Book Review: Death in Bloom by Jess Dylan

Death in Bloom (Flower House Mystery #1). Jess Dylan. St. Martin's Press (2021). 320 pages. Genre: Cozy Mystery.

First Lines: "I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter, blissfully married to me true love, an Italian model..."

Summary:  Sierra Ravenswood has returned to her hometown of Aerieville, Tennessee.  She has been working at the Flower House, the local flower shop, where she is definitely still learning the art of flower arranging.  So, when her boss puts her in charge of the next bouquet-arranging workshop, she is a bit intimidated.  However, she has no choice but to proceed as her boss leaves town.  Several people show up for the class and all is going well until an argument breaks out near the snack table.  As Sierra approaches the snack table one of the men involved in the argument collapses.  Before the paramedics arrive, he has expired.  It is soon discovered that the man was poisoned.  If that isn't bad enough, Sierra's boss left town suddenly and no one seems to know where he is.

My thoughts:  It was pretty hard to resist that gorgeous cover!  Fortunately, the book proved to be equally well done.  

I liked Sierra right away.  She is trying to start over after struggling to make her dream of becoming a singer a reality.  She is a big believer in positive affirmation and tries to practice it daily.  Her boss, Felix, the owner of The Flower House, has more confidence in her than she has in herself.  He leaves town and trusts her to do what she thinks is best for the shop.  Sierra's family lives in town as well and brought an interesting dynamic to the story.  The family consists of her mom, dad and brother.  Her parents own an athletic club, which Sierra has never been interested in.  I enjoyed the closeness that she shared with her family and the concern they all showed for her.  Some of my favorite scenes were when they all had dinner together. 

The supporting characters were strong as well.  Deena is a friend from high school that is back in town temporarily.  She and Sierra rekindle their friendship.  Deena becomes Sierra's partner in trying to solve the mystery.  Calvin is someone who shows up unexpectedly stating that Felix had agreed to rent the apartment above the shop to him.  We are not quite sure what to think of him through most of the story.

The killer has to be someone who was at the workshop.  At first Sierra can't believe that any of them could be capable of killing someone.  But, as the story progresses, she begins to have her doubts and soon finds herself suspecting everyone.  The sheriff has plenty to investigate as threats and break-ins continue to happen and seem to be connected to the murder.  The story was well-paced and kept me turning the pages.  The secondary mystery, of where Felix has gone, is not solved in this book.  Hopefully we will learn more in the next installment.

I enjoyed the flower shop setting.  It was unique and I actually learned a little about flower arranging and what flowers go well together.  

The author found the right balance of mystery and small town life.  I enjoyed it all and am looking forward to catching up with these characters in the next book.

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Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Gail Honeyman. Viking (2017). 336 pages. Genre:  Contemporary Fiction.

First Lines:  "When people ask me what I do - taxi drivers, dental hygienists - I tell them I work in an office.  In almost nine years, no one's ever asked what kind of office, or what sort of job I do there."

Summary:  Eleanor Oliphant is a woman who prefers things to stay the same.  Every day she eats the same breakfast, takes the same route to work, does the same work, eats the same lunch, goes home to the same flat and eats the same dinner.  Every Wednesday she has a phone call with Mummy.  She is completely fine.  She doesn't need anything else.  One day when Raymond, a  man who works in IT, strikes up a conversation with her, a real conversation, she finds herself enjoying it.  She doesn't remember the last time she had a real conversation with anyone.  When she and Raymond find themselves in a situation where they must save a man's life, she finds her heart softening even more.  Ultimately, it is these friendships that will save her life.

My thoughts:  I like quirky characters.  Eleanor is definitely a quirky character.  However, it took me many pages to warm up to her.  At first, she was just really odd.  But as the story moves along, we finally get a glimpse of some tenderness in her.  She becomes likeable.  I'm glad I didn't give up on her.  

Eleanor's life is void of human contact, she is lonely.  But, she doesn't think she is lonely.  Sometimes she will admit that it would be nice to have a friend.  Mostly she avoids relationships because they cause pain.  She has gone through a lot of difficulty in her life and survived.  However, in order to get through the loneliness of the weekend, she often relies on vodka.  There is some heavy subject matter is this book, but the book never feels heavy.  Eleanor is funny and very relatable.  We have all found ourselves in situations like she has.  

I really liked Raymond.  He is just an ordinary guy, well an ordinary IT guy.  But he is kind and gentle and a true friend.  He is patient with Eleanor even when she is being very difficult. 

This story shows the power of friendship, kindness and unconditional love in a person's life.  It was these glimpses that I loved most in the story.

"She was, quite simply, a nice lady who'd raised a family and now lived quietly with her cats and grew vegetables.  This was both nothing and everything."

"There was birdsong, a descant over the sounds of a television drifting through an open window. Everything felt safe, everything felt normal.  How different Raymond's life had been from mine - a proper family, a mother and a father and a sister, nestled among other proper families."

"I realized that such small gestures - the way his mother had made me a cup of tea after our meal without asking, remembering that I didn't take sugar, the way Laura had placed two little biscuits on the saucer when she brought me coffee in the salon - such things could mean so much."

