The Shining Skull

Finished March 19

The Shining Skull by Kate Ellis

As usual in this series, there are both historical mysteries that Neil, the archaeologist comes across, and modern day ones that have some relation to the historical ones.  

In 1976, Marcus Fallbrook, a seven-year-old boy, son of a well-off man, was kidnapped. His family was asked for ransom and it was paid, but he was never returned. Thirty years later a middle-aged man knocks on the door of his home looking for Marcus' father, who has passed away, and says that he is Marcus. He explains that a recent accident to his head has caused him to start remembering. In the house are Marcus' younger half-brother Adrian and his wife. As they go through confirming his identity and catching up with events, Adrian is pleased to meet his brother and connect with him.

Meanwhile a teen pop-star who lives in the area is kidnapped, and some parts of her case show similarity with that of Marcus's. 

There is also an odd case of a man, who changes appearances with each contact, impersonating a taxi cab and picking up fares of blonde women, taking them to a more private location, and cutting off most of their hair. He doesn't seem to want anything else of them. 

In terms of the historical case, Neil is supervising a relocation for graves and their inhabitants to make way for the building of a church hall. Some are quite old, and the coffins aren't in good shape. One breaks apart as they move it, and everyone is surprised to find that it holds two bodies: a young woman and a young teen boy. It is her grave, and Neil is determined to discover his identity and work out why he is there. He is also intrigued by a singular marking on some of the graves that indicates they belonged to a group that followed a woman who called herself The Shining One and who predicted a major event when her child was born. 

As the police and Neil separately research their cases and mysteries, the connections begin to be shown and the parallels are, as usual, very interesting. 

I really like how this series brings in history to current cases. It is also interesting to see how the personal lives of some of the characters develop. From Wesley's boss trying to support his woman-friend through moving her mother into dementia living to Pam's teaching to Rachel's moving out of her family home, we see changes in their lives. 

A Scottish Country Escape

Finished March 17

A Scottish Country Escape by Julie Shackman

This is the fourth book in the Scottish Escapes series, where each book is a standalone story. Here the main character is Elle Cassidy, and it is almost a year since her parents died in an accident. Since then, she moved back into their home where her grandmother has a suite to herself. Now she is ready to tackle her mother's newsagent shop, deciding to reopen it as a stationery shop, carrying a range of fine stationery as well as stationery items for children. As she is beginning her renovations to the shop, she has an encounter with a newcomer to the town, famous mystery author Dexter Grayling. He has ignored the signs indicating the narrow street is pedestrian only and not only nearly hit her and another local woman, but also had a condescending attitude that didn't include recognition of the situation or any apologies.

When the local woman, Linda Carlucci, has a strange reaction, muttering at him with her hand on her necklace, she doesn't think much of it until he returns soon after looking for Linda as he is sure that she laid a curse on him. Elle doesn't believe it, but her grandmother does, and urges her to help him.

As she spends time with Dexter, she changes her feelings about him, and an attraction is formed.

As Elle is dealing with the logistics of her work around the shop, and becomes involved in the fight to save their local forest trail, she does help Dexter. But the questions lead her into not only past events in their small town, but also into her family's past. 

This book has a mystery element, a paranormal element regarding the curse, and a romantic plot line for Elle. I really got a feel for the setting, and Elle's home and shop. I enjoyed the read, which is the second book I've read in the series. 

A Bookshop to Die For

Finished March 15

A Bookshop to Die For by M.P. Black

This is the first book in the series A Wonderland Books Cozy Mystery. As it begins, a woman in a bridal gown runs down the street and into a bookstore. It is Alice Hartford and she's run to a place that represents home and comfort, the bookstore that her mother ran when she was a child. Her mother sold it when she became ill, and later passed away from her illness. Alice has kept her love of bookstores, and currently works in a London store, and was supposed to be marrying the owner of the store, until she ran away.  

In the store she had a special place, and she wonders if it is still there. It was a reading nook, built into an old wardrobe. She finds it, and carefully gets into it. While in there thinking, she hears a loud noise and hears someone running past. When she comes out, she finds a man who'd been doing work on the building dead. Was it an accident, or deliberate.

