The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell

 Paranormal mysteries always intrigue me so when I was offered an advanced reader's copy of The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell, I jumped on the chance.

Professor Harper Grae needs a change of life after being denied tenure at her former University. As a historian specializing in the historical and societal significance of witchcraft, ghosts, and medicinal poisons of all sorts, being taken seriously by her colleagues has been a challenge. Harper ends up with a docotrate position at a university in Monterey California and it seems like the perfect opportunity to start anew. A dear friend from graduate school reconnects with Harper. After Harper loses a bet with her friend Tariq,  she must pay the price by going on a hokey ghost tour of Monterey.  Little did she know that she would be a part of digging up one of the tour's home owners who had been busied alive under a famous Cyprus tree. Harper then becomes tangled in a murder investigation that puts her historian's skills into use.  

Harper finds that she is "sensitive" to the supernatural entities involved in the mystery, and she becomes haunted by more than her nightmares as she works to find out what really happened to Delilah Mason and who else had been buried beneath the Cyprus tree at the Perles Mansion where Delilah Mason lived. 

Blackwell wrote an engaging novel filled with subtle creepiness that kept me involved with the story until the final page.  I continually felt I had solved the mystery, just to find out I was wrong once again.   Her characters were well written and came off the page into my imagination.  The setting was particularly fun for me because last summer my husband and I visited Monterey on vacation so I could picture many of the scenes. 

I enjoyed how Blackwell was able to build the intrigue of the plot as she built the suspicion in the reader's mind. I was surprised by the ending and happy I chose to read the book.  I give The Seance Garden 4 stars! 

Look for  The Seance Garden when it is published July 27, 2027 by Berkley Publishing Group.

#TheSeanceGarden #NetGalley

The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon

 A group of mystery writers meeting as a literary critiquing club, great idea! What could go wrong? Well...murder, Intrigue, deception, to just name a few.

Horace Hazelmoor, bestselling author of crime mysteries has created an elite club of fellow writers at London's The Ritz Hotel. Lucy Hubbard received a formal invitation from Horace Hazelmoor himself! She's finally made it, to be recognized and invited to Hazelmoor's club means her crime novels, her writing, Lucy herself are now literary successes. 

At her first meeting, she is introduced to the other writers, all invited by Horace and  publicly famous for their novels. Only one is a surprise to Lucy,  he is her childhood best friend and ex fiance, Frank. Their romance ended badly and now she must face him in his realm as part of the elite writers group. 

Horace meets up with Frank before the meeting and tensions rise. Horace has a habit of collecting secrets and using the information to his advantage. He has details on his writer's lives that would best remain hidden. Horace has found out information about Lucy and Frank and now has leverage over Frank as well.

Lucy's first meeting of the Cloak and Dagger Club comes at a cost when Horace Hazelmoor is found dead in his hotel room the following morning. Now,  every member of the Cloak and Dagger Club are suspects.  A regular crime mystery unfolds and the writers are unraveling the unwritten plot. Will Lucy and Frank remain estranged or will murder and mystery bring them together once again? Who actually killed Horace Hazelmoor?

Jackie McMahon does an amazing job of weaving plot and intrigue amongst the lives of her characters which creates a story with depth and emotion in her book, The Cloak and Dagger Club.  Her setting, 1930's London is rich with history and such a fun location to place her story.  I felt completely invested in the people, the story and McMahon's writing voice. The overall effect of her novel made it memorable and left me hanging on the whodunit until it was revealed at the very end.  As an avid professional reader, that's quite a feat.  I can usually solve the murder well before the end, not this one.  I was constantly guessing and I was consistently wrong.  That's the mark of a great writer, keeping the truth hidden until it is purposefully revealed. McMahon succeeds splendidly!

I rate The Cloak and Dagger Club five stars and recommend it to anyone who loves a great crime mystery!  

The Cloak and Dagger Club, is publishing on July 14, 2026 by Berkley Publishing Group.  Thank you to Net Galley and Berkely Publishing for the Advanced Reader's Copy of The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TheCloakandDaggerClub

The Bureau of Unknown Fates by Gaëlle Nohant

 Choosing to read a novel based on the Holocaust is not easy for me.  I have read many, and I find them so important to read but also emotionally draining. I am a firm believer that we study history to illustrate the mistakes and atrocities of the past to hopefully be cognizant to not repeat them in the future.  The Bureau of Unknown Fates by Gaëlle Nohant is just such a novel.  

