String of Lies

Last year, I've read the first book in the Craft Corner series, Wreath of Deception. Now I've finished book two in the series, String of Lies. Another good cozy with an intriguing mystery in winter. This takes a month after the first murder, when there's rumors of small businesses is being sold to a larger corporation called Holt Meadows. This makes Jo McCallister concerns for her own Craft Corner shop too of being sold. When she learns of her neighbor's shops being sold, and worried for her own, she went to the Holt Manor to talk to Parker Holt himself. And what turns up was his dead body. More than one person had a good reason to kill him, when there's a string of lies popping out of the woodwork to cover their asses. When Jo gets closer to the truth, she might be the next victim of the killer's. An enjoyable read with crafty beading tips.

Friends in High Places

In Donna Leon's Friends in High Places, the 9th book in the Commissario Brunnetti Italian mystery series, we were introduced to another suspenseful mystery in beautiful Italy. It all started when a young bureaucrat visited Guido to investigate the lack of official approval for his apartment building, his first impression was on who he knows to bring pressure on that government department. But when he rung him at work and sounded scared, he was late found dead when he had fallen from some scaffolding, someone was strangely going that has far more greater implications than the fate of his apartment building.


 This was another great Guido Brunetti Italian mystery in the series. I continued to love the vast and scenic beautiful settings and locations in Venice Italy with those vivid descriptions. I also cared about Guido and what he might find that dealt with some dirty politicians. I became curious on the death of the young bureaucrat and how far would that trail of politics would go. This would make you speechless and drop your jaw down to the ground.  Great drama, suspense, intrigue and tons of mystery along with the way with non-stop action.

Do you have friends in high places? If so, give this a try today!

Summer of a Summer Night

If you love historical romances with some excitement of suspense and a happy ending, you'll love Lisa Kleypas's Secrets of A Summer Night, the first book int he Wallflowers series. This dealt with Annabelle's search for a peer husband. We were also introduced to Evangeline, Daisy and her sister Lillian, the other fellow Wallflowers, who were also looking for love. She had her eyes on Sir Simon Hunt, a rich commoner, who wasn't looking for marriage and wanted to introduce her to blissful pleasure. Her friends wanted to line her up with someone to protect her from Simon, when one summer night changed everything for her. They ended up falling in love, when they realized they were meant for each other and declared their love for each other. This made your heart go pitter patter.

I loved the introduction of this series of four lonely girls, who weren't always the belles of the balls, and unlucky in the romance department. I also loved how they became friends and formed a bond. I thought Simon was a dashing gentleman for Annabelle, when they helped each other. This made me sigh and fall in love with the characters for real, too. There's no other historical romance series like this one, when each wallflower gets their own romance per season.

Ready to find a great read? Give this one a whirl today!

Black Rose

In the second installment of the In the Garden trilogy series by Nora Roberts, Black Rose focused on Roz Harper.  A widow with three grown sons and one failed marriage, her garden nursery was thriving with the help of new mom Hayley and newlywed Stella.  The three of them had bonded and became close friend and soul sisters. With their future under attack by the Harper Bride's ghostly appearance, she teamed up with Dr. Mitchell Carnegie, a genealogist, to delve into her family's ancestral history. The closer they've gotten together to the truth, the most intriguing chemical attraction have occurred to them. To save them from impending doom, it was a race against time to discover the truth and put them to rest for her to soon close over.  If you love romance stories with a twist, read this trilogy in order.

This was a great follow-up from Blue Dahlia in the In the Garden trilogy. I loved how it focused on Roz Harper, the matriarch. I cared for her whole family more, when she had a second chance to find love. The ensuing ghost story continues on, when we get to know more about the Harper Bride some more. I loved the genealogical angle in this romance. I also loved how it threw Roz and Mitchell together and possibly Harper to Hayley together. I continued to love the gardening-greenhouse scenes as well.

Ready to watch a rose grow? Give this book a go!