Book Review: The Red Book of Primrose House by Marty Wingate

This is a thoroughly warm and engaging cozy mystery.
The Red Book of Primrose House
by Marty Wingate

• File Size: 1890 KB
• Print Length: 273 pages
• Publisher: Alibi (November 4, 2014)
• Sold by: Random House LLC
• ASIN: B00KAFXBHE

Genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
In Marty Wingate’s charming new Potting Shed Mystery, Texas transplant Pru Parke’s restoration of a historic landscape in England is uprooted by an ax murderer.

Pru Parke has her dream job: head gardener at an eighteenth-century manor house in Sussex. The landscape for Primrose House was laid out in 1806 by renowned designer Humphry Repton in one of his meticulously illustrated Red Books, and the new owners want Pru to restore the estate to its former glory—quickly, as they’re planning to showcase it in less than a year at a summer party.

But life gets in the way of the best laid plans: When not being happily distracted by the romantic attentions of the handsome Inspector Christopher Pearse, Pru is digging into the mystery of her own British roots. Still, she manages to make considerable progress on the vast grounds—until vandals wreak havoc on each of her projects. Then, to her horror, one of her workers is found murdered among the yews. The police have a suspect, but Pru is certain they’re wrong. Once again, Pru finds herself entangled in a thicket of evil intentions—and her, without a hatchet.

Review:
Pru Parke has landed a great job as head gardener to restore the garden at historic Primrose House in Sussex. An extra special bonus is that they have discovered the valuable “Red Book” of the historic landscape artist who detailed and sketched the garden plans for the manor house. Pru is excited about the impressive restoration opportunity even if it means that she is separated from her new “fellow”, London Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Christopher Pearse. Pru will also have the chance to meet other Parkes as she has a lead in her desperate search for connections to her mother’s English family.

Pru has to work with a mixed crew which consist of two brothers who provide brawn, a special, handicapped young man who provides gentleness and holes, and a difficult old gardener who begrudgingly provides history. Pru also has to resist the suggestions of her employer who sends in changing ideas by email or notes every few weeks and wants to host a grand open house in seven months. Things are going on fairly well until accidents happen and it appears there is sabotage in the garden. Then one of the staff is found murdered. The local Detective Sargeant (DS) is a nice officer and a friend of Christopher. However the local DCI is loud and rough and doesn’t want Christopher sticking his nose into his case.

Christopher was glad when Pru did not return to Texas after they met over another murder case. (See The Garden Plot.) He drives up for weekends to visit and is anxious to keep her safe, especially now that troubles are increasing. He suspects that Pru will have a hard time staying impartial in the investigation as she will want to protect her friends/staff and make inquires on her own.

I totally enjoyed the gardening details and life issues that were shared until the mystery began. There were several side interests that kept the book moving along well, including the mature romance between Pru and Christopher with their warm, and often lightly humorous, dialogue. The primary and secondary characters are well developed with distinct traits that add depth to the story. There are clues threaded in different encounters that help Pru (and the observant reader) to figure out the murderer, but will it be in time?

The length was good to make this an easy, fast read. This is a fine cozy mystery and I will soon return to Ms. Wingate to read The Garden Plot (Potting Shed Mystery Book 1) which I happen to have in my Kindle Library. I highly recommend this to fans of cozy mystery and to those who enjoy working in a garden!

I received this book from Random House through NetGalley.

Audio Book Review: Falling Up:Hours

I found this audiobook entertaining and very unusual.

Falling Up: Hours

I have looked but been unable to find a "blurb" or description for this.
It is a paranormal novella that brings the reader to a world of gifted orphans and focuses on 6th graders as they explore a mysterious gym.

Review:
This story follows a class of orphans where all of the children are extremely smart with Seth being the lead child prodigy. Seth’s class has reached 6th level and as their ‘leader’ he accepts the secret contract from the school administrators for his class to enter a mysterious gym for lunch hour each day during the year. Each year the sixth grade class has secretly been offered the same arrangement and during their unsupervised hour each class has developed their own often dangerous ‘game.’ Seth plans a dangerous, meticulous game that involves great technical details but offers a clear chance for disaster. There is also the confusion added by the spirit or ghost of a prior class mate who appears and causes mischief. Things go well for many months but there are issues that continue between the children outside of the gym.

