MURDER OF A SWEET OLD LADY

Skye has been visiting her grandmother after school each day to get her oral history of her family history. When she finds her grandmother dead in her bed, her family is sure that she died of old age. Skye isn't convinced and as usual, she's not afraid to stand her ground. That seems to be getting her in trouble in more ways than one. Her boyfriend is frustrated because she is reluctant to commit to a more serious relationship. She is in trouble with the superintendent because she won't change a student's evaluation to improve his ACT scores, plus a couple of other parents are angry, too. As Skye checks things out further regarding her grandmother's death, someone is pulling more and more pranks on Skye - or maybe, they are trying to keep her from learning the truth that someone in her family is responsible for her grandmother's death.

This is the second in Denise Swanson's Scrumble River series. Once again, this was a fun, quick read. Sometimes Skye is a little too outspoken for me plus her family and the student's families that she deals with seem a little over the top. On the whole, though, I enjoyed the book and I'll probably read the next book soon. I thought this book was a little more enjoyable than the last!

Rating - 4 stars

MAMA DOES TIME

Mace is used to dealing with wild animals but lately, there are some wild and crazy things going on in her small hometown of Himmarshee, Florida. It starts when her mother is put in jail as an accessory to a murder. It seems that a dead man was found in the trunk of her mother's old convertible. Mace and her two sisters decide that the only way to clear Mama's name is to find the killer themselves. They had better be careful as it seems there are plenty of suspects and someone is out to hurt Mace and her mama if they don't stop chasing down the murderer.

I believe this is Deborah Sharp's first book. It is a winner. Mace and her sisters are lots of fun. Best of all is there Mama. She wears pastel pantsuits and attends church services at Abundant Hope. When you add in the fact that she is thinking of marrying for the fourth time and that she does aromatherapy at the Hair Today, Dyed Tomorrow and you've got the makings for a fun Southern cozy.

Rating - 5 stars

MISS JULIA PAINTS THE TOWN

Miss Julia is in a tizzy. A developer from New Jersey has come in and want to build new condominums in Abbottsville. To clear the way, the historical old courthouse must come down. Miss Julia is determined to do whatever she can to stop this "progress". There are plenty of strange things going on in town besides the development. It seems that several husbands in town are missing. As usual, Julia is a counselor to her friends, even though she is convinced that one of her friends may have her eyes on Julia's husband!

This was one of my favorites in Ann Ross' Miss Julia series. For once, Julia isn't jumping to quite as many conclusions. The story of her and Etta May rescuing Lady Justice is absolutely a stitch. Overall, a trip to Abbottsvill with Miss Julia is too good to miss out on!

Rating - 4.5 stars

THE CROSSBEARER

Joe Esterhaus is addicted to booze and cigarettes. He also has throat cancer and if he wants to live, he needs to give them both up. Joe has enjoyed a career as a screenwriter in Hollywood, writing movies like Basic Instinct and Showgirls. He has lived the Hollywood life, too, filled with booze, women and drugs. All of his life, he has scorned religion. Until now - he realizes that only God can save him. Joe has a new wife and four young boys and he wants to live. He turns to God and returns to the Catholic Church he grew up in. To his surprise, his life is not over but only beginning.

This was a great memoir about a skeptic who regains his faith. I loved the fact that Joe was brutally honest. He admits to all of his past failings. He cannot accept the administrators who perpetuated the child abuse in the Catholic church and the high price that all now pay for the years of mistakes. Joe shares his walk as a "baby Christian" as he tries to walk the walk of Jesus by using his talents to do good for God. He shows that being a Christian doesn't always make us perfect. He still swears and he is too cynical for his own good. Still, Joe and his family find joy and the reader can't help cheering for Joe as he lets God lead his life.

