Audio Book Review: Mission Impawsible by Krista Davis

This is a perfectly lovely cozy mystery.
Mission Impawsible: Paws & Claws Mystery Series, Book 4
Written by: Krista Davis
Narrated by: Elise Arsenault

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
Series: Paws & Claws, Book 4
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:02-07-17
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Holly Miller and her grandmother, Oma, are working their tails off to prepare the Sugar Maple Inn for an upcoming matchmaking event for pet owners. While Holly has no interest in pairing up, Oma plans on playing Cupid and finding someone to warm her reluctant granddaughter's heart. Unfortunately, one man Holly does meet is cold - dead cold - and he has a personal letter from Oma in his pocket. As suspicion is cast over the inn's guests, Holly - with the help of her furry friends, Trixie the Jack Russell and Twinkletoes the cat - must fetch the real killer, or she may soon have a date in court.
©2017 Cristina Ryplansky (P)2017 Tantor

Review:
This is a very easy and enjoyable listen. I really enjoyed the involvement and mischief of the pets. The human characters have some quirky traits that add interest and a little intrigue. This is the fourth story in the series but reads fine as a standalone.

Holly is helping run her grandmother’s inn, the Sugar Maple Inn set in Wagtail, Virginia. Wagtail is aptly named as they love their four-legged friends. The Inn is hosting a special week-end Animal Attraction Matchmaking event for pet owners. The rather eccentric matchmaker, Macon, is convinced that animals often pull people together. Holly isn’t interested in being matched but her grandmother, Oma, has filled out a form for Holly so she gets pulled into the matchmaking. Holly’s dog, Trixie, makes fast friends with Cooper and his owner, John. John shows interest in Holly until they stumble on a dead body.

Holly is helping her friend, Zelda, to sneak out without her stalking ex, Hank, seeing her but someone sees Holly sneaking around the house. This is not good when the next morning Holly finds Hank’s bashed body under the trees.

Initially Zelda is a suspect but then circumstantial evidence shifts to point to Holly. Holly has worked with the local Detective, Officer Dave and she is a bit put out that she is a suspect and he won’t share any information with her. Still it seems that Holly’s efforts to investigate get her deeper into trouble.

There are various suspects floating around the Inn. Nessie and Sky are two late arrivals who are attending to keep track of their daughters who are participating in the event. It turns out that one of the ladies is the sister in law to the first dead man, a psychologist, Dr. Randall Donovan. Donavan had been rather unpleasant when checking in and had bad-mouthed Macon as a charlatan matchmaker. There is also cause for the local pharmacist to dislike Donovan.

As if Holly isn’t busy enough, her own ex-boyfriend, Ben, who is not a big fan of pets, has shown up with a borrowed adoption dog, Huey, a sweet and lovable dog, to participate in the matchmaking. It seems Ben may be leaving the door open as a gathering of dogs and cats are breaking into the pantry.

This is great fun following the antics of the animals while trying to figure out who the killer is and what the motives are. I recommend this to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and animals as part of the story.

Audio Notes: Elise Arsenault is a new narrator for me. She does a nice job with the characters, conveying the fun of the story. The narration made this a quick, easy experience for me.

I received this from the publisher through Audiobook Jukebox. It qualifies for Audiobook Challenge.

Sunday Post July 9, 2017/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 10, 2017

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date.
Thank you to Sheila for the years that she handled this meme.
Thank you to Kathryn for taking up the baton.

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.

I enjoyed our independence day holiday with my Hubby but then Wednesday felt like a Monday. Still busy with lots of work.

Reading was good and more than I expected. I finished four books: one audio, two ebooks and a print book. I am far along in two more too. I posted three reviews, along with all of my usual memes.

I visited about 28 blogs last week.
Shout out this week is to Audiobook Reviewer for reviews on Audiobooks!
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post July 2, 2017/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 3, 2017.

• Happy Independence Day USA - 2017

• MBS June 2017 Reading List Wrap-Up

• eNGT- Book Review: Serenity Harbor by RaeAnne Thayne; Small Town Romance; my rating 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway July 7, 2017. Open Worldwide. Ending 7/13/2017.

• P(PUYB)- Book Review: FIFO 50 STATES by Hayley Rose; Children, Educational; my rating 4.0.

• eNG- Book Review: When the English Fall by David Williams; Dystopian, Religious, Sci Fi; my rating 4.5.