Seth has realized for some time that many of his classmates experience “shimmerings”. He is upset that he has not been selected for that group and he struggles with his jealousy and determination to uncover the secret. Seth finds some pills he knows are taken by his classmates and is caught trying them. The administrators take him to be disciplined by an overseer aka ‘outsider’ who appears to be not all human.

The outsider tells Seth an alarming history of the orphans indicating that they are a group ‘at war’ with the human population due to their ‘different’ behaviors. Seth is initially alarmed and then confused when the administrators continue to tell him that what he has heard from the outsider “doesn’t matter”. Things spin out of control when Seth accuses the outsider of being an enemy and a spy. Next the game in the secret gym is sabotaged and his classmates begin to die. Finally Seth uncovers another secret that presents him with more decisions on how to proceed and how to fight the “enemy”.

The story is told by Seth, who shares his emotions of curiosity, joy, jealousy, excitement, fear and more. I found the plot concept to be very unique and there is a surprising element of intolerance revealed at the end that adds a whole new twist. I believe there were some inconsistencies in the world and presentation and there were some glaring grammatical errors that made me cringe. Still the story is engaging and I particularly liked Seth as a character with real emotions.

The author is part of the band Falling Up and apparently there is an album that accompanies the audiobook. I did enjoy the music that slips in at scene or chapter breaks which is very evocative and sometimes startling. The ending implies a continuation as Seth is to pursue and stop The Outsider. I would be curious where the story goes because, although this book was very entertaining, it left me hanging.

I received this book from my son who listens to the music of Falling Up. I am looking forward to discussing the story with him.

Audio Book Review: Ravenhill Court by David R. Beshears

This is an engaging Sci Fi puzzler.

Ravenhill Court
Written by: David R. Beshears
Narrated by: Karen Krause

Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:05-13-14
Publisher: David R. Beshears
Genre: Science Fiction, Short story
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Present day... A man returns to a long-abandoned neighborhood. Doors stand ajar, shutters hang open, lawns and landscaping are unkempt. The man sits on the curb and opens a leather-bound journal. Through the journal, he recalls the events that took place in Ravenhill decades earlier.
Journey back to 1964... The man is just a boy. He and his friends find that their neighborhood, a cul-de-sac set into the foothills along the California coast, is not all that it appears. There are strange happenings - some amazing, some terrifying, and all pointing to the fact that this little community of families might just be something other than what the rest of the world perceives it to be.
Thirteen year-old Ben Foster, along with his friends Peter and Louis, and his older sister, Julie, set out to find the secret behind the peculiar events that the outside world doesn't see and that those living in the neighborhood either choose to ignore or are conspiring to keep hidden.
Young Peter will set the tales down in his journal, which years later a grown Ben Foster will clasp as the last surviving corroboration of their adventures and of their astonishing discovery.
©2010, 2014 David R. Beshears (P)2014 David R. Beshears

Review:
Ben Foster is a grown man who returns to Ravenhill Court to reminisce about his childhood. Ben recalls that his childhood friend, Peter, was ridiculed and scoffed at by most of their peers and many adults. Peter’s father had dissappeared leaving behind a confused young boy who has unexplained dreams and visions. His friends believe him and support him even though some of what he sees includes aliens and other strange things. Ben shares their adventures as set down in Peter’s journal where he also noted descriptions and sketches of his unusual dreams and strange occurrences.

The close group of friends includes Ben, Peter, Ben’s sister, Julie, and a new friend, Louis. They have their own club house and try to protect each other from the bullies in school. They consult their favorite professor, who seems to have extra knowledge about the community, when thirteen year old Peter has new, insistent and scary dreams of a strange travel gate. The professor gives them cryptic instructions that leave them with more riddles and questions.

Ben and his friends follow the professor’s directions to seek the ‘alien gate’ and transfer a special crystal. Their attempts are opposed by enforcement officials who meet them along the way and challenge their actions. The teens pursue their investigations into possible conspiracy and uncover circumstances that are shocking and alarming.

