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Showing posts from February, 2020

Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...

Book Review: Girl on Pointe by Chloe Lukasiak

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Several years ago, I saw a commercial on the Lifetime Channel advertising a reality show about dancers and their moms called Dance Moms , and I was intrigued by it. So, I made sure to watch it when it came on, and I loved the show. I didn't even realize at first that I was watching the second season! (That's what I get for not having cable for a couple of years.) Chloe Lukasiak became my favorite dancer on the show because she was the underdog, and her mom, Christy Lukasiak was one of my favorite moms; the other moms that were my favorites were Holly Frazier and Jessalyn Siwa. Fast forward to 2018 . . . I heard that Chloe had published her first book called Girl on Pointe . Since I loved Dance Moms so much, I decided to support Chloe by buying her book, especially since I felt like she was the underdog on the show. I finally made time to read her book this year. I enjoyed reading Girl on Pointe because it gave some insight to Chloe's time on Dance Moms that I m...

Book Review: Revenge of the Spellmans (The Spellmans, #3) by Lisa Lutz

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Incredulously funny and clever, Revenge of the Spellmans (The Spellmans, #3)  by Lisa Lutz continues the story of dysfunctional family of the Spellmans. Isabel "Izzy" Spellman has taken a break from her parents' private investigation firm and started working as a bartender at her favorite bar, The Philosopher's Club. When her boss, Milo, introduces her to a patron looking for a private investigator that is affordable, Milo expects Izzy to take the case. When Izzy isn't working at the bar or on the case, she is attending court ordered therapy. To top things off, her personal life is falling apart. This is a book series that just gets better as it goes and one that I am revisiting. Lisa Lutz is such a talented author. Although Revenge of the Spellmans is a mystery, it doesn't follow the normal formula that other mystery writers follow. One of the unique items of the book is that there are footnotes that further explain parts of the book and gives more ...

Book Review: Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake, #4) by Rachel Caine

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Rachel Caine did it again with Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake, #4) . I was immediately engulfed in Gwen Proctor's world of being on the run. Like the previous installment, Bitter Falls is narrated by the main four characters . . . Gwen, Sam, Lanny, and Connor, and it definitely flows better than Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake, #3) . Although, I am still partial to Gwen's narration, it is refreshing to hear the voices of the other characters and understand their inner dialogue. Something I thoroughly enjoyed was the continuation of a couple of the characters from Wolfhunter River into Bitter Falls , namely Vera "Vee" Crockett. I expect to see her in at least one more book of the Stillhouse Lake book series.  The action packed fourth installment was so heart pounding good, that I had to force myself to put the book down as to not rush through and really enjoy the book. However, I stayed up entirely too late last night so I could finish Bitter Falls (Still...