Irene, a french woman, is hired by the ITS, International Tracing Service, located in Bad Arolsen,a small German town that she moves to after marrying her German husband.  In post war Germany the ITS looks for displaced and missing persons following the Holocaust.  Irene becomes so engrossed with her job and the tragedies of war as she learns the stories and fates of the victims, that she divorces her husband just after her son is born. The estrangement occurs following an argument she has with his parents about their participation in German's WWII war crimes.  

Irene then spends her life being a single mother while researching and uniting families with fates of their loved ones from the various German concentration and death camps.  She becomes friends with survivor's families as she reunites both the people and the items left by them.  

Due to the topic, this is obviously not an easy book to read. Especially if you are an empathic sponge like I am.  I found Nohant's writing style read like a documentary. The accounts were less narrative and more investigative writing styled. Which makes sense due to the nature of the book.  Yet, Nohant pieced together her accounts with personal narrative from Irene's life. Illustrating how the tragedies of history's past effect generations to come. 

I found the book slow moving due to the detail and emotional accounts.  Like reading Elie Wiesel's Night, I had to take it in smaller doses.  

Yet, Nohant does a stellar job of making her fictional characters into human beings that a reader becomes emotionally attached to, I always feel this is the gift of a talented author. 

I recommend reading The Bureau of Unknown Fates by Gaëlle Nohant and rate it 4 stars. Look for it to be published by St. Martin's Press on December 8, 2026.  Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader's Copy of The Bureau of Unknown Fates in exchange for this honest review.

#NetGalley. #TheBureauofUnknownFates

Romantic Hero

 It has been quite a long time since I have treated myself to a lighthearted romance novel. I am so glad that I did, It was just what I needed. Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood is a delightful lark of a novel. Romantic Hero is funny when it needs to be, yet seasoned with just enough emotion to  tug at the heartstrings of her readers. 

Gertie Bickerstaff lives in London and is an accomplished romance writer of a popular series,  Bedlam Creek, which is set in a fictional Texas community. Gertie knows her characters as if she is reading their very own thoughts. Several books into the series and beginning to write her final book for the story, Gertie finds herself stonewalled by an enormous case of "Writer's Block".  Her boyfriend of 4 years, Henry, has asked her for a "break" and she only wants to wail out her woes in her bathtub, drink strong cocktails and eat meat. 

Gertie's neighbor, Mrs. Casablancas has an idea. With her book deadline fast approaching and her neighbor's patience hearing the bath wailing diminishing, she suggests that they perform a manifestation ceremony to draw in a solution to Gertie's writer's block. 

River Oakley is a villain in Gertie's novels. He's also a very handsome cowboy.  Gertie's readers love to loathe him. River's one goal is to see Oakley Ranch succeed, a promise he made to his father.  There's a land auction he needs to attend to be able to protect the ranch from outside investors, and he needs to be there.

River Oakley decides to take a little nap under his favorite cedar tree in Blue Egg Meadow, when he wakes he finds himself shirtless, on a couch, in London, staring at a woman wearing nothing, but holding an ugly hat in a dismal attempt to cover her nakedness. This is how he meets Gertie. 

And the wild ride has begun. Gertie needs to finish her book. River needs to get back to Bedlam Creek. 

Greenwood does a masterful job creating a motley crew of supporting characters to help Gertie and River fulfill their destinies, while entertaining her readers in the process. 

I rate Romantic Hero as a four star frolicking escape. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Romantic Hero hits the shelves on June 16, 2026, published by Berkley Publishing group. Treat yourself to a little summer reading fun and read Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood.

Thank you Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Romantic Hero, in exchange for an honest review.

#RomanticHero # NetGalley

Feast!

 Feast , a debut novel by Catherine Kurtz could not be more aptly named! Feast is truly a feast for the senses. Rich in voice, characters, and emotion, Feast propels the reader into the world of gourmand flavors, mixed-race judgmental attitudes, the harsh reality of never feeling wanted or belonging, and just how cruel a world can be to an outsider. Kurtz's novel Feast also envelopes the reader in the gift of the senses. 

