Books on my Winter 2024-2025 TBR

On December 17, 2024December 17, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, everyday musings, top-ten-tuesday16 Comments

|| Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. ||

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.)

Today’s prompt was: Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

I am now listing my “planned reads” as “possible reads”. I look at this list as a list I can choose from in a season but it is not a strict list. I have 17 books on my possible winter reads but have brought it down to ten for this post.

I like to choose a mix of cozy and mystery reads for winter, but …. Honestly, I do that for every season.

Christy by Catherine Marshall.

I have already started this one and I am enjoying it.

Description:

That Cutter Gap is right rough country. Watch yourself out there. . .

The train taking nineteen-year-old teacher Christy Huddleston from her home in Asheville, North Carolina, might as well be transporting her to another world. The Smoky Mountain community of Cutter Gap feels suspended in time, trapped by poverty, superstitions, and century-old traditions.

But as Christy struggles to find acceptance in her new home, some see her–and her one-room school–as a threat to their way of life. Her faith is challenged and her heart is torn between two strong men with conflicting views about how to care for the families of the Cove.

Yearning to make a difference, will Christy’s determination and devotion be enough?

Since its first release in 1967, Christy has sold an astonishing 10 million copies. Now the beloved story is available in a special 50th anniversary edition which includes an afterword reflecting on the success of the book and how many people Christy’s story has reached, as well as added features like a character list and a town map to enhance the reading experience for fans old and new.

2. Little Men by Louise May Alcott

I started this one in the fall but held it for winter.

Description:

Little Men by Louisa May Alcott is a heartwarming sequel to the beloved classic Little Women. Join Jo March and her husband, Professor Bhaer, as they open Plumfield, a school for boys. Immerse yourself in this charming tale of childhood, growth, and friendship.- Engage with Alcott’s gentle and insightful storytelling.- Delve into the lives of the endearing and mischievous boys of Plumfield.- Reflect on themes of education, character development, and the joys of childhood.- Experience the warmth, humor, and moral lessons woven throughout the narrative.-

3. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I’ve heard a lot about this one – not sure if it will live up to the hype or not.

Description:

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club.

4. Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson

This is a novella from the Walt Longmire Series.

Description:

In the tradition of Wait for Signs and The Highwayman, Craig Johnson is back with a short novel set in the Alaska tundra where a young Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear face off with powerful enemies who will do anything to get what they want.

Tooth and Claw follows Walt and Henry up to Alaska as they look for work after they both returned from serving in Vietnam. While working for an oil company in the bitter cold of winter, they soon encounter a ferocious polar bear who seems hell-bent on their destruction. But it’s not too long until they realize the danger does not lurk outside in the frozen Alaskan tundra, but with their co-workers who are after priceless treasure and will stop at nothing to get it.

Fans of Longmire will thrill to this pulse-pounding and bone-chilling novel of extreme adventure that adds another indelible chapter to the great story of Walt Longmire.

4. World Traveler by Anthony Bourdain

I’ve read Kitchen Confidential and really enjoyed it. I always was a huge fan of Anthony’s various travel shows.

Description:

A guide to some of the world’s most fascinating places, as seen and experienced by writer, television host, and relentlessly curious traveler Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond.

In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.

Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.

For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain.

5. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

I read The Fellowship of the Ring last year and am looking forward to reading the second installment and catching up with the characters.

Description:

The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

This continues the classic tale begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its awesome climax in The Return of the King.

6. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy

I’ve wanted to read this one since seeing a movie based on it.

Description:

First published in 1905, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” was written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. The novel is the first in a series of tales that follows the fictional main character infamously known as the Scarlet Pimpernel.

The story is set at the time of the French Revolution, which occurred in the latter part of the eighteenth century. This revolt involved the overthrow of the French monarchy. A notorious Englishman sympathetic to the crisis in the aristocratic ranks helped sneak French royals out of the country to safety across the English Channel. This Englishman was known by the name of the Scarlet Pimpernel because upon making a clean escape from the French patrols, he would leave a note describing the caper, and it would be signed with a red, star-shaped flower the English called a scarlet pimpernel.

