Shelfari 50 Book Challenge discussion

My goal is 70 books this year

1. If We Were Villains - M L Rio

4*s

When I first picked this book up, I wasn't sure I would like it. There are 7 4th year students at a university for the arts. They all have their secrets and even their every day life is done in quotes by Shakespeare. The more I got into it, the more I enjoyed it. It was a fast book with some twists.

2. Gone Missing - Linda Castillo

4*s

Kate is called in to a case by Tomassetti. There are 3 girls missing in and around a town north of Kate's jurisdiction. He needs help because the girls are Amish.

I love these books by Castillo, they are hard to read sometimes and if you're squeamish, they are not for you but she tells a good story and researches her subjects well, including the police procedures. These are never boring.

3. Sunsets, Sabbatical and Scandals - Tonya Kappes

4*s

A well known waitress is murdered in Normal and of course Mae is helping.

I so enjoy these characters and this one is no exception. These are like returning to family in this small town and I look forward to the next one.

4. Macca the Alpaca -Matt Cosgrove

4*s

Macca is a happy Alpaca who is bullied by a Llama! They soon find a way to work it out.

5. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng - Preston/Child

5*s

Constance is setting up her life in 1880 New York. Pendergast is miserable. He goes home to his present day home to grieve. He comes to a decision and enlists the help of Proctor and D'Agosta.

Coldmoon is settling in his new job in Denver and liking it so far.

I really enjoyed the past and present stories and even though the book ends in a cliffhanger, it is not unbearable, but I'm hoping the new book will be soon! There is so much in this book that I will use the time to regurgitate it.

6. The Bone Orchard - Paul Doiron

4*s

Mike Bowditch is now a hunting guide. He thinks he likes this job better but when he goes to visit his old mentor, she's not too happy with him. He leaves and when he's down the road a bit, she calls to apologize. While talking to her, her dog is going crazy and she says she'll call back. She never does.

I really enjoyed this one (do I say that about each one), and enjoyed reading about some of the old characters. Poor Mike, he's always in the wrong place at the wrong time but always turns it into something good.

I look forward to the next one!

7. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter - Hazel Gaynor

4*s

Two strong women from different centuries but whose lives intertwine.

This is my second book by Gaynor and I love her writing. She draws you in and keeps you engaged throughout. I loved these women in different ways from all the tribulations they endured and survived. I love reading about lighthouses and Gaynor gives us details on how much work they are to keep them going in years past and the bravery of these men and women who mind them. I look forward to her next book.

8. Lethal Letters - Ellery Adams

4*s

Olivia is at the local church scouting it out for her wedding. It is undergoing renovations and when a wall is knocked down, a time capsule is uncovered. The head of the historical society is there and turns white when she sees what's in the capsule. Olivia doesn't think too much about it until a couple of residents turn up dead.

I love visiting with my "friends" in Oyster Bay, it's always interesting. This one has a lot going on and the series is getting better in my opinion.

9. Sociopath, a memoir - Patric Gagne

4*s

Really enjoyed this book. It is not clinical, it's written from the author's experiences of being a sociopath. She knew from an early age that she was not like other people and wanted to find some help. She found very little and was frustrated.

She wrote this book to help others like her to know there is light at the end of tunnel, and she became a therapist to help others.

I give a lot of credit to her husband who loved her enough to want to learn.

10. A Murder in Hollywood - Casey Sherman

5*s

Sherman does a great job of telling this "old Hollywood" story. I remember my mom telling a friend about Cheryl Crane, Lana's daughter having murdered her boyfriend. This is when the Mafia was a part of the movie business and there was a lot of corruption and abuse.

Lana starts her career at 15 and Sherman tells about her many husbands and history of abuse as well as her rise to stardom. She names names and it makes for very interesting reading. If you love movies or are a movie buff, you will love this story.

11. Grave Errors - Carol J. Perry

4*s

Dorothy is a new person in Lee's class. Her sister died and it was considered an overdose, Dorothy is here to prove that it wasn't.

Lee and her students get interested in the case and help Pete to check into the case again. They are up to their necks in trouble with this one.

