Winter Reading 2018 Shelved Under Murder

While running the sale table for the Friends of the Library might cause a headache, or possibly a twinge in the back muscles, no one would expect it to end in murder. Yet that is what Amy Webber and her friends discover when they stop by to pick up donations for the sale. Local artist Rachel LeBlanc has been stabbed with her own palette knife and left in her studio, but there are no witnesses. Her husband was out of town on a business trip and her daughter was in the main house, so the police have little to go on...other than a cache of forged artwork.

Amy has a background in art history, which makes her ongoing involvement in the investigation reasonable. And her Aunt Lydia is housing the art expert that the authorities have called in, so there is yet another tie. No matter where she goes, Amy can't seem to escape the gossip and speculation. It also makes her jumpy and unsure of her reactions to people. There seem to be plenty of people to suspect - the socialite and her son who show an intense interest in paintings by Amy's uncle, an art dealer who is rumored to have shady dealings, mysterious men dressed in business suits and obviously not in town for the local festival, and the druggie boyfriend of the dead woman's daughter.

The plot keeps readers guessing along with the protagonist. In Amy's case, she is distracted by her relationship with the handsome dancer next door. She also doubts her own impressions of people, knowing that her aunt's biases and her own reactions to the murder are coloring her perceptions. Readers can only view events through Amy's eyes, wondering if she is a reliable narrator when she questions her own judgment.

The description of small town life with all its complicated relationships and traditions is very believable. The fall festival, the overworked police force, the longstanding rivalry in county fair baking contests, and other details all create a town that is easily recognizable. The characters are distinct and entertaining,  and readers will return for further visits in Taylorsford feeling as though they are reuniting with old friends.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Winter Reading 2018 In All Things: A Nine-Week Devotional Bible Study on Unshakable Joy

A thorough study of the book of Philippians over the course of nine weeks. Each week follows the same schedule. Day 1 - Observation, read the next and note what you see. Days 2 & 3 - Interpretation, what does the text say as you look at it more closely and refer to other scriptures for clarification? Day 4 - Application, how will you apply what you have read and learned to your own life? Day 5 - Devotional thoughts and reading. 

The author uses other texts from Paul as well as other books of the Bible to help readers understand what is meant by particular terms and to offer additional examples of what the writer is referring to. She also quotes from her favorite pastors and devotional writers, especially Martyn Lloyd-Jones. For those who plan to use the study in a group setting, there is a guide at the back of the book to help the study leader.

Clearly written with frequent scriptural references and additional examples from the author's own life. As a women's ministry coordinator, the author speaks to groups of women and her writing is geared toward female readers.

Please visit the publisher's website for more information about the book or the author.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Winter Reading 2018 The Sixth Day (A Brit in the FBI, #5)

What a fascinating combination of elements went into this latest case for the Covert Eyes group...a rare manuscript, a major malware attack, an army of drones, smuggled weapons, high profile murders, a presidential visit to London, trained falcons, and legends about Dracula! Luckily, half the team is already in London when things start to go sideways. Nicholas and Mike are visiting his family, and Ben is vacationing with Melinda St. Germaine, the beautiful member of Parliament he met during the last investigation. The FBI teams up with MI5, MI6, and Scotland Yard to track down the person or group responsible for the malware, while also trying to find the killer who is targeting important industrialists and government figures. 

Each of the team members show their strengths: Nicholas and Adam work on the software, Mike investigates and does amazing things with her Glock, and Ben works with Harry Drummond and the Security Services to keep the efforts coordinated. Readers can see Adam maturing as an agent and as part of the team, and watch the personal relationship continue to deepen between Nicholas and Mike. There are high speed chases, old legends, synchronized drone bombardments, and elaborate double-crosses. The more the team uncovers, the less sense any of it makes - and the president refuses to postpone his visit. How can they ever untangle all the leads in time?