Alice is convinced it was a deliberate act, and is determined to find out, but the authorities seem quick to rule it an accident and close the shop until it is deemed safe. Alice gets a room at the local hotel and finds herself, and her mother, remembered by the owner and other locals. When she finds out the current owner is determined to sell, and the only likely buyer is a developer, she sets her sights on saving the shop but her suspicions and investigations may lead to a different answer for her and the store. 

I liked the small town atmosphere, and the local community spirit. There are a few quirky little things that are fun, and the love of books is strong in the town. 

What Are Friends For?

Finished March 13

What Are Friends For? by Patricia McLinn

This is the first in a four-part series set in small town Illinois. It has a few plotlines that work together. The main characters are in their thirties, but they have memories of their high school days. Zeke was a bit of a loner, felt bullied, and only really talked to one girl in his chemistry class, Darcie. He did have his eyes on the prom queen, Jennifer, but felt she was out of his league. Darcie had big plans to go to college and apply to the FBI. There was also something that happened between Darcie and Zeke just before they both left town, but they have never talked about it, or even at all since.

Now Zeke has a successful technology company and hasn't been home in years, seeing his mother only when she comes to visit him. Darcie moved back home during college after the death of her father to help her mother manage things and work to keep the house. She works for the local police force. Jennifer married her prom king, and has a daughter, but is now divorced and struggling a bit. The town, Drago, also has some financial issues, and the planning committee, which both Jennifer and Darcie are on, has chosen Zeke as this year's honorary alumni host for the spring fair, hoping to convince him to help. He will also be one of the judge's of the town's beauty pageant, which is about choosing a young woman to represent the community, not just looks. Due to this, he finds himself the target of one young woman's affections, and must fend her off. 

Zeke was reluctant to come, but the other management in his company convinced him the PR would be good, and he has an ulterior motive we gradually learn. He also has a large chip on his shoulder about the town, and how he feels it views him and his immigrant parents. Zeke's company is working on some new projects and they are trying to be careful about security around his coding work. 

The small town flavour comes through here, from the issues the town and its surrounding rural community face, to how people know everyone in town. Darcie, as a police officer, is very tied in to the community and where help is truly needed, as well as who might have reasons for some of the strange activities that begin to happen. 

I really enjoyed the immersive nature of the book, with its individualistic characters and their backgrounds. 

Confessions of a Red Herring

Finished March 9

Confessions of a Red Herring by Dana Dratch

This is the first in a series called A Red Herring Mystery. The main character, Alex Vlodnachek, is a newpaper reporter, but she recently changed jobs to be a public relations representative for a company that had been chasing her for a while. She doesn't feel entirely comfortable in the corporate environment, especially the with internal politics. When her boss expects her to prostitute herself to a potential client, she refuses and argues with him. Because it was offsite, at a dinner late Friday evening, she is upset enough to call in sick on Monday. On Tuesday, she discovers not only that the man she confronted was killed on Sunday, but she is the main suspect. She also learns that the company says that she was fired by the company on Friday, but that was never communicated to her. 

With all the evidence stacking up against her, and misinformation from the company limiting her options, she decides that she must solve the case herself. Calling on friends and relatives for help she digs into government records and even goes undercover. There is a lot of humour here, with the situations that she gets herself into, and the conversations that take place. The addition of a destructive, but adorable puppy adds to the fun.

With extra plot lines with a new British neighbour, her youngest brother taking up residence in her guest room, and even a visit from her traditional grandmother, there's constant action. There is also depth to the major characters, and we them grow and make important life decisions. I will definitely look for more books in this series. 

Blind Squirrel

Finished March 8

Blind Squirrel by Dave Mishkin

This novel tells an interesting story. The main character, Noah Nicholson is a minor league hockey player. He has excellent hand-eye coordination, which makes up for his slower skating. The story is told mainly in the present, but also jumps back to Noah's childhood. 