If you like quirky characters or stories of friendship and hope, give Eleanor Oliphant a try.

Book Review: Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Night Fall (Quantico Files #1). Nancy Mehl. Bethany House (2021). 336 pages. Genre: Suspense.

First Lines of Prologue: "His mother sat in the chair next to his bed, reading from The Book. He was almost twelve now, and she'd been reading it to him ever since  he was a little kid.  Adam hated it.  It scared him."

Summary:  FBI Behavioral Analysts, Alex Donovan and Logan Hart are called in to work a case in Kansas City.  There is a serial killer on the loose, who is leaving his victims in train cars along with what appears to be quotes from a book with a chapter and verse.  As soon as Agent Donovan sees the quotes, she recognizes them.  She lived with an aunt for several years who believed in The Book.  Her aunt constantly quoted The Book to her.  Alex left her aunt's house planning never to return there or think about The Book again.  But now, the FBI needs her expertise to help them catch this serial killer before he carries out a plan outlined in the book to eliminate one third of the population.

My thoughts:  Nancy Mehl does suspense well.  I have read several books she has written.  However, this one was a bit out of my comfort zone.  In fact, I probably would not have finished it if I was not familiar with the author.  This one was very creepy dealing with a dark and very evil serial killer. 

The author does a great job of building suspense and creating characters that are interesting and full of depth.  Agent Alex Donovan had a very difficult upbringing and the reader is made aware of this bit by bit.  She has overcome her share of difficulties and has made it to the position of Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI.  She works as a Behavioral Analyst.  Her difficult upbringing has given her the ability to see things that other agents don't.  

Logan Hart has heard about Agent Donovan's abilities and is looking forward to working with her. His character was a bit more shallow.   We know that he is well-liked and is often called "The Preacher" because of his spiritual beliefs. 

The followers of The Book were a fairly small group so I found it a bit unlikely that of all the people assigned to this case, Alex would have been raised by someone who was a part of that group.  Once I put that aside, it did make for a good story.  It was a race against time as the agents tried to solve the killer's puzzle and stop him before he carried out his plan.  

Nancy Mehl's books are sometimes considered "romantic suspense", but what I appreciate about her books is that the romance is way in the back seat.  In fact, in this story, it doesn't move beyond the "I think I might like to spend more time with this person" stage.  The focus is definitely on the mystery.

Something else I appreciated was the author's honest portrayal of mental illness.  Alex endured some very difficult things while she was growing up and these caused PTSD.  As she has to revisit things from that difficult time in order to solve this case, she has a hard time keeping her anxiety in check.  Also, instead of just referring to her aunt as crazy or weird, the author points out that she was mentally ill and had deep pain in her life.  

This is the first book in a new series and while it was a bit creepy for my taste, the author didn't dive deep into that evil or stay stuck there.  I will most likely give the second book in the series a try when it comes out. 

Book Review: Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson

Murder on Gramercy Park (Gaslight Mystery #3). Victoria Thompson. Berkley Prime Crime (2001). 329 pages. Genre:  Mystery.

First Line of Prologue: "She thought of the pain as a monster that dwelled inside of her."

Summary:  Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is called to a residence on Gramercy Park to deal with an apparent suicide.  Upon arrival Frank is met with a hysterical woman who is very pregnant.  The woman is the wife of the deceased.  Frank sends for midwife Sarah Brandt to attend to the grieving widow.  

As Frank begins examining the scene, he quickly realizes this is not a suicide, but rather a murder made to look like a suicide.  Even though everyone claims that the deceased was well liked, Frank discovers this man had plenty to hide.  As Frank and Sarah try to put the clues together, the killer seems to be one step ahead. 

My thoughts:  This series contains several things I enjoy in a book: strong leading characters who continue to develop, a strong sense of place along with historical tidbits, the inclusion of a midwife and a great mystery.  Needless to say, this was a great read!

Frank Malloy is a detective with strong morals.  While many of the other detectives on the force would take bribes, Frank is adamant about following the clues and solving the mystery rather than lining his own pockets.  In each story we learn a little more about his life outside of the police force.  He has a young son who is handicapped.  His wife died in childbirth, so most days his mother cares for the boy.  This part of the story shows that under Frank's tough demeanor there is a tender heart.  

Sarah Brandt is always helping someone.  Whether she is delivering a baby, or fixing a meal or saying hello to her lonely neighbor, she spends her days working hard.  She was raised in an upper-class family, but after her husband died, she chose to support herself rather than return to her parents' home.  Both Sarah and Frank continued to develop in this story and so did their relationship.  And they do have a relationship, but at this point it is mostly a working one.  However, they are both beginning to realize they like spending time with the other.  

The mystery was complicated.  More than once I was sure I knew who the killer was, but it turned out I was wrong every time.  There were a lot of things to uncover along with a big twist before the murder was solved.  It was hard to put this one down!

