Books I Plan to Read July 26 - August 1 and last week's results

 

Hello to everyone,

I hope you are all healthy and staying cool and safe from wildfires. We should pray for those living near them, fighting them, and all the animals losing their habitats. This week, I did a little crafting (I love diamond art), a lot of reading, and packing despite having a bit of a stomach issue. 

First up, last week's results and I did make it through all that I planned:

Ebooks:

Voices Carry Here by Gail Galotta - 5 stars

The Viscount's Christmas Storm by Jane Charles - 4 1/2 stars

Once in a Blue Moon by Vicki Crum - 4 1/2 stars

Chaos by Kate Bonham - 5 stars 

Audiobook:

The Irresistible One by Marni Mann - 5 stars

Planned Reading for July 26 to August 1:

Ebooks: 

Audiobooks: 

Well, that is it for this week. I hope to get through these books/audiobooks this week. Some of the ebooks are a bit on the long side. Stay safe, and I look forward to talk to you next week.

Adeus (goodbye in Portuguese)

Books I Plan to Read July 12-18 and last week's result

 

Hello to everyone,

I hope you all are safe and the weather is not too hot or wet. Here it has been mostly in the 80's and 90's, cloudy with some rain. We did have one day that went from 80's to 60's, but it was very wet. I had been trying to get out and take a short stroll at least 2 times a week, but not for the last couple weeks. 

It seems like I read constantly, but I only read between 2-4 hours a day. I saw a movie in a theatre (Minions and Monsters). So I have plenty of time to pack up my house, yet relax so that I do not stress myself out too much. On with the results. I did a better job this week, considering I gave myself quite the list.

Ebooks: 

Rescued by the Marquess by Bronwen Evans - 5 stars

Murder Under the Static Signal by Olivia Crowe - 4 stars

Pies, Lies & Alibis by Sylvie Brooks - 4 stars

The Tales of Sidney and JoJo by Lauren Isaacson - 5 stars

Nana Claus and the Thank-You Notes by Kelly Reddin - 5 stars

Death and the Social Climber by Winnie Simpson - 5 stars

A Pinch of Assault by Misty Simon - 5 stars

Shady's Lady by Morgan Jane Mitchell - 4 1/2 stars

Audiobook:

Lake Bride by Shanna Hatfield - 4 1/2 stars

Planned Reading for July 12-18

Ebooks: 

Audiobook:

Well, it definitely seems a shorter list. I look forward all these books/audiobook. Stay hydrated, stay safe, and relax. Life is not meant to be sped through.

Next week, I will post my results. You can always share what you are reading. Or let me know what you do with your spare time.

La revedere (goodbye in Romanian).

Ebook Review: A Pinch of Assault (Sunny Side Up Mysteries #3) by Misty Simon

 

Blurb: 

Welcome to the Sunny Side Up Diner, where the jukeboxes jive and the secrets thrive...

With things at her Sunny Side Up Diner sailing along smoothly for once, Jax Tapman has turned her attention to her personal life. It’s time to meet the boyfriend’s mother in person. And while Jax isn't totally certain she’s up to the challenge, she agrees to show Eliot’s mom around a local retirement home. It sounds innocent enough, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to sell the woman on the idea of moving to be closer to her son. But instead of making her case, when Jax enters the model apartment, she and her potential in-law find one dead body and a whole lot of secrets!

Suddenly it’s up to Jax to discover who the retirement home killer is—a task that only gets harder when someone from Eliot's past shows up and might know far more about the crime than she’s letting on.

The Sunny Side Up Diner is jumping with gossip, Jax and her best friend Dani are running interference, and Eliot’s mom is calling all the shots. But sorting out chaos and minimizing damage is something Jax has grown accustomed to, if she can only get a clue.

Amazon: A Pinch of Assault (Sunny Side Up Mysteries Book 3) - Kindle edition by Simon, Misty. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

B&N: A Pinch of Assault (Sunny Side Up Mysteries, #3) | Barnes & Noble®

Kobo: A Pinch of Assault eBook by Misty Simon - EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United States

Goodreads: A Pinch of Assault (Sunny Side Up Mysteries Book 3) by Misty Simon | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

This was my first in this series, and I was not disappointed. Jax and crew had me traipsing along with them, looking for clues, suspects, evidence with a little humor thrown in. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, one of which was correct, but the journey to the answer was well worth the read. The romantic side was brief, but I was glad that Jax found happiness. I enjoyed this story immensely. I look forward to more in this series.

