WE ARE NOT FROM HERE -- Jenny Torres Sanchez

WE ARE NOT FROM HERE – Jenny Torres Sanchez Three young teenagers are forced to flee their Guatemala home when they are targeted by the local drug dealer. They travel through Mexico to the United States where they hope to find safety with relatives. This novel is a searing look at the hardships and dangers of all those who travel illegally from Central America to reach the “Promised Land” and relative safety of the US. Honest and heart wrenching. If you refused – for whatever reason – to read AMERICAN DIRT, this book gives the same point of view from the pen of a Latinx writer. 5 of 5 stars

MOONFLOWER MURDERS -- Anthony Horowitz

MOONFLOWER MURDERS -- Anthony Horowitz A story within a story makes for a challenging memory device. Once I got used to the two stories (one completely inside the other) and got the competing characters and story lines straight, this was a compelling although challenging read. Horowitz is a master of the plot and he has come with two for this book. The main question is: can the second book prove the innocence of the convicted murderer in the first book? An enjoyable and challenging read. Keep a notebook handy to keep all the characters and plot devices straight! 5 of 5 stars

A TIME FOR MERCY --John Grisham

A TIME FOR MERCY -- John Grisham Grisham returns to Clanton, Mississippi and Jake Brigance for a riveting mystery. This is not just a legal thriller, but a full featured character study of a town embroiled in racism and hate. Grisham tells a tale for our time although the setting is 1990. A 16 year old is charged with murder of a deputy and the town is eager to hang him – and his lawