Trapped and Tested

DeeLo Myer Cat Rescue Mystery, #2

by

Sharon Marchisello

A great follow-up to the first book in the series!

Trapped and Tested is the second book in author Sharon Marchisello’s intriguing and informative DeeLo Myer Cat Rescue Mystery series and is a great follow-up to the debut novel, Trap, Neuter, Die. The suspense gets going right away with DeeLo’s niece, Demi, getting notice of a DNA relative match and the pair’s late-night discovery of an assault victim near the site of DeeLo’s current TNVR (Trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return) project. 

Demi Myer, the daughter of DeeLo’s older sister, Desiree, has long been curious about the identity of her birth father, a question her mother has steadfastly refused to answer. When she matches with a previously unknown half-brother, Kwintone Johnson, on a genealogical site, she includes DeeLo in her efforts to get to know him. He, too, is searching for his birth father, and may have found the answer for them both. But there’s something about Kwintone that doesn’t sit well with DeeLo; his secretive behavior, evasive answers, and too-smooth personality make her suspect his intentions, and when he signs up to do community service with her TNVR program, arriving far too late to help and leaving early, her opinion of him doesn’t improve. Leaving the site for the night, DeeLo finds his car abandoned on a nearby road, his cellphone inside, and no sign of Kwintone. Alarmed when he doesn’t soon return, she and Demi search the nearby area only to find a badly wounded man instead, whose cellphone shows Kwintone’s number as his last caller. 

In the meantime, DeeLo is struggling with her relationship with Barry, who is spending an inordinate amount of time and effort assisting his devious and unpleasant ex-wife, Victoria, with her campaign for an empty seat on the county’s board of commissioners. Victoria is no fan of DeeLo’s, and the feeling is mutual. But Barry suddenly seems blind to Victoria’s nastiness and may be a little too willing to lend his support. 

I love that DeeLo has really settled into her new life in Pecan Point, with her newly adopted cat, Manny, her volunteer work, and spending time with her mother, who is in memory care. She has taken charge of and champions the TNVR program every chance she gets and hasn’t given up on her mission to update the county’s outdated laws regarding the care and processes involving stray animals. She sees some light at the end of the tunnel in a rival candidate for commissioner, Zach Kirkpatrick, a seemingly perfect counterpoint to Victoria, and jumps at the chance to volunteer on his campaign, putting an additional strain on her personal relationship with Barry. Barry, on the other hand, is walking a treacherous path if he wants to do right by her. 

While Demi is only a year’s difference in age, she almost seems to come from a much younger generation. Both she and Kwintone are reluctant to share needed information with DeeLo, while expecting a lot in return from her. Their repeated avoidance of giving a straight answer is frustrating not only to DeeLo but to me as well! 

The story unfolds quickly, and I became invested in DeeLo’s life, struggles, and efforts to get answers right away. The little Town of Pecan Point gained more and more personality in this story as the locals debated their choices for the empty commissioner’s spot and all the proposed improvements for the future of their community. The author tackles the topic of animal testing head-on and offers a thought-provoking update on the current advancements that are making this horrible practice a thing of the past. There are several viable suspects to consider as DeeLo (and readers) work toward the final resolution of this latest case. 

I recommend TRAPPED AND TESTED to readers of cozy mysteries, especially those who enjoy stories featuring cats, feral cat colonies, and TNVR programs. 

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

Dying to Go / Nothing to Gush About

Tucson Valley Retirement Community Mystery, #1

by

Marcy Blesy

Fun start to this new cozy mystery series.

Dying to Go / Nothing to Gush About is the first book in author Marcy Blesy’s new cozy Tucson Valley Retirement Community Mystery series and features former Springfield, Illinois, journalist Rosi Laruee in town to help her parents after her father undergoes a knee replacement. With Rosi only nudging 40, she’s a bit of a fish out of water and not looking forward to spending time in the community designed for older people, but with her life back in Illinois in tatters, it might be the respite she needs. However, when she discovers the body of the local bookstore owner lying in a back aisle of her shop, rest may be the last thing she gets. 

