Photo credit: AJC.com

This was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. I liked it even better than the movie or the book. It was an absolute delight. If you get a chance to see it, please go!

16 books in April

• The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins
• Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen
• The Postcard Killers by James  Patterson
• The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
• It’s Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told) by Karen Tang
• I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
• The Book of Doors by Gareth  Brown
• An Assassination on the Agenda (Lady Hardcastle Mystery, #11) by T.E. Kinsey
• Close to Death (Hawthorne & Horowitz, #5) by Anthony Horowitz
• The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly  Jackson
• The Devil’s Flute Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, #5) by Seishi Yokomizo
• Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies (The Vacation Mysteries, #1) by Catherine Mack
• Trojan Gold (Vicky Bliss, #4) by Elizabeth Peters
• Silhouette in Scarlet (Vicky Bliss, #3) by Elizabeth Peters
• Murder at the Polo Club (Cleopatra Fox Mysteries #7) by C.J. Archer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is a must read for anyone who identifies as a female or anyone who loves anyone who identifies as a female. It should also be required reading for anyone running for any office anywhere since they have decided to make uninformed decisions about laws that impact half of the population.

I listened to an advanced audiobook copy (thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Audio) but I’m considering purchasing a hardcover copy to have on hand as a reference copy for me (51) and my daughter (17). I rarely do this unless I absolutely LOVE a book.

Publication date 5/7/24

Book 81 of the year
Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid Armstrong are back for their 11th mystery together. This time they have to try to stop an assassination attempt that could change the course of history.

The book is set in July 1912 in London. I had to research to remember the details of the actual assassination of Archduke Ferdinand that kicked off the events of WWI (June 1914 in Sarajevo). This made me feel (in the best possible way) like the book was a Magic Treehouse book for adults in that it’s teaching me things about history but in a fun way. Not that there’s time travel 😄

I love how Hardcastle and Armstrong face gender discrimination head on and don’t stand for it for even one second. Their banter together is so good.

Elizabeth Knowelden did a great job narrating the book, as always.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for the advance copy of the audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication Date 5/21/24

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is the fifth one in the series that I’ve listened to. I think that’s all that’s been translated so far out of almost EIGHTY books. I absolutely love Japanese writers and especially mysteries. Detective Kindaichi is such a real character to me, much more so than my beloved Poirot.

In this locked room mystery he is trying to figure out who is brutally murdering members of a household after the war. It’s a very moody story that involves a seance and a record player that keeps playing a composition of the recently deceased patriarch.

The audiobook is very atmospheric with bits of music throughout since the patriarch was a composer. Akira Matsumoto is a very good narrator.

I see that another one will be published soon. Can’t wait to see what Detective Kindaichi gets up to next.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for the advance copy of the audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

What a fun premise! A mystery author (Eleanor) wants to kill off her main character, who is based on a real person. But when someone tries to kill him for real, all sorts of funny things happen.

Some of the chapter names are call backs to other mystery books so I loved that too.

Plus it’s set in Italy and the descriptions of driving on the winding coastal roads was so accurate. It made me want to take another trip there ❤️

I thought the narrator did a great job too.

I hope there will be more books about Eleanor and her friends.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audio book edition in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication date 4/30

• The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict
• The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale
• Olivetti by Allie Millington
• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
• Driven to Murder by Debbie Young
• Extinction by Douglas Preston
• Borrower of the Night (Vicky Bliss, #1) by Elizabeth Peters
• Street of the Five Moons (Vicky Bliss, #2) by Elizabeth Peters
• The Search Party by Hannah Richell
• The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L Swanson
• The Muse by Jeffery Deaver
• The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor
• The Murder of Mr. Ma (Dee & Lao, #1) by John Shen Yen Nee
• How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
• Dangerous Women (Secret Lives, #2) by Mark de Castrique
• Secret Lives (Secret Lives, #1) by Mark de Castrique
• Murder in Postscript (Lady of Letters #1) by Mary Winters
• The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk
• Hour of the Assassin by Matthew Quirk
• The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (Enola Holmes, #3) by Nancy Springer
• The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (Enola Holmes, #2) by Nancy Springer
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• Murder Road by Simone St. James
• Bag of Bones by Stephen King
• Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
• The Accomplice (Eddie Flynn #7) by Steve Cavanagh
• Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Olivetti is a smart little typewriter that remembers what people have typed on him. When his owner (Ernest’s mom) takes him to a pawn shop and then disappears, Ernest discovers Olivett’s magic and has to figure out where she is based on what Olivetti types up. Very well written and I loved all of the Narnia references. The book alternates between Ernest’s and Olivetti’s perspectives. Ernest has a form of anxiety that I recognize in myself, so I really enjoyed that also.

It took me a while to figure out where I had heard Olivetti’s voice before, but I realized he also narrates the version of Dracula that I’ve listened to. Or maybe I’m thinking of Interview with the Vampire. Or both. Very fun voice for a fun character.

Special thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the chance to listen to this beautiful audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a fun mystery story set in London 1920s about two Chinese men who are trying to solve the murders of other Chinese men. I loved the interaction between the two main characters.

The book also gives light to the racism experienced by the Chinese people in England during this time. One of the funniest scenes involved a gray cat 🐈‍⬛

Great for fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Special thanks to @netgalley and RB Media for the advanced audiobook copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very meta modern day retelling of Rebecca with Malibu in place of Manderley. Therefore I really enjoyed it 😊