Review: Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden

Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Star Reviews. Agatha is back only this time she heads to a vacation spot for some R & R and also to hide from those that know her, because she has lost her hair! She hears of a “witch” that has a potion for everything you would need, so off she goes to get something for her hair to be back, while in the shop she also picks up some lover potion. Soon after she makes her purchase, the “witch” is found dead. And our beloved Agatha can’t keep her nose out of trouble, and she is dying to try out her love potion on a very handsome police officer.

I love reading books by English mystery writers, as they develop the stories a little bit more differed than American writers. I love how they use their words for the same meaning as we do. Both of M.C. Beaton’s series are a joy to escape reality by, but this one to me was a little slow, and although I liked it, I didn’t enjoy it as much, I had some problems getting lost in the story that normally is easy to do. With this book being # 9 in the series, ( get it she bought love potion and it’s # 9 in the series…lol..)I would recommend you start with book 1 in the series and read them in order. This is a fun series to read and most of the books are very enjoyable.


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Review: Magnolia Moonlight

Magnolia Moonlight by Mary Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars. I’d like to first think NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mary Ellis, and I will say I do enjoy discovering new authors. After reading Magnolia Moonlight, I will be reading more from this author. The title of this book is what drew me to it. I felt that it was fate that I should read this book because one of my dogs’ registered name is Lavender Moonlight & Magnolia, although the title is reversed from her name I took it as a good sign that I needed to read this book, and boy was I right.

Apparently, this book is part of a series, but I didn’t feel lost or confused because the book seemed like it could be read as a stand-alone. One thing that is important to me when reading a book is how the characters are develop, will I like them, Mary Ellis did exactly that by creating entertaining, relatable, down to earth characters. They could be seen as friends, co-workers, neighbors, acquaintances from your neighborhood or local grocery store. The plot was pretty good, the story moved along at a steady pace, one that you didn’t feel that you had to rush through but could sit and enjoy as you forgot about the day’s events that happened in your life that day and just needed to escape reality for a few hours.

Nate Price and his wife, Isabelle, have been married for two years and they are just now taking their honeymoon. While Nate and his wife are away, Natchez will be in the capable hands of Beth Kirby, a former police officer and Michael Preston, the newest person to come aboard. Beth has had some bad luck in the past, which in return made her life miserable, which you can see in her character, which at first I didn’t think I would like her, but by the end I was able to understand why she is the way she is and saw some changes in her.

The wife of Beth’s pastor has hired the P.I.’s to help prove her husband’s innocents. The pastor has been accused of stealing money from one of the church’s funds and commits suicide. Both Beth and Michael go to work to help figure this out. While they look into the church’s accounts, check emails, and talk to people they soon discover the pastor didn’t commit suicide at all, but he was murdered.

Meanwhile, Nate and Isabelle are off on their honeymoon when Isabelle sees her ex-husband, who has a gambling problem. When Isabelle calls his second wife, she learns that her ex-husband has left his second wife and she is devastated by this. Isabelle decides to find out what is going on in her ex-husbands life that he would do this again to another.
I did enjoy this book and I hope other’s will give it chance.


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Review: Lethal Letters

Lethal Letters by Ellery Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 star review. The sixth installment of Ellery Adams A Books By the Bay Mystery series is another wonderful book in the series. I think the one thing that I like about the series is that the town and the people in it seems to live in the real world. It’s not a pretty, peppy, sunshine and unicorn. The characters seem like normal people that get mad, angry, and happy, say it like it is. You’re able to connect to the characters as those they were you’re neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and how can you go wrong when the heroin has a standard poodle named Haviland!

It’s a busy time in Oyster Bay, the tourist are in full, Michele, Olivia’s chef at the restaurant is busy planning his wedding, and driving Olivia and the staff crazy, the historical society’s annual fund-raiser: the Secret Garden Party and Candlelit Ball, and another wedding on the horizon. Then when Michele asks Olivia to accompany her to check out one of the oldest churches in Oyster Bay, where Michele is thinking about having his wedding, they witness the discovery of a time capsule in the foundation, which the workers discover. The historical society has decided that the time capsule will be on display at the fund raiser. Meanwhile, things go missing from the capsule and Haviland discovers the body of Ruthie Holcomb, while Olivia and her niece are walking him on the beach. So once again, with the help of Olivia’s aspiring writer club members, they start investigating on their own….to help the police chief of course.

