#NetGalley Book Review: The Winter Mystery by Faith Martin

I enjoyed this amateur sleuth mystery.
The Winter Mystery an absolutely gripping whodunit
by Faith Martin

File Size: 1470 KB
Print Length: 237 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1789310636
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Joffe Books mystery and crime (December 17, 2018)
ASIN: B07LG6FP9D
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Mystery, Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. These charming mysteries will have you scratching your head to work out who the murderer is.
“Classic murder mystery story with a twist at the end” Oxford Times
Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective.
Please note this book was first published as “A FATAL FALL OF SNOW” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.
Jenny Starling is spending Christmas in a snowed-in country house cooking all the traditional food she loves. But the family she’s working for are not full of the seasonal spirit. In fact, they seem to hate each other.
On Christmas Eve, someone is found dead on the kitchen table. And the head of the family is blaming Jenny!
But with an incompetent detective called in, and seemingly no motive for the murder, Jenny will have to give the police a hand.
She will stop at nothing to clear her name and find the real murderer.
This is the second of a series of gripping murder mysteries with a great cast of characters and baffling crimes which will keep you in suspense to the final page.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey, and J.R. Ellis.

Review:
Traveling cook, Jenny, accepts a job in a small village to cook over the Christmas holidays. She arrives after struggling through the snow to get to the house. There she finds that no one knew she was coming except the gruff, tyrant head of the household, Stan Kelton.

Jenny meets the family and learns that the household consists of Stan’s elder brother, Sid, who has been frail after an accident years before; Stan’s two grown sons, Bert and Bill; his daughter Delia; and his grandson, Jeremy, Bert’s son. Although the eldest son of the family is the legal owner of the farm, it is clear that Stan is in control… and no one is particularly happy. There is a local woman, Mrs. Jarvis, who comes in daily to clean and cook under normal circumstances. She is more than willing to explain that Stan is a brute who caused the death of her husband and ran off Bert’s wife.

Jenny is only at the home a day or two before she steps into the kitchen, turns to the table and finds Sid, (not Stan), sitting with a knife in his chest. Jenny hurries through the snow to get authorities to come to the house. When she returns, she steps in to have Stan accuse her of the crime. The inspectors are congenial, but Jenny realizes that they are not overly experienced at murder investigations. On the other hand, Jenny has gained a small reputation as she has already helped to uncover two other crimes.

If it had been Stan who was killed there would be plenty of people with motive. But who would want to kill sweet, gentle Sid? Fortunately the inspectors are willing to follow Jenny’s suggested steps to protect the scene, gather evidence and interview witnesses.

I found Jenny to be a lovely character and I liked how she handled the investigation. There are several side issues to make the reader ponder. However there are other clues for the reader to pick up so I was able to guess the motive and killer before the reveal. Still it was fun to follow the investigation. The writing was clear, easy going and moved along well. There were nice descriptions (including yummy meals) that contributed to the natural feel of the story without dragging it out. I would be glad to read more by Ms. Martin and I recommend this to reader’s who enjoy a nice cozy mystery.

Source: 2018 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019TBR, 2019NetGalley, 2019Alphabet goals and is the Winter title for my seasons goal reading.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 25, 2019

Happy Friday! We had cold, warm, rain, wind, then cold again. Each day is something new. :-)

TO ENTER FRIDAY PICK

US Entrants: Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.

INTERNATIONAL: Leave a comment indicating "Gift Card" (see further comments near the end of the post.)

CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up too late to do the winner post! I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the January 18, 2019 Pick. There was one automatic win againthis week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. No title was blocked.
RITA gets Two Alone.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from January 18, 2019 Pick:
MARYP gets a GC
and
EMILY gets Undateable

All winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me to confirm your win, send your snail mail address information and let me know if you would like bookmarks - sensual, sexy or sweet bookmarks. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

My resolutions always includes reading! How about you?
Image Found at Someecards.

