An Excuse for Murder by Vanessa Westermann ~ a Review

by MK French

Gary Fenris had made mistakes as a bodyguard in the past, the primary ones being letting the woman he loved die and thinking that vengeance would solve his problems. The man he killed was one of the tenants in Kate's great-aunt's homes, and she was something of an amateur sleuth and lockpick. She started looking into the murder, and Gary is drawn to her.

How Fires End by Marco Rafalà ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"Sunlight shown through the bay windows and threw their shadows on the wall - small shadows cast by their younger selves.  The selves they left behind when they came here, carrying the ghosts of the people they could have been." (p 63)

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"And all at once Audrey understood that decades of unspoken stories were like strata of ancient rock: layer upon layer of family secrets impacting on one another until the truth was hidden so far beneath the surface that only the most committed could excavate  it." (p 309) 

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland ~ a Review

by MK French

Ailsa Rae had a heart transplant just in the nick of time, so now she can act like every other twenty-eight-year-old. She has a complicated relationship with her mother, wants to find her missing father, and isn't sure what will happen with her lost love Lennox. She's a changed woman, and there is going to be a lot more of it going forward.

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Each scent holds a mystery, its own story. That was the first lesson Papa taught me. "To be a parfumeur is to be a detective, Sophie," he'd say, bent in deep concentration over the mixing tube with a dropper of perfume oil. He would mix the solvent and sniff, mix and sniff, until he was satisfied. Only then would he soak a mouillette, a narrow strip of paper, and hand it to me. "What do you see?" he'd ask. (p 4)

A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

I know some people don't think it is Christmas until they've read Debbie Macomber's latest Christmas novel. As someone who was on a waiting list until March for a previous Christmas book by her, I'm thrilled that I received an advance copy. This year she brings back the beloved character Mrs. Miracle and you don't want to miss it.

3 Books about Strong Women of WWII

by Susan Roberts

I read a lot of WWII fiction but I especially enjoy books that are about the strength of women during the war and the differences they made during this time.  For too many years, we've only heard stories about the brave men during the war so it's fantastic to read about women who were also very brave and got involved in dangerous situations to help their country.  All of my books today take place in France.