If you haven’t read any of the books in this series I highly recommend that you start with the first book in the series A Killer Plot, as it introduces the main character’s that go from book to book to book. It will also show you the growth of Olivia, which you’ll understand in the first book and see her progress in the books that follow. This is a wonderful , enjoyable series, the writing is good, the plots are interesting, and the books move at a good pace, but be warned, once you read the first book, you’ll get hooked!


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Review: A Dark and Stormy Murder

A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Star Review. A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery)is the first book in a new series by Julia Buckley.

Lena London wanted to be an inspiring writer after she read Camilla Graham’s novel, so how lucky was she when she landed a job as Camilla’s newest assistant! She will live with Camilla in a Victorian home, and help her with her newest mystery. All is right with the world for Lena, or so she thinks. In the small town of Blue Lake, Indiana, Lena is about to learn that anything can happen, especially when a dead body turns up on Camilla’s property.

Like the cover of the book and title, this book gives a dark tone to this mystery, which is pleasantly a nice change from reading other cozy where everything is sunshine and diabetic sweet. The characters are well put together, and for the most part likable. The plot is well thought out. There is actually two mysteries needing solved in this one. The author does a good job of intertwining them together, to where the reader doesn’t get lost or confused. I felt the speed of the book was perfect to where you can enjoy the book as well keeping up to speed with everything happening in the stories, while you caught up in the suspense of the mysteries.

For this book being the first in a mystery, I liked the fact that it really enhanced the fact that it was a mystery and we really didn’t have to spend three quarters of the book hearing all the backstories, and what brought them to where they are today, and then spend a few chapters for the murder to happen and then then a few chapters to find out who killed who. I do look forward to reading the others in this new series, as I have never read anything by this author, and I enjoyed the book so much.


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Review: The Things We Knew

The Things We Knew by Catherine West
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars Review. This book had me hooked before I had finished the second chapter. There’s something to say about an author when they can draw you in so quickly and leave you thinking about the book for days after you finish it.

Catherine West really brought the characters to life. She really made them more like a normal family with different personalities’, she touched on subjects that many families deal with, like drug addiction, gambling, loneliness, etc. etc. and you can’t help but get emotionally attached to the characters. The book moved at a good pace, was very well written and thought out, and at times, left me breathless.

Lynette Carlisle mother passed away years ago, and it left her father broken hearted. He turned to alcohol and gambling though it didn’t help him in the least to easy his pain. Her siblings have left the area to start their own lives, so it’s up to Lynette to care for her father and their childhood home that is crumbling down. When Lynette goes to the bank to get a loan so that she can start repairing the house, she runs into her old flame, Nick. After seeing someone from her past, things that she had buried would soon come to light for her. Somethings she wants to remember, other things she doesn’t remember and those could be the cortical things that could help her move on.

This book was a page turner for me, with twists and turns around every corner. Pure enjoyment reading this book, and I wouldn’t be upset if there was more books telling more about the other character’s or even the future for Lynette or Nick.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.


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Review: Valley of the Moon

Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 star review for Melanie Gideon Valley of the Moon. First I’d like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have not read anything by Melanie Gideon, the author of this book until I read this book, and I must say, I did enjoy her writing and I look forward to reading books from her again. It’s nice when you find a new author and bring her/him into your little fold of authors, and how can you not like an author who was inspired to write this from the movie ‘Brigadoon’. If you have not seen this movie, then I suggest you run and watch it right away!

The story is wonderful, the characters are well developed, complex, unique, and come to life right before your eyes. I found this book to be suspenseful, entertaining, enjoyable, fun, heart wrenching, warm, fast pace, touching, fun and all around an enjoyable book that I will tell others about and encourage them to read it. I was sad to see it come to an end, but I also had a satisfying feeling when I read the last word.

In 1975, Lux is a single mother who is barely making it to support her and her son. When her son goes to spend the summer with his grandparents, Lux takes a little, well deserved vacation to Sonoma County, known for being the wine county in California. One night she goes to bed and wakes up to dense fog moving in, as she steps out into the night air she is transported back in time to a farm. Here she meets Joseph Bell, founder of Greengage farm. The time is early in the 19th hundred. Lux is told by the farm residents of how they have become trapped in this time-wrap loop that brings this farm back to life when the full moon is upon them. Lux is relaxed at the farm and has time to think about her past, present and what her future holds for her and her son.

The author did a wonderful job of doing the chapters going back and forth between Lux and Joseph, and didn’t leave you confused. Valley of the Moon is a wonderful read that will transport you to a different place and time, and helps you forget about what’s going on in your life, and gives you time to escape from work, kids, family, bills, and yes even the summer heat.


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