One of the themes included drug use and addiction.  It was interesting to learn about this from a historical perspective.  As the author says in the note at the end, "[people] are still seeking to escape  the problems of this world through the use of narcotic drugs".  Another theme that was interesting from a historical perspective was advances in the medical field and alternatives to traditional medicine.  The character of Sarah Brandt always brings something medical to the story.  I enjoy this. 

Here's an interesting historical bit I learned: 

"The secrets of preventing pregnancy were passed around in guilty whispers, but anyone who tried to teach modern methods was subject to fines and even arrest."

This is a great series and fortunately for me, there are several more books to keep me busy!

Book Review: Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

Wonderland Creek. Lynn Austin. Bethany House (2011). 385 pages. Genre:  Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction.

First Line: "Blue Island, Illinois, 1936. If my life were a book, no one would read it."

Summary:  Alice Ripley is perfectly content with her life.  That is, until it changes abruptly.  She has a job she loves at the library, a boyfriend who is considered a "catch" and plenty of time to indulge in her love of novels.  Her boyfriend decides they shouldn't see each other anymore and she is laid off from her job at the library, all in the same week.  She is sad and has no idea what to do next.  

So, when she hears that her Aunt Lydia and Uncle Cecil will be taking a trip to Kentucky, she asks to go along.  A few months ago, Alice had begun collecting books for a library in need in Kentucky.  She decides this is the perfect opportunity to deliver the books in person and help out for a couple of weeks until her aunt and uncle return for her. 

However, after being dropped off at the library, she is in for a big surprise.  The librarian had sent her a letter telling her not to come.  She never received it and her relatives have already left.  She is unprepared for the poverty in Kentucky.  There is no electricity, no running water, no refrigerators, no hotels or restaurants.  She has no choice but to make do with what is available. As she lives among the people and tries to help them out, she learns so many things that she never could have from books.  In fact, she is not sure she wants to go back to living the way she had before she came to Kentucky.

My thoughts:  One of the things that drew me to this book was the inclusion of packhorse librarians. This is fascinating and I loved learning about this program that was part of the Works Project Administration. But, there is so much more to this story.

At first, I didn't care for Alice.  She seemed spoiled and clueless.  However, as the story went along, I think this really just showed her age and lack of experience.  Her feistiness was an asset as she had to deal with trying circumstances in Kentucky.  It would be difficult to go from having modern conveniences to having none.  Alice fussed and complained, but in the end she did what needed to be done.  I am not sure I would have acted any differently in her shoes. 

I loved the setting in this book.  The towns are fictional, but they are located in the rural areas of eastern Kentucky.  As Alice rode her packhorse routes, I could see the beauty around her, hear the creek as it bubbled along and feel the crisp spring air.  I have a picture in my mind of the cabin Mack hid out in.

Speaking of that, there is quite a mystery in this book.  On Alice's first day at the library, the librarian, Mack, is shot.  He is not dead, but wounded.  As the reader, we don't know who shot him.  We do learn that there is a long-standing feud between Mack's family and another family in the area.  It is decided that he needs to hide out for a while.  In addition to this, there is a coal mine in town that has been shut down.  Several years ago, there was a suspicious death there.  Mack is trying to discover what happened.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Lillie.  She is a one-hundred-year-old former slave that lives with Mack.  Lillie raised Mack after his mother died in childbirth.  She is also trained in the healing arts.  She knows what to do when someone is sick or injured.  No one in this part of Kentucky sees a doctor.  In fact, it would take hours to reach the nearest one.  Lillie is also wise.  She has had a lot of practice in living and trusting God.  

This is a stand-alone novel, but I found myself wishing it were a series so I could spend more time with these characters.  If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong sense of place and characters you won't soon forget, I urge you to pick up Wonderland Creek.

Quotes:

"I marveled at the power of books to carry us far away to another time and place."

"I realized as I rode farther up into the hills that the children enjoyed the suspense of waiting nearly as much as they enjoyed the story.  Mystery and suspense were what kept life from becoming boring."

"Folks get set on having their own way, and they end up with their hearts broken when it don't happen.  God's the one who's deciding what's going to be and what ain't. He knows what's best even if we're too stubborn to realize it sometimes."

"If I've learned anything while I've been here, it's how important it is to have family and friends and people around us to share our lives with."

Happy Independence Day!

 

The Flag Goes By

Henry Holcomb Bennett

Hats off!

Along the street there comes

A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums, 

A flash of color beneath the sky:

Hats off!

The flag is passing by!

Blue and crimson and white it shines,

Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines.

Hats off!

The colors before us fly;

But more than the flag is passing by.

Sea-fights and land-fights, grim and great,

Fought to make and to save the State:

Weary marches and sinking ships;

Cheers of victory on dying lips;

Days of plenty and years of peace;

March of a strong land's swift increase;

Equal justice, right and law,

Stately honor and reverend awe;

Sign of a nation, great and strong

To ward her people from foreign wrong:

Pride and glory and honor, - all

Live in the colors to stand or fall.

Hats off!

Along the street there comes

A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums;

And loyal hearts are beating high:

Hats off!

The flag is passing by!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

~Gretchen