THE MEMORY LIBRARY by Kate Storey

A mother and daughter who once loved to read together and discuss the books they had read are now estranged for no apparent reason. When the daughter, who now lives in Australia, learns her mother has fallen and needs help, Ella grudgingly flies to England to assist her mom. Secrets and old wounds are gradually revealed. Ella increasingly discovers her mom’s life before and after Ella left in anger 20 years ago was very different from the way she remembers it. Storey reveals both mother and daughter in bits and pieces as this heart-warming tale unfolds. Readers who look for books that slowly reveal the characters and what makes them who they are will revel in this tale of love, heartbreak, friendship, the value of books and the ties that bind a mother to her children. Lots here for book groups to discuss. A good choice for mother/daughter book group. 4 stars for a slow start.

EXODUS by Leon Uris

I reread this book because I was interested in the Jewish defense of the modern nation of Israel. EXODUS, while definitely a fictionalized account, does give the Jewish perspective of the search for a homeland by those who had suffered pogroms and discrimination for centuries. The novel introduces a variety of characters and then gives each backstory. This makes the book very lengthy, but also provides the reasons each character is part of the search for a new Israel. At times heartbreaking, but at other times full of the joy of life, EXODUS covers the time period from the late 1800s to the founding of Eretz Israel and the ensuing war for independence when Britain reneges on their promises to both the Israelis and the Palestinians. 5 stars for telling a story that needs to be told and understood

THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride

Heartwarming and yet filled with the frailties of humans is my one sentence comment on this book. HEAVEN AND EARTH tells the story of the town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania in the 1920’s and the disparate group of people who live there. The Jews and the Colored live on the hillside above the town, the “arrived on the Mayflower” whites live at the bottom of the hill and the “new” immigrants live somewhere in the middle. Do they get along? Well, maybe. Chona, the Jewish woman who has always lived in Pottstown and runs the grocery store is a good (and beautiful) woman. She lives among and is friends with the Colored folk who live about her on the hill. She feeds everyone whether or not they can pay. Her husband is the successful owner of the TWO local live music theaters that cater to both Colored and white folk. The local doctor is enamored of Chona and is NOT a good doctor although he is the only doctor. In 1972, long after Chona, her husband and Doc are gone, a skeleton is found in an abandoned well. Who is at the bottom of the well and why? And that, friends, is the plot of the story. Excellent writing, characters that leap off the page and a plot that will keep you guessing are the hallmark of this author. McBride has a clear understanding of his characters and the interactions between them. The intricacies of the plot will keep your attention and stay with you long after you have finished the book. Pay careful attention as the “plot thickens” in the last fourth of the book. (If you are triggered by the use of “Colored” or “Negro” you might want to skip this book. Please don’t!) 5 of 5 stars

THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

Although labeled as a young adult book this intriguing mystery by a delightful author will keep the attention of adults. A love of riddles and puzzles keeps a brother and sister close. So when Jakob disappears to Bletchley in 1940 to work as a secret codebreaker for the British, Lizzie is determined to find him and their mother instead of sailing to America and safety. What ensues is a madcap adventure with Lizzie being chased by her erstwhile chaperon, aided by her new friend Colin and castigated by her brother and the Colonel all while attempting to discover the secrets of Bletchley and searching for her missing and presumed dead mother. Does she succeed in any of these? You will have to read THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE to find out. This is a fast, entertaining and informative read by two award winning authors who excel at historical fiction. 5 of 5 stars

THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY – A MAID NOVELLA by Nita Prose

Let me start by saying I loved THE MAID. It was a delightful, insightful and charming mystery with a unique character in Molly the Maid. Molly was somewhere “on the spectrum” without it ever being said or alluded to. Molly had a wise and understanding grandmother who loved Molly just as she was and a job that fitted her personality perfectly. If you haven’t read THE MAID, you should. Unfortunately, THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY while having the quirky Molly as the main character and her boyfriend, Juan, as a good foil for her, simply misses the mark. Molly’s quirkiness seemed forced. Her boyfriend seemed too good to be true. The plot (I’m not giving it away) was too transparent (I solved the mystery in the first few pages), and the situations were too obvious. So – did I enjoy the book? Yes, it was a good read for a lazy afternoon. Will I keep this book on my shelf? NO, a second read would simply be boring. Will I recommend this book to someone else? Probably not, but I might give it away to someone who just needs a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. My final take – Nita Prose, a good author, was asked (forced?) to write a Christmas story and she briskly polished this off with dispatch in order to fulfill her contract. 3 of 5 stars