7. The Sign of the Twisted Candles (A Nancy Drew Mystery) by Carolyn Keene

This will continue my reading of the original Nancy Drew Mystery series.

Description:

Another exciting mystery begins for the young detective when her friends Bess and George ask her to investigate a rumor that their wealthy great-granduncle, Asa Sidney, is virtually a prisoner in his own mansion. But solving the mystery and befriending Carol Wipple, the sixteen-year-old foster daughter of the caretakers of the old mansion, nearly costs Nancy the friendship of Bess and George.

It takes all of Nancy’s sleuthing ability as well as diplomacy to save it. Nancy braves one danger after another to bring to justice the swindlers who are stealing Asa Sidney’s fortune. With only the sign of the twisted candles to guide her, Nancy uncovers hidden treasure and an amazing letter that ends a family feud and brings.

8. Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Description:

It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing an evening dress and heavy makeup, which is now smeared across her cheeks. But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry?

The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple into their home to investigate. Amid rumors of scandal, she baits a clever trap to catch a ruthless killer.

9. The Mystery of the Flying Express by Frank Dixon

This will be my first Hardy Boys book and it’s an original my husband picked up at a used bookstore. I’m so excited to read it.

Description:

A sleek new hydrofoil is scheduled to start ferrying passengers between Bayport and Cape Cutlass. But business enemies of the hydrofoil owner have stirred up a hornets’ nest of violent opposition among small boat owners. Fearing sabotage, he begs Frank and Joe Hardy to guard the Flying Express on her maiden trip.

Startling developments plunge the teenage detectives into a dangerous chase by sea, air, and land in pursuit of a gang of hardened criminals who operate by the signs of the Zodiac. Tension mounts when the Flying Express vanishes – and so does Sam Radley, Mr. Hardy’s skilled operative. Peril stalks Frank and Joe’s every moves as they hunt down the terrifying gangleader Zodiac Zig and his vicious henchmen.

10. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick

I saw this movie a couple of years ago and thought I would try the book.

Description: The book that inspired Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s cinematic romance starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison—one of the most passionately romantic movies ever made. • With a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani.

Burdened by debt after her husband’s death, Lucy Muir insists on moving into the very cheap Gull Cottage in the quaint seaside village of Whitecliff, despite multiple warnings that the house is haunted. Upon discovering the rumors to be true, the young widow ends up forming a special companionship with the ghost of handsome former sea captain Daniel Gregg. Through the struggles of supporting her children, seeking out romance from the wrong places, and working to publish the captain’s story as a book, Blood and Swash, Lucy finds in her secret relationship with Captain Gregg a comfort and blossoming love she never could have predicted.

Originally published in 1945, made into a movie in 1947, and later adapted into a television sitcom in 1968, this romantic tale explores how love can develop without boundaries, both in this life and beyond.

Do you have a list of books to choose from for this winter?

Book Review/Recommendation: The Mystery At Lilac Inn

On December 11, 2024December 8, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn book reviews, books and reading, everyday musings6 Comments

(*note: I honestly thought I had already posted this review on my blog months ago, but I couldn’t find it so I am posting it for the first or second time. One or the other.)

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene is the fourth book in the Nancy Drew series, which debuted in the 1930s.

For this book, Nancy becomes wrapped up at a mystery at an inn recently purchased by a friend, but she is also caught off guard when her own house is ransacked and her credit plate stolen. She later learns someone is impersonating her and running up her credit or stealing from people.

When diamonds disappear from her friend’s inn she decides she needs to find out who stole the diamonds as well as who is impersonating her. Are the two cases connected? She hopes to find out.

As usual, there is some ridiculous developments and tactics used to solve the mystery (such as her being sent off with her father’s blessing to explore a lake with a man they barely know and then go after known criminals on her own without any back up), but it wouldn’t be a Nancy Drew book if there wasn’t. These books were written in a different time and for young kids so they were full of non-stop action, no matter how giggle inducing that non-stop action was.

