The Bulls of Bashan

by

Jodi Lea Stewart

High-energy adventure spurred on by a mysterious mission of global proportions.

The Bulls of Bashan by Jodi Lea Stewart is a gripping, high-energy tale of action and adventure, set in the early 1950s. Young waitress Savannah is swept up into the adventure of a lifetime when two strangers to her small west Texas town recruit her to join them on a lucrative, exciting, but mysterious mission. Having recently come to realize she wants more out of life than to own the diner she manages, she agrees. Still, the specifics of their upcoming journey and duties remain a murky secret, all engineered from afar by the unseen Mr. A. What follows in a great adventure story that finds her traveling around the world with a team of three additional people: Malone, a former military officer and their leader, the only one in contact with Mr. A., Reno, a handsome, charismatic rogue, and Shifrah, a spoiled socialite, with a secret or two in her past. 

Savannah is a delight as the main female protagonist. Disenchanted with her current life, she does the unthinkable and jumps at the chance to join Shifrah and Malone as they travel to, literally, parts unknown to complete tasks undisclosed. Malone (and Mr. A) take "need-to-know basis" to new heights. It was a little unnerving how much Shifrah, Malone, and Reno knew about Savannah at the book's opening, having thoroughly vetted her background, all without her knowledge. Yet, she knew nothing about them. Naturally, I was delighted when she was able to surprise them with skills they didn't know she possessed. 

My other favorite character is Shifrah. I love a fun fish-out-of-water trope, and this certainly fits the bill. Just like Savannah did, I enjoyed Shifrah's sophistication and fashion sense (loved the descriptions of all the clothing selections), and the hints about secrets in her past had me glued to the page waiting for an eventual reveal. 

The plot moves fast; it's an absolute whirlwind of action as Savannah and the rest of the crew would be mobilized at a moment's notice to strange and exotic locales to fulfill the next task. The author's descriptions of their surroundings are vivid, and the ensuing plot twists were riveting as danger soon entered the picture. I was literally out of breath after some scenes, but I enjoyed every minute! 

I recommend THE BULLS OF BASHAN to readers of thrillers, mysteries, and action and adventure. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

Lefse Holmes: Murder in Hotdish County

by

Annabelle Lewis

Entertaining who-done-it, sprinkled with family, food, and a hint of romance.

Lefse Holmes: Murder in Hotdish County by Annabelle Lewis is an entertaining cozy “who-done-it” mixed with family drama, regional food, and a hint of new romance on the horizon. Lavinia Dahl returns to her hometown of Arendal, Minnesota, from her new life in Minneapolis for the wedding of her best friend, Nora Hedstrom, to her childhood sweetheart, Isaac Pitt, whose family has been locked in an ongoing feud with each other for over a century. But rather than uniting the two families, the joining of this young couple tragically invites death and the revival of old grudges to the ceremony. 

Events unfold through the eyes of Lavinia Dahl, who grew up in Arendal but had left for college and, subsequently, a career in the Twin Cities. Although not a frequent visitor to her old hometown, she maintained regular contact with her parents, who still lived there, and I enjoyed her parents’ playful and loving banter with each other and their daughter. Lavinia also remained in touch with her school chums, Nora and Isaac, both of whom had returned to Arendal after college, even traveling together when possible. Their wedding is a labor of love, and perhaps a little bit of showing off, by Nora’s Aunt Effie, and the descriptions of the scenes were vivid. The characters were so well developed already that I teared up as I read of the groom’s reaction to seeing his bride coming down the aisle. 

After the initial setup, the plot progresses quickly with not one, but two unexpected murders occurring early in the story. Lavinia decides to investigate the suspicious deaths on her own because they are interfering with Nora and Isaac’s honeymoon plans, and the fear that these may be just the tip of the iceberg in the resurrected feud. The investigating officer is the local sheriff who plays his cards close to the vest, as he should. 

The small Minnesota farming town setting was a lot of fun, with its popular town bar, shared culture, holidays, and traditions, as well as a charming and strong sense of community. I enjoyed Lavinia’s enthusiasm for the familiar dishes of her childhood, especially her self-admonishment to pace herself in sampling them, as it was going to be a long day. I loved that the author appends a generous collection of recipes for many of the foods mentioned at the end of the book. 

It turns out the little town of Arendal is no stranger to secrets. The resolution to the original conflict that put the two families at odds with one another was an unexpected and heartbreaking surprise. The reveal of the who, why, and how of the deaths happened suddenly, the clues to the answers are in plain sight, yet I still thought some of it felt a little under-explained. I can’t say more without providing spoilers, though. 

I recommend LEFSE HOLMES: MURDER IN HOTDISH COUNTY to cozy mystery readers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

Amethyst, The Shallows

by

Kellye Abernathy

Return to Dipitous Beach for the exciting and satisfying continuation of the story begun in THE AQUAMARINE SURFBOARD!

Amethyst, The Shallows is the second book in the series or companion book to author Kellye Abernathy’s middle-grade/young adult magical realism novel, The Aquamarine Surfboard, which I read a little over a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed. With its variety of characters’ experiences, multiple points of view, and atmospheric portrayal of the small oceanside community, this magical return trip to Dipitous Beach even surpasses the wonder of the first. 

The main characters are a core group of friends who attend the same school and share many of the same interests, perfect for their setting as a beach town, such as surfing, oceanography, and preservation of marine life. Their hometown is slowly coming out of quarantine after a devastating sickness has swept through the country, and the friends have suffered through a long period of isolation and fear. Many of their parents or adult acquaintances died during the pandemic, and the story reflects how grief continues to affect them all. The characters’ behaviors are individualized, showing that not everyone reacts to their loneliness, fear, or sorrow in the same ways. 

Two particularly interesting characters are Tad, Lorelei’s younger brother, and Isaac, the son of the aquarium director. Tad, who quickly became my favorite character, is doing his best to be there for his mother, who is in a coma and is still ill from the recent sickness. He is neurodivergent but growing in his ability to control his emotions, which he experiences as colors. Isaac has just arrived in town from back East to live with his non-custodial father after the death of his mother from the sickness. He’s angry and resentful and hates the beach and ocean. His only solace seems to come from music. He, too, is neurodivergent and experiences musical notes as colors. I loved these two very different characters together. 

As in the first book, there is a brief sojourn underwater for a couple of the characters. While this visit isn’t as extensive as the first, the wonder and the magic are still ever-present and provides some new surprises. 

While this book could be read independently, I feel it should be read after the first one for the best reading experience and comprehension. While time has passed and new life situations and struggles present themselves and are the focus of this companion story, the previous book lays a necessary and magical foundation on which these subsequent events rely. 

I recommend AMETHYST, THE SHALLOWS to middle-grade and young-adult readers of fantasy and magical realism.

For this and other book reviews and recommendations, visit BOYS' MOM READS!

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker

Redemption Detective Agency, #2

by

Michele Pariza Wacek

Sheer chaos and sheer entertainment!

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker is the second book in author Michele Pariza Wacek’s fun and, at times, frenetic Redemption Detective Agency featuring a ‘fully-licensed’ private investigations firm staffed by three ‘mature’ sleuths (women of a ‘certain age’) with little professional training and even less practical experience in the field and the owner’s ‘straight-man’ niece who is trying to make a silk purse out of this investigative sow’s ear. What sounds like a recipe for disaster was a fun and entertaining tale, and a perfect way to kick back and enjoy the ensuing hilarity. 

When successful financial manager Emily Hildebrandt’s life is suddenly upended, her only fallback plan is to accept the generous invitation of her elderly Aunt Tilde to come live with her in the nearby town of Redemption, Wisconsin, and take over management of her new business venture, the Redemption Detective Agency. Tilde, a retired nurse; Mildred, a teacher; and Nora, the owner of the used bookstore in the same strip center as the new PI office, are the well-meaning but woefully underprepared sleuths. But what they lack in knowledge, skills, and abilities, they more than make up for in enthusiasm and the desire to employ all the high-tech investigative gadgetry available (in the 1990s). 

When the girlfriend of the business’s attorney asks the ladies to find her elderly aunt’s dog, which went missing a year ago, and they readily accept, Emily figures it’s a case with little chance of success. But upon her initial contact with the new client, the aunt claims she didn’t have a dog a year ago and certainly not one that had gone missing, saying her niece was mistaken. However, Trish (the niece, girlfriend, and Emily’s oftentimes frenemy) insists that there was a dog, Rex, and the miscommunication is somehow Emily’s fault. Puzzled, her interest definitely piqued, Emily continues the case. In the meantime, a paying customer, a woman who thinks her husband is cheating on her hires the ladies to obtain solid proof she can use in a divorce proceeding, and the gungho trio are all in for a stake-out, surveillance, and the chance to obtain and use all detective tech they can get heir hands on. Emily tries to ride herd over it all, keeping the enthusiastic and unpredictable loose cannons from crossing too many ethical and legal lines, while metaphorically dipping her toe in the local dating pool. 

The pace of the story, while carefully building the setup, is still exuberant and frenetic at times. The clever and chaotic dialogue among the women had Emily and me both breathless with its “Who’s on first?” nature. The ladies are so intent on investigating (and wanting to mete out a little old school justice) and the results had me laughing even more. Emily tries her best to keep the legitimate investigation on track and enjoy a little downtime getting to know Jerome, the local school principal, and Nick Stewart, the guy who really makes her heart speed up and is dating the beautiful but obnoxious Trish. 

While this is the second book in the series, it works well as a standalone, and readers new to the story should have no trouble catching up. I recommend THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy stories including dogs and cats and, perhaps, a series headed toward the little less cozy in the future. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost

Redemption Detective Agency, #3

by

Michele Pariza Wacek

The detectives hit the jackpot for WEIRD when the spirit of a woman’s deceased husband goes missing.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost is the third book in author Michele Pariza Wacek’s humorous cozy mystery series, the Redemption Detective Agency. This time, the ladies hit the jackpot for weird cases when they agree to find the ghost of an old friend’s deceased husband. But after all, Redemption, Wisconsin, is no stranger to missing people, as early in the town’s history, 1888, all the adults disappeared overnight, leaving only children behind. No explanation was ever discovered, nor were any of the missing individuals. But Aunt Tilde is determined to do better by her friend, Ruth. 

The interactions among the elderly sleuths continued to delight as they bantered and argued their way through their latest caseload. And much to Emily’s exasperation, Aunt Tilde enlists the legal aid of Nick Stewart early on. While he tackles a most pressing problem for the widow, Emily is tasked with ghost hunting and solving the cold case murder of Ruth’s husband from ten years ago. 

Emily always appears to be the only sane person in the room, even though Aunt Tilde is one smart cookie and Mildred and Nora have their own moments in the sun. Nick shares the same plane of reality as Emily, and the romantic tension between the two is great fun. 

The story is fast-moving with the reveal of Ruth Jonasburg’s problems, and the race for resolution takes off immediately. Twists and turns kept my interest high, and I easily completed the story in one smile-filled sitting. 

I recommend THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING GHOST to cozy mystery readers, especially those who have enjoyed the previous novels in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.