12. Shadowbox - John R. Maxim

4*s

Michael has been raised by an uncle since the age of 12. He's had everything he ever wanted but is a humble young man. After college he comes back home to New York and is working for a pharmaceutical company, following in his father's footsteps. When his uncle is killed, Michael's whole world comes tumbling down.

I had a real hard time putting this book down. The pace was fast and kept me turning pages. You couldn't decide who was the good guy and who was the bad guy from time to time but it all comes together and made a great story. I'll look for more of Maxim's books.

13. My Darling Husband - Kimberly Belle

4*s

Jade and the kids are confronted by a man in a mask and gun when they get home. She has no idea what this is about and wants to protect her children. The gunman makes her call her husband Cam and tell him to bring a specific amount of money by 7:00 or they will die.

I thought this was a great listen, it kept me on the edge of my seat and I hated to stop listening. The book is done in different voices of the main characters and easy to keep track of. This was a new to me author but I'll be looking for more!

14. The Precipice - Paul Doiron

4*s

Two girls go missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Mike and Stacy are on vacation but Mike is asked to help find the girls. He meets a number of interesting people along the way as well as some suspicious ones. Stacy joins the volunteers and soon gets herself into trouble by asking the "right" questions.

I love the way Doiron tells the story and keeps us wanting to know more. Mike is a great character and you love his determination to find the truth.

15. Echo of Old Books - Barbara Davis

4*s

Ashlyn owns a book store and is always looking for unique books to add. She has a gift of being able to touch a book and feel what she calls "echos" from a past owner. A friend who owns another book store calls her when someone drops off books that he can't use. He thinks he has something interesting for Ashlyn, a bound book but with no author or fly page etc. When she checks it out and opens the book, she is filled with regret and anguish from the writer. She decides she must have it and returns to her store.

She discovers a love story unfolding in it's pages. Her friend calls her a few days later with another book, much like the first. This one also holds echos of anguish but is the story from the woman's point of view.

The book is told in two time frames, 1941 and 1984. Ashlyn becomes engrossed in the stories and wants to find her left the books and find out more about the people in the story. I loved the storyline but occasionally was frustrated with the characters in the past but as a whole, loved the book.

16. Lovers & Players - Jackie Collins

3.5*s or 3

I'd probably give this a 3.5. I hadn't read a Collins book in a long time so had this and picked it up. I did enjoy it. There were a lot of characters but Collins did a good job of giving them personalities right away so it wasn't hard to keep up.

It was a light read, some repetition but good entertainment.

17. The Seed Keeper - Diane Wilson

4*s

Beautifully written story of a Dakota woman finding her culture after many years. It goes back and forth in time telling her story from childhood to adulthood and those of her ancestors.

It is at times heartbreaking and then filled with hope. It covers how the American Indians were deceived and mistreated by the white man as well as how white farmers were treated and had to sell their land and the only life they had ever known.

I plant a small garden every year, but this year will mean even more to me after listening to this book.

18. Hold Back the Night - Axel Blackwell

5*s

This was a first time author for me and I was hooked from the first page.

The characters meshed well together and the story was well told, the pages just kept turning.

The subject matter in the book is a difficult one but it moves quickly so you don't dwell on the unpleasantness even though it is not rushed so you would discount it. The very first pages set the tone and the mindset of the detectives on the case.

19. The River - Gary Paulsen

4*s

I read this book to my grandson while he wasn't feeling well. We both got into it quickly and couldn't wait to see how it turned out.

The pace was perfect and my grandson and I enjoyed all the descriptions of survival and the area where the characters were. Well written.

20. Playmates - Andrew Neiderman

3*s

Stacey and her 5 year old daughter Tami are going to meet David for the weekend. He is working on a project and has been away from home so they are looking forward to having a weekend together. On the way, Stacey has car trouble on a rural road and goes to a house for help. What they find is not help.

This was a predictable story of a woman on a lonely road with her daughter. Creepy characters and the rush to save the pair. It was a good read.