• Sharing Beyond Books #310 Comment Giveaway July 8, 2017. Open Worldwide. Ending 7/8/2017.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement July 9, 2017.

Finished Reading:

1. Audible/MP3 (TBR)

Avenging Home: The Survivalist Series, Book 7
Written by: A. American
Narrated by: Duke Fontaine
Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
This is a good continuance of the series.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle (NG-Tour)

Serenity Harbor: A Heartwarming Small Town Romance
(Haven Point)
by RaeAnne Thayne
This is lovely; my review is linked above
Click on book title for full description.

3. Print Book (PUYB)

FIFO 50 STATES
by Hayley Rose
This is a fun educational book to share with children. My review is linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

4. eBook/Kindle

The Detective: A Nathan McNamara Story (The Soul Summoner)
by Elicia Hyder
I enjoyed this character in The Soul Summoner enjoyed this additional background on him.
I received this through InstaFreebies.
Robbery, arson, murder...and the one night stand that just won't end.
With eleven missing women to find and six high-profile burglary cases to solve, the last thing Detective Nathan McNamara needs in his life is one more complication. And that’s exactly what his recent one-night stand is becoming—complicated. With his heinous lieutenant breathing down his neck for answers and his accidental girlfriend dropping hints for a commitment, Nathan is realizing that his career and his bachelor status are both on the line.
When the burglary cases suddenly escalate to homicide, Nathan must put everything else aside to stop the killer. But this is easier said than done when the blonde from the bar repeatedly shows up at his doorstep and enlists his own mother against him. Now he’s more convinced than ever that his job hangs in the balance and that the Surgeon General’s warning on the whiskey bottle should include something about women.
***Detective Nathan McNamara is one of the leading men in The Soul Summoner Series. Book One, The Soul Summoner (a full-length novel), focuses on the investigation of the eleven missing girls. Chronologically, this novella happens before the series begins, but it is a standalone and doesn't have to be read in order.***

Currently Reading:

1. Print (LBC)

A Texan's Choice, Heart of a Hero Series #3
By Shelley Gray
I picked this book up for Ladies Book Club. We will discuss this on July 8.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/MP3 (ABJ)

The Days of Noah: Book One: Conspiracy
Written by: Mark Goodwin
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
This is a compelling view of what could happen in America.
I chose this from my Audible TBR shelf for "D".
Publisher's Summary
Could we be living in a time of which there is more prophetic writings than of any period in history? Noah Parker, like many in the United States, has been asleep at the wheel. During his complacency, the founding precepts of America have been slowly, systematically destroyed by a conspiracy that dates back hundreds of years. The signs can no longer be ignored and Noah is forced to pull his head out of the sand and see things for what they really are. Has his awakening come too late or can he and those around him reclaim the freedoms and principles which have been lost? Watch through the eyes of Noah Parker and his family as a global empire takes shape, ancient writings are fulfilled and the last days fall upon the once great, United States of America. The Days of Noah, Book One: Conspiracy is a fast paced fiction thriller which looks at how modern conspiracies might play into Biblical prophecy about the end times.
©2014 Goodwin America Corp. (P)2014 Goodwin America Corp.

3. eBook/Kindle (NG)

Wild Horse Springs (Ransom Canyon)
by Jodi Thomas
I am enjoying this romance.
Received from the publisher through NetGalley.
In the heart of Ransom Canyon, sometimes the right match for a lonely soul is the one you least expect
Dan Brigman may not lead the most exciting life, but he's proud of what he's achieved: he's a respected lawman, and he's raised a bright, talented daughter on his own. But finding a lone, sparkly blue boot in the middle of a deserted highway gets him thinking maybe the cowgirl who lost it is exactly the shake-up he needs.
After losing her baby girl, Brandi Malone felt like her soul died along with her daughter. Now singing in small-town bars to make ends meet, she's fine being a drifter—until a handsome sheriff makes her believe that parking her boots under his bed is a better option.
College grad Lauren Brigman has just struck out on her own in downtown Dallas when a troubling phone call leads her back home to Crossroads. Her hometown represents her family, friends and deepest hopes, but also her first love, Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren's homecoming be another heartbreak, or a second chance for her and Lucas?