New Book Group #84 December 15, 2018
Here are some Christmas titles to pick from.

One PAIR:
Susan Wiggs: Snowfall and Fireside
SINGLES:
A Family for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich
On this Holy Night
A Rancher for Christmas
Christmas Haven
Christmas Brides Anthology
Holiday in Death
Christmas Homecoming
Together by Christmas Anthology
The Christmas Date
The Christmas Promise (hardback)
A Blue and Grey Christmas (hardback)
The Snow Angel (CD Audiobook)
King Harold's Snow Job


New Book Group #83 November 30, 2018

(Starting bottom left and continuing up then down)
PAIRS:
Kat Martin: Bold Angel and Devil's Prize
Elizabeth Lowell: Death Is Forever and Running Scared
SINGLE
It Takes a Hero by Elizabeth Boyle
Two Alone by Sandra Brown
'Tween a Devil and his hard Place by Sam Cheever
Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich - Audio Cassettes
A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein Audio Cassettes
Highland Guardian by Melissa Mayhue
Hot Pursuit by Christinea Skye
Sisters & Secrets Anthology
Reader's Digest Condensed Books - each hardback
Cold Harbour and The Courtship of Peggy McCoy
The Things We Do for Love, Three Weeks With My Brother, The Murder Artist and Night Train to Lisbon
Follow the Stars Home, Hunting Badger, The Quiet Game and Second Wind

New Book Group #82 November 9, 2018

Pairs:
Stella Cameron: French Quarter and Key West
Jude Deveraux: Mulberry Tree and Wild Orchids
SINGLES:
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Unmasked Anthology - Jennifer Blake, Janet Dailey and Elizabeth Gage
Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
Killing Time by Linda Howard
The Finer Things by Brenda Joyce
Wicked Promise by Kat Martin
Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee
The Leopard's Woman by Linda Lael Miller and White Wolf by Lindsay McKenna
Eagle and the Dove by Victoria Morrow
To Love Again by Bertrice Small
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith
Primal Obsession by Susan Vaughn

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

There are three audios at the top:

No One Left to Tell is MP3
Kisscut is Cassettes
Dark Summer is CDs
Pairs:
Kay Hooper and
Carla Neggers Red Clover Inn
SINGLES
Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers
Best Laid Plans
Bound For Murder
Asking for Murder
Pretty Poison
Darkness Tell Us
Last Writes (A Jaine Austen Mystery Series Book 2) by Laura Levine
Don’t Tell a Soul by S. K. McClafferty - MSE has on Kindle 2013
Zombies of the Gene Pool
Cooking More Deadly


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
PAIRS
Fern Michaels and James Patterson
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon
The Green Trap
End Game
Night School
The Red Tent
The Final Judgment Audio Cassettes
Secrets of Paris
Linda Goodnight
Irish Charmers, the Mighty Quinns
Firebird
No Getting Over a Cowboy
The Book of Fate Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #79 July 13, 2018
I found this box of books buried under some other boxes.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox by Maggie O’Farrell
P.S. by Helen Schulman
Her Sexiest Surprise by Dawn Atkins (personally autographed)
The Maverick Preacher by Victoria Bylin (personally autographed)
The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
The Doctor’s Forever Family by Marie Ferrarella
Dakota Child by Linda Ford
Branded by the Sheriff by Delores Fossen
The Italian’s Inexperienced Mistress
Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman
Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills
Rhapsody in Time by Judith O’Brien
A Daughter’s Legacy by Virginia Smith
Another Man’s Baby by Kay Stockham
The Cowboy’s Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne


New Book Group #78 April 27, 2018

PAIRS
Johanna Lindsey Pair
Judith Krentz Pair
SINGLES
Midnight Rainbow
Blackberry Bush
Breaking Point
A Tangled Affair
To Wicked to Love
Betrayed
My Dark Prince
Roses are Red Audio Cassettes
Brothers of Gwynedd
Fatal Defect
Bones of the Sea and Other Stories
By a Spider's Thread