This series continues to deliver fast-paced action, humor to break the tension, intricate plots, and the sizzling attraction between the team's leaders. Highly recommended for fans of suspense thrillers.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Winter Reading 2018 Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Chronicles #3)

First published 60 years ago in England, the Flaxborough Chronicles feature Inspector Purbright in the quiet town of Flaxborough. This third outing of Purbright has the Inspector looking into the mysterious disappearance of a boarder in a local household. An anonymous letter arrives at the police station tells of a loud altercation in the house, and when constables go to check on the inhabitants, no one can be found. But there are plenty of forensic clues - blood stains, acid burns, odd substances in the drains, something buried in the garden... Whatever happened, the police hope some of these traces will lead to answers. The government has even sent two agents in to assist with the investigation, so it seems the locals will get some help. 

Readers have already met some of Purbright's fellows on the force: Chief Constable Chubb, Detective Sergeant Love, Sergeant Malley the coroner's officer, among others. But now there is an addition to the cast of characters, Mr. Warlock from the forensic science lab. Remember, this is no modern CSI or NCIS installation, but their ancestor of 60 years ago. Drain contents can give rough answers, but not clear enough to solve things. But Purbright continues as he always does, with quiet persistence and an understanding of the inhabitants that serves him just as well as all the skills the government agents have at their disposal. After all, what do they know about busybody neighbors, odd pilferage, pool sharks, and betting parlors? Their forte lies in eastern European interrogation techniques and Cold War intelligence gathering.

Readers who enjoy Miss Marple and mysteries set in small English towns full of eccentric residents will welcome having this series drawn to their attention.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Winter Reading 2018 Bump in the Night (Flaxborough Chronicles #2)

First published 60 years ago in England, the Flaxborough Chronicles feature Inspector Purbright in the quiet town of Flaxborough. In his second adventure, Purbright is sent to the nearby town of Chalmsbury to look into a series of bombings. First a memorial water fountain was demolished in an explosion, then the head was removed from a statue with another bomb, and an antique optometrist's sign was blown to smithereens. Who could be doing this and what are their motives? The local police chief doesn't seem too motivated to solve the crimes, but a delegation from the town council has him request help - and Purbright comes to town.

The characters are almost caricatures of small town life. There are adulterous wives, odd political alliances, local gossips, and even a young reporter with dreams of breaking a big story. The Inspector walks a carefully balanced path through all the secrets, innuendoes, and finger-pointing among the town's residents. As an outsider, it is hard for him to know which details might prove important to the case and which will send him off down a rabbit hole. Is it relevant that the police chief is the son-in-law of a council member? Do the ridiculous practical jokes of the trucking company's owner play into the explosions? It seems that the more the police uncover, the less hope there is that any of it will tie together and help them close the case.

Readers who enjoy Miss Marple and mysteries set in small English towns full of eccentric residents will welcome having this series drawn to their attention.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Winter Reading 2018 Coffin, Scarcely Used (Flaxborough Chronicles #1)

First published 60 years ago in England, the Flaxborough Chronicles feature Inspector Purbright and the inhabitants of the town Flaxborough. In this first book of the series, Purbright is looking into the mysterious death of man who seems to have left his house in the middle of the night and been electrocuted. Could he have actually been climbing the pylon for the electrical lines in his slippers? It doesn't make sense, and the longer the investigation goes on, the stranger things become. What do a newspaper editor, a doctor, an undertaker, a lawyer, and a broker have in common? With conflicting accounts from those closest to the deceased, interviews with the housekeeper that show she believes in ghosts and supernatural beings, and pressure from the Chief Constable and the Coroner's Court to wrap things up, it seems that Purbright may never find out what really happened and why. With smiles and apologies for the inconvenience, he still manages to question everyone involved and slowly put together a picture that is not what anyone would have suspected.

There are death and suspicions to deal with, but there are also many humorous points in the book. Sometimes it is the words or actions of the characters, but at others it is simply the writing. For instance, the newspaper's owner is described as a man who "spoke only one-sidedly, as though half his lips had been sewn up to prevent waste of words and body heat." And readers learn that the doctor's "head was perched on the great promontory of his chest as though it had separate existence and might tumble off if it strained forward any further." Descriptions like that create a vivid mental image and a sense of the farcical. Which of these individuals should readers take seriously as suspects and which are simply there for comic relief? Perhaps they are both.

Readers who enjoy Miss Marple and mysteries set in small English towns full of eccentric residents will welcome having this series drawn to their attention.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.