The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a nice day.

Does your family play games?  My family plays lots of games.  When we were growing up, there was one game that reigned supreme, especially with my father...Tripoley.  This is a card game with a board that has combinations of cards written on it.  You start by playing poker, then go into a version of rummy.  With certain combinations you get to claim the amount that is anted to in each spot on the board.  Now, gambling is frowned upon, so I'll say we always played this with poker chips.  Okay, I'll put this out there, what is the point of saving your pennies in an old coffee can if it is not to crush the dreams of your family, one cent at a time! Perhaps I "forgot" to ante once or twice, making it much more profitable.  Don't look at me like that, you never heard the saying "mama needs a new pair of shoes?"  Well, April has a raging book addiction to pay for, with pennies if necessary!

I recently read The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.  This is the story of a young newly engaged couple, Harriett and Edward.  Edward is from a wealthy family, like Vanderbilt wealthy.  In addition, he has made a fortune himself.  Though Edward has been kind of estranged from his family, he now feels it's time for him and his bride-to-be to participate in family gatherings. The only issue is that his family is weird, toxic, abrasive, and not to be trusted.  Then there are the games.  When the family gathers, they play games, not a rousing game of Scrabble (I always get z and q repeatedly), or a marathon game of Monopoly that requires snacks and eventually coffee.  Nope.  This family plays "run for your life" kinds of games.  Is Edward worth it?  What would you go through for the person you love?  How wacky of in-laws would you put up with?  These questions and more are asked as secrets are exposed and hidden.

This was a quick and fun read.  Nothing too taxing, with pleasant writing.  Pretty thrilling as far as thrillers go, this book has that feeling that you're waiting for someone to jump out around every corner.  It was a tiny bit annoying that some characters were in the story only briefly and could have played a bigger role.  Nonetheless, very enjoyable.

I'm going to count my pennies, lots of books are calling my name.

Keep it in the Family by John Marrs

Hello everyone.  I hope you are well.

I wanted to talk about one of our old houses where we found lots of "stuff" in the attic, since that relates to today's book.  I can't.  I have to address something that is driving me crazy.  Authors please, pretty please with a cherry on top, enough with the Covid already.  If readers want to read about the pandemic, they can read something nonfiction, but fiction is fiction...it's made up.  Why when I'm going to a category of book that will allow me to escape the goings on of today, must I read constantly about Covid.  Yes, authors, we all know you went through lock down.  Do you really think you're telling us something we don't already know and wouldn't prefer to forget?  If you can't think of some other way to keep characters at arm's length or in their house, then I just don't know (shaking my head). I feel like authors need to have a sign stuck to their laptops saying "Covid, been there, done that, got the t-shirt."  Now that the stupid virus got me to spout an ancient, annoying saying I'll put grumpy Gerta away.

I recently read Keep it in the Family by John Marrs.  This is the story of a young couple Mia and Finn, who bought a rundown house with plans to retore it to its previous grandeur making it their dream home.  Shortly after their adventuresome purchase Mia discovers that she is pregnant.  While Mia isn't able to do quite as much to the house Finn and his dad, Dave, are hard at work making the necessary fixes.  One day something terrible is found in the attic.  Not only does it greatly delay their project, but it shakes everyone to the core.  The unwelcome find threatens to reveal secrets long ago hidden and tear this couple and family apart.

I have read lots of John Marrs books, and usually they include some small amount of fantasy.  Now I'm not a fantasy fan, but Marrs does it so well that I've come to look forward to it from him.  This book is different.  It is not fantasy at all, and while all thriller it might be said that it kind of dips its big toe into the horror pond.  If you just want a great story, you'll like this.  If you want typical John Marrs you'll still be happy but surprised by the topic and lack of futuristic flair. 

One thing is for sure, you'll never look at one of those falling apart houses tucked back in the woods the same way ever again. 

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

Hello everyone. I hope you are doing well.

Today we picked up an order from the mart of walls (Walmart).  Despite carefully ordering only items "in stock" in my store and not on short inventory, 15 items out of 36 were out of stock.  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that very soon when I order groceries, not only are they not going to have anything but are going to request I bring THEM something from home.  Seriously, when they are out of my ordered whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, even turkey lunch meat...what am I supposed to serve?  I didn't just read Harry Potter and am unable to swish and flick something on the plate for lunch or dinner.  Okay, housewifey rant over, at least I worked a book in there.  Phew. 

I recently read The Prisoner by B.A. Paris.  It came out last Tuesday, was delivered Thursday, I started it Friday night and was done by early afternoon on Saturday.  I was mesmerized by this story.  I think I slept for twenty minutes and tried getting up to read when hubby protested it was too early...and I read until 6:30 in the morning.  M-e-s-m-e-r-i-z-i-n-g.  I have read hundreds of thrillers but for some reason this one I could not put down...for anything...including sleep.  I have read all but one of B.A. Paris' books and liked them all.  This one, I don't know, it had a grip on me that wouldn't let go.

This is the story of Amelie and she is married to Ned.  Ned, a gazillionaire, is not a very nice person.  One day, they are both kidnapped.  They are kept separately while awaiting the payment of the ransom.  They are also kept in complete darkness.  Sounds like it would be difficult to make a great story out of due to the limited location.  It isn't.  The darkness just amps up the tension, you feel the darkness, the starkness, and find yourself almost holding your breath.  The story becomes more complicated when Amelie sadly realizes that she might be safer with her kidnappers then with her own husband.  Is she experiencing Stockholm syndrome or is Ned really a danger to his own wife? This is only a fraction of this involved, always twisting story.  

This book is under 300 pages, with such an elaborate story and being shorter than many, you know the author doesn't have a word that isn't absolutely necessary.  It also means to fit the whole tale in, this book must move along.  It flies!  Loved it and now have a huge case of book hangover.

If you buy this book, read it with a booklight in a dark room....I dare you. 

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a great day.

Years ago, I had all my parent's slides, they took gobs of photos.  The slides were starting to degrade and were hard to look at without setting up a lot of equipment.  Despite it being more overwhelming than cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a family of twenty with a picky Aunt Sue and cranky Uncle Hank, I scanned all the slides into my computer.  Within those family slides is an engineering drawing that I have no idea what it is.  When I was a kid, I was convinced my dad was a spy due to his wearing sunglasses, hey I was little and I'm quite certain that all spies covet an extensive sunglass wardrobe (they probably have cameras in them).  Of course, my dad was a regular person, but that miscellaneous slide had me wondering about him and his job that took him to top secret sites.

I recently read Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.  This is the story of four aging women, spies, well assassins is more accurate.  The group these ladies work for has sent them on a fantastic all expenses paid cruise to mark their retirement. While trying to enjoy their relaxing gift they realize that someone is on the cruise that shouldn't be, in fact, it is someone they work with...a fellow assassin.  The four women quickly realize that this time they aren't the killers but the targets.   Why would an organization they have been so loyal to suddenly turn on them?  How do they come out alive when those after them are as well trained as they are?

This book is smart, fun, quick moving, interesting and laugh out loud funny.  Anyone will enjoy this book but if you are forty or older you will start to recognize some of their aches and pains, along with other "hormonal things" going on with their bodies.  All of this commentary on aging and the actual story of hunting assassins is told with so much humor, if was a pleasure to read.  My only regret is that this book isn't the beginning of a series, as I could do with a whole lot more of these wise-cracking ladies.

Hey, my dad went on a cruise once...hmmmmm...

Leslie Jordan

*******Warning****Mild Profanity******* 

A few hours ago came the very sad news that Leslie Jordan was involved in a car accident today and passed away.  If you haven't seen this comic genius at work there are lots of examples of his perfect timing, gestures and line delivery.  He was involved in so many hits, including a long-standing role on Will and Grace, Cool Kids, movie The Help, American Horror Story, Boston Legal, etc.  Leslie had an always fun Instagram account, which has been very popular throughout the pandemic.  He always opened each post with the same line..."Well shit, how y'all doing?"  He used part of that greeting for the title of his book "How Y'all Doing?' The book was delightful, and I reviewed it on May 26, 2021.  If you are his fan, you will appreciate his book that, sadly, there can be no sequel to now.

Leslie Jordan will be missed and loved for trying to do nothing more than make our world brighter by bringing a smile and laugh our way.  "Well shit....."

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

Hello everyone.  I hope your day is going well.

Has anyone else noticed a lot of "jump on the bandwagon-ing" going on in books over the last few years?   I guess it is natural since selling books is a business.  I don't, however, remember the whole writing world turning into stories about vampires after Anne Rice's very popular Interview With the Vampire.  Twilight comes out, and you can barely find a book that doesn't include bloodsuckers.  Heck, they were and still are so common, I'm actually starting to wonder about some people I know.  I gave my husband several concerning glances after a particularly brutal session he had with a bowl of spaghetti.  Then came the books about someone on the autism spectrum, they were everywhere.  While these stories could actually help the population become more accepting of people with differences (as we all should be, who is to say what is normal anyway), the number of authors jumping on the topic was annoying. Now there is a new topic with huge popularity, witches.  Three, yes, THREE of my Book of the Month choices included witches.  Now, I'm not complaining about my beloved BOTM, and I love seasonal topics...so Halloweeny.  But the topic isn't just for this Fall, there are huge series that have witches as gardeners, sisters, in the past, in fantasy, in history, in horror, in cozy mysteries, and in romance novels.  Overall, I wish everyone would cover their answers and keep their eyes on their own paper.  Do their own thing.  Except for witches at Halloween, that gets a pass from me, but the second they step on Santa's toes out they go!

I recently read The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling. You might recognize Erin Sterling, she also wrote The Ex Hex, last year.  The Kiss Curse is the sequel although it can easily be read as a stand-alone book.  Lest you think I've betrayed my beloved thrillers, cheating on them with this cute romantic comedy, Erin Sterling also writes thrillers under the author name Rachel Hawkins.  This is the story of Gwyn, who owns a witchy product store in Georgia.  Enter Wells, the mysterious bartender, turned shop owner from Wales, who sets up his store right across from Gwyn.  Of course, there is much dislike at first, then their attraction to each other becomes undeniable.  Not only do they have to fight their feelings for each other, should they embrace them or resist, but there is trouble in town as well, that only they can fix.  

This book, like The Ex Hex, is just fun.  There is nothing super deep here, no rocket science textbook.  This story will allow you to spend a day or two transported to their author's world where things are always interesting, and Fall is in full swing.  The story is short, sweet and to the point.  The writing highly entertaining.  I absolutely adored the dialog between the two main characters which was full of sarcasm and had me laughing many times.  

I can't believe I'm saying this about a book about witches, but I hope there is a third.  Gasp!  I know, don't tell anyone.  Do yourself a favor, grab a plaid blanket, a cup of pumpkin latte Frappuccino espresso with a half twist who-hockey and enjoy this book.  Allow it to work its charms on you!

 

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

Hello everyone. I hope your day is going well.

As you lose people in your family, ultimately many of their belongings are divided up among those that are left grieving their absence.  My parents and grandparents had some nice dishes. With four of us all wanting certain pieces, despite losing these family members long ago, we still argue over who has what. Right now, the issue is these gigantic yellow Pyrex bowls.  My mother had one so did my grandmother.  One of my sisters has both of them.  This has become an issue of cataclysmic importance.  My mother made great potato salad and always served it in the humongous yellow bowl. None of my three sisters....NONE...have ever even made potato salad.  I, however, make fantastic potato salad (which I'm currently eating, hence this story), in fact, I make my mother's potato salad.  My potato salad and the elusive yellow Pyrex should be together, it is how the world should be.  I know there are terrible things going on in the world, heck plenty in the US alone and we have it better than so many others.  Yet, I implore you to consider my bowl dilemma, it is unfair that I am the only one able to use the yellow bowl as intended by family tradition, yet my sister holds TWO of them and feels not a twinge of guilt over her ceramic gluttony!  While I usually try and tie the opening of this post with the book, but I have little to say about hiking and have potato salad in my mouth.  Eh, it's free, take what you can get.

I recently read The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda. This is the story of a woman, Abby, who works at an inn in western North Carolina.  The big draw of this picturesque vacation spot is the hiking, rafting, general outdoorsiness.  In the past, there have been problems when people have gone missing on the hiking trails.  When a mysterious guest checks in, Abby's curiosity is peaked.  She discovers that the guest, Trey, is the brother of one of those who had disappeared.  As Trey begins his exploration of his brother's actions Abby is surprised by what she discovers while trying to assist him.  All is not right at the inn and the evidence is mounting that something is very wrong.

While I don't really consider Megan Miranda's books heart pounding thrillers, this is more thriller than usual.  The mystery is interesting and complicated. The story is intriguing and grabs you quickly.  The writing is pleasant, as always.  I wished it was a bit shorter, but at 336 pages the length doesn't seem outrageous. Overall, this was very enjoyable and my favorite by this author so far.  Can't wait until the next. 

You know what would be great to take on a hike?  Potato salad!