I received an ARC, and this was my unsolicited review.

Tour: Death and the Social Climber (Ann Audrey Mystery #2) by Winnie Simpson with a giveaway and my review

Death and the Social Climber

Ann Audrey Mystery, Book 2

by Winnie Simpson

Cozy Mystery / Mystery & Detective

Date Published: 06-30-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

Murder Is the Ultimate Power Move

When a beautiful Atlanta woman is widowed twice under suspicious circumstances, Ann Audrey Pickering finds herself drawn—once again—into someone else’s trouble.

A former lawyer who once helped the FBI convict her own husband for fraud, Ann Audrey has settled into a reclusive life, until her longtime friend Flynn Reynolds asks for help. His elderly aunts are convinced that another nephew was murdered by his wife, Kathryn, whose second husband is now also dead. Ann Audrey is skeptical. Still, she owes Flynn, and there are some odd questions. Complicating matters is Kathryn’s latest mother-in-law, a woman who rose from an impoverished background into Atlanta’s upper circles and recognizes a kindred spirit in her dead son’s ambitious widow. She doesn’t believe Kathryn is a murderer—but she has heard rumors, and she wants them stopped.

Set in Atlanta in January 2000, as the city buzzes with anticipation for the upcoming Super Bowl, Ann Audrey searches for the black widow through the city’s frenetic bar scene, private clubs, high-rise offices, and beloved local institutions like Mary Mac’s Tea Room and The Varsity. With help from Flynn and her friend Theo, along with the return of sexy detective Mike Bristol, she pieces together a twisting story of social climbing, carefully managed appearances, marriage, and murder. As the Super Bowl kickoff draws near, the case reaches a climax when an ice storm shuts down Atlanta’s roads and power, leaving secrets and murderers with nowhere to hide.

 

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

I found this book hard to put down. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. Ann Audrey was determined to help her friends just as much as they were willing to help and support her. The relationship between her and Bristol added a bit of romance. As suspects and theories arose, I began to suspect who the actual murder was, though the ending did throw me for a loop. I look forward to more in this series.

About the Author

 

 Following her mother’s lead, Mississippi native Winnie Simpson was an avid murder mystery reader beginning in the third grade, starting with Nancy Drew and moving through the classics of British, American, and international crime. Winnie studied music at Duke University, later receiving an MFA in Music at SUNY Buffalo, where she worked as an arts administrator before throwing it all over in order to make a decent living. After finishing law school at Emory University, she became a partner in a large firm in Atlanta where her practice focused mainly on securities litigation. Retiring early, Winnie relocated to Northern Michigan where she lives in a renovated nineteenth-century building that served as a former Michigan state asylum. For more than a decade, she has taken writing classes and participated in writing groups. She is fond of opera, hiking, cycling, and Duke basketball, most seasons.

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Ebook Review: Death and the Social Climber (Ann Audrey Mysteries #2) by Winnie Simpson

 

Blurb: 

Murder Is the Ultimate Power Move

Ann Audrey Pickering wanted a quieter life. Instead, she is pulled into an Atlanta mystery built on Southern manners, social ambition, and murder.

When a beautiful widow loses her second husband under suspicious circumstances, rumors begin to spread. Is Kathryn Pomeroy unlucky in love, or has she built her future on a trail of dead husbands?

Ann Audrey is skeptical. A former lawyer who once helped the FBI take down her own husband for fraud, she knows how easily appearances can deceive. But when her longtime friend Flynn Reynolds asks her to investigate his family’s suspicions, Ann Audrey enters a case where suspicious deaths, family secrets, and social ambition hide beneath carefully managed appearances.

Set in Atlanta in January 2000, as the city prepares for the Super Bowl, Ann Audrey follows a twisting trail through private clubs, high-rise offices, beloved local landmarks, and the city’s frenetic bar scene. With help from Flynn, her voluptuous friend Theo, and the return of sexy detective Mike Bristol, she uncovers a world of wealthy families, hidden motives, and deceptive appearances where gossip is currency and murder may be the price of social climbing.

