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Monday, January 24, 2022

Murder at Greysbridge by Andrea Carter, One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner, The Big Perhaps by John Seeley, Dead Point by LaVonne Griffin-Valade

 I didn't intend to take a break from blogging in December, but the longer I was away, the harder it was to get back.   

Some December reads.

 The setting in Inishowen, Ireland, caught my interest and although this is the fourth book in the series, it is the first I've read.  

Solicitor Benedicta (Ben)O'Keefe's legal assistant is getting married at the historic and recently renovated Greysbridge Hotel.  Of course, things do not go well and two of the hotel's guests end up dead.  The hotel has the reputation of being haunted, there is a nice mix of characters, and an intriguing atmosphere.

Fun.  I'll read more.  

NetGalley/Oceanview Books
Mystery.  Nov., 2021.  Print length:  353 pages.
One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner is the second book in her new Frankie Elkins series, and I liked it much better than the first one.  

The threats of the wilderness in an isolated area of a National Forest in Wyoming combined with the tension that emanated from the search team kept the suspense high.

Timothy O'Day disappeared five years ago when he and his groomsmen went for a bachelor's weekend before his wedding.  Only Tim was  a skilled outdoorsman; the other young men were at a loss at how to locate him.  The searches at the time and since have turned up nothing.

Tim's father and the four groomsmen are prepared for what might be the final search when Frankie Elkins reads about the search party in a local paper and decides to join in. 

A number of interesting characters and a great setting becomes even more intriguing as Frankie senses something intrinsically wrong--in the previous stories, the tension, reluctance, and guilt among members of the search party, and in the disturbing incidents that sabotage their efforts.

I already love several of Gardner's books, and was not at all sure of this new series, but this was a page-turner and that I could hardly put down.  Now, I'm ready for the next one.

NetGalley/Penguin Group
Mystery-Thriller.  Jan. 18, 2022. Print length:  418 pages.


from description:  Thirty years after the unsolved murder of hardboiled fiction writer Dan Fargo, a single orphaned manuscript page turns up that could be evidence of a previously unknown novel by the author.

Private detective Harry Webster is hired by a wealthy fan to prove or disprove the existence of this long rumoured masterpiece, The Big Perhaps.

It appears on the surface to be a tricky but safe assignment....

There were plenty of things to like in this one, especially as I tend to like missing manuscripts and some of the secrets went back to WWII.  On the other hand, although Seeley's prose is good, the arrogance and condescending attitude of the main character annoyed me.   

NetGalley/Booksgosocial
Mystery.  Nov. 17, 2021.  Print length:  429 pages.


 
from description:  When Maggie Blackthorne returns to her hometown after nearly twenty years to serve as an Oregon State Police Sergeant, she expects to deal with the usual suspects — drunk drivers, oxy slingers, and the occasional rural scofflaw.

But after she stumbles upon the bullet-ridden bodies of twin brothers, she realizes she’s stepped into something much more sinister

An interesting debut novel, and I would certainly give the next one a try.  The blurb compares it to the Longmire books, but no--that would be a stretch.  Maggie and Trooper Hollis have potential, however.

Mystery/Thriller.  June 15, 2021.  Print length:  390 pages.


18 comments:

  1. Huge thank you for the reviews!
    Bright sunshine outside, and new books to add to my reading list is fantastic.

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  2. I haven't read any of these yet, but a couple of them sound particularly good to me, the Lisa Gardner book and "The Big Perhaps." I'll keep an eye out for both of those.

    BTW, I've decided to put Book Chase to bed for good other than using it for a little record keeping that I will be doing on my reading...maybe an author page or two added, etc. I'm to the point that something has to give because of new demands on my time that I don't see ending anytime soon. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines and commenting, though, as time allows. See you on Twitter, too.

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    1. Ah, Sam, that will be a loss to our community. I understand about demands on available time and the need to make adjustments.

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  3. I'm glad you're back! I don't always comment, but I do love reading all of your book reviews. :)

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    1. Thanks, Les! I'll be visiting blogs again soon. :)

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    1. Good to be back, Cathy. I'll be slowly catching up!

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  5. Quite a lot to like in these books and quite a lot to like in your reviews of them. It's good to see you back. I had wondered where you were!

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    1. Funny how missing a few posts leads to missing more. Kind of like my yoga practice! Hopefully, I will be visiting and catching up on your blog again soon, Dorothy. :)

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  6. I'm glad you came back! I always enjoy reading your posts. And so many interesting books to add to my TBR list in this one. :D

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    1. :) We've been sharing book recs for how many years now? I'm glad to be back in the blogging mood!

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  7. I'm glad to see you back, Jenclair! Totally understand about finding it harder to get back to blogging the longer break we take, ha.

    All these books sound intriguing. I'm especially drawn to Murder at Greysbridge. Hope it reads well as a standalone.

    PS: Thanks for your letter! :)

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    1. It wasn't even an intentional break at first, but yes, the longer I was absent from blogging and visiting blogs, the harder it seemed to get back. Murder at Greybridge worked for me as a standalone, but I may catch up on the earlier books. :)

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  8. Sorry if this is a repeat-- the internet ate my homework, er, review.

    I see you enjoyed the new Lisa Gardner book about Frankie Elkins. I have read all of her books over the years and was at first put off by the direction this series looked like it was going in, but upon finishing it I decided I'd go for the next one. I don't have it yet, but I hope to read it soon.

    All good reviews of your books. I like the genres you read, thanks.

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    1. I really want more D.D. Warren and Flora Dane, but I did enjoy this Frankie Elkins more than the first one--which was good, but I wondered how an itinerant Frankie could pull enough rabbits out of her hat. This was a very interesting rabbit. :)

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  9. I'm glad to see you back! I always enjoy reading your reviews. :)

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