21. Running With Sherman - Christopher McDougall

4*s

Chris and his wife rescue a donkey from an animal hoarder. Sherman is a mess and they aren't sure if ohe will survive but Sherman rallies when he makes friends with a goat. Chris learns much about donkey's from friends and neighbors and soon decides to try donkey racing.

This is a heartwarming story of a family who devotes their time to loving and training Sherman. They come across much help from neighbors in the process of all working together.

22. Broadway Butterfly - Sara DiVello

4*s

A young flapper from the 1920's is murdered, found by her maid and confidant. This is based on a true story and was well researched. It's quite sad when you find out what her family is like and people she had met and used her for their agendas.

I loved the newspaper woman Julia Harpman. She was threatened and warned but continued to try and find the truth. Unfortunately the true killer was never found.

DiVello gives you a glimpse of the main characters and how their lives turned out at the end of the book. Very well done.

23. I Am a Soldier, Too - Rick Bragg

4*s

I remember watching all this play out during the war and thinking how tragic. The book brings all the horrors to life and give credit where credit is due, she is lucky to be here and does not consider herself a hero.

This is one person's story of what happened to her. It was horrible and the pain her family had waiting for word if she was alive or dead was heartbreaking, as it is for many other families in the same situations. I feel for all the brave soldiers and their families who have to suffer in this way or make the ultimate sacrifice so we can be safe and sleep in our beds at night.

24. We Burn Daylight - Bret Anthony Johnston

4*s


Two 14 year olds meet at a gun show in Waco, Texas. Jaye's mother has moved her from California because she is tired of her life with her husband and is enamored with Perry Cullen, leader of the cult. Jaye went with her mother but does not like Perry or the cult life. She meets Roy, the Sheriff's son and they instantly have a connection.

Although fiction, this brings back the memories of when the raid on the Davidian ranch happened in 1993 and gives us an inside look at the life of these people and this young couple caught in the middle.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

25. Without Fail - Lee Child

4*s

Reacher is asked to audit the secret service to see if it's possible to assassinate the Vice President. He finds many holes in the coverage and then finds that it isn't an audit, but is a real happening. He works with his brother Joe's girlfriend who is in charge of the Secret Service to the VP.

This is another good "listen" but I think Child gets a bit wordy sometimes. I like the descriptions of areas and how things are going down to where I can vividly picture them in my mind while listening.

26. Silent Sister - Megan Davidhizar

5*s

Two sisters, Grace and Maddy, less than a year apart in age and look enough alike that everyone thinks they are twins. They are both seniors in high school and are going on the Senior Sabbatical that all seniors for many years have done, only this time, one sister comes home and the other doesn't.

This YA was written so well that all I wanted to do was sit and read. I finished quicker than I do many books because I couldn't stop turning pages. You hear from both girls telling the story of the week at Sabbatical leading ever closer to the truth of what happened. Davidhizar is a talented author and I look forward to her next book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

27. Megacroc - Julien Michael Carver

4*s

People are being killed in a new house development area. The Sheriff believes it to be the work of a crocodile. After a young boy and his father are attacked and the father killed, they see a video the boy took. This is no ordinary croc. Mike, who owns an Alligator and Crocodile Sanctuary is called in to try and capture the creature.

This was an entertaining and page turning book. It needs some editing done, but overall a good horror story with a good ending.

One Woman's Junk - J B Lynn

3*s

Amanda, Winnie and Beatrice after being struck by lightning, return to their Godmother's second hand store in Florida. Since their accident, they have discovered that they have acquired "gifts". One of them sees dead people and one of them has visions. They believe their Godmother didn't die accidentally and are determined to find out what happened.

Once I got into it, this was a cute story.

29. The Hunted - Lisa Childs

3*s


A popular singer goes to a spa that was an insane asylum years before. She believes she is being stalked and wants to hide for a bit. She meets a 16 year old girl whose father is the Sheriff and makes Olivia believe that he is abusing her.

This was an ok read for me. It would read like a thriller for a bit, then slow to an even crawl. I hadn't read the first book and this may have answered some questions for me that I felt were lacking in this book.

