We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

 Amy is a personal body guard for the rich and famous.  She loves danger and excitement. Her father-in-law, Steve, is a widowed ex-London detective, and is enjoying the quiet life in a small village, surrounded by friends and a cat called Trouble. When Amy becomes the target of a ruthless international money launderer, the only one she can trust to help her is Steve.  He gets pulled out of his armchair, and into a high stakes multi-national chase to find the killers before they find Amy. 

This is a new series by the author of the Thursday Murder Club.  It had some of the same elements of that series; unlikely vigilantes, senior citizens going out of their comfort zones, high action, and a well crafted mystery. I think a lot of people will enjoy it but I didn't think it had the interest and heart of the Thursday Murder Club. There are poignant moments and touching relationships in this book, but not like the wonderful ones you find in the earlier series.  It is very possible that I like the Thursday Murder Club better because I am in the senior citizen demographic and that younger people would like this one better. (400 p. 2024)
 

Nora and the Sacred Stones by Laura Hatch Rupper

 Nora and her broth brother are desperate to find help for their little sister who has been crippled from birth.  Nora has a special skill with stone magic, so they decide to break into the palace and use one of the sacred stones there to brew a cure. Their plan doesn't go well, and soon they are hiding from the royal guard. Prince Kyn is determined to find the intruder, but not just to prove himself to his father, the king.  He believes there may be more to Nora than even she knows, and he doesn't want her amazing power fall into the hand of their enemy. Nora knows she should run from Prince Kyn but the ancient stones seems to be telling her to run to him instead.

This is an entertaining little book, almost a novella, for middle grade readers.  The plot is fairly simple, but Rupper manages to create interesting and sympathetic characters.  I was surprised that it ended so soon.  It really felt more like the first half of a book instead of a whole book.  I looked online to see if there was a second in the series, but there doesn't appear to be.  If there had been I would have been willing to read it. This author usually writes historical fiction/clean romance.  It makes me wonder if this was a bedtime story she made up for her kids and then decided to put into print. (114 p. 2021)

Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright

 N.T. Wright is a bishop in the Episcopal Church in England and a foremost contemporary Christian theologian.  In this book he makes a case for the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ and sees it as the foundation for Christian hope.  He also asserts that the common Christian idea that after this life we can look forward to returning to be with God and living with him in Heaven, is incorrect.  Instead, he claims, in the end times Christ will return to Earth, bringing with him his kingdom, the Earth will be renewed, and become the dwelling place of the faithful.  He concludes that this knowledge of the resurrection and the renewal of the Earth is the basis on which we can place our hopes and focus our Christian service. It is the job of Christians to help with this renewal by following our own Christian vocation and reflecting God's image in righteousness and love. 

I checked out this book because one of the religious podcasters I listen to recommended it. It was interesting and different from anything I have listened to before.  Of course, I have listened to hundreds of hours of lectures on Christian theology, but they have mostly been by people of my same religion. It was interesting to see many of the same topics explored extensively by someone from a different Christian sect. I thought a lot of what he said was insightful and thought provoking.  He has come to some of the same theological conclusions that my religion holds which is validating. The way that he is different from speakers I have heard in my religion is that is openly criticizes other ministers in his faith because they fail to understand and teach about the resurrection that way that he sees it. I had never thought about it before, but the leaders of my church never openly criticize other church leaders, nor do they often criticize the beliefs of other sects.  They might point out how they are different than our beliefs but they do it in a very respectful way.  N.T. Wright's criticisms were mostly couched in polite language, but there was often an edge of derision underneath the words.  He is clearly brilliant, and has thought a lot about the topic and believes he is right, but he is not very humble about it. I am glad I listened to the book, and I gained new understanding from it, but I don't know if I will recommend it to many people. (2018, 352 p)

Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley

 Jake's father is the head of a nature preserve for dragons.  There are only a few hundred true dragons left on the earth, and they all live in one of three preserves.  Though the rangers of the preserve know dragons live there, they are illusive and rarely seen.  On the day that Jake is to have his first solo overnight excursing in the preserve, he happens upon a dying female dragons who has just given birth to babies. Only one baby has survived, and Jake impulsively decides to try to save it.  Thus begins a long journey in which Jake learns about parenthood, love, and the the circle of life. 