WE SOLVE MURDERS by Richard Osman

Osman has written another intelligent murder mystery peopled with fully drawn characters, an intricate plot, and a sense of humor. He does spend a fair amount of time establishing his characters, but the intelligence of the resulting plot and writing makes the time spent worthwhile. This time his series is peopled by a private detective (Amy Wheeler) protecting a world famous author (Rosie) who happens to be a scheming curmudgeon, and Amy’s father-in-law, Steve, a blissfully retired police detective. When bodies (several) and money (lots of money) show up, the question becomes who is Francois Loubert and why does he want Amy dead? Hijinks abound along with murder, mysterious characters, round the world plane rides, and danger in plenty as our intrepid PI and her erstwhile protectee, now her companion is sleuthing, and her reluctant father-in-law attempt to answer those questions and, more importantly, stay alive. After Osman’s successful run with the Thursday Murder Club books, he entertains us with a new set of engaging characters and engrossing story lines. I’m looking forward to further adventures with Amy, Rosie and Steve. This series is lots of fun and lots of intrigue. Enjoy! 5 stars and well worth your time.

DEN OF INIQUITY by J A Jance

Jance may have written a police procedural, but what I read was a family story. Beau’s family is in upheaval when his teenaged grandson shows up on his doorstep announcing he would like to live with Beau and Mel. Darius’s family is devastated by his death, assuming he has succumbed to illegal drugs. Then the deaths and shattered families start mounting. Jance has written a lively and entertaining murder mystery with some humor along with the excitement of a chase to catch a serial murderer before they can strike again. As always, Jance’s characters are well defined and complex. Her plot is multi-faceted and leads to a brilliant conclusion. Altogether a mystery well worth your time with a complex and satisfyingly intricate plot. 5 stars

FALLING by T J Newman

After you suspend logic, this thriller delivers thrills a minute and then some. The premise is simple. The bad guys have kidnapped a pilot’s family and want hm to crash his plane or they will kill his family. What follows is a relentless thrill ride as we travel along with the crew and innocent passengers. How can our brave pilot save both his family AND his plane. And, of course, why do the bad guys want him to crash the plane anyway. The crew and bad guys are pretty standard characters. Jo, the head flight attendant, is actually a more well drawn character than the pilot. It is obvious that the writer is extremely familiar with planes, the security systems on board them, and the flight attendants whose real job is to keep the passengers safe not serve them coffee. You WILL get drawn into the intricacies of the plot. You WILL stay up late reading to discover how this turns out. A good debut for a first-time author (and former flight attendant) who puts her knowledge of flight systems to good use. 4 stars for a thrilling ride.

GIRL FALLING by Hayley Scrivenor

Insidious and evil. Dark and depressing. Murder or accident? And yet I HAD to keep reading. The writing was beautifully done, keeping ones desire to know and understand at a high pitch. Three women, one evil, one good, and one …also evil?...also good?….which is it? Who is doing the manipulating and who is being manipulated? Interspersing the darkness are lovely descriptions of the landscape of Australia. The mechanics of rope climbing become a part of the story. The characters and situations are believable. There were many times I was ready to put this book down and not pick it up again. But the depth of the writing kept me reading. It is difficult to recommend the book because there is so much of the book that is triggering. I could only recommend it to a limited number of people and I would have to know them and their reading habits well to offer this book to them. There is little light or joyous to be gotten from reading FALLING GIRL. I would not use this book in a book group because of too many triggers and no real resolution. 4 stars for the writing, 2 stars for the darkness of the story

BAD ANIMALS by Sarah Braunstein

I have given BAD ANIMALS a couple days to "sit with me" before writing this review. I'm still not sure how I feel about the book. It was well written, the story was mostly engaging; but I didn't like any of the main characters. I can't decide if Maeve was just a total innocent caught up in circumstances beyond her control or she was a jaded and cynical psychopath who attempted to destroy a child. Or maybe the child was the psychopath who attempted to destroy the adult Maeve. I am certain Harrison was a cynical "user" of people for his own enjoyment and financial gain. Poor Jack was caught in the middle of Harrison and Maeve's shenanigan's and the ultimate loser. The other librarians were simply there for the author's ability to tell the story. So, would I recommend this book to another reader? Maybe? Maybe not? Would I have finished the book if I wasn't writing a review? NO, I would have given it maybe 100 pages instead of my usual 50 before dropping it, but I wouldn't have finished it. But maybe would I have, if only to find out what ultimately happened to Libby, the only character I cared about. SO…. 4 stars for writing . 2 stars for story. 3 stars for the total book.