30. Just Tyrus - Tyrus

4*s

Tyrus writes about his tough childhood. His mother was white and his father was black. His father left when he was about 7 and he had to depend on other men in his life to be mentors. He was smart and had drive and worked his way up.

His love was WWE and did that for a while as well as being a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg.

Inspiring story.

31. Mystery at Maplemead Castle - Kitty French

4*s

Melody and her company are called upon to rid a castle of it's disrupting ghosts. On the first day, Melody runs out of the castle yelling because of a large lion, who happens to be a ghost!

This time the ghosts are circus performers, the ringmaster who happens to be the beautiful trapeze performers husband and his lion as well as her lover. Melody is forced to work with Leo Dark who falls for Britannia and Fletcher, the sexy newspaper reporter who she's having a hard time staying away from.

Loved the characters and the shenanigans.

Zero Days - Ruth Ware

3*s

ack and Gabe are married and have a business together. Jack goes out to break in to business's and find their weak points while Gabe talks her through and does the computer stuff. They then let the business know how to make their safety measures stronger. After the last job, Jack is looking forward to getting home when she is arrested after being found in the building. When she gets home, Gabe is dead. She is the prime suspect and she fights to find the truth.

This was a good premise and I really liked the descriptions of finding the weak points in these places, but toward the middle and end, the story drug for me.

33. Dawn - VC Andrews

4*s

Dawn is a pretty blond girl in a poor family with darker hair. They may be poor but they love each other and are happy until their mother gets sick after the baby, Fern is born. Jimmy and Dawn go to a nice private school thanks to their dad getting a job there but things are rocky for both of them. When their mother dies, their father is arrested for kidnapping Dawn when she was a baby and Dawn's biggest bully she finds, is her real sister.

Typical Andrews books, but I never get enough of them.

34. Tough Luck - Sandra Dallas

5*s

Two orphans, a brother and a sister escape the orphanage to find their father who is trying to strike it rich in Colorado in the 1800's. Haide disguises herself as a boy so she and her brother Boots can get jobs on a wagon train headed West.

This was such a delightful story, with humor and surprises along the way. I love Dallas' books and this one is no exception. The characters were a real treat, people you wish you knew and could visit. The descriptions along the way were very visual for me and I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and enjoy this book in exchange for an honest review.

35. Ghost Tree - Christina Henry

4*s

Lauren and her best friend Miranda have been to town because Miranda wants to flirt with Tad because he has a camaro and can give her rides to school. While in town, Lauren gets a migraine and wants to leave but Miranda wants to stay so Lauren goes to the ghost tree where she left her bike. She sees a bloody hand print on her bike seat but thinks nothing of it and washes it off when she gets home.

This is a horror story in a small town that has some supernatural aspects as well as a witches tale that haunts the town . . . . but no one can remember it. I enjoyed this book.

36. Government Gangsters - Kash Patel

4*s

Interesting book about the Deep State and the interworkings of the Government. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

37. Tents, Trails and Turmoil - Tonya Kappes

4*s

Mae is getting the Park ready to open for the season but she is smelling a horrible smell that seems to be coming from the woods. She thinks an animal has died and sets out to find it but she finds a dead body.

This one kept me guessing until the end. I love the characters and look forward to hearing from them again. This is just a good, clean and fun series and I'm looking forward to the next one.

38. The Forgotten Palace - Alexandra Walsh

3*s

Eloise is in current day and after the death of her husband, travels to Crete to a home her father in law had given her.

Alice is in the year 1900 and lives in London. She has disgraced herself and her family and her Aunt takes her to Crete to get away.

The two women's lives intertwine through the ages.

I liked the storyline, but there were a number of characters and I'd have to stop and think about where I was occasionally. There was also a 3rd timeline, back into the time of mythological creatures. If you're into mythology, this is for you.

39. Desert Star - Michael Connelly

5*s

Oh my goodness, this book made me cry. Connelly knows how to put these together and make you turn the pages, I had a hard time putting this book down.

These are getting deeper and deeper and I feel like I know Bosch and his feelings. Bosch feels so strongly about the cold cases and it's heartbreaking what he's willing to do to solve them.

