The Good Turn (Cormac Reilly, #3) by Dervla McTiernan

The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do not want this series to end!!! I love Cormac Reilly and Peter Fisher! I hope Dervla McTiernan continues with the Cormac or makes a Peter and Carrie spin off. The police corruption in this book really kept me turning the pages, the murders/deaths of seniors, the drug busts and the horror that resulted was documented perfectly by McTiernan, the suspense was relentless and I could not stop listening to this audiobook awesomely narrated by Aoife McMahon.

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Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this latest book from Elin Hilderbrand and she did a great job drawing me in---loved the Martha Person who guides Vivi, loved the story line of Vivi and Brett Caspian, Willa and Rip, and the trials and grief of her children. I could not stop turning the pages and loved the chapters with the different voices of the characters, Nantucket, & the police chief. The growth of the many characters, both good and not so good, were well drawn---Leo and Marissa (she is such a jealous racist), Carson and her antics, PJ and Savannah, Amy and Dennis, and always I enjoyed Vivi but the one thing I did not really like or understand about her was the dissolving of her marriage. I could have used more of Vivi's insight because I definitely got PJ's again and again. The beauty of Nantucket, the food, the water, the restaurants all held me captive and can't wait til the next book.

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A Stormy and Sultry Sea (Witches of the Island, #2) by Katie McGarry

A Stormy and Sultry Sea by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this 2nd book in the Witches of the Island series and now I can't wait til the 3rd and final book comes out. Cassie and Wren are caring for the demon queen baby and being watched over by demon god, Moloch. Cassie and Orion's romance sizzles and they have a very strong bond- but Orion's mother is against their romance. Will their romance be able to save the earth, the demon baby and the Fae queen----I could not stop turning the pages of this thriller!!!

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Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman

Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book, Kabir's story of courage and optimism as he leaves jail where he was born and knows nothing about life outside the jail in India. But due to the love of his teacher, his Amma, and others in the jail, Kabir is released into the cold, cruel world. Once Kabir meets Rani, a street child who lives in a tree and her parrot, Jay; they set off on a quest to find family. I loved Kabir, Rani, and their adventures, I could not stop turning the pages. A must read!

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Tastre: My Life through Food by Stanley Tucci

Taste: My Life through Food by Stanley Tucci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Tara Smith for lending me this awesome, and oh so honest and funny look at Stanley Tucci's life and his love of food. I love him as an actor and now also as an author. He was so interesting as he gushed about food, provided recipes (yay!), and let us see his life as a youngster through to COVID and a health scare. What I loved most were his exclamations over food---his descriptions were authentic and I hung on every word---especially when he really liked something---we are treated to a big FUCK as the BEST way he can describe tasting food (and he did this a few times) that was just beyond awesome. I enjoyed his parents and their love of food and how it became Stanley's life too and his way to pass on memories through food to his family. A must read!

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The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2) by Dervla McTiernan

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cormac's girlfriend Emma discovers a murdered girl (hit and run) as she leaves her lab; calling Cormac immediately, he discovers a grisly murder that he should not investigate due to his relationship with Emma. The murdered girl has an ID on her misidentifying her as Carline Darcy, heir to the Darcy Labs (where Emma works). Once again awesomely narrated by Aoife McMahon, I could not stop listening as the murder investigation spins out of control. I did love Peter Fisher and Carrie, the invesigators. All the other Garda were awful, they don't like Cormac, they spread rumors about him, and even the boss always seems to be setting Cormac up...a solid psychological thriller. Jumping onto the 3rd and maybe the last? (I hope not).

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The Ruin (Cormac Reilly, #1) by Dervla McTiernan

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG I loved listening to this audiobook from Audible, awesomely narrated by: Aoife McMahon I loved the pacing, the plot, the characters, and narration of this Cormac Reilly detective novel. Taking place in Ireland, as a young detective Cormac was the arriving officer at a decrepit, difficult to find home. He was met at the door by a young girl, there was no heat, no electric and a young boy reading. The young girl, Maude, takes him upstairs where he is astounded to find their mother, dead and she has been there for some time. Even though her death is eerie, it is the 2 children who have definitely been abused that haunt Cormac. Twenty years later, the little boy (Jack) has been found in the woods, while it is ruled suicide, his girlfriend and also his sister, Maude, do not believe Jack killed himself. I could not stop listening to this taut investigative mystery, with Cormac battling his boss in his new job (he took it because his girlfriend takes a job). I can't wait to read the 2nd book in the series, The Scholar!

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Making Rounds With Oscar : The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to my mom for passing this little gem to me; a series of stories about a doctor who becomes convinced one of the resident cats at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island is able to tell when a resident (many with dementia and Alzheimers) is going to pass. Oscar scampers up to the bed and stays with the resident and family members until they pass. I loved Dr Dosa's insight into his patients and of course being an animal lover I just loved that there were cats in residence for those living in the Center. The stories he tells held me captive and I learned so much to about these two diseases. A must read!

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Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprar

Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I ached for Collin, mourning his mother's death, questioning just what is going on with his father becoming a hoarder, trying to avoid the 2 bullies in school, and just how awful it feels to keep all of his secrets. But Collin has a way to deal with some of the scary things in life and that happens to be his handy gold notebook with what to do in the event of catastrophic happenings like avalanche, riptides, halitosis, and more. But as his father continues to hoard, Collin feels he is losing him as much as he hates the HOARD taking over every inch of his house. His two best friends might be concerned too (as well as Liam's mom) but if Collin keeps silent, how can they help him deal? This is a must read for a middle grader readers and also teachers, counselors and nurses in the school system. I could not put this awesome book down, highly recommended!