4. Audio/MP3 (TBR)

The Curse of Tenth Grave: A Novel
Written by: Darynda Jones
Narrated by: Lorelei King
Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
Series: Charley Davidson, Book 1
This series is fun listening.
I pulled this in from my Audible TBR Shelf for "C".
Publisher's Summary
"If one door closes and another one opens, your house is probably haunted." (Bumper sticker)
As a part-time PI and full-time grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life: Why can I see dead people? Who is the hot supernatural entity following me? How do I get gum out of my sister's hair before she wakes up? But "how do I trap not one malevolent god but three?" was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension.
There's just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago. Can the Razer, a god of absolute death and destruction, change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiances lie with his brothers?
Those are just a few of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl running for her life, an innocent man who's been charged with murdering the daughter of a degenerate gambler, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, and Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying gods thing, we're saved. If not, well...
©2016 Darynda Jones (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

July 9, 2017 - I am up to date in the One Year Bible; reading along with my husband and others from our church. I hope to take more time this year, staying on the day and listening to the companion commentary online.

Some of my reading time is going to a Wednesday night study we are doing called Freedom Course.

I completed three books and posted three reviews; this means I still have three reviews current and one for later release. I still need to add the children's books at Goodreads but I added most of my reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.
I am down to 7 NetGalley Titles and down to 9 author titles in my queue.

We're working on two fiction books soon to add to eTreasure's NetGalley page.

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 (yours truly).  
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
I didn't get review books this week but took a picture of books that were given to me.
I reached 92% feedback at NetGalley this week so I am still resisting picking up more - maybe one more week.
I picked up one Audible Daily Deals, one Audible on sale and one $.99 Kindle title.
I also picked up more free kindle titles as usual. (Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.)

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I received these books as a gift from by our son's neighbor a few weeks ago.

(It's not the best picture - I need to practice working with the flash)

Two books by Joyce Meyers: Power Thoughts and Power Thoughts Devotion

When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado

Destined to Reign Devotional by Joseph Prince

Won

NONE

Purchased

I purchased one Audible Daily Deal and on Audible on sale:
The Ladies' Room $2.95
By: Carolyn Brown
Narrator: Donna Postel
Duration: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners  $4.95

By: Larry Correia, John Ringo

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Duration: 10 hrs and 30 mins

I purchased one Kindle title for $.99:
Mother of Pearl
by Kellie Coates Gilbert
I have this in print for Ladies Book Club August or September read so I was glad to get it for $.99 on Kindle.

Free

I picked up Week Ten SYNC Audio titles:
REBUTTAL by Jyotsna Hariharan, Narrated by Phoebe Strole, Michael Crouch and Nina Mehta (HarperAudio)
REMEMBER TO FORGET by Ashley Royer, Narrated by Will Lasley (Blink)

Here are five of my Free Kindle Picks: (Four of these may still be free)
Spellbound (The Haunting of Castle Keyvnor Book 4)
by Claire Delacroix, Jane Charles, Claudia Dain

With This Ring (Windswept Bay Book 6)
by Debra Clopton

 
Favored by Felix (Middlemarch Capture Book 2)
Shelley Munro

Ella's Embrace (Oregon Sky Series Book 3)
by Kay P. Dawson

Nothing But Blue Skies
by Christie Ridgway


I added only 46 free Kindle titles to my library this week. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement July 9, 2017

We had another good Sunday School lesson which I am saving for another today. Worship started strong and there were two prophetic messages shared at prayer time. Both asserted God’s love for people and called us to look to Him for all healing and restoration and to see that we would find His open arms.

Pastor started a new series titled “Dangerous”. Some people have a tendency to seek dangerous adventures. Even trying something adventurous may lead to failing but failing can be a learning experience.

We live in dangerous circumstances. Every day we are a step away from facing God. One of the most dangerous can be making A DECISION. One that may cost everything.

The Point: We should make the dangerous decision to follow Jesus daily.

When one becomes a Christian some think the believer is giving up danger. Life is not all smooth due to accepting Jesus.

Americans have freedom to worship unlike many other countries. Believers in some countries truly risk everything, even their lives. Their wealth may be taken away. They might have to hide to worship.

Jesus said it would be difficult. Luke 12:49-52. People were following Him. He wanted them to know there was a cost. They would be outside of the Jewish culture. He said that his followers had to ‘pick up your cross’ to follow him. Luke 9:22-26. The cross is a symbol of pain and it requires a price. He didn't come to bring happiness. Luke 14:25-28.

Has your decision to follow Jesus ever cost you everything/anything? We live in a broken world but we can make a decision that comes with a guarantee for eternity. Others may end with death and destruction for eternity.

Pastor concluded with the question: Believers are you carrying the disciple’s cross every day?

This is a new praise song for us and I thought it was good to share today.