Minha, begins her life with the acute awareness of taste and smell. Her first memories are being born and smelling the yeasty bread aroma from the bakery her parents live above, and the subtle spices wafting from her father, an Indian spice merchant who sails the seas.  She grows knowing an incredible palate, centered on her sense of smell and taste. She can identify not only the subtle notes of the food's spices and ingredients, but also the soil and sea it is grown nearby.  For all the richness of her abilities, she lives a very starved emotional existence.  Her mother works the London streets, taverns and clubs to grudgingly sustain Minha.  Minha's father sailed out to sea soon after her birth, leaving her mother to exist as best as she can with a baby. As a small child, Minha's mother takes her to her Grandparents' home in Kent to stay, to keep her from the dangers of the streets.  Her grandmother is prejudiced of her dark Indian skin, but she finds love and acceptance from her grandfather, Armand.

Armand's homeland is France and he tells Minha much about it. At his death, she escapes her grandmother's never ceasing cruelness to see the country her grandfather loved.  She finds no acceptance there either. In fact she is more ostracized than ever and only finds employment as an odd circumstance arises. Her acute sense of smell detects poison in a duck dish to be served at a celebration of Duc Nicholas. She saves him and becomes his poison taster in residence. 

So many obstacles to happiness and belonging assault Minha. Will she ever find love and belonging? Are there friendships to be had amongst the sadness?

I confess, I love to cook and bake. I would not say I have a ability to taste  and identify many ingredients, but I do smell every spice and addition to my recipes.  It helps me fully experience the joy I find in preparing foods.  I was enchanted by Minha's unique gift of her palate.  I reveled in her senses. When she felt joy, when she sensed danger, when she tasted fear and sadness. Kurtz created a complex character in Minha.  She is a masterful storyteller with a wonderful gift of bringing her characters to life. As a reader, one loves them, hates them, and most of all becomes completely immersed in their world. 

I am so thankful to Berkely Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced reader's copy of Feast by Catherine Kurtz, publishing  TOMORROW!!!, June 9, 2026.  Taste and see the talent of Catherine Kurtz, read Feast!

#Feast #NetGalley

Biblical Hypocrite? Me?

 I have bible verses throughout my home. You can find them on plaques, pictures,  and blocks of wood as decorative items. I even have my favorite bible passage as a tattoo on my foot. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge him and he will keep your paths straight." Lately I have wondered, am I a hypocrite? 

Do I really trust in the Lord with all my heart? Or do I trust in God only when it benefits me and I try to forge my own path and do things my way the rest of the time? 

Lately, I realized that I have been trying with all my will to create my own paths. I have actively worked at making things in my life happen on my timeline and according to my will. Guess what...It's not working. Things are not falling into place. Praying for my wants has not helped. My human nature has taken over my mind and I have not been focusing on the simple truth that is literally etched into my skin.  "Trust in the Lord!"

All this truth hit me this morning as I was getting ready to stay with a family member who was recently injured in an accident.  Needless to say it has been a rough patch. Just prior to the accident I was feeling melancholy because I was not getting my wants. Like I "deserved"  them because I wanted them so much.  Today I realized what a bunch of baloney I had been pursuing.  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart!" "Lean not on your own understanding!"  There is a reason that God placed his word so deeply into my heart that I then put them on my body.  It's truly not about my wants.  God always covers my needs.  That is enough. 

I am going to do my best to remember this more and lean not on my own understanding but search for His will.  I am going to be honest with you reader, I am rather strong headed and will probably have to remind myself, but I am going to try harder to lean into God and have him direct my paths rather than running ahead forging my own.  I am confident that He will bless me in ways that I can bless others, whatever that looks like, I just have to have faith and believe.  

Good thing it's summer, and I can go barefoot! Maybe I need to read my tattoo more often. 😎

If you have ever felt this way, share your experiences.  I would be interested to know your tools to focus and trust God above all things.  I am planning to delve more into his word and  pursuing unselfish prayers.  I am thankful for God's wakeup call this morning.  I definitely needed the reminder. ✟

Sweet Pea

 Family is what you make for yourself, and sometimes there are hardships in the making. I believe this wholeheartedly. Many members of my "family" are not blood, but they are as close to me as those who are. I love them dearly.