I fear what's coming but can't cover my eyes.

40. The Dead Will Tell - Linda Castillo

4*s

Kate is called out on what appears to be a suicide but upon further investigation is clearly not. A wooden Amish doll is found in the man's mouth. Now a prominent figure in the town council is getting threatening notes as well as other people in the community. It's all leading to a family who died in a tragic fire years ago and the mother was missing.

This was a good plot with a twist. As usual, Castillo does a good job of putting it all together.

41. Bandit Heaven - Tom Clavin

3*s

I very much enjoyed the time period and the story as a whole, but there were so many characters to keep up with that you really didn't get a feel for any of them in detail.

The middle kind of lagged for me but the last third of the book became very interesting again and I was captivated through to the end. I liked that the author followed the outlaws til they met their end as well as the lawmen who had pursued them. Their hideouts in different locations was interesting but again, not a lot of detail.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book, I did learn some things I didn't know about some of the infamous outlaws.

42. Lemon Drop Murder - Amanda Flower

4*s

Some of the women want to give Emily a baby shower even though it's not common for the Amish. Emily is especially shy of it because when she was younger, she had had a baby and her sister gave it away for adoption right away without Emily's blessing. A woman comes to the shower and talks to Emily but is later found dead in her sister's pretzel shop.

I love revisiting these characters as well as this small town, and Bailey is always helping to solve the murders. This one has a bit of a twist for Bailey and "hot cop".

43. The Scorpion's Tail - Preston/Child

4*s

Corrie and the FBI are called in to look into a body discovered buried in the basement of an old ghost town in the New Mexico desert. As she starts to dig, Corrie realizes she needs someone who is trained in archaeology to preserve the sight and she calls Nora for help. The more they dig, the deeper the mystery surrounding the dead man.

I loved the search for answers in the New Mexico desert near White Sands Missile Range. They are working with local law enforcement as well as the higher echelon of the Army to solve the case but it's hard to know who to trust.

44. The Island - Natasha Preston

3.5 *s rounded to 3

A group of young influencer's are invited to a weekend on an island with a new amusement park so they can "influence" their followers to come to the park. It is soon apparent that no one is to get off the island alive.

I thought it was an interesting storyline, but was quite the slasher book. It kept you in suspense as to who the perp was and there were some twists along the way. Good entertainment.

45. Hostage - Clare Mackintosh

5*s

Mina is going on the historic 20 hour flight from England to Australia as a flight attendant. Everyone is excited until Mina gets a message to do as the note says or her 5 year old daughter back home will be killed. What would you do?

This was an edge of your seat read, I had a hard time putting it down. It was told by Mina and Adam her husband in alternating chapters. A lot of times, you like one better than the other but in this case, they were both very thrilling. There were some surprises that caught me off guard and I loved it.

46. It Takes a Coven - Carol J. Perry

3.5 *s

There is a murder of crows in the city, they are all over. Of course, Aunt Ibby is researching how to get rid of them. Lee is also in a wedding for one of her students and there have been some witches dying.

There is a lot going on in the small town, but Lee and Pete have it all covered.

47. Z Shark - JD Huff

3*s

Entertaining but not much substance.

A shark is altered after chemicals are dumped into the ocean and is now an eating machine around a small island. The characters didn't have much substance and one of them reminded me of Shaggy from the Scooby Doo cartoons.

47. Z Shark - JD Huff

3*s

Entertaining but not much substance.

A shark is altered after chemicals are dumped into the ocean and is now an eating machine around a small island. The characters didn't have much substance and one of them reminded me of Shaggy from the Scooby Doo cartoons.

48. Mother's Day Murder - Leslie Meier

3*s

It's Mother's Day and Lucy's family take her out to eat brunch. She sees a couple of women arguing over one of them getting seated while the other had to wait after making a reservation. These are prominent women in the town but always quibble. One of them turns up dead and a blond woman who looks like her nemesis is seen leaving.

This one seemed a bit rushed toward the end and even though I had it figured out, I still don't get the reasoning behind it.