Then an ice storm shuts down Atlanta’s roads and power.

And suddenly, no one has anywhere left to hide.

Death and the Social Climber is the second Ann Audrey Mystery, perfect for readers who enjoy Southern mysteries, smart female sleuths, wealthy family secrets, and twist-filled investigations.

Amazon: Death and the Social Climber: The Second Ann Audrey Mystery (Ann Audrey Mysteries Book 2) - Kindle edition by Simpson, Winnie. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

B&N: Death and the Social Climber: The Second Ann Audrey Mystery | Barnes & Noble®

Bookbub: Death and the Social Climber: The Second Ann Audrey Mystery (Ann Audrey Mysteries Book 2) by Winnie Simpson - BookBub

Goodreads: Death and the Social Climber: The Second Ann Audrey Mystery by Winnie Simpson | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

I found this book hard to put down. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. Ann Audrey was determined to help her friends just as much as they were willing to help and support her. The relationship between her and Bristol added a bit of romance. As suspects and theories arose, I began to suspect who the actual murder was, though the ending did throw me for a loop. I look forward to more in this series.

I received a copy through RABT, and this is my unsolicited review.

Ebook Review: Murder Under the Static Signal (An Eloise Garson Cozy Mystery) by Olivia Crowe

 

Blurb: 

Clover Ridge is the kind of town people dream about—charming streets, friendly neighbors, and the welcoming Hearthstone Inn at its heart.

But when true-crime podcaster Damian Price arrives to investigate local legends, he uncovers something far more dangerous than a ghost story.

Days later, Damian is found dead.

The only clues? A corrupted audio file, a cryptic message, and a trail of secrets someone desperately wants to keep hidden.

As innkeeper Eloise Garson, retired police chief Tom Hennings, journalist Nora Bell, and Baxter the golden retriever follow the clues, they discover that the truth behind Damian's death reaches deeper into Clover Ridge's history than anyone imagined.

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries filled with small-town charm, unforgettable characters, hidden secrets, and page-turning suspense, Murder Under the Static Signal asks a simple question:

How far would someone go to keep the past buried?

Some secrets are meant to stay hidden.

This one is about to be exposed.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Murder Under the Static Signal: An Eloise Garson Cozy Mystery eBook : Crowe, Olivia: Kindle Store

Goodreads: Murder Under the Static Signal: An Eloise Garson Cozy Mystery by Olivia Crowe | Goodreads

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

A small town was rocked by a murder and all the secrets that came forth while it was being investigated. I enjoyed how Eloise and Tom worked together, making decisions from each one's perspective, to get to the end of the investigation. The support for each other, from the people who helped them, gave strength to keep looking for clues. I had a problem reading the first part of the book as I felt that there was too much descriptive comparisons that didn't always make sense to me. The ending was quite satisfying.

This is my unsolicited review.

Ebook Review: Pies, Lies and Alibis (A Lavender Lane Cozy Mystery) by Sylvie Brooks

 

Blurb: 

I thought my biggest problem would be burnt cookies—-until my signature dessert turns into Exhibit A in a murder.

Tessa, my best friend and schemer-in-chief, corrals the gossip brigade as well as one highly

untrustworthy cat.

Officer Owen thinks I’m trouble (and maybe a little cute), but he is not letting me out of his powdered sugar sights.

Suspects are stacked higher than my meringue: a grumpy florist, a jilted baker, an investor with a poker face,

Between midnight stakeouts and decoding recipe cards, I’m dodging prankster teens and a reputation meltdown.

There’s more than flour flying before this bake sale wraps up.

It’s a recipe for chaos—and if I don’t solve it, my good name will be toast.

Amazon: Pies, Lies, & Alibis: A Lavender Lane Cozy Mystery - Kindle edition by Brooks, Sylvie. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Goodreads: Pies, Lies, & Alibis: A Lavender Lane Cozy Mystery by Sylvie Brooks | Goodreads

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was a very quick read. I liked the story and the mystery. The small town was quaint, close, and fun. I would have preferred a little more detail, a longer story, to feel like I saw all the clues in order to figure out whodunit. Overall, it was entertaining.

This is my unsolicited review.