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The Roommate (Cormac Reilly, 0.7) by Dervla McTiernan

The Roommate by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great prequel to the Cormac Reilly series, a young teacher wakes up to find her roommate has been murdered, and her school thinks she had something to do with it. Even though Niamh was not close to her roommate, someone is trying to instill doubt about Niamh's involvement. What is a young teacher to do?

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The Sisters (Cormac Reilly, 0.5) by Dervla McTiernan

The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This prequel in the Cormac Reilly series was awesomely narrated by Aoife McMahon. Two sisters, One a Lawyer (barrister) and one with the police (the Guarda)and pulled me in so much that I have listened to all books in this series, Cormac Reilly, and am on the final book (so far) and along with Aoife McMahon's great narration, the mystery of the sisters, the police department and the law firm were riveting. I could not stop listening to Carrie and Aifric's story and the resolution was terrific! On to the next in this series, The Roommate.

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We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper

We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Becky Cooper's ten year investigation into the murder of Jane Britton was thoroughly investigated. A thick tome the reader thoroughly investigates Jane 1969 murder, about Harvard and the anthropology dept and police cover-ups.

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The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Anne Flosnik, this story was devastating - about a time when parents/people could put a person in an insane asylum for the rest of their life for no better reason than they could. Esme was a different child with parents who did not understand her, she was blamed for everything, and as she gets older, her parents could not deal with her. What I did not like with the narration was the abrupt endings in the flashbacks, but that was not the narrator's fault but probably would have been very apparent in the print version. There were too many questions left as the story went on, and this reader would have liked to know more, especially with the ending.

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If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I could not put this true crime fiction story down! What those sisters suffered, and that mad, evil, awful mother, Shelly, was a BAD SEED! Gregg Olsen does a stellar job and tells a true story of an unbelievable childhood suffered by not one but three sisters and how their mother kept them as silent prisoners and made them watch and endure as their mother and then father beat, tortured, and verbally abused 3 others (brother figure Shane, Kathy, supposedly Shelly's best friend and Ron, another friend she hoodwinked with her pretended love and caring). A must read! I hope all three of those girls got counseling!

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The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker

The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Nat moves from her beloved California (losing her best friend and wheelchair racing team) to New Jersey she is so not happy. When she accidentally sees a flyer for Wicked try-outs, she decides to be all in for this musical. I loved Nat----she loved life but also railed (inwardly) about the limits of being in a wheelchair---she does not initially like the house they move into that is totally ADA compliant, her mom and dad annoy her with their support, but the best thing to happen is trying out and winning a part in the Wicked musical and from there so many great and not so great things happen to Nat and her new friends. I loved her crush, her friendship with her theatre friends and how they band together to keep their musical going. This was a great book that hyped being in the arts, how Nat's upbringing kept her pushing for what she wanted (trying out new things did not defeat her at all!) and in the process---help those around her---her parents, adults, and her friends see the real Nat! Highly recommended!

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The Heart Remembers (The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, #3) by Jan-Philipp Sendker

The Heart Remembers by Jan-Philipp Sendker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by: Neil Shah, I loved this 3rd and final book, about eternal love, family, spirituality. I did not like TaTa's voice it was plodding, and too slow and Julia's voice was totally different from the other two books. But the story of TaTa and Julia and their son will be one I will not soon forget! This is a must read sesries!

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The Target (Will Robie, #3) by David Baldacci

The Target by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

These Will Robie books just keep getting better and better; there was alot going on in this book, Will and Jessica are asked by the President to carry off a secret mission all the while there is another plot involving Jessica's past and the final plot line is an assassin from North KOrea whose life was spent in a prison camp. I could not stop turning the pages; I feel like I know and love Will and Jessica and Julie and can't wait for more!

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The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd

The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, I could not stop listening to the compelling story of Eliza Lucas, who as a 16 year old in 1739 in South Carolina, is called upon by her father (who seeks to run for office and fight in Antiqua, their old home) to run their 3 plantations as he continues to mortgage against them. I loved her personality, Like Eliza, I rebelled against the lot of women at that time; the way they were treated, talked to and told what what expected of them--be quiet and marry. Eliza may have been alone in her situation but she men (friends of her father and mother) who were able to guide her, help her and offer aid when needed. The horror of slavery was revisited time and time again in this amazing story based on Eliza Lucas' letters and research. Once Eliza hears about growing and producing Indigo as a means to save the plantations, she works single-mindedly and tirelessly to learn from slaves the secret to indigo dye making. A must read about a little known but famous young woman who against everything pursued a new avenue to help her family (and others) survive and succeed in South Carolina.

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Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I so enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse about Samira and her family who flee from Burma to Bangladesh while she valiantly tries to repair her trauma of the journey, losing her grandparents and slowly rebuild her life. With her brother, she learns the alphabet and how to read; she makes friends, learns to swim and surf, while keeping it a secret from her parents. I rooted for Samira, loved the illustrations, and think kids who read this will be encouraged to try surfing! There was beauty in learning about her culture, sadness in sharing her losses with her friends, and seeing how the townspeople react to others being persecuted (her people, the Rohingya) and moving into their town.

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