Pompeii, Paccheri, and Panic by Traci Andrighetti

Pompeii, Paccheri, and Panic by Traci Andrighetti

by CarolNo Comments
Pompeii, Paccheri, and Panic is a fun novella introducing a new series based around food tours in Italy. I guess it's a spin off of Andrighetti's Franki Amato series, but I've never read any of those, so can't make any comparisons. Giada Adair has taken a job as a tour guide and she and her assistant/friend, Moira, have gone to Pompeii to do some research before her first official tour. We know it's not going to be smooth sailing. First an ancient lamp just unearthed from a dig site the pair were visiting disappears. Then, a young woman dies after eating a pasta dish met for Giada. Giada is either going to be arrested for the crime or she was the intended victim - either way she's in trouble and needs to figure out who the killer is. The characters are fun and the plot worked well. We had several suspects and the clues fit well. I'm interested in learning...
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The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott

The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott

by CarolNo Comments
I don't know who told me that Mary Westmacott was the name Agatha Christie wrote her romances under, but I wish they hadn't. Granted, The Rose and the Yew Tree isn't a mystery, even if we do get a murder, but it isn't a stereotypical romance either. Most of the story takes place in a small town in Southern England during the run up to the General Election of 1945. Christie does a great job of developing the characters and commenting on the politics of the era. Our narrator, who doesn't even get a mention in the blurb, is Hugh Norreys, a World War II veteran who was invalided due to a car accident. He has moved in with his brother and sister-in-law and is mostly feeling sorry for himself until he is distracted by his lovely neighbor, Isabella Charteris, and war hero turned politician, John Gabriel. Hughes status as an invalid stuck in a chair means others have a...
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The Librarian and the Time Machine by Brian Yansky

The Librarian and the Time Machine by Brian Yansky

by CarolNo Comments
We know the setup. Kevin is the librarian of Eden, (maybe) Lucifer aka Karl's son, and is trying to stop the apocalypse. This time around he's also trying to find out who killed his mentor when he was a teenager. Happily, there's a groovy time machine in the library he can use. I'm not a fan of time travel usually, but this book does not take itself seriously at all, so it works. It's also the only way to leave Eden and the four teenagers who have spent their entire lives in the village are desperate to leave, if only for a little while. I like the history of Eden we get here - why it's important and why the teenagers are the only children. The plot twists are interesting, if slightly ridiculous. It's light and entertaining and a quick afternoon read. It is one of those series where each installment feels like a to-be-continued episode....
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The Librarian and the Book Thief by Brian Yansky

The Librarian and the Book Thief by Brian Yansky

by CarolNo Comments
This is the second book of the series featuring Kevin, who is the librarian of Eden and (maybe) Lucifer aka Karl's son. This time around he's on the hunt for a missing book, My Side of the Story, is the Bible but from the point of view of Karl and the other fallen (jumped?) angels. Angels, demons, a trip to Vegas - it's another fun ride. Maybe not quite as charming as the first, since the absurdity and irreverence is expected. I do like the dark sense of humor and the eclectic townsfolk. My only complaint, aside from the editing, is that it feels more like an episode than a full story and at 200-ish pages I want a full story....
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The Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brian Yansky

The Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brian Yansky

by CarolNo Comments
The Librarian of the Haunted Library is not necessarily a good book, but it is entertaining and compulsively readable. Kevin had a rough childhood, but is "talented" and has spent the last several years traveling around the US essentially doing good. Now, he's ended up in Eden and was just handed the librarian position. And his first duty is finding out who murdered the last librarian - they seem to die pretty often. The plot is a bit all over the place. It's absurd and funny and I truly enjoyed the characters. It's a light read and can't really bear up to too much scrutiny, but if you enjoy quirky characters, a bit of religious fantasy - Kevin is (maybe) the devil's son after all, and can just go with the flow, you might enjoy it. I immediately picked up the second in the series....
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