Planned Reading for July 5-11 and last week's results

 

Good evening all,

Happy 4th of July for all my American readers. 

I hope everyone is doing okay with all this extreme weather. Today made it almost to 100 degrees, though we have sunk back into the mid 80's since the sun went down. I did so so with my reading/listening this week. Somehow I keep selecting long books.

Last week's results: 

Ebooks:

Rags's Awakening by Chiah Wilder - 4 stars 

Tethered by the Sea by India R. Adams and Nikki Landis - 5 stars

Brooklyn Masala by Sophie Schiller - 4 stars

Audiobooks:

Lilac Bride by Shanna Hatfield - 4 1/2 stars

Drop a Gear and Disappear by Winter Travers - 4 stars

Planned for July 5-11:

Ebooks:

Audiobooks: 

Well I hope to do better this week. I do have a fair amount of ARCs for this week. Three of the ebooks are less than 50 pages, which is making the list look longer. It is a good thing that I am retired. Take the time to enjoy life. Relax and enjoy the day.

Hej da (Swedish)

Ebook Review - Brooklyn Masala (Brooklyn Masala Mysteries #1) by Sophie Schiller

 

Blurb: 

Who knew fixing your karma could be so dangerous?

Bella Bloom is a Brooklyn housewife who wants to succeed in the kitchen but keeps botching one meal after another. When she discovers her husband has been cheating on her with an eye-catching Italian chef, she goes to see an Indian guru, Maharishi Krishna Ram, who tells her the cure for her problems is garam masala, an exotic Indian spice.

She buys an Indian cookbook and starts experimenting with different recipes until she becomes a top-notch Indian chef, even coming out with her own line of spices under the brand name, “Brooklyn Masala.” The Guru instructs her to distribute her spices through a network of shady Indian groceries and the “payment” is suspicious-looking chocolate bars. But when her spices are linked to an international gang of diamond smugglers and one of them ends up dead in the East River, Bella is in a race to save her name, her reputation, and her life.

With the help of an attractive FBI agent named Mike and her new partner, ex-Bollywood star Dolly Parton Patel, Bella realizes that garam masala is the cure she needed all along.

Filled with wit, humor, and unshakable determination, BROOKLYN MASALA is an offbeat love story about finding romance later in life, taking chances, and learning to leave one’s comfort zone for love and happiness. The first in a new amateur sleuth, funny cozy mystery series set in Brooklyn.

For fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series, Jennifer Crusie, Gemma Halliday, and Jana DeLeon.

Amazon: Brooklyn Masala : A Hilarious New Mystery Series (Brooklyn Masala Mysteries Book 1) - Kindle edition by Schiller, Sophie . Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Goodreads: Brooklyn Masala : A Hilarious New Mystery Series by Sophie Schiller | Goodreads

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

I found this to be an interesting story. Bella had her personal issues which led to her finding a guru, and then her life became dangerous and out of her control for the most part. All the signs were there though not specifically details. I enjoyed watching her become a stronger person, more in charge of her life. There were some moments of humor and some slightly-over-the-top tension. I did find the deep dive into the world of Indian food a bit more than I would want from a mystery, but overall, it was a good story.

i received a copy through RABT, and this is my unsolicited review.

Book Tour: Brooklyn Marsala (Brooklyn Marsala Mysteries #1) by Sophie Schiller with a giveaway and my review

Brooklyn Marsala

by Sophie Schiller

Mystery

Date Published: 04-01-2026

When Brooklyn housewife, Bella Bloom visits a mysterious Indian guru to fix her marriage, she turns into a cooking sensation and...murder suspect in this action-packed, hilarious, new cozy mystery series for fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan.

 

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

I found this to be an interesting story. Bella had her personal issues which led to her finding a guru, and then her life became dangerous and out of her control for the most part. All the signs were there though not specifically details. I enjoyed watching her become a stronger person, more in charge of her life. There were some moments of humor and some slightly-over-the-top tension. I did find the deep dive into the world of Indian food a bit more than I would want from a mystery, but overall, it was a good story.

About the Author

Sophie Schiller is a writer of thrillers and historical adventure tales. Kirkus Reviews called her "an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer." Her latest novel is BROOKLYN MASALA. She graduated from American University, Washington, DC and lives in New York.

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