Friends Come to Call by Karen C Whalen is a fun, spunky, cozy mystery - the 4th in the Tow Truck Murder Mystery Series. I read the first in this series, Toes on the Dash, and fell in love with Delaney. She is the perfect combination of gutsy and girlie - and always finds herself in the middle of some murder. This time, the scene is the Christmas Fair, and the potential suspects mount up quickly.
I was surprised when the killer confessed because it is not who I imagined the killer to be! Yet, as soon as I knew, I realized that I had just missed the clues. I will never match Delaney's ability to match her shoes to her mood, but I will, without a doubt, continue to love these stories. Well-done, Karen!
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The Blue Iris is Rachel Stone's debut novel that launched last week. I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy and can't say enough good things about this Women's Fiction/Literary Fiction book!
I love great character development, and Stone did not disappoint. I immediately fell in love with Tessa, a young woman haunted by her past and struggling to find her "big" in life. I enjoyed how Tessa was like all of us - bold sometimes and timid at others, sure of herself and doubtful, ready to tackle life and wanting to hide under the covers. Because she was so real, I connected with her immediately. However, Stone did more than create one great character. She created a host of characters and provided them with their own POVs in the story. I gasped at her future in-laws, wondered at her fiancé, rooted for Luke, cried over Sam and Charlie, shook my head over Tony, and ached for Darryl. I hated to finish the last page knowing that these lives would no longer be part of mine. Stone did an amazing job on her first novel. I can't wait to see what she brings to the table next. I really enjoyed Jackson by Lynn McLaughlin. This is a story of Jackson, who suffers from anxiety and suicidal ideation, and his mother who would do anything to help him. This poignant novel looks at mental health from the viewpoint of someone who is affected and those who love him. It helps readers consider the right ways and wrong ways to help, and gives voice to the fear of letting an adult child fight their own battle.
I had to opportunity to chat with the author on Online for Authors. We discussed the difficulties of parenting a child with mental health issues, whether to "label" a child with these problems, how to best help, and what isn't helpful. Although the novel is fiction, Jackson is based on several people she's worked with over the years. Her hope is to give kids the mental health tools they need before it becomes a crisis. You can listen to the entire podcast here: https://onlineforauthors.org/lynn-mclaughlin/ |
AuthorTeri M Brown, author of An Enemy Like Me and Sunflowers Beneath the Snow connects readers with characters they'd love to invite to lunch. Follow the Blog Using the RSS Feed link below:
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