I checked this out because I am a big fan of Robin McKinley.  She usually writes high fantasy, but this one is different. I was really impressed with how authentically she captured a 15 year old teenage voice in the character of Jake. The book is written to sound like his own journal/memoir, and his language is delightfully colloquial and at places a little snarky. McKinley shows how sacrificing for the dragonling creates an unbreakable bond between Jake and his dragon, and between him and all dragons.  In some ways the book has a strong environmental theme.  I am sure Jane Goodall felt about her chimpanzees many of the same things McKinley has Jake feel for the dragons. On the other hand, it has a "wish fulfillment" appeal for anyone who ever wanted to make friends with a real dragon. I really enjoyed the book.  It was one of my favorites in a long time, but it did ramble a little.  I think it would have been a better book if she had edited out about 1/4 of it. Still, I think a lot of people, both teens and adults, would enjoy it. (2007, 275 p.)

Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

By now many clean romance readers know the story of Marianne Davenport's and Sir Philip of Edenbrooke's awkward yet charming courtship, but in this book the reader gets a glimpse into what was going on in Philip's head coming up to the faithful night when both Miss Davenport and he had carriage crashes on the road outside Edenbrooke. This short novelette answers the questions of why Sir Philip was initially so rude to Marianne, and why he was so much more interested in Marianne than in her more polished twin, Cecily.  

I checked out this little novelette because I was going on a short road trip and I always like to have a text based book to read when I travel.  It turned out to be just the right length and emotional weight for the trip.  It had been a while since I read Edenbrooke and I couldn't quite remember that plot, but I still enjoyed this little prequel. Granted, Donaldson does not quite write as convincing male voice as she does a female, but it was still a fun read.  (46 p. 2015) 

P.S. I think this is only available through Kindle.

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

 In the late 1800's, Amalie is one of a growing group of women trying to support themselves independently. She works for her aunt who owns a matchmaking service and romance advice newspaper. She has a crush on a wealthy aristocrat, Harold Radcliffe, and is surprised to find he is one of her aunt's clients. While overseeing a meeting with Radcliffe and a possible match, Amalie bumps into a police investigator, Michael Baker, who is observing Radcliffe for quite a different reason.  He suspects Radcliffe of murdering his first wife. Amalie and Inspector Baker team up to probe Radcliffe's past, but for different reasons. As they learn more about his past, their startling discovers put them in increasingly greater peril.

This is the first in the series that I accidently skipped over when I read To Capture His Heart. It was actually a little bit fun to read them in this order, because Ms Allen does a good job of foreshadowing elements of Book 2 in this book. Both books have similar plots--the modern female surprises the rugged detective with her wit and willingness to dive into a gruesome murder mystery case.  One thing I like about these books is that the romance between the main characters progresses without major stupid misunderstandings by either party. Yes, they have to overcome reluctance to enter into a serious relationship, but they don't add to the difficulties by being dumb.  I will almost assuredly read more in the series and I have added Ms Allen to my coveted Clean Romance Writer's lists. (336 p. 2021)

Great Courses: A Historian Goes to the Movies by Greg Aldrete

 In this 6-hour Great Courses series, a professor of Roman history critiques some of the most famous "Sword and Toga" movies ever made.  He discusses their history, success, and impact, and also critiques how closely they adhered to actual historical facts. Some of the movies he critiques are Ben Hur, Spartacus, Gladiator, Cleopatra (with Liz Taylor) and even The Life of Brian.  

I had read so many similar books in a row, I was in the mood for something different.  I wanted a nonfiction, but nothing too heavy and this series fit the bill.  Dr. Aldrete not only is a professor of Roman History, but must also be a movie buff.  He had certainly done his research on each of the movies he talked about.  I found his lectures fun and interesting.  I kept sharing factoids I learned with my family and friends.  I especially liked the lecture about Liz Taylor's Cleopatra movie.  It is amazing what lengths the movie makers went to to produce it. Movies are still really expensive to make, but with the advent of CGI I don't think they will ever use the lavish sets and casts of thousands they did back then.  (2020, 12 lectures)

Murder at Everham Hall by Benedict Brown

 Marius Quin has spent all the money from his first successful novel and is now being pressured by his publisher and his creditors to submit another.  Unfortunately he is suffering from writer's block.  Then, right before Christmas, his childhood sweetheart, Lady Isabelle Montague,  walks back into his life and invites him to a New Year's Eve party at the lavish home of a famous movie actor. He can't believe his luck, until he finds their host lying on the floor with three bullets in his head. Because of a heavy snowfall, the local police are not able to come to the mansion, so the other guests recruit Marius and Bella to try to solve the murder.  They soon discover that almost all the guests at the party had a motive to kill the eccentric and out-of-control actor. As they start to interview the suspects, Marius learns one thing for sure, he wants to have Bella in his life again.  There is only one thing in his way, her boyfriend, who is one of the prime suspects.

Some of the reviews for this book compared it to the mysteries of Agatha Christie.  The setting was similar to some of Christie's novels, but it didn't have the charm or insight into human nature that makes Christie novels such classics. That being said, it wasn't a bad mystery.  The author threw out plenty of red herrings and misdirection so that the solution isn't clear until the end.  He did wimp out a bit by making the actual culprit confess everything at the end instead of having the investigators show a air-tight case. The setting of the book is interesting, and the author adds a note at the end stating the house in the book was based on an actual building. The author is also really interested in England in the late 1920's and includes a bunch of interesting details.  Unlike the previous book I reviewed, the focus of this book is more on the mystery and less on the romance.  It is the first in a series and I presume the relationship between the two main characters will grow as the series progresses. (278 p. 2023)

To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

 Eva Caldwell is an independent photographer in late 1800's London.  She sometimes works with the local police in photographing crime scenes.  Nathan Winston works as a detective, and has long admired the spunky photographer.  When Nathan's mother invites him to a matchmaking house party, Nathan asks Eva to come an play the role of his love interest to keep the other women at the party at bay.  As their charade begins to feel real, their flirtations are hampered when a criminal from Nathan's past begins to threaten the party guests. Will this new threat bring them together, or pull them apart?

It wasn't long after I started this book that I realized it was the second in a series.  In the end, it didn't matter that much. Although there are allusions to the other story, this one stands on its own just fine. Nancy Campbell does a good job of creating appealing characters and settings.  The mystery elements of the story are pretty good, but the focus of the story is the growing closeness between the two main characters.  I liked that fact that the main obstacle in their relationship was the worry about the stalking criminal, and not stupid behavior like the couple not communicating with each other.  I wouldn't say this is the best book I have read this year, but I liked it enough I went ahead and put the first book on hold. (2022, 248 p)

For Elise by Sarah M. Eden

 Since Miles and Elise were childhood friends, life has taken them in very different directions.  Miles unexpectedly inherited a distant uncle's title and fortune.  Elise mysteriously disappeared and ended up poor widow of a young soldier from a working class family.  When Miles stumbles across Elise and her daughter Anne after ten years of separation, he can hardly believe the transformation.  She dresses and even talks like a commoner. That does not stop him from wanting to take care of her and help her regain her rightful place in society. She resists his attempts to aid and protect her, showing open distrust and animosity toward him.  What happened in the past to make her so fearful of him, and how can he ever convince her to trust him again?

I think Sarah Eden is one of the best LDS historical romance writers.  Even though this is one of her earlier books, it has complex characters with complicated relationships. Eden doesn't shy away from some difficult situations, but keeps the narrative clean. I did find one aspect of the story a little unrealistic.  Eden has Miles and Elise fall into the habit of holding each other's hands and physically comforting each other with hugs and snuggles like they did as children, even though they are now in their 20's.  They do this for several weeks in the story without Miles realizing that it could seem inappropriate, and without it stirring romantic feelings between them.  I don't think any man in his twenties could touch a woman he cared about that much without some sexual arousal. The book was obviously written by a woman rather than a man, and if Ms Eden had asked her husband he probably could have pointed out the problem. (2008, 236 p)