Verses for Today:
Luke 9:23-26 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Thank you Jesus for taking my sin. I made the decision to follow You when I was a teen. Help me to submit to Your cross each day!

Sharing Beyond Books #310 Comment Giveaway July 8, 2017

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
Four commenters have stopped reading an author due to rude comments/behavior and five more think it could happen as they wouldn't like rude behavior. Eight commenters have not had this happen, four of whom feel they don't follow authors enough to be aware of rude comments. A couple of the eight also feel that they would allow the freedom of speech to the authors.

~~~~~

The Winner from SBB #309 comments is: #13 Marjorie who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post.

**NOTE: I did post an Updated ARC and Other books for Giveaways. I have to go back and list the titles -- someday.
Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #310

(One Question.)

MaryP asks: If you were given a million dollars what would you buy first??

I don't have something I want to "buy" that I can think of. If I had a large sum of money I would want to set up a foundation to give or lend money to those in need of a helping hand and who demonstrate willingness to work or respect a gift and use it for a good purpose.

Image found at https://me.me/t/1-million-dollars.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify.

Your turn to share. MaryP asks: If you were given a million dollars what would you buy first??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Updated ARC and Other books, including the "Love" and Christmas titles all in one post.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday July 15, 2017 at 5 PM central.

Book Review: When the English Fall by David Williams

This is well written, insightful and engaging.

When the English Fall
by David Williams

File Size: 1687 KB
Print Length: 255 pages

Publisher: Algonquin Books (July 11, 2017)
ASIN: B01JKHTN8I
Genre: Dystopian, Religious, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

A riveting and unexpected novel that questions whether a peaceful and nonviolent community can survive when civilization falls apart.
When a catastrophic solar storm brings about the collapse of modern civilization, an Amish community in Pennsylvania is caught up in the devastating aftermath. Once-bright skies are now dark. Planes have plummeted to the ground. The systems of modern life have crumbled. With their stocked larders and stores of supplies, the Amish are unaffected at first. But as the English (the Amish name for all non-Amish people) become more and more desperate, they begin to invade Amish farms, taking whatever they want and unleashing unthinkable violence on the peaceable community.
Seen through the diary of an Amish farmer named Jacob as he tries to protect his family and his way of life, When the English Fall examines the idea of peace in the face of deadly chaos: Should members of a nonviolent society defy their beliefs and take up arms to defend themselves? And if they don’t, can they survive?
David Williams’s debut novel is a thoroughly engrossing look into the closed world of the Amish, as well as a thought-provoking examination of “civilization” and what remains if the center cannot hold.

Review:
I was immediately drawn to this when I noted the genre and blurb. I have been reading a lot of post-apocalyptic stories and find some are more realistic than others. This one could happen and is different because of the setting and characters.

This story is told in the form of diaries found on an Amish farm outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jacob, the father of the family, shares of the struggle his family has been experiencing. Their 14-year-old daughter, Sadie, has been suffering from seizures, mostly nightmares, but not always at night. Sadie doesn’t understand either but she thinks she has had a strange premonition ability, knowing things before they actually happen. During her trance episodes, she has been muttering “they fall, they fall” and speaking of “Jimmy” although there is no Jimmy in the community.

Jacob’s diaries reflect how the people of the Order “are never really apart, as much as we choose to set ourselves different from the world that surrounds us.” He explains how the Amish people live simple lives, focusing on their faith and trust in God. They avoid many modern conveniences, such as televisions and phones and most equipment that relies on electricity. They use horses and buggies or wagons rather than vehicles and they farm using mostly older, nonmechanical equipment.

A night comes when there are flashing lights in the sky and Sadie notes that “they fall”, like angels falling. A young man rides from farm to farm delivering news. The word spreads that a solar flare has occurred which has taken out the power grid that the “Englishers”, as they call those not of the Order, rely on. At first there is no immediate impact on the Amish communities but it isn't long before the military arrives to take food to the nearby towns.

All too soon the looting and violence of the English towns begins to encroach into the peaceful community. How will the pacifist people respond to the theft and violence? How do they protect themselves? I really like how David Williams handles this dilemma with beautiful writing and insight into the Amish community. It is realistic and fitting. This is a quick read and I would like to read more. I recommend this to those who are interested in the Amish people and how they might react when a disintegrating society starts to bring its ills into their territory. 

I received this from the publisher through NetGalley. It qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge and "W" in Alphabet Soup Challenge.