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 ...
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Book Review: The House On Yeet Street by Preston Norton

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The House On Yeet Street by Preston Norton is a story about the friendship of four boys, secret crushes, and a one hundred year old curse. Aidan Cross throws his secret journal through the upstairs house on Yeet Street to keep his secret feelings far away from his best friend Kai. When the boys decide to have a sleepover in the very same, very haunted house, Aidan is horrified and knows he has to get his journal back before the others find it. In the process of his search, he discovers a ghost, and evil is unleashed upon the town yet again.

A big shout out to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The House On Yeet Street by Preston Norton. I appreciate receiving a copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion. 

When I first started reading the story, it was I found it to be a little choppy and disjointed. However, this issue quickly corrected itself. We soon find out that the main character is gay but hasn't come out yet AND is hiding his feelings from his best friend. The author does a great job of capturing how kids in middle school act and react.  Some of the parents reactions are believable too, especially when it comes to Aidan's dad. 

There were a couple of twists and turns , and I found myself rooting for Aidan and Kai to get together. Although, there are LGBTQ+ themes in the book, it is very age appropriate. It's a great book for children, especially boys, that are struggling with coming out and even for those who aren't gay so they might get a glimpse of what people go through.

All in all, I enjoyed The House On Yeet Street by Preston Norton and will recommend it to others. Four out of five stars.

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