This book was later rewritten to remove some of the more derogatory connotations toward certain races. It was released again in 1961 after those changes were made under Keene’s name, which is, of course, a pseudonym. The Nancy Drew books, like The Hardy Boys books were written by several different authors over the years.

Normally I don’t like the idea of old books being changed because someone is offended but in this case it was needed, even if the stereotypes weren’t as bad as some classic books.

I did not like this book as much as the first book in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock. The plot was okay but does not hold us as well as others in the series, in my opinion.

Have you read this one? What did you think?

Book Recommendation: A Quilt For Christmas

On December 6, 2024December 3, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, Comfy, Cozy Christmas8 Comments

I don’t often read Christmas books because – well, sometimes they seem like they are just thrown out there to get in on the hype of the season and sell books but then end up being not very good.

I wanted something that would help kick off the Christmas season, though, so right before Thanksgiving I picked up A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson at my local library. I could see it was a quick read but still wasn’t so sure about it.

It turned out to be just the book I needed. It was so well written and I was thoroughly impressed with how Carlson was able to develop the characters and story so well in such a short amount of time.

I fell in love with the characters so quickly and was overjoyed when there was – not to spoil the book too much but. . . – a happy ending.

How that happy ending is reached isn’t something I’ll spoil though.

Vera is such a delightful main character already but her character becomes even more charming as she interacts with her neighbors and her new friends.

I love how this book presented realistic and sometimes heartbreaking circumstances for the characters but didn’t bring the mood down in the process. I didn’t feel weighed down with the sadness a couple of the characters had faced in their life, but yet still felt the emotion of what they had faced.

More than once I found myself wiping my eyes and wishing I could give a couple of the characters a hug.

While many modern Christmas books involve romances of some sort, this was a unique story involving friendship with only a small underlying story that involved a very light romance.

The book had a great message throughout and especially at the end.

This book is listed under Christian Fiction but there was not a pushy or over-the-top Christian message all. There was one small mention of Jesus during a conversation but, again, not preachy at all. As I was reading the book I wasn’t even sure it was a Christian book or not. I didn’t check until I was writing up this recommendation.

This book has made me want to check out other books by Carlson.

Have you read this book or any other books by her?

*This post is also part of the Comfy, Cozy Christmas Link Up for 2024. If you have a Christmas/holiday post you would like to share you can find the link HERE or at the top of the page here on my blog.

10 Christmas books to read this year

On December 3, 2024December 9, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday16 Comments

|| Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. ||

This week we have a freebie post so now that we are in December, I thought I’d share some book ideas to get you into the Christmas or holiday feels.

Did I just write “feels”? Oh my … I did. Let us overlook that and carry on . . .

Shepherd’s Abiding by Jan Karon

I’m starting with this one because this is one I read or read parts of each year now. It’s a favorite Christmas book for me. As my sister-in-law said last night when we were chatting, reading a Jan Karon book is like walking into a warm hug and this book is no different. It’s heartwarming, even though there are some tough topics in it, especially about Father Tim (he’s an Episcopalian priest) as he grapples with his past relationship with his late father.

Description: Millions of Americans have found Mitford to be a favorite home-away-from-home, and countless readers have long wondered what Christmas in Mitford would be like. The eighth Mitford novel provides a glimpse, offering a meditation on the best of all presents: the gift of one’s heart.

Since he was a boy, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind” and has never really learned to savor the work of his hands. When he finds a derelict nativity scene that has suffered the indignities of time and neglect, he imagines the excitement in the eyes of his wife, Cynthia, and decides to undertake the daunting task of restoring it. As Father Tim begins his journey, readers are given a seat at Mitford’s holiday table and treated to a magical tale about the true Christmas spirit.

2. A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson

I am actually reading this one right now and am enjoying it.

Description: In this heartwarming Christmas story, widowed Vera Swanson is feeling lonely until young Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. With Fiona’s mother seriously ill, Fiona asks Vera to make a special Christmas quilt for her. Vera gathers a group of women, including an artist, a chatty empty nester, and a retired therapist, to fulfill the request. Along the way, Vera discovers the joy of friendship and the warmth of a new “family” during the holiday season.

3. Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin

I have not read this one, but have heard good things about Lynn’s work.

Decription: For the first time in her privileged life, Adelaide Forsythe won’t be swept up in it. She couldn’t be happier about the prospect of a quieter Christmas. That’s not to say her transition from Miss to Mrs. has been without challenge. Though she doesn’t regret marrying for love instead of wealth, she can barely light the hearth or cook more than burnt toast. She feels woefully unprepared to run her own household.
Then, on the first Sunday of Advent, winter winds bring change through two unlikely means: a young orphan boy, hiding near Adelaide’s front steps, and a seasoned housekeeper who seems too good to be true.
The boy, Jack, claims he isn’t an orphan at all and is desperate to reunite his family. Adelaide and her husband Howard work tirelessly to solve the riddle of Jack’s story, while Adelaide’s new endeavors open her eyes to a world beyond her past experience—and all the challenge and possibility it holds. As Christmas approaches, small glimmers of wonder light the way toward the answers Adaleide seeks and the most miraculous gift of all.

4. An Ivy Hill Christmas: A Tales from Ivy Hill By Julie Klassen

(I have not read this one but it sounds good.)

Description: The younger son of Ivy Hill’s family, Richard Brockwell, hasn’t been home for Christmas for years. He prefers to live in the London townhouse, far away from everyone. His mother threatens to stop funding his carefree life–unless he comes home for Christmas. Out of options, he sets out for Ivy Hill, planning to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life as soon as the festivities are over.
But Christmas in the country presents unforeseen surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled . . . and determined to have nothing to do with him.

5. A Christmas Carol and other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens

(have not read all of these, but have read A Christmas Carol and I did enjoy it.)

Description: This selection of Dickens’s Christmas writings confirms his lasting influence upon our idea of the Christmas spirit: that Christmas is a time for celebration, charity, and memory.

In addition to the beloved A Christmas Carol, this volume includes such festive works as “Christmas Festivities,” “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,” “A Christmas Tree,” “The Seven Poor Travellers,” The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain, and a Christmas episode from Master Humphrey’s Clock. Beyond the holly and the ivy, Charles Dickens’ writings show readers his references to societal issues in nineteenth century England that revolve around Christmas. Dickens explores issues, which relate to class and memory in order to achieve deeper meaning and human qualities for the characters he creates.

6. A Vintage Christmas by various authors

(I read a couple of these stories from a book similar to this last year and did enjoy them! I hope to read more from it this year. I think I actually listened to a couple too on Audible.)

Delight lovers of classics with this timeless treasury! From Twain’s missive—penned as “Santa Claus” to his 3-year-old daughter—to charming fireside moments, this Christmas collection features 23 nostalgic tales from Alcott, Dickens, Stowe, Twain, Montgomery, and Howells, along with the poetry of Cook, Rossetti, Thackeray, Kilmer, Longfellow, and Coleridge. Includes a presentation page for personalized gifting.

5. A Regency Christmas Wish by Various authors:

(Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs turned me on to these types of books last year. There are various versions of these books, all with different novellas collected into one volume. I had to hunt for these books as they are not all in print anymore, with many of them only available on used sites. I tracked this one down on Thriftbooks. I read two of the novellas last year and I’m going to read a couple more this December. I am not a huge romance reader but these are very light and sweet.)

Description: This collection of five holiday-themed Regency romances includes all-new stories by award-winning and bestselling authors Edith Layton, Emma Jensen, Sandra Heath, Barbara Metzger, and Carla Kelly. Celebrate the joys of Christmas in Regency England with five new stories by some of the most beloved Regency authors of all time. Ringing in the season with fireside warmth, holiday wishes, and Yuletide romance, these stories capture the essence of Christmas. A sparkling collection sure to delight readers all year round, with warmth, cheer, and love.