Perhaps this is why Sweet Pea, by Kit de Waal resonated with me so strongly.  

Paulette grew up in St. Kitts. She was raised by her grandmother who nicknamed her Sweet Pea. Paulette learned to cook island food and how to be the woman she is now. Paulette came to England as a young girl, but she took all the lessons of learning to love and forgive others that her grandmother taught her with her to her new country. She works as an auxillary nurse and cares for patients in a hospital. Tragedy strikes Paulette when the man she is involved with is killed in an auto accident. Her hopes and dreams of a home and family die along with him.

After his death she finds he has lied to her all along, and he has a family already in his life. 

Paulette never ends up with the family she envisions, but she does have a child with the a  friend  of her lover who was killed, and in the course of raising her son she finds herself only a few houses away from the man who drove the car that killed her man. 

Paulette's boyfriend was not the only casualty in the wreck. The Driver, Frank, also tragically injures his pregnant daughter, leaving him with his grandson to raise alone, while dealing with the guilt of his actions.  Fate brings Paulette and Frank together through the lives of her son, "bird", and his grandson, Cornelius.  The hard times don't end with the hard feelings. Yet, Kit de Waal weaves her story together with honesty and raw open emotions of loss, love and healing. 

I was pleasantly impressed with the depth  of feeling de Waal created with her characters. The pain of loss and healing power of forgiveness come forth as strong themes throughout the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, characters and author's voice. I favorably recommend Sweet Pea, by Kit de Waal, being published November 3rd by St. Martin's Press.

Thank you St. Martin's  and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Sweet Pea, in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley. #SweetPea

Her Kind

 I am convinced that women need close female friends to be whole.  Both through family and community.  We can exist alone, but there are always pieces of our world missing until we find special karmic souls to connect with through our life's journey.  If I had to choose mine, I would say mine are Denise, Lisa, Beth, MaryLou and Amber.  Perfection would be to have them all together with me in my home, coexisting together.  

I am certain I connected so strongly with Sophia Lefens's debut novel, Her KInd, simply because I have been blessed with strong relationships with dear women who make my life more abundant through their presence. 

The main character, Ada, has lived a troubled life.  Abandoned by her mother throughout her childhood, Ada sees her Aunt Leigh as the one stable adult she can rely on. When her husband also walks away from their marriage and infant son, she turns to the only refuge she has, her aunt Leigh. Ada, and her now three year old son Lenny build a life at her aged aunt's lake home, where time together in nature and the lure of the water become balm to their souls. In such a calm serene setting, Ada is jolted by fear when she begins to have reoccurring premonitions or dreams that she will soon die, leaving her son Lenny alone in the world as she has often been left.  Her only balm for her troubled mind is to gather her friends to her there, and decide whom she would leave Lenny  with if she dies. Sage, Agnes, and Joanna are each going going through their own life's difficulties, and each also find a home with Leigh at the lake house.   Death does indeed come to Ada and her friends, but they learn and grow from their time together. 

Lefens 's novel is well written, with strong, real characters. She imparts a soul into each of her characters which makes them relatable. I think anyone who has experienced the gift of true and honest friendship can identify with Lefens's book.

I feel that I connected strongly with Lefens's book for several reasons.  I have shared special relationships with friends and family so dear that they are the ones I run to when I am frightened or in grief.  I also have lost loved ones that left gaping voids in my life. Finally, the poignant serendipity of her aunt Leigh's memory fading touched my heart.  My husband and I are experiencing that now with a shared family member and seeing her decline slowly is a sad but real event.  

Her Kind is set to publish on October 13, 2026 and would be a fine read for a book club. It would be interesting to see which character(s) each person relates with most strongly and who each one would choose in their own lives to be with if faced with challenges like  Lefens's character Ada is.

Thank you to the publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Proof in exchange for an honest review.

