“The Last Murder at the End of the Universe” is a gripping post-apocalyptic murder mystery. It’s also though-provoking, incredibly well-plotted, and entirely unique. The murder in question occurs in an unusual version of the “locked room” scenario…the last survivors of a deadly-fog-apocalypse are living on an isolated island, so the suspect pool is obviously limited. To make things more challenging for the investigator (Emory), everyone’s memories of the night of the crime have been wiped, including her own. Just in case the stakes weren’t high enough…if Emory can’t solve the murder and make ..read more

“If the Boot Fits” by Karen Witemeyer is an example of both historical and Christian fiction at their finest. As an added bonus, there’s a tie-in to the classic Cinderella story. The story opens with the typical Cinderella elements (a ball, someone fleeing, and an abandoned piece of footwear). There’s a brief bit in which our heroine tries to match feet with the boot-wearer, but it’s not a key part of the plot. There’s a nice scene at the end linking the story back to Cinderella as well. I enjoyed these elements, and thought they fit into the book perfectly. However, don’t go into this expect ..read more

First off, I should say that this is the eighth book in the series, but only the second one I’ve read. I didn’t feel lost or like I was missing something at all. The author provided everything I needed to know to jump right in with this book; it works perfectly well as a stand-alone. I really enjoyed the small-town setting. I loved the descriptions of local businesses, events, and people. In this installment, the murder takes place during the town’s Arts Festival, so there were lots of interesting events for the reader to enjoy along with the characters. The mystery itself was excellent! The ..read more

“Chasing the Horizon” by Mary Connealy is an excellent example of Christian historical fiction with a touch of romance. As a reader, I enjoyed all of the information about life on a wagon train traveling west, as well as the brief glimpses of what asylums of the time were like. All of this information is presented organically within the framework of the story, so it never feels like reading a history textbook. All of the major characters are well-drawn and detailed, with enough unique characteristics to make them stand out as individuals. The most important are given enough back story so that ..read more

It’s hard to believe, but “The Sign of Four Spirits” is the NINTH book in Vicki Delany’s excellent Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series! Often, longer-running series get a little tired and repetitive by this point, but not this one. This installment is as fresh, unique, and enjoyable as the first one. (Side note: While I think the story would work as a standalone, you’ll definitely appreciate the main characters and relationships more if you’ve been reading in order. However, the actual mystery plot is fully contained in this volume, and the author provides enough backstory notes that you s ..read more

“The Warsaw Sisters” is a powerful, historical, emotionally draining, amazing novel about two sisters living in Poland during the German occupation in World War 2. Both main characters (sisters Antonia and Helena) are incredibly well-written. The reader will feel like he/she is gradually getting to know real people as the story moves along and more and more about the characters’ pasts, family/friends, and personalities are revealed. While we are getting to know these two strong women, we also get to observe them as they take action to help lessen the suffering around them. Although both Anton ..read more

“On Moonberry Lake” by Holly Varni is a lovely story about returning home, and finding out what “home” really means. The narrative centers around main character Cora, who is surprised to learn she has inherited an old family property. The terms of the will require her to actually live there for a year before it truly becomes hers, so Cora moves in. The character of Cora was very well-written and detailed. She’s had a rocky past, and is trying to figure our her future. The reader learns enough of her backstory to truly understand her, and watching her as she navigates the present makes her eve ..read more

“Lost and Found” by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a lovely book. Ms. Fisher does a wonderful job of describing the daily lives of the Amish people in enough detail to allow the reader to learn quite a bit, but not enough to cause you to lose interest. I truly enjoyed the personal glimpses into Amish life I got by following the lives of Micah, Trudy, Shelley, David, and others over the time period of this story. The intertwined storylines were all interesting in their own right, and all worked together well to form the overall fabric of the novel. The reader watches as Micah tries to sort out his f ..read more

I enjoyed pretty much everything about “The Name Drop”. The premise is that two young people, the wealthy male heir-apparent and a smart but less affluent female both have summer internships at the same company. The fun starts when, due to the two having the same Korean name, Jessica is given the corporate royal treatment while Elijah is treated like a “regular person”. As both are eager to experience everything their new roles have to offer, they decide not to reveal the mistake. Chaos and romance ensue! I liked that the book is written in alternating chapters from the perspectives of the tw ..read more

“Suddenly a Murder” is a highly enjoyable take on the traditional locked-room mystery. In this case, the “room” is a posh vintage mansion on a private island. A group of friends attend a week-long 1920s themed high school graduation party there, someone winds up murdered, and detective are called in to figure it out. This is a great set up for the rest of the novel, as the reader is treated to getting to know the group of teens along with the police as the investigation proceeds. Conveniently, main character Izzy finds a hidden passage from which she can eavesdrop on all the police interview ..read more