Noah has been on the team in Hershey, Pennsylvania for years, and is the captain of the team. He is also the guy that sets the tone, and guides new players through the team dynamic and what is expected of them. As the book begins, we see him go through this with two younger players. One is a young married player whose wife has recently had a baby, and the sleep deprivation has been causing him to be late often, and not play up to expectations. Despite not having a family of his own, we see how he reminds the young man of the expectations on him, and guides him to resources. The other player is a young Russian player who played in the Canadian minor league the year before, and went briefly to the NHL team affiliated with the Hershey team, but is spending the rest of the season in the minors. Noah guides him to better choices in nutrition than the fast food he's been living on, and gets him into a routine that will serve him to hone his skills and help him mature as a player. 

Noah, despite being admired and liked, has a secret that he has been dealing with for years, since the death of his parents in an accident when he was only twelve. It has him shying away from serious relationships, and living a lonely life. 

In his childhood, raised by two loving parents, both teachers, one of whom was headed towards pro sports before an injury, he had a great life. His parents were supportive, but also instilled a strong ethical core in him. They were active, running and biking. They read a lot, with his mother in particular sharing a love of books with him through a habit of bedtime reading that lasted long past when most kids stop. They didn't just read, they also talked about the books, about the ideas represented and what they meant. He also started young with a passion for baseball with his hand-eye coordination leading to not only playing on teams young, but also practicing regularly with his parents as support. He was an excellent hitter .and catcher, with his best friend as an excellent pitcher. They lived in California, but had a strong community that they were involved in. 

After his parents' death, he moved back east to live with his paternal grandmother and they had a good relationship. It was based on similar expectations to the ones his father had grown up with: a strong work ethic, good academics, and involvement in a sport. Noah couldn't face baseball without his parents, but he took advantage of the great private school his parents had planned for him in this eventuality and access to an ice rink, and taught himself how to skate so he could join the school hockey team. 

We see how he came to be where he is, and when he unexpectedly is injured in a game, ending his career, we see his depression and the actions that led him out of it. Once again, he becomes connected to his community, makes new friends, and might even have a chance of a romance and a new career. But only if he deals with his past trauma. 

I found the main character to have a lot of depth, and his story is told with empathy and sensitivity. We gradually learn the details of his trauma and how he has coped. I genuinely cared about him. 

The author brings his sports experience to this book. He began sports broadcasting in college, and now works for the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team. He does mainly radio broadcasting but launched into television this year. Because of his experience telling fans about the sports he watches, he makes both baseball and hockey come alive for the reader, which means that the sports details here are never boring. This is his first book, and I definitely would be interested in reading more by him.

Ship of Dreams

Finished March 6

Ship of Dreams by Donna Jones Alward

This novel is set mostly aboard the Titanic. Two friends are at the centre of the story. Hannah Martin is married, but has found her husband distant since the miscarriage that almost killed her. She hopes accompanying him on this business trip will provide the opportunity to add life back to their marriage. She has asked her best friend Louisa Phillips, the unhappy and rebellious daughter of an earl, to accompany them. The two women plan to stay in New York City while Charles Martin travels west on business. But Louisa has another purpose to her trip. Her father has decided to force her into a marriage that she does not want. She grew up ignored or a target with him, and things haven't improved. She's directed her energy, and her money, towards fighting for women's rights and helping those less fortunate. But if she doesn't marry as her father wishes, he has told her that he will kick her out of the homes she has been living in, and cut off her money. She has a plan that we gradually learn, but it wasn't well thought out, and doesn't reflect well on her. 

She has also invited a man she's known socially on the trip as a side interest. She likes flirting with him and has led him to believe she might be interested in more. Reid Grey, the man in question has come, solely for her, and is definitely interested in Louisa. The author includes a few of the ship's travellers that were actually on the boat, from the feminist Margaret Brown, to the newly married Astors.

As the women interact socially with their shipmates, they also share the truth about their own lives, which proves emotional and enlightening. 

While Hannah tries to force a confrontation with Charles, Louisa finds that her problem may have an different solution that she hadn't expected. 

Alward has done her research and the descriptions of the ship and its amenities really bring the setting to life. The strong friendship between the two women is tested here, and the crisis of the ship itself changes so many stories. A really great read.