#HerKind #NetGalley

Contrapposto

My google internet search of the word Contrapposto told me, "Contrapposto was developed by the ancient Greeks and is an Italian word meaning counterpoise. Contrapposto is used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with the majority of their weight on one foot. The other leg is relaxed and bent which causes the hips to tilt and the spine to curve. Famous examples of this pose are Michelangelo's "David" or the Venus D'Milo."  Now that you too have been educated on a facet of visual art information, you can learn more about the world of art in Dave Eggers newest novel, Contrapposto, to be published June 9, 2026 by Penguin Random House. 

Trained as a painter, Eggers brings his knowledge of the industry and unique climate of the art world through his characters. Contrapposto follows the lives of two individuals, Cricket (Robert Dib) and Olympia Argyros from the time they met as children through their 70's.  Fraught with life's complexities, Cricket and Olympia pursue art as a driving force in their lives.  Cricket learns young that he has a penchant for drawing, and he pursues this talent throughout his entire lifespan. as he trains as a painter. Olympia is a complex and often times troubled soul who uses her vast knowledge of art, artists, and business to propel herself through the tumultuous and often chaotic art scene, worldwide.  

While Olympia tends to thrive on the drama and rollercoaster ride of her career, often ending in personal addiction manifesting in various forms; Cricket gravitates toward the  quiet, creating his art through his love of line drawing and painting. Cricket is satisfied to work on the fringe of the art scene in order to create his paintings for himself. 

Olympia and Crickets' lives are ever interconnected. They share a love as friends and more but never a sustained life together.  

Eggers did a masterful job of intertwining the lives and personalities of his two characters so that the reader is continually drawn into their joys and struggles.  Eggers also educates the reader on the art world, the artists realm as well as the business side.  I learned so much about a topic I have never delved into, which is a mark of a great writer, to educate while entertaining.

I enjoyed Egger's newest book, Contrapposto. Eggers has another literary success!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Contrapposto in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley. #Contrapposto

 

Vibrant Alertness

     So much has happened since I last blogged on anything other than book reviews.  I decided it was time to sit down and think about the last few months.  The trigger to my thoughts was my dog last night, Sydney.  I don't know what she heard, but beginning at 3am, she was alert and on patrol. Barking and running to the doors. Scott and I weren't the only ones put on notice.  The cat joined in too, meowing loudly to voice her opinion.  

    We never found out the why for her watchfulness but it certainly woke me up and started me thinking about my life since Christmas.  

Two great men died. 

My father-in-law, Tom Miller, after living an impressive and productive life of work and loving his family went to heaven. I met him in 1982, when I first started dating Scott.  Dad was engaging, witty, wise, and on top of that a prominent businessman in his career life.  After we married in 1985, he treated me as if I was just another daughter, not the in-law addition.  Dad taught us so many things, and we have been forever blessed by his presence in our life.  He was 91.

My daughter-in-law's father entered heaven about two weeks after dad. Mark. He was 63. Fewer years on this earth, but no less an impact for those who knew and loved him. Our children met young, at the beginning of high school. There was a lot of life happening those first few years of their time together, and Mark and his wife Lorry became part of our extended family long before our children married.  Mark was successful as a business owner, but his family would probably say his most impactful role was that of a dad, grandpa, and friend to all.  He is missed immensely...

We moved my mother-in-law to Hutchinson Kansas in an assisted living facility, only five minutes from our home. After dad died, some circumstances changed for Scott's mom and the family decided moving mom would be the best for all of us. We are thrilled to be able to have mom close by after living two and a half hours away the past 32 years.  Now she can be an integral part of our lives, allowing us to see her several times a week.  Some days are easier than others, but the joy of having her near makes up for the additional nurturing we are blessed with being able to provide.  

    So, those are the major events. When my dog, Sydney, so thoughtfully alerted me to imminent peril  of unknown origin in the wee hours of the day, I realized in my wakeful state how vibrant life has become these last few months. It is as if I awoke with the spring and all things seem fresh and new again. People are more precious. Tasks of entertaining others are more meaningful. Colors are shockingly vivid. Even annoying events of pets are more tolerable and kind of cute. 

    Maybe we all need an injection of vibrant alertness occasionally to wake up our worlds. But, perhaps not at 3am in the morning...

Photo Dump!