NetGalley Archives – Carol's Notebook

The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne

May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

The Antiquity Affair is a fun book. It's got history, action, suspense, family drama, and a bit of romance. Our main characters, sisters Lila and Tess, are wrapped up in a race for the Serpent’s Crown, a powerful legendary relic. They have friends and family on their side but of course, there's an evil brotherhood that also wants the crown so they can control Egypt and then, presumably, the world. I liked Lila and Tess and how they come to understand each other better throughout the book and work on repairing their relationship. Each of the women is capable in her own way and their skills play off each other's well. I listened to the audiobook and having two narrators, one for each of the women, worked out well. I do wish their voices had been a little more different. The book touches on women's place in society and the questionable ethics of removing historical artifacts from their countries of...

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

May 27, 2023March 10, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

I didn't realize from the synopsis just how "funny" A Most Agreeable Murder was attempting to be. Comedy can be a tough sell for me - the joke around our house is that I don't have a sense of humor. Which is not true, by the way. This book is trying so hard to be funny, but, especially at the beginning, it strays over the line into silly and annoying. After the murder occurs and Beatrice and Inspector Drake have to work together to solve the killing, it improves. There are a lot of over-the-top twists and turns and several one-dimensional characters, but I found myself enjoying it. I wondered what was going to happen next and who was going to be accused next. It turned out to be a fun, light-hearted read that was different enough to stand out in the sea of historical cozies. There was also maybe a werewolf. ...

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

When Tiffany's half-brother dies unexpectedly, she buries him in the garden and then assumes his identity. She sees it as the only way to keep her cottage and money. As a spinster in 1780s England, she has few options. Of course, being two people is quite complicated. When a servant at the palace is found poisoned, a death that looks very similar to her brother's, Tiffany realizes she might be in danger. Tiffany is a great main character. She's determined and funny and loves reading novels, which she was never allowed to do before. She's also very aware of society's inequalities and determined to help when she can. A Novel Disguise is a nice mix of romantic comedy, because of course Tiffany has a love interest and of course hijinks ensue, and murder mystery. It's also very well-researched without showing it off. The details of daily life for both the aristocracy and servants are fit in well. It also shows us a...

Witches in the Kitchen by Danielle Garrett

May 17, 2023May 19, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Witches in the Kitchen is the first of the in the Magic Inn Paranormal Mysteries series, which is apparently a spin-off of the Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries series. I hav never read the Harbor series and didn't feel like I missed anything. I guess some of the secondary characters are from that series originally, but I felt like everyone was introduced well. It's a fun read. Our main character, Blair, discovers she's a witch by accidentally turning into a cat when she is in a life-threatening situation. The Supernatural Protection Agency steps in and she is moved to Beechwood Inn for her safety and to learn more about controlling her powers. I liked Blair. The life she's been leading up to now is a bit boring and a bit lonely. But learning that magic is real has thrown her for quite a loop. She's sweet and nice and caring. The inn's owners, Holly and Adam, are good mentors and the other inn...

Lament at Loon Landing by Josh Lanyon

May 15, 2023May 12, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Lament at Loon Landing brings a once-famous folk singer to Pirate's Cove. Unfortunately, her comeback performance is surrounded by death threats and dangerous close calls. Ellery's close friend, Dylan who is on the festival committee, asks him to help find out if the threats are real. Ellery's not sure what he's actually supposed to be doing, but he asks questions and tries to keep an eye on things. Then, Ellery find Dylan's girlfriend dead and Dylan becomes the main suspect in her murder. I like Ellery a lot. He's snarky and nice and has an adorable dog. He's also getting used to the whole investigating things, along with the Silver Sleuths. His boyfriend, Jack, is Chief of Police, and of course that makes things both more complicated and easier. I am awfully tired of the cop/detective as the boyfriend/love interest in cozy mysteries. I enjoyed my trip to Pirates Cove. The mystery was fine, but I mostly enjoy the quirky characters...

Hard Dough Homocide by Olivia Matthews

May 12, 2023May 11, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Hard Dough Homocied picks up where the first in the series left off, with the Murray family busy running their family bakery. They've been asked to cater a local high school principal's retirement party, a woman Lyndsay's mom, Della, dislikes. And of course, when the woman dies in the bakery, Della becomes the chief suspect in the murder investigation. Lyndsay decides she has to investigate to clear her mom's name and save the business - being connected with two murders just months apart is definitely not good for customer retention. I can't tell if the cops are actually incompetent or not, since we only see things thru Lyndsay's eyes. There are several suspects and at least from Lyndsay's point of view, the cops aren't investigating them all as well as they should. We've got a few clues that definitely point to people aside from Della. Lyndsay and her family are very close. They always have each others' backs. The family even joins...