7. Finding Father Christmas/Engaging Father Christmas (2 books in 1) by Robin Jones Gunn

Description: Two heartwarming Yuletide tales in one volume! In Finding Father Christmas, Miranda’s search for her dad leads her to England where a family welcomes her. Should she reveal her true identity and destroy their idyllic image of her parent? And in Engaging Father Christmas, Miranda plans to accept Ian’s proposal—but the Whitcomb matriarch withholds her blessing.

8. All is Calm/All is Bright (two novellas in one) by Colleen Cobble

Description: Curl up with this Yuletide duo! In All Is Calm, special ops agent Brendan and murder witness Lauren seek refuge at Bluebird Ranch. Can they catch the killer? And in All Is Bright, Delilah is deliberately run off the road. Sheriff Tom Bourne is determined to protect her. Will he save her from her shadowy attacker?

9. The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado

(I have watched the movie this is based on but have not read the book.)

Description: Imagine a Victorian England village in the Cotswolds where very little out of the ordinary ever happens . . . except at Christmas time.

This year, Edward Haddington, a lowly candle maker, is visited by a mysterious angel. That angel silently imparts a precious gift—a gift that’s bungled and subsequently lost. The candle maker and his wife, Bea, struggle to find the gift.

And when they do, they have to make a difficult choice. Who among their community is most in need of a Christmas miracle?

10. You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh

(I have not read this one yet but I’ve wanted to read one by Shiloh so I might try to squeeze it in this year.)

Description: It’s the most wonderful time of the year–for everyone except Starr Lewis.

As if going home for the holidays jobless and single wasn’t bad enough, she’s dragged into a holiday season full of activities leading up to her sister’s uber-romantic Christmas Eve wedding–to Starr’s ex-boyfriend. But when her brother’s best friend, Waylon Emmerson, attends their family Thanksgiving, she starts to wonder if maybe coming home for Christmas isn’t so bad after all.

As Starr finds the perfect distraction in helping Waylon make over his late mother’s Christmas shop, the most wonderful time of the year works its magic and the spark between them grows. But with the holidays fast approaching, Starr must decide what she wants out of life after the gifts are unwrapped and the ornaments are put away–to go back to New York City or to open her heart to a love that will last beyond Christmas Day?

Have you read any of these books? Or are you reading anything Christmas-related this year? Let me know in the comments.

*This post is also part of the Comfy, Cozy Christmas Link Up for 2024. If you have a Christmas/holiday post you would like to share you can find the link HERE or at the top of the page here on my blog.

Book review/recommendation: The Secret of the Wooden Lady, A Nancy Drew Mystery

On November 28, 2024November 28, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn book reviews, books and reading, everyday musings2 Comments

The Secret of the Wooden Lady is the 27^th book in the original Nancy Drew series written by – uh, “Carolyn Keene.” Of course, most readers of Nancy Drew know there were a number of people who wrote Nancy Drew, including Mildred Benson and about 27 other authors.

This is the eighth book of the original series I have read and at first, I wasn’t sure I liked it as much as a couple others.

It seemed a little discombobulated and was a little slow in the middle of the book after starting off with a bang (not a literal bang this time).

Most of the book took place on an old clipper that an elderly sea captain wants to buy, but can’t because the original title can’t be found. In addition to the deed being lost, the captain has been experiencing some weird events involving thefts on the ship as well as seeing what he fears might be ghostly figures.

Nancy knows about what Captain Easterly is dealing with because he knows her father, Attorney Carson Drew, — described in the book as tall and handsome — and Captain Easterly has written him a letter.

Carson wants to help the old man find out what is going on and invites Nancy to go with him to Boston and look for the title and find out if someone is prowling around on the clipper at night.

Nancy is excited about having another mystery to solve and while she waits for the next day when she and her dad will leave, she gets a call from her friend Bess. While she and Bess are on the phone, Bess says she hears someone in the house. Her parents aren’t home and she’s nervous. Suddenly the line goes dead and Nancy, appropriately, freaks out and runs to her car to go see what’s happened to Bess.

She tried to call the police before she left, but the lines were busy. This was the 1930s so I suppose that is a plausible situation.