Rosi, whose given name, Rosisophia Doroche Laruee, is a mash-up of the names of characters from the 80s sitcom, The Golden Girls, is at a crossroads in her life, especially after a really tough year. Her only child, Zak, is off to his first year of college. Her husband of 20 years was caught cheating and, consequently, is now her ex-husband. She’s lost her job as a reporter for the local paper. She’s come to Arizona to lend a hand after her father’s recent surgery, but she really doesn’t want to be there. Rosi and her mother, Renee, have an uneasy relationship, but things improve as secrets unfold. 

The over-55 community in Tucson Valley is much like any small town, with its gossip, rivalries, and cliques; however, these residents take some of these aspects to a new level, as they all benefit from years of life experience that have refined their abilities. The rumor mill is a well-oiled machine. I firmly agree with Rosi’s initial impressions of Renee’s group of friends, who are, at best, an interesting mix of “ladies who lunch.” Rounding out the passel of secondary characters are several dogs, one of whom gets a new home during the story. 

The murder mystery is good, with the thoroughly unlikable victim meeting their fate early in the book. Rosi decides to investigate the murder because she feels the lead retirement community officer is inept, and she’s a former reporter and basically nosy. With so many people having a bone to pick with the victim, there are quite a few possible suspects to rule out. While Rosi asks questions and dodges getting fixed up with one of Renee’s friends’ nephews, there is still some romance for her in the works. 

I recommend DYING TO GO / NOTHING TO GUSH ABOUT to cozy mystery readers who would enjoy a retirement community setting for their story.

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

The Stranger Diaries

Harbinger Kaur, #1

by

Elly Griffiths

Unusual multi-narrator thriller and detective story.

The Stranger Diaries is the first book in award-winning mystery author Elly Griffiths' Harbinger Kaur series, and while Detective Sergeant Kaur is the series' protagonist, the main viewpoint in this initial story is that of Clare Cassidy, who is eventually identified as the catalyst for the subsequent murders. Harbinger Kaur doesn't enter the story until much later and feels more like a supportive or secondary character at first. 

Clare Cassidy started life over after her divorce and had been teaching English at a school in Sussex, which her fifteen-year-old daughter also attends. When Clare's best friend, Ella, another popular English teacher on the faculty, is murdered, DS Harbinger Kaur is assigned to the case. A literary clue left at the scene of Ella's death seems to link the murder to a horror story that Clare uses in her curriculum, "The Stranger" by R.M. Holland, an author who used to live in the home that now houses the school, and the manner of Ella's death appears to mirror one from the story. Later, when Clare turns to her journal to record these events, her feelings, and experiences, she discovers someone else has left her a message inside. 

I really enjoyed the character Clare Cassidy and could relate to some of her reactions, as well as to her unawareness of some of her daughter's activities. While she wasn't a fan of Georgie's older boyfriend, he did initially come across as a sensitive and charming young man who was prepared to wait for Georgie to mature and grow into their relationship, so she held her tongue and hoped their liaison would die a natural death without her interference. 

I was not a fan of DS Kaur at first; she was somewhat harsh and sarcastic, and so blatantly critical of everything Clare (whom I did like) did. I was glad that her partner recognized her biases and did his best to balance their opinions. I eventually warmed up to her. 

I liked the English school setting and the drama and gossip that circulated among the faculty. Still, everyone seemed so accepting of Rick and Ella's fling, which wasn't quite the secret Clare thought it was. The culprit remained a complete surprise to me right up to the reveal. 

I recommend THE STRANGER DIARIES to mystery readers.

For this and other reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!

Templar’s Folly

Psychic Detective Malachi Monroe, #1

by

Luke DeSalvo 

A newly appointed spiritual guardian and a psychic witch join forces to defeat an ancient evil hidden on the island of Kauai.

Templar’s Folly by Luke DeSalvo is set on the lush island of Kauai, an exotic location steeped in Hawaiian mythology and lore, and the author crafts an intriguing, fresh paranormal story by introducing a powerful vampiric adversary straight out of Eastern European folklore. Malachi Monroe, a newly appointed Templar living on the island of Kauai, is tasked with eliminating a vampire who is stalking the daughter of a recent client, only to discover the vampire has a more serious motive than looking for his next meal. Dominic, the almost 500-year-old vampire, needs help killing his creator, an ancient vampire who is slumbering now but will soon awake to destroy humanity and the world, starting right there on Kauai, where he has been secretly hidden. Dominic needs Valerie, a young witch with unique psychic abilities, to help open a pathway to the underworld before Orion, his former mentor, awakens and Malachi’s abilities as a Templar to destroy him once found. But first, all three must come to trust each other before anything good can come from their alliance. 

I loved the premise of this book and really wanted to love the execution as well, and while promising, this work needs more refining before reaching its potential. Malachi Monroe is an engaging main character, and several nice storylines support the plot; however, I felt like I was dropped into the middle of the book, with insufficient development of Malachi’s backstory or the world of the Templars. There are tidbits of information throughout, some even repeated, that help establish both, but the whole Lavaitus Corporation remains vague to me. Were the Templars in the story a modern branch of THE Templars? I liked the chapter epigraphs relating to Lavaitus’s policies, which provided additional insights. Valerie’s presence in the story is more defined, but I still had questions about her being a witch, a ghost hunter, a psychic, and her abilities. 

The relationship between Malachi and Valerie is foretold from both their perspectives, so their meeting and immediate attraction were understandable; however, their instant declarations of love still felt premature. The feeling of rushing may be a product of the dialogue. Much of it came off as unnatural and disjointed, filling space rather than providing motive and direction. 

The underlying plot is intriguing, and the fight sequences are vivid and exciting. Malachi could be a compelling protagonist if his traits were better established. He presents, initially, as engaging, lovable, and somewhat goofy, but he’s later described as classy, which doesn’t show up in his interactions with other characters. Lastly, the book still contains way too many execution errors, such as incorrect word choices, misspellings, typos, repetitive passages, inconsistencies in character names, and continuity issues. These are all the types of things that confuse a reader and interrupt the flow of the story that another pass by an editor can fix. 

The bottom line, though, is that despite my quibbles, I enjoyed the story and would share this title, with my reservations noted, with friends and family who like this genre, especially those who like stories set in Hawaii. 

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

You Don’t See What I See

by

Ashley Sadrnoori

Lovely children’s picture book encouraging kindness and the acceptance of differences and variety.

You Don’t See What I See by Ashley Sadrnoori is a lovely new children’s picture book full of cool-colored illustrations, rhymes, animals, insects, and the concepts of kindness, grace, acceptance, and the beauty of diversity. Told from the viewpoints of a frog, fish, snail, rabbit, bear, and fox, my boys would have loved this gentle and encouraging tale when they were growing up. 

When the frog bemoans his bumpy skin and long, sticky tongue, a passing fish points out his beautiful, shiny coloration and his tongue’s usefulness. When a snail becomes depressed over his slow pace and heavy shell, a wise rabbit expounds on how wonderful it is for him always to have his warm, cozy home nearby. Finally, when a bear is sad that people find his large size and hairy appearance scary, a fox exclaims over the advantages the bear’s claws and thick fur grant him in his forest home. The illustration of the smiling, happier bear is adorable and my absolute favorite in the entire book. The story concludes with the animals all looking into the river, using the water as a mirror to reflect their images back to them, considering new viewpoints, and realizing that a few kind words from another could change their feelings and attitudes. 

The story is a gentle one, with some rhyming repetition that children will readily pick up on. The illustrations use a cool color palette that is both relaxing and eye-catching. This picture book would be perfect for bedtime, when you want to share a calming story to help prepare for sleep. Still, it would be an excellent choice for the classroom or after-school sharing as well. 

I recommend YOU DON’T SEE WHAT I SEE to young listeners at home, school, or after-school programs. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.