Rating - 5 stars

THE LAST DETECTIVE

Elvis Cole is watching his girlfriend's son, Ben, while she is out of town. The 10-year-old is out in Elvis' yard for just a few minutes and then he is gone. Ben is frantic and so is Lucy. It doesn't help when Lucy's ex-husband comes to town and tells them that this is to be expected considering Cole's background and the career he is involved in. In the meantime, the clock is ticking and Elvis, along with Joe Pike, Carol Starkey of the L.A.P.D. are determined to do whatever is necessary to bring the boy home. A call from the kidnappers points to Cole's stint in Vietnam, taking Elvis back to a time he'd rather not remember.

As usual, the action is fast and furious. Elvis Cole is a likeable guy and on of my favorite characters. Joe Pike is also great here because for once, his physical best is a little less than perfect as he continues to recover from a gunshot wound. Pike is easier to relate to when he struggles a little. Sometimes the plot line in Robert Crais' books is a little too convoluted for me to follow but this one was pretty straightforward and I like it all the better for it. As usual, I can't wait to dig into the next of Crais' books, especially if it features Elvis Cole or Joe Pike.

Rating - 5 stars

CARBS AND CADAVERS

James has moved back to his hometown after the death of his mother to care for his father. His father is a reclusive unhappy man. James' wife has divorced him. He had to give up the job he loved as a professor to return home. Now he works in the town library. He feels his life has gone from dull to duller. Worse yet, James realizes that he is fat. By chance, he is invited to join a group of four other overweight people in town to form a supper club. The goal of the supper club is to encourage each other in their weight loss and to share a good meal once a week. James' life seems to be picking up when the town jock and former football hero is found murdered. The Supper Club is sure that Whitney, their favorite waitress, couldn't possibly be to blame and they set out to prove it.

This is my first book in the series by J.B. Stanley. This series was highly praised by quite a few in my online reading group, so I decided to give it a try. These are definitely in the "cozy" catagory, but it is interesting to have a male protagonist. The dieting angle adds some fun and poignant additions to the story. One can't help root for James as he starts to enjoy life. I will certainly be reading the next book to find out how everything turns out for James and Lucy and the rest of the Flab Five.

Rating - 4.5 stars

JULIA TO JULIE

Julie Powell is tired of her life. She is bored with her job. She works long hours only to bring home takeout to eat late at night with her husband. She has always dreamed of being an actress. It doesn't look like that dream is going to come true. As she nears 30, she feels her biological clock ticking but she really not sure she wants a baby. What does she decide to do to get out of her funk? She decides to cook every single recipe in Julia Child's "The Joy of French Cooking" in a year. It's not easy cooking gourmet food in a tiny New York City apartment kitchen and she has over 500 recipes to finish. Still, the project is intriguing and Julie shares the joys and the struggles to reach her goal.

This book started out as a blog of Julie's cooking adventures. I am not a cook, but I do love to bake, so I could kind of relate to Julie's thrill with cooking these challenging recipes. At times, I thought Julie was shallow and self-centered. I also hated her profanity! Still, some of the stories were absolutley hilarious as she described cooking her first lobster, eating calf liver or chopping open a bone to get out the bone marrow. I'm sure that at some point I would have thrown in the towel. I guess that's why I had to how Julie finished the project.

Rating - 4 stars

CRUEL INTENT

Ali is busy remodeling an old house. The whole event is being filmed for HGTV. She is desperately hoping to be able host Thanksgiving Dinner in her new home. Her son and his fiance announce their engagement. In the midst of this hubbub, her contractor is being accused of murdering his wife. Ali is very sure that he didn't kill anyone but it's not going to be easy doing it. As her friend begs to help him clear his name, Ali is drawn into a website that the murdered woman had been frequenting - Single at Heart. Soon Ali's own life is in danger.

As usual, J.A. Jance writes a wonderful mystery. Her stories are filled with warm loving characters that seem like the people we know and love. At the same time, she weaves in a great intriguing mystery. I'm a huge fan of the Joanna Brady series, but I like Ali alot, too. She is a little older and a little wiser than Joanna. As usual, I can't wait for the next J.A. Jance book!

Rating - 4.5 stars