Skein of Words

 The Sisterhood - Tasha Alexander The Sisterhood by Tasha Alexander was a solid addition to the Lady Emily series. I really enjoyed the dual timeline story of Lady Emily and Colin investigating the death of a debutante and the story of Vatta, a fictional depiction of the daughter of Boudica in ancient Britannia. For some reason, I have hit upon a few books that include Boudica's daughters (all of which I enjoyed). It added depth and a fresh historical layer to the Lady Emily mysteries. When Lady Emily and Colin are asked to investigate the poisoning death of a debutante, things initially seem connected to the theft of a tiara. However, the investigation quickly becomes more complex. Emily is drawn into the workings of a mysterious all-female group with roots that appear to stretch back to the time of Boudica. Through the ancient Britannia dual timeline, the story explores Vatta's struggle to carry on her mother’s legacy and protect sacred knowledge in the aftermath of the Roman...

Overall, I enjoyed the second book in this series. This time Ruby discovers the mail courier dead in the washroom but there is something not quite right about this being an accidental overdose. The highlight is still Ruby and Cordelia’s relationship. Their whole living/ghost dynamic is quirky and entertaining, and their interactions add a lot of humor to the story. The dual POV works well and keeps things feeling fresh.  I also thought the addition of Cordelia's ghost 'friend' was helpful in keeping the action balanced on both sides. The mystery itself kept me interested, and I liked that the solution wasn’t super obvious. That said, the pacing felt a little uneven—parts of the investigation dragged, while the ending wrapped up pretty quickly. Overall,  a light read with a fun premise and solid mystery and I will watch out for the next in the series.  (3.5-4 stars) Thanks to Netgalley,  the author and publisher for the e-Arc for review.

Fateful Words by Paige Shelton Edwin, the owner of the Cracked Spine bookstore in Edinburgh, leaves town quickly for some secret business. This leaves his second in command, Delaney, in charge of the bookshop just as a group arrives for Edwin's highly regarded book-related holiday tours.  Delaney is a bit out of her comfort zone as she hasn't run one of these tours before and now must scramble to figure out all the locations plus manage some unique guests.  Just as she meets with the tour group, the inn manager falls to his death from the top of the inn where the group is lodging. To complicate matters further, one of the tour guests subsequently disappears, and Delaney is also still trying to figure out where Edwin has gone. I liked that the action picked up quickly in this book, which made it a quick read with lots of twists and turns in the plot. This is the first book in the Scottish book shop series by Paige Shelton that I have read.  Despite this being the 8th book ...

  A fun mystery revolving around three retired friends who have recently started investigating murders. Although this is the second book in the series, you don't need to have read the first to enjoy this book. Judith, Becks and Suzie are at a swanky party to celebrate the pending nuptials of local bigwig Sir Peter Bailey. You can tell pretty quickly that he's going to be the one to get knocked off; however, it's a locked room mystery that needs to be solved. I thought the characters were all well-written and distinct, with my favourite being Judith. This is a fun weekend mystery to read, and I'm looking forward to going backwards and reading the first book. Definitely recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC for review.

Isabel Puddles Abroad is an enjoyable cozy mystery. It's the perfect read for when you feel like taking a little trip to another destination in your reading life.   Isabel is in her 60's. Her children are grown, and now it is time for Isabel to take on new challenges. She's decided to return to college to finish the degree she'd meant to do when she had children. However, as a break, Isabel takes up her new friend Teddy Mansfield's offer to visit him in England. Ultimately, like Miss Marple, Agatha Raisin and Jessica Fletcher, Isabel gets herself tangled up in a murder mystery and aims to solve the crime.      While I have yet to read the first in this series, it is on my library wishlist. I am happy to report that not having read the first book had absolutely no impact on reading enjoyment or being able to follow the characters. The narrative of this book flows exceptionally well. It's a joy to read. I look forward to going back to read the rest of the series. ...

Emma feels her life isn't worth continuing and that she's achieved all she'll ever achieve.  She decides to off herself by falling from the top of a high building.  She's left a goodbye message for her roommate and friend, Mark.  While trying to save her from this decision, he accidentally knocks them both off to their seeming death.  Just before they are about to hit the ground, Death rides in and scoops them up.  However, there is a hitch!  Both of their hourglasses still technically contain some sand, which means they are now stuck between life and death. I really enjoyed this book. It hit at a time when I needed to read something humorous, even if it is death.  I loved the author's sense of humour that flowed through their writing.  The characters are funny, and there is good banter between them which makes this an easy weekend read.  Sometimes you just need to read something that makes you giggle. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for t...

This isn't my typical type of read but I just can't seem to pass up books that revolve around bees and honey.  It is so well written that I finished reading it in one day.  I was surprised that this was written by two authors as it has such a smooth flow and consistent voice.  Each of the characters was well-developed, and the story drew you in.  I had to keep reading to figure out what happened to Olivia, Asher and Lily.  I loved how the apiculture scenes were woven throughout the book and I admit to having a few sniffles about the tradition to inform the bees about a death in the family. I thought I had guessed what was going to happen and I was completely wrong!  Definitely recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and to the authors -- well done!