“Suddenly a Murder” is a highly enjoyable take on the traditional locked-room mystery. In this case, the “room” is a posh vintage mansion on a private island. A group of friends attend a week-long 1920s themed high school graduation party there, someone winds up murdered, and detective are called in to figure it out.
This is a great set up for the rest of the novel, as the reader is treated to getting to know the group of teens along with the police as the investigation proceeds. Conveniently, main character Izzy finds a hidden passage from which she can eavesdrop on all the police interviews. While this is a bit of a trite device, it’s really the only way for Izzy to find out everything as the investigators do, and combine this with her own knowledge of both current events and her past history with her friends.
I enjoyed observing the progress of the investigation. The detectives seemed professional, asking all the right questions. I also liked reading the flashback scenes about things that happened to and between the suspects over the past year. I figured out who the killer was about the same time as Izzy. And there was a nice, dramatic ending to the whole thing that I thought fitted perfectly.
I loved everything about “He Should Have Told the Bees” by Amanda Cox. The premise is that, after the death of her father, Beckett (Beck) expects to inherit his entire estate, which consists of land, their house, and their bee farm. She is stunned to learn that a woman she’s never heard of (Callie) has been named in the will as her co-beneficiary.
What follows is a lovely story, told in chapters that alternate between the two womens’ perspectives. I enjoyed this method of storytelling, and liked seeing events and people through both sets of eyes. Both Beck and Callie were given detailed backstories, which were gradually revealed as current events played out. It was easy to see how the past shaped each of them into the women they currently were. I especially appreciated how, as they figured out how they were connected (beyond Mr. Walsh’s will), they tried to be considerate of each other right away. As they got to know each other more deeply, and learned the truth, their mutual grace and love was beautiful to witness.
Each woman has her own side-plot as well. Callie is dealing with a substance-abusing mother and considering the possibility of opening herself up to romance. Beck struggles with agoraphobia, and makes a new friend in a young girl living nearby for the summer. All of these individual threads eventually weave together along with Beck and Callie’s relationship.
In addition to providing a fun and entertaining story, this book offers plenty of food for thought about love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace, and moving on from a difficult past.
“A Royal Christmas” by Melody Carlson is a truly delightful holiday story perfect for reading at this time of year! This is the tale of Adelaide, a struggling American law student who learns that she is the probable heir to the throne of Montovia, a small (fictional) European country. It’s near the holidays, so Adelaide decides to use her Christmas break from school to head overseas, meet her possible father, and figure out what to do about all of this.
First, I loved all the descriptions of Montovia. The author provided enough detail that I could easily imagine what the town and palace looked like. With the holiday theme, I also got to enjoy all the depictions of holiday events, traditions, and celebrations along with Adelaide.
Adelaide herself is a fabulous protagonist. I appreciated her initial skepticism, and her eventual decision to head to Montovia to observe the situation first-hand. I also liked her moral character, faith, and commitment to doing the right thing. There were some lovely scenes between Adelaide and her father, the terminally ill King Max, who was portrayed as a good king who only wanted the best for his country after his death. He quickly decides that having his daughter take his place instead of his scheming wife or lazy stepson is what is best. Obviously, the evil queen doesn’t take kindly to this, which makes for an exciting storyline with just a touch of danger.
There is a bit of romance between Adelaide and Anton, the young courier assigned to show her around and assist her as needed. However, this is only a minor part of the plot. They like each other, and there’s a bit of attraction, but Anton doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to date the future queen, and Adelaide is more focused on getting to know her father and deciding what do to about the offer of the throne. I appreciated this; it was nice to read a holiday story that was about more than too people getting together just in time for a kiss under the mistletoe!To avoid spoilers, I won’t share what eventually happens. Pick this one up to see if Adelaide ends up ruling Montovia or going back home to finish law school! 5 slices of perfectly creamy Provolone!
From the first couple of paragraphs, I knew I was going to love this book. And I was 100% right about that! Main character Tara Connelly came to life for me very quickly. I cared about what happened to her from the beginning, and was excited to read more to learn how she’d cope with her current and future challenges.
In addition to Tara, the characters of her siblings Geraldine and Eddie were also very well-written. I felt like I got to know each of them, and understand their unique personalities and struggles. I enjoyed reading about each of the three as individuals, as well as their dynamic as a family. Minor characters like Conor, Nolan, Lance, and Gordi were all interesting, and each added something special to the overall story.
At its heart, this is a story of second chances and redemption. Each character needed a fresh start in some area of their life, and I liked the ways the stories meshed. It was nice to see that sometimes, doing what’s best for yourself can also be helpful to someone else.
Honestly, I really wish we’d gotten a few more chapters to get closure on Eddie and Geraldine’s journeys. Even though I’m fairly sure this is a stand-alone novel, I’d love to read a sequel focusing on the other siblings, with Tara living happily in the background.
Definitely 5 chunks of sharp cheddar, and nominated for my Top 10 of the Year list for 2023!
“The Woman Inside” is a delightfully twisty thriller. It is told from the perspectives of three main characters (Bill, Karla, and Jennica), and their narratives are interspersed with excerpts from police interviews with various characters and news articles related to the crime in question.
I really enjoyed this format. I liked gradually learning more about what really happened from each character, then comparing their viewpoints with what I was learning from the “official” sources. The author skillfully wove all of these threads together to arrive at a satisfying conclusion. I’ll add that it WASN’T what I expected, and I was thrilled with the surprise!
All of the relevant characters are well-written, with enough unique details to make them seem like true individuals. I enjoyed learning more of each person’s backstory along with their perspectives about the current events.
As an added bonus, the novel is set in Sweden. I liked reading about another country while also trying to figure out the mystery/thriller storyline.
“In the Shadow of the River” by Ann H. Gabhart is an excellent example of Christian historical fiction. I particularly enjoyed the timeframe and setting (1881, on a showboat traveling Southern US rivers). It was fascinating to read about life aboard a floating entertainment venue. The author shared a great deal about what that life would have been like, and I felt that I learned some things I hadn’t thought about before.
All of the main characters were distinct and very clearly drawn. I enjoyed watching main character Jacci as both a five-year-old and as a young adult. The character of her grandfather (Grampus Duke) was also excellent, and I liked watching how he came to care for and truly love Jacci. Other characters, including Gabe, Cameron, and Winnie, were also unique, and each added something special and integral to the story.
There was something of a mystery element to this book as well, as Jacci tried to figure out what was behind the tragedy of her childhood and get answers to questions she had about her past. This culminates in some exciting drama near the end of the story. I liked observing Jacci as she gleaned information from different sources until she was finally able to put together the whole picture and feel like she truly understood her past.
For the romantics out there, there’s also a bit of a love story. While it’s definitely not the central focus of the book, it does reach a logical conclusion by the end.
Definitely 5 delectable chunks of creamy Gorgonzola!
“The Sound of Light” by Sarah Sundin is a historical novel set in Denmark during World War 2. The author skillfully weaves in a lot of information about historical events, daily life, and the mindset of various parts of society. I enjoyed the new things I learned, and the book never felt like a history text. All of the information shared was a natural and easy-to-read part of the story. I enjoyed the viewpoints of both main characters, Else, an American scientist working in Copenhagen, and Henrik/Hemming, a young Dane who is working with the resistance. Each had a unique perspective on the German occupation, and both shed a great deal of light on the topic.
The romance between Hemming and Else was handled beautifully. Their initial meeting didn’t bode well for a romantic future, and I enjoyed watching them get to know each other, and try to understand each other’s viewpoints about the current events they were living through. I honestly believed what each person was thinking and feeling, and could understand their logic. I especially enjoyed what happened once Else learned that “Hemming” wasn’t exactly who he claimed to be. The author wrote the entire relationship realistically and cleverly, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite books of the year so far. The mix of fantastic characters, historical information, and romance is absolutely perfect. As an added bonus, although I’ve read a fair amount of historical fiction set during this time period, this is the first I’ve seen focused on the Danish perspective. I always enjoy reading something I haven’t seen before!
Everyone is talking about the new Temu website/shopping app, especially after their Super Bowl commercial aired last weekend. I’ve been seeing app ads for awhile, and was wondering if this was a legitimate company, or some kind of “shipped from China, takes months for items to arrive, and the quality is poor” type of thing. I did some research, and the company is US-based and seems legitimate. So, I decided to make a small test purchase to evaluate them for myself.
When I got to their site on February 15, 2023, 3:40pm, I saw this:
I thought, “Wow, what a great opportunity to buy something small and see how it goes. Note that the top banner from the site, as well as the smaller green banner on the page, show “Free shipping on all orders” with a countdown clock showing 11 hours and change left in the promotion.