New Book Group #77 February 16, 2018- All gone

New Book Group #76 November 3, 2017
13 books remain of the original 37:

I finally Have them Listed!
Boots & Booties by Kristine Rolofson
Saucer the Conquest by Stephen Coonts
Echo Burning by Lee Child
The Scorpion Seducer by Bonnie Vanak
Hell On Earth by David L. Porter
Tempted All Night by Liz Carlyle
Day of the Dead by J.A. Jance
White Night by Jim Butcher
Five Gold Rings Anthology Constance O’Banyon and three others
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell
Crisscross by Harmon Henkin
Wizard’s Daughter by Catherine Coulter
Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
The Wicked Wyckerly by Patricia Rice
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
Night Whispers by Judith McNaught
101 Commonsense Rules for the Office by John R. Brinkerhoff

This shelf of 35 books are what is left from Groups #1 (11/27/09) through Group #75 September 29, 2017

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 14 titles.)
Rehabilitation
Secret Blessing
Named of the Dragon
Daring
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
JoAnn Ross: Confessions
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The New Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman
A Kiss Before Dawn by Kimberly Logan
The Fireman’s Fair by Josephine Humphreys (Hardcover)
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven
There Was A Little Girl by Ed McBain (Audio Cassettes)
Love's Brazen Fire by Betina Krahn 

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four books are very old; pulled from a box of gothic novels I found.
*Maggie – Her Marriage by Taylor Caldwell (1953 very old, yellowed pages, some stain damage doesn't effect reading)
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley -- NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick on November 27, 2009 and in almost EIGHT years I have posted 82 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,333 books to find new homes! (as of November 9, 2018).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,216+ books have found new homes through this feature! YAY. [A year or so ago I posted I had reached 2000 books given away. As I calculated the numbers 11/2/17 I realized that had to be an error. I realized I went from 1098 to 2001 instead of 1101. Guess I was tired; sorry for the error.] I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed. I periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want!

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $7.00 and $10.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

#NetGalley Book Review: A Flicker of Hope by Julia Cook, MacKenzie Haley (Illustrator)

This is an encouraging book to share with children.

A Flicker of Hope
by Julia Cook (Author), MacKenzie Haley (Illustrator)

Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: 3 - 4
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: National Center for Youth Issues (December 4, 2018)
ISBN-13: 978-1937870522
Genre: Children, Emotions, Self-Esteem and Self-Respect
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

HOPE is our children's window for a better tomorrow. In terms of resilience and well-being, hope is a critically important predictor of success. This creative story from the best-selling author of My Mouth is a Volcano!, and Bubble Gum Brain, reminds children that dark clouds can be temporary and asking for help is always okay. We all have times when we need to borrow a little hope from someone else.
When your clouds get too dark,
and too heavy to push away,
Reach out and ask, Can I borrow some light?
I'm having a really bad day.
It's always okay to admit to yourself,
I just can't do it today.
Everyone needs somebody sometimes,
to help them find their way.
Sometimes the dark clouds overhead seem too heavy and you feel like giving up. Little candle knows all about this. Bad grades, blasted on social media, worried about making the team, and wondering who her real friends are so many hard things to deal with! All she can see is darkness. But her story begins to change when someone notices she needs a boost of hope. As little candle is reminded she has purpose and her own unique gifts, and that she isn't the only one with dark clouds, her dim light begins to shine brighter.

This hopeful story emphasizes for children (and adults) the many different ways to ask for help, and their ability to be a hope builder for others, too.

Review:
Little candle is going through a time of stress and depression. She has many worries and thoughts of inadequacies. Another candle sees that Little candle’s light is dim. This older candle steps up to encourage Little candle, telling her of her own uniqueness and the fact that she can ask for help. The older candle shares her light to brighten Little candle. Having been encouraged, Little candle turns and shares encouragement with another candle who is struggling with low flickering.