A remarkable secret is revealed in Ben’s story as he and Julie expound on the history of their adventures to a skeptical Louis. The reader is left wondering... is it real or a dream community? It made me think of The Truman Show and even that comparison may be a bit of a spoiler.

The entire tone of the story is nostalgic and mysterious. The clubhouse is a great setting for the kids to ponder the mysteries around them. The clandestine nature of the childrens’ adventures kept me engaged in the entertaining mystery. This is a quick listen to satisfy a science fiction urge in a hurry.

Audio Notes: Karen Krause does a fine job of “story-telling” in her narration. She gives the characters their distinct voices, even capturing Julie’s whining badgering and frustration trying to get information. I definitely enjoyed this in audiobook form and although I recommend the story itself, I encourage audio fans to pick it up for a quick listen that may leave them pondering.

I selected this from AudioBook Jukebox to listen to for November Sci Fi Month.

It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 17, 2014

This meme starts at Book Journey!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This has been a nice week getting settled back at home. Playing some catch-up at work and relaxing with my DH at home. 

You might see that I have made a change in this post. I have combined IMWAYR (this weekly post) with Monday Mailbox since many of the people do both and so it might make it easier to comment just once. :-).

Surprisingly I had a good week of reading. Some was nearly done last week. I finished four books and am almost done another.  I posted three reviews, one with tour giveaway and one with guest post.  I did get all the usual memes posted this week. 

I didn't get to visit last week. My internet kept going off mid evening so I was going to bed early.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday! What are You Reading? November 10, 2014.

• Mailbox Monday November 3, 2014.

• Book Review and Tour Giveaway: Peace & Goodwill: a contemporary romance, a Christmas Novella (The Minstrel Series Book 4) by Lee Strauss; Contemporary Romance, Christmas Novella; my rating 4.25. Ends 11/18/14.

• Book Review: What a Lady Needs for Christmas (MacGregor Series) by Grace Burrowes; Historical Romance; my rating 4.5.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway November 14, 2014.  Open Worldwide. Ends 11/20/14.

• Book Review: Louisiana Fever by D. J. Donaldson; Forensic Mystery; my rating 4.5. 

• Guest Post by D. J. Donaldson: A Forensic/Medical Author’s Take on Ebola and the CDC.

• Sharing Beyond Books #177 Comment Giveaway 11/15/14; Open Worldwide. Ends 11/22/14.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement November 15, 2014.
  

Finished Reading:
1. eBook/Kiindle

Peace & Goodwill: a contemporary romance, a Christmas Novella (The Minstrel Series Book 4)
by Lee Strauss
This was lovely. My review and a tour giveaway is linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio Book/MP3

Falling Up: Hours
This is distinctly different. 
I will post a review this coming week. 

3. eBook/Kindle

Louisiana Fever
by D.J. Donaldson
I really liked this! My review and a special Guest Post are linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

4. Print

The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future!
by Jonathan Cahn
I really found this interesting.
Ladies Book Club was postponed until Saturday 11/22. I will post my review and giveaway then.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently reading:

1. Audio/MP3

WARP Book 1: The Reluctant Assassin (W.A.R.P.)
by Eoin Colfer
I am enjoying this rather dark time travel sci fi.
Received through SYNC 2014 Summer audios.
Publisher's Summary
Riley, a teen orphan boy living in Victorian London, has had the misfortune of being apprenticed to Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims' dwellings. On one such escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along and urges him to commit his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit the grisly act when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP). Riley is unwittingly transported via wormhole to modern-day London, followed closely by Garrick.
In modern London, Riley is helped by Chevron Savano, a 19-year-old FBI agent sent to London as punishment after a disastrous undercover, anti-terrorist operation in Los Angeles. Together Riley and Chevie must evade Garrick, who has been fundamentally altered by his trip through the wormhole. Garrick is now not only evil, but he also possesses all of the scientist's knowledge. He is determined to track Riley down and use the timekey in Chevie's possession to make his way back to Victorian London where he can literally change the world.
©2013 Eoin Colfer (P)2013 Listening Library Audio

2. eBook/Kindle

The Red Book of Primrose House
by Marty Wingate
This has started out well. I'm enjoying the gardening while waiting for the mystery. Received through NetGalley.
Book Description
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
In Marty Wingate’s charming new Potting Shed Mystery, Texas transplant Pru Parke’s restoration of a historic landscape in England is uprooted by an ax murderer.