I was freaking out for Bess when I read this part. It was late at night and I was brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed and when I read the part about the phone going dead I was like, “Oh my gosh! What happened to Bess!”

My daughter was very confused until I explained to her it was a character in the book I was reading.

You will have to read the book to find out what happened to Bess, but it is a bit of a spoiler to say that Bess and her cousin, and Nancy’s other friend, George, are invited up to Boston by Carson Drew when he has to leave the city to find out more information about the title and doesn’t want to leave Nancy alone. That’s pretty nice of him since he usually he doesn’t seem too worried about his daughter investigating things alone.

It doesn’t take too long for the girls to learn that what happened to Bess and her family might be related to what is happening aboard the clipper – The Bonny Scot.

Before Nancy had left for Boston she went to a dance with Ned Nickerson, by the way. Ned is her “boyfriend” but he’s not necessarily called that. He is the young man who clearly cares for her but she’s always too busy solving crimes. Ned is sad she’s running off to Boston because he was hoping to take her out again before he has to go off to his summer camp job.

Luckily, it turns out that Ned’s camp isn’t too far from Boston, so we end up with Ned and two of his friends – apparent love interests of Bess and George that might have been mentioned in previous books I haven’t read yet – arriving to help out with the mystery as well.

Like I said above, the middle of this book was a little slow but then things picked back up again and the girls were thrown into more dangerous situations than the characters on a CW show, which is saying a lot.

As always, the book is simply written with more “telling” paragraphs that move the reader along at a fairly fast and furious pace, but these books were originally written for younger readers so that is understandable.

While I liked this one, The Case of the Whistling Bagpipes remains my favorite of the ones I’ve read so far.

You can read reviews of three of the other books I’ve read here:

Book review/recommendation: Nancy Drew Mystery, The Secret at Red Gate Farm

Book Recommendation/Review: The Secret of Shadow Ranch

The Case of the Whistling Bagpipes

Book review/recommendation: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes

On November 27, 2024November 25, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn book reviews, books and reading4 Comments

The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes turned out to be one of my favorite Nancy Drew books that I have read so far. I really enjoyed the Scottish history woven into the story.

Description:

Warnings not to go to Scotland can’t stop Nancy Drew from setting out on a thrill-packed mystery adventure. Undaunted by the vicious threats, the young detective – with her father and her two close friends – goes to visit her great-grandmother at an imposing estate in the Scottish Highlands, and to solve the mystery of a missing family heirloom.

And there is another mystery to be solved: the fate of flocks of stolen sheep.
Baffling clues challenge Nancy’s powers of deduction: a note written in the ancient Gaelic language, a deserted houseboat on Loch Lomond, a sinister red-bearded stranger in Edinburgh, eerie whistling noises in the Highlands. Startling discoveries in an old castle and in the ruins of a prehistoric fortress, lead Nancy closer to finding the solution to both mysteries.

My thoughts:

When Nancy travels to Scotland with her father, Drew, and her friends George and Bess, she’s already being pursued by someone who knows she is coming. Someone has already tried to run her off the road and she already knows someone has stolen an heirloom from her great-grandmother, Lady Douglas, that was meant to be given as a gift to her.

Once in Scotland, the attacks against her continue and it doesn’t help that Bess has sent her name into an international magazine, which announces that she is a famous detective. Now everyone in the small Scottish town they are going to visit knows who she is.

This news has someone on the edge because they are attempting to run her off roads like they did in River Heights, following her, and then pushing George down a hill to throw Nancy off their scent.

As usual, Carson Drew is off on other business and barely has a clue that Nancy is traveling the Scottish countryside alone with her friends while trying to track down sheep thieves and whomever has stolen her great-grandmother’s heirloom and her inheritance – a diamond encrusted brooch.

The diamond encrusted brooch was worn by Lady Douglas one night when she walked around the lake on her property and then disappeared when she went back the next day to take it off her shawl. Now she is worried about who could have stolen it and Nancy only makes her feel worse by suggesting it could be someone who works for her.

