book Club August ’22 pick. It debuted at number 4 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List and number 2 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

When not writing (which is basically never), I can be found walking my dog Wendy and parenting my small toddler. The best moments of my day always are the first sip of my coffee, the moment I step into the bath at night, and my son telling me he loves me. And that rare thing that happens only once a year – a novel idea.

Happiness is a Reading Buddy