I enjoyed the encouraging message in this children’s book. The message is repeated but I think that is okay because it reinforces that everyone goes through times when they could use a little help or boost from others.

The illustrations are bright, colorful and engaging. I like the different shapes of the candles which is consistent with all of us being different. I think this is a lovely book for parents to share with children and then I can imagine a child going back to the story to look through the images on their own. Even if they can't read, they can remember the lesson they were taught. I recommend this to all parents but especially those who may have a sensitive child who needs to know that it is okay to reach out for encouragement from others.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019TBR, 2019NetGalley and 2019Alphabet Goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones

This is an interesting series ending... for now.
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave: A Novel (Charley Davidson Series Book 13)
by Darynda Jones

File Size: 2039 KB
Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (January 15, 2019)
ASIN: B071JMJF4G
Genre: Fantasy, Ghosts, Private Investigator
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series--Summoned to Thirteenth Grave.
Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity –which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark, raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.
She’s missed her daughter. She’s missed Reyes. She’s missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. But now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

Review:
Charley expected to be exiled alone on an isolated plane for an eternity. She is surprised, and thrilled, when she finds herself returned to the earthly plane after only a hundred years. She is sad to think that 100 years has passed on earth. She would have missed her child, Beep, growing up but she is hoping that her darling girl brought peace to earth. But time doesn’t work quite like that.

Charley’s return to earth is only 10 days after she left b that shut she discovers that she and her half demon husband, Reyes, have opened a portal that has allowed shadow demons into earth. Their home community in New Mexico is being attacked from within and Charley and Reyes have only three days to save the planet. To accomplish that Charley must uncover a mystery connected to her own mother.

Meanwhile a five-year-old boy spirit has sought out Charley and she and her stellar staff are trying to locate his mother who was kidnapped years before. Charley’s assistant Cookie, her daughter Amber and Amber’s boyfriend, Quentin, all take part in the search. They get extra help from Garret, Osh, Artemis and Charley’s biker friends. Meanwhile, there are twists and surprises – one involving Uncle Bob and another involving Rocket.

If you haven’t read this series- you will want to go start at the beginning not at this final installment. There are plenty of fun chapter openings with snarky memes and quotes. As usual Darynda Jones includes a PI (private investigation) case for Charley to solve while facing a life challenge. I enjoyed that so many of the series characters were included in this ending story and I liked the good twist for several of the characters. I admire how Jones creates a depth of romantic love between Charley and Reyes but I felt she overdid the extra sex scenes during the madness of three days to save the world. I also didn’t appreciate the foul language; some deliberately crude in my opinion.

I imagine many fans of the series will be happy with this interim conclusion. I say interim as I am fairly sure there will be a future story(ies) for Beep and her army. I do recommend this to fans of detective, paranormal fantasy who like snarky humor and don’t mind a bit of crudeness and sex.

Source: 2018 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019TBR, 2019NetGalley and 2019Alphabet Goals.

My Reviews of Books 1 through 12 can be found at this link.

My Word for 2019

I haven’t done a post the past years for my word although I have chosen them.
After my cancer treatment in 2014 my Word was Thankful.
2015: Embrace – I determined it was important to embrace each day as we don’t know how many days we have.
2016: Faith – I recognized that it is my faith that sees me through life with joy.
2017: Focus – I chose to focus on my relationship with God and allow that to lead me in life.
2018: I didn’t feel led to pick a new word and continued with the word Focus.
2019: I did a four day Bible study titled One Word That Will Change Your Life and then a five day Bible study, God + Goals.
After prayer and consideration and a list of half a dozen words, I determined my word for the year:

Intentional

I want to be intentional in my living, loving, praying, Bible study, relationships and sharing my faith. I want to work intentionally and use my resources intentionally with a goal of service.

As I was looking up the definitions of my short list words I found this video that I think goes well with the final word choice. I like the thought that God is intentional about me.