What was fun about this book was all the interesting, down-to-earth characters that Nancy and her friends meet during their journey. They aren’t only on a sleuthing mission, but are taken on a series of excursions to local landmarks where they learn about local and Scottish history. While they learn we, the readers, learn too.

I don’t know if it is because this is one of the later books or simply because of the subject matter but this book seemed more intricate, complex, and well-written than other installments of the series that I have read so far.

Have you read this one? What did you think about it?

Top Ten Tuesday: The Top 10 Mystery Books I Read in 2024

On November 26, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, everyday musings, top-ten-tuesday20 Comments

|| Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. ||

Today’s theme: Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie

Since today can either be “thankful” or we can choose our own theme (this is how I am interpreting it at least), I decided to share the top ten mysteries I read in 2024. This list, of course, could change if I read another great one in December, but, for now, this is my list.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice to Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

This was a funny, sweet, and just plain ole’ fun mystery.

Description: Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?

2. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun

Description: Jim Qwilleran and his cats Koko and Yum Yum try to solve a haunting mystery in a historic farmhouse in this New York Times bestseller in the Cat Who series.

When Mrs. Cobb heard unearthly noises in the antique-filled farmhouse, she called Jim Qwilleran for help. But he was too late. It looked as if his kindly ex-housekeeper had been frightened to death—but by whom? Or what? Now Qwilleran’s moved into the historic farmhouse with his two cat companions—and Koko the Siamese is spooked. Is it a figment of feline imagination—or the clue to a murder in Moose County? And does Qwilleran have a ghost of a chance of solving this haunting mystery?

I offered a review of this book, my favorite in the series, here: https://lisahoweler.com/2024/05/06/book-recommendation-the-cat-who-talked-to-ghosts/

3. The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

Description:

Death, deception, and a detective with quite a lot to hide stalk the pages of Anthony Horowitz’s brilliant murder mystery, the second in the bestselling series starring Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne.

“You shouldn’t be here. It’s too late . . . “

These, heard over the phone, were the last recorded words of successful celebrity-divorce lawyer Richard Pryce, found bludgeoned to death in his bachelor pad with a bottle of wine—a 1982 Chateau Lafite worth £3,000, to be precise.

Odd, considering he didn’t drink. Why this bottle? And why those words? And why was a three-digit number painted on the wall by the killer? And, most importantly, which of the man’s many, many enemies did the deed?

Baffled, the police are forced to bring in Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, the author Anthony, who’s really getting rather good at this murder investigation business.

But as Hawthorne takes on the case with characteristic relish, it becomes clear that he, too, has secrets to hide. As our reluctant narrator becomes ever more embroiled in the case, he realizes that these secrets must be exposed—even at the risk of death . . .

4. Clueless At the Coffee Station by Bee Littlefield

Description: Betti Bryant knows she’s not supposed to be a barista five years after graduating from college, but her life is actually super adorable—except for the part where she has to endure her ex-boyfriend’s musical rendition of their breakup at the coffee shop’s Open Mic Night every Friday.

When an entire local art collection is stolen from the cafe during his performance, Betti sees her chance to persuade her panicked boss to cancel Open Mic Night, at least until the crime is solved. Instead, he announces plans to sell the beloved cafe to a real estate developer, who will demolish it. Betti believes her boss will change his mind once justice is served. So, armed with a list of drink orders from the night of the crime and the sleuthiest outfit she can find at the thrift store, she sets out to investigate the theft herself.

If she fails, she’s promised her sister she’ll accept whatever non-adorable entry-level corporate job she can get, abandoning her ideals about finding her own path in life. The Coffee Station will close forever.

5. Murder in An Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor

Description:

In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi’s Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors, enjoy some brown bread and tea, and get the local gossip. Nowadays twenty-two-year-old Siobhán O’Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago.

It’s been a rough year for the O’Sullivans, but it’s about to get rougher. One morning, as they’re opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table, dressed in a suit as if for his own funeral, a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest.

With the local garda suspecting the O’Sullivans and their business in danger of being shunned—murder tends to spoil the appetite—it’s up to feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.