Pru Parke has her dream job: head gardener at an eighteenth-century manor house in Sussex. The landscape for Primrose House was laid out in 1806 by renowned designer Humphry Repton in one of his meticulously illustrated Red Books, and the new owners want Pru to restore the estate to its former glory—quickly, as they’re planning to showcase it in less than a year at a summer party.

But life gets in the way of the best laid plans: When not being happily distracted by the romantic attentions of the handsome Inspector Christopher Pearse, Pru is digging into the mystery of her own British roots. Still, she manages to make considerable progress on the vast grounds—until vandals wreak havoc on each of her projects. Then, to her horror, one of her workers is found murdered among the yews. The police have a suspect, but Pru is certain they’re wrong. Once again, Pru finds herself entangled in a thicket of evil intentions—and her, without a hatchet.

3. Print

We Are The Destroyers (We Are***Are We Book 1) 
by D. K. Lindler
I have just started this but am looking forward to it.
I received this for review from the Cadence Group.
Book Description
Publication Date: September 15, 2014
Captain Bel’lar can’t accept that he’s lived all this before.
Overconsumption is destroying his home planet, and synthetic foods are turning his people into degenerated mutants under the control of the Brotherhood of Syn. As one of the few remaining but persecuted Organs—those who still live the organic lifestyle—Bel’lar and his small crew must escape from their dying world to the semi-mythical blue-white planet. They are to discover if it is really what the prophecies say it is: a place for humanity to make a new beginning.
But the visions of his beautiful companion Ry Sing, a mystic and seer shake Bel’lar. She tells him that eons ago, Bel’lar was also faced with the burden of saving his people from their own greed. Only then he was the Great One, the sacred head of their religion. He had seen no other way to liberate them from their collision course with environmental destruction and spiritual degradation than to purify the planet in a great cataclysm… But could the horrible vision be true? Could he really have done such a thing? And what about the scriptures that predict that a man with a mark like his would be fated to purify a corrupted planet once again and free the souls?
As Bel’lar, Ry Sing and the rest of the elite team embark on their mission to save mankind, the truth of the vision begins to reveal itself, and Bel’lar’s destiny is set before him. But will he be able to avoid it this time? Or is he fated to live the vision once again?

4. Audio/MP3

Divided We Fall
Written by: Trent Reedy
Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
I spotted this in my SYNC audios so picked it for a Sci Fi listen.
Received through SYNC 2014 Summer audios.
Publisher's Summary
From the author of Words in the Dust: an actionpacked YA novel set in a frighteningly plausible near future, about what happens when the States are no longer United.
Danny Wright never thought he'd be the man to bring down the United States of America. In fact, he enrolled in the National Guard because he wanted to serve his country the way his father did. When the Guard is called up on the governor's orders to police a protest in Boise, it seems like a routine crowdcontrol mission... but then Danny's gun misfires, spooking the other soldiers and the already fractious crowd. By the time the smoke clears, 12 people are dead. The president wants the soldiers arrested. The governor swears to protect them. And as tensions build on both sides, the conflict slowly escalates toward the unthinkable: a second American civil war.
With political questions that are popular in American culture yet rare in YA fiction, and a plot that's both excitingly provocative and frighteningly plausible, Divided We Fall will be Trent Reedy's very timely YA debut.
©2014 Trent Reedy (P)2014 Scholastic Inc.

I am caught up on my daily Bible reading.
I have disciplined myself each morning to read my Bible passage before I pick up print, Kindle or mp3. I am really enjoying the reading.

November I am participating in Sci Fi Month. The first week was full of tour books but I have started some Sci Fis now.  I have three titles that are ready for review posting this coming week. 