So I added an item to my cart and went to check out. Imagine my surprise when I was notified that I needed to buy more to meet the $10 minimum free shipping threshold! Assuming it was an error (I mean….see the HUGE BANNER saying “Free Shipping on all orders”….) I pulled up an online chat with customer service. I was told that, in fact, it’s too expensive for them to offer free shipping on small orders, and that there is a $10 minimum. That makes sense, and is actually a fairly LOW minimum amount for free shipping. My issue is that, if they KNOW this, and WON’T offer free shipping for orders under $10, WHY ON EARTH would they plaster their site with promises of free shipping on ALL orders? Why not just advertise free shipping on all orders over $10? That way, they’re still advertising a good deal, but they’re being honest and upfront.
I told the Temu chat agent that I’d be reviewing their site based on my experience as a would-be customer. After stating repeatedly that she was sorry I had a bad experience, but I had to meet the $10 minimum for free shipping, she finally said: “We have removed the amount restriction for placing an order. You can now try clicking on the ‘continue to checkout’ button on the page to complete your order.”
This was, in fact, done, and I was able to take advantage of the “free shipping on all orders” promotion. However, it took a great deal of back-and-forth with customer service to get Temu to honor the offer on their site. So I guess the takeaway is that, if you’re insistent enough, Temu will honor offers on their own website. I’m still very disappointed in the overall experience.
Anyway, here’s the picture from the Temu site of the item I was finally able to order; my order confirmation said it should arrive by February 28. When it does, I’ll share an actual photo for comparison purposes, along with my thoughts about the item quality.
Update: I checked the tracking through the Temu website on February 20, and saw the following:
So…despite the company having a US-based headquarters, it DOES appear that at least some of their items are shipped from overseas. I’ll update again when the item arrives, including any information about customs charges. Another red flag for me…if they’re shipping items from China, this should definitely be disclosed upfront.
Final Update: The item arrived on February 23, several days before the date estimated when I placed the order. However, it was shipped from Ontario, Canada (hence the airport/customs reference earlier). The back of the package was marked “made in China”. So, despite allegedly being a US company, it doesn’t seem that their warehouses/shipping facilities are actually in the US, at least based on this purchase. That said, they disclosed the estimated arrival date upfront, and the order arrived ahead of time.
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Item quality: I was pleased with the item. The listing said “around 100”, and I counted exactly 100. While I didn’t compare each charm I received with the ones pictures, I can verify that quite a few are the same as shown. I didn’t notice any obvious duplicates, either. The charms ARE the size stated on the website, and seem to be of good quality. I purchased these for craft purposes. While definitely not fine jewelry, I think they’d also work for a charm bracelet. (Note: If you’re considering purchasing for a charm bracelet, the loops at the top of each charm are closed, so the bracelet links would have to open to attach them.)
100 charms in the bag they arrived in.
100 charms spread out.
Final thoughts: A mixed bag. The cons: Still no clear indication that, aside from a headquarters building, there’s anything US-based about Temu. The company did not want to honor the free shipping offer on their website. Shipping is slow, but disclosed upfront. The pros: The item arrived before the estimated date, and I was pleased with the quality, especially for the price.
Will I shop there again?: Possibly. If I’m bored and have time to browse, I might place a larger test order. If I’m in the market for something specific that I’m not in a hurry to get, I might price-check. If I do, I’ll share it here!
“The Wrong Kind of Weird” by James Ramos rings true in a way few book about high-school aged characters are able to accomplish. The author has successfully combined his own relative youth with the writing style of a seasoned veteran in the literary field to yield an incredibly well-written and realistic story.
The four main characters are high school students, and they act, speak, and dress like actual teenagers. The situations they find themselves in are typical of real high schools and high school social events. I found the whole dynamic refreshing.
Cam is the main character and heart of the story. The reader will follow along as he navigates his friend group and a romantic relationship, as well as his interactions with a (former?) bully and the “popular kids”. I can’t say this enough….these characters seem very REAL. Some conversations remind me of ones I’ve overheard (or even participated in) with actual kids this age.
The story itself was interesting, and I kept reading to find out what Cam would do next to try to get his personal life straightened out. The book kept my attention throughout, and I look forward to whatever Mr. Ramos decides to write next!
chewietellsall 