6. Move Your Blooming Corpse by D.E. Ireland

Description:

t’s early summer in 1913 London. So Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins are off to the races for Royal Ascot Week in this re-release of the second installment in a mystery series inspired by the characters of ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘Pygmalion’. Professor Higgins and former Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle take center stage once again as they plunge headlong into the world of Edwardian horse racing, adulterous aristocrats, and the women’s suffrage movement.

Eliza Doolittle has joined Professor Higgins’ household as a fellow phonetics teacher. However, their lessons are put on hold when they attend this year’s Ascot race. An event more exciting than usual because Eliza’s father, Alfred Doolittle, is now part owner of a racehorse called the Donegal Dancer. But disaster soon unfolds on the track and in the stables, where someone has been killed with a pitchfork. Even worse, the victim was one of the co-owners of the Donegal Dancer! The initial assumption is that the murderer was a jealous lover or spouse . . . until two weeks later when festivities at the Henley Royal Regatta take a deadly turn.

Eliza and Higgins now suspect the murderer is making an appearance every time the owners of the Donegal Dancer get together. To prevent her father from becoming the next target, Eliza joins forces with Higgins to track down the murderer. But is the killer a notorious escaped madman, or someone who wants sole ownership of the prizewinning horse?

With the next horse race fast approaching, Eliza and Higgins fear they may not be able to protect her father until the end of the tumultuous racing season. If so, then no one will cross the finish line alive.

7. How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

Description:

It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

8. The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

Description:

A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

9. The Case of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene

Description:

10. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

Description: A delightfully clever new mystery from creator of BBC One’s hilarious murder mystery series Death in Paradise

Meet Judith: a seventy-seven-year-old whiskey drinking, crossword puzzle author living her best life in a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of Marlow.

Nothing ever happens here. That is, until Judith hears her neighbor shot while skinny-dipping in the Thames. The local police don’t believe her story. It’s an open and shut case, of course. Ha! Stefan can’t be left for dead like that.

Judith investigates and picks up a crew of sidekicks: Suzie the dogwalker and Becks the vicar’s wife. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.

When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…

Robert Thorogood, has turned the Christie-mystery on its head with this ever-so-sly cozy perfect for readers who love Richard Osmond’s Thursday Murder Club and An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good.

Have you read any of the books on this list? What were your impressions of them?

Book review/recommendation: The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

On November 25, 2024November 25, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading6 Comments

Title: The Gardener’s Plot

Author: Deborah J. Benoit

I had a hard time putting this book down. From start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat.

I mistakenly thought the book was a cozy mystery when I requested it on Netgalley so part way through the book I was a bit bothered by some of what was happening.

It seemed a little darker than a cozy mystery, but, so far, up to that point the book had been like a cozy mystery – very clean, no graphic descriptions of bodies, close friends for the main character, quirky characters in general, a small town, and a fairly straightforward mystery.

Eventually, I began to accept that this wasn’t a light and fluffy cozy mystery but one with a bit more grit to it. Not enough grit to be disturbing or horrifying, however.

There is a sad backstory for our main character, Maggie Walker, but I like how she deals with that story slowly as the book and mystery unfold. I like how she has empathy for victims of crime, which is something I don’t always see in cozy mysteries. Sometimes main characters are a bit more flippant about the crime that has occurred.

Maggie Walker is not flippant about what she has been thrust into the middle of, or what she has experienced in the past. She’s very realistic and faces it head-on without bringing the reader all the way down in the dumps.

I loved the friendship between Maggie and Sally.

I think Maggie needs a pet, though, so if there are going to be more of these books, I would like Maggie to have at least a cat so she isn’t rattling around in her grandmother’s old house all alone anymore.

My one negative was that the book dragged just a little bit toward the end for me. It was just a little bit, though, and not enough for me not to want to keep going and find out what happened. I am only adding that so other readers will know that if you feel the same way – don’t give up. Push through because the ending is worth it. Other readers may not feel that it dragged, however.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required or requested.