Novenber Scheduled -
11/22 Ladies Book Club - Mystery of the Shemitah w/ Print GW (ready for review)
11/26 Sugar's Twice as Sweet: Sugar, Georgia: Book 1, by Marina Adair  w/ ebook GW

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday.
Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This covers two weeks as I didn't post last week.
I received/selected four review titles.
I purchased four $.99 kindle titles this week as well as getting many free kindle titles.

(Although I have gotten to a couple, I still have many author requests to consider and reply to.)

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I selected this title through NetGalley as it sounds beautiful and is perfect for helping to remember the true meaning of the holiday season.

Every Valley: Advent with the Scriptures of Handel's Messiah
Westminster John Knox Press
This gift-worthy book will delight and inspire classical music fans and those for whom Messiah is a beloved Christmas tradition with essays exploring the theological, historical, and pastoral implications of the Scriptures that make up Handel's Messiah.

I received the crime mystery Louisiana Fever 

for review with guest post by the author 

both of which are linked above under

What Are Your Reading.

Both of these were received from Hachette/Grand Central Forever Yours Romance line:

Sugar's Twice as Sweet: Sugar, Georgia: Book 1

by Marina Adair 

 Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Small town romance with a bad boy 

who wants to prove he is ready to settle down.

This is for tour and my review on November 26.

Home for the Holidays

A Cavanaugh Island Novella

by Rochelle Alers

Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

This Christmas novella is set in charming, Sanctuary Cove featuring popular characters from Rochelle Alers' bestselling small-town, Cavanaugh Island contemporary romance series.

Love is always in season.

This is part of tour with my review end of November or first of December.

Won

None

Purchased

I purchased four $.99 Kindle titles this week - three Christmas and one I liked the blurb and want to try:

A Legendary Christmas Boxed Set
Jan Scarbrough, Maddie James, Magdalena Scott, Janet Eaves

Starlight, Star Bright (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza)

JoAnn Durgin

Lady at Arms
Tamara Leigh, S. Hunt Schmanski

Love on Main Street: A Snow Creek Christmas

Juliet Blackwell, Rachael Herron, LGC Smith, Cecilia Gray,

Ruby Laska, Adrienne Bell, Lisa Hughey

Free

Over the past two weeks I downloaded another 98 free Kindle titles. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement November 15, 2014

It was wonderful to be back at our home church this morning. We had great praise and worship time and then a lovely communion celebration.

Our Sunday School teacher is still in Revelations 20 (v11-15) which speaks of the Great White Throne Judgment that all men will face. Today however was about the Bema judgment ( 2 Corinthians 5:12) when Believers stand before God and give an accounting for our actions, our works. We will not be judged for sin as there is no condemnation for those who have believed and received salvation.

What we will be judged on and rewarded for is the good deeds we have done with right motive (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).  Lives here are fleeting and it is inappropriate to just bide our time and get through this life. Faith provides salvation but works follow and should produce fruit. After sharing a long list of scriptures describing, affirming and evoking “good works” our teacher noted: we should be laying up treasures in heaven not on earth. What we do for Christ is really all that matters. He wants our obedience to be shown by sharing his love, blessings and abundance, not hoarding them to ourselves.

Interestingly, our Pastor’s sermon was that Grace is the True Gospel. He is technically totally correct that we are saved by grace and grace alone. It is our believe and trust in God that saves us and that is a free gift. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves except to accept by faith the freely offered gift of salvation: payment for sin, redemption, by Christ’s death.

The two messages might seem at odds until we recognize and understand that they blend. Once we believe and have accepted the free gift of salvation by grace, our growing knowledge of God and His love should bring us to want to do His work where and when He directs in our lives.

As I looked for a video to go with this message I did find Bema Seat by Petra. 

That is very lively and fitting although you have to listen closely as the lyrics are not included.

However then I came upon this video and I really liked it's screen messages
as well as the well-known worship song.

Verses for today:

Romans 14:10-12
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Lord, I do feel that time is drawing short. And even if the time of your return is not as imminent as I might believe, my time on earth is limited. Therefore, I seek Your daily guidance as to where and when I might share share Your love and the abundance you have graciously bestowed upon me.