The Last Drop of Hemlock by Katharine Schellman

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Readers,

It is finally raining here. We have been in near drought conditions. While I am an unknowledgeable gardener, I know that the ground has been way too dry. There is something about the dirt turning to more of a powder when you go to plant than feeling like dirt. Hopefully, this rain will mean that I don’t have to water for a few days.

The Last Drop of Hemlock is not exactly a cozy mystery. While it has elements of a cozy, I think there is more scene setting and character development than I usually see in your typical “cozy”. It is a mystery that has a few twists and turns that will keep you guessing. The book takes place in New York during the Prohibition Era. Vivian Kelly is the main character. She lives with her sister, Florence, in a poor neighborhood. Vivian and Florence were trained as seamstresses while they were in foster care. Florence still works as a seamstress but Vivian works doing deliveries for the tailor shop during the day and as a cocktail waitress at the Nightingale speakeasy at night.

Vivian’s good friend, Bea is the singer at the speakeasy. One night Bea is distraught because her uncle, Posey, was found dead and the police say that he killed himself. Bea is sure that this is wrong and wants Vivian to help her prove it.

This request sends Vivian into the path of gangs of poisoners and thieves. While she is smart and clever, she needs her mysterious boss, Honor, to help her along with a speakeasy customer Lou. Lou has connections and is street-smart. He helps untangle the mystery with Vivian and is there when it seems that despite knowing who was responsible for most of the troubles, she can do nothing.

There are several loose ends that leave us ripe for the next book in the series.

This book was the second in the series. The first was Last Call at the Nightingale. I have not read that book. If you have read this blog before, you know that is not my style. I always try and read books in the correct sequence. I didn’t know there was another book. When I have some time, I would go back to read the first book in the series. I liked the book and would recommend it to you.

I was given this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thanks for reading!

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The Garden of Second Chances by Mona Alvarado Frazier

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Reader,

It is finally feeling like summer. It is hot today, but the temperatures keep bouncing around a bit. We are having a family party on Saturday, and I am quite sure my flowers, which look great right now, will go on hiatus as soon as the first guest arrives. Oh well, I will just enjoy it now.

Let’s talk about The Garden of Second Chances. I have to tell you two things up front. One is that I kind of know the author. We were in an internet writers’ group together several years ago. There are a few members of the group that I have kept up with on social media and she is one of them. I am so happy for her. Several of the group have been published and she is the latest. We cheer on her success. The second thing about this book is that I did receive a copy of the book to review.

But I also bought a copy. Yes, I know that means that I have two copies. But I think that we should be cheerleaders for our artist friends. I believe that we should, when possible, buy the book, the piece of art, the whatever to support them. Believe in their dream and hope for the absolute best for them.

The Garden of Second Chances is a novel about Juana. At age 17, Juana has always jumped before thinking things completely through. As the book opens, she is in prison for the murder of her husband. The only thing that gives her hope is being released and being with her baby. Juana is tormented by the gang leader on her block. She just wants to be quiet and get through her time. She tries to find her way through the time in jail by behaving and being quiet. She knows that she did not murder her husband, but she never told anyone her side of the story. It often seems like the system and the people who are a part of it are stacked against her. Then she gets a letter saying that her ex-mother-in-law wants Juana’s baby. This is a blow to her. While she knows that her ex-mother-in-law must be lonely she doesn’t want her to have the baby as she is afraid that the ex-mother-in-law will take the baby to her homeland, Russia.

One highlight of her time is that she is allowed to cultivate a small parcel of land into a vegetable patch. This showed her that she did have skills and could be a responsible person.

Over time we see the life points where Juana made decisions that were not well thought out – she jumped at what she felt were opportunities that did not work out that way. She has disappointed her family when she was trying to do good things for them. The best part is that Juana also looks over her decisions and sees where she went wrong and could have made better decisions. She learns that she has to stand up for herself and let her voice be heard.

I enjoyed the book. I felt that Juana was portrayed realistically in that she stumbled several times but grew as a person over the course of the book. I look forward to Mona’s next book!

Thanks for reading!

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Hard Dough Homicide: A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery by Olivia Matthews

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Reader,

In my last note, I mentioned that I usually don’t try and solve mysteries when I read them. At least I don’t usually think about trying to solve them. One of the books that I saw on a summer reading list is the new book by Donna Leon, So Shall You Reap. I have read all her Guido Brunetti books (32 of them!) and have enjoyed them. I was surprised when I picked this one up from the library because it was uncharacteristically short. I can’t say that all of hers are long but I think they are fairly substantial books. The new one is under 300 pages. Anyway, the point here is that I knew “who done it” several chapters before the end. It was so clear to me that I thought I must be wrong. But I wasn’t. A good story and great if you like to guess the ending of a mystery.

Today’s, book is Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews. I didn’t realize before I started reading the book that it was the second in a series. Even though I had not read the first book, I could follow along without an issue.

Spice Isle Bakery owner Lyndsay Murray is trying to grow her business. She owns the bakery with her parents. Lyndsay really didn’t want to have Emily Smith’s retirement party at her restaurant but after being asked several times, she gave in and said that she would have the party at her restaurant. Emily Smith was retiring from her position as Principal at the school where Lyndsay’s mother had taught. Lyndsay’s mother did not like Emily nor did anyone who worked with her. But Lyndsay’s mother had not seen Emily in three years and thought it would be alright to have the retirement dinner at the restaurant.

Well, that didn’t work out. Emily started convulsing early in the party, right after eating a small portion of curry chicken. While she wasn’t there long, Emily had had plenty of time to be rude to her five guests. Lyndsay was stunned by how mean the woman could be to her staff. No wonder there were only 5 at the retirement party!

Emily was taken to the hospital and died.

This was not what the Murrays needed. The restaurant had only been open a year and this was the second murder associated with the restaurant. You know it isn’t good when you are acquainted with the police that show up to investigate.

The police seem to think that Lyndsay’s mother should be the prime suspect. Lyndsay is furious and starts to look into the murder to make sure the police get on the right track. In the meantime, the business in the restaurant plummets. Lyndsay has to find the answer and fast.

The book was well-written and the pace was good. I am not completely happy with the book and while I wouldn’t suggest you not read it, I would suggest that you put it on your reading pile for someday.

Thanks for reading!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

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Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Carol Early Cooney

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The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Reader,

Summer is barely upon us and there are lists and lists of summer books out. Do you look at them? I must admit that I always do just to see if I have missed any books that I might like. I saw a list last week and made a list of books that I would like to read from that list. I have finished two of the books so far. They were not very long but I did enjoy both of them. One was the new Elizabeth Berg book, Earth’s the Right Place for Love. It is the prequel to the Arthur Trulov series. It is a lovely quick read. I think you should put it on your summer reading list. (In case you missed the series, go back and read them all.)

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly is this week’s book. It is a historical fiction book that takes place partially during WWII and partially after the war. American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrown together while working for the Resistance in Paris during the war. Josie was a willing recruit to the cause, but Arlette was very reluctant and without much choice. They become the target of a Gestapo manhunt because they were effective in thwarting the Nazis by sending out important information via a hidden radio. But they get caught and are taken to a concentration camp. They survive but Josie loses her mother to a doctor’s experiments and Arlette’s son is taken from her. After the war, Arlette is still looking for her son and Josie is working with the military. They are brought back together to face another challenge. Can they still work together effectively?

This book goes back and forth in history to tell the story. So, you gradually get both the history and the current story.

The book keeps you turning pages to see what will happen next. The two women are forced together because of the Nazis and will come together for that reason again. I enjoyed the book.

Thanks for reading.

I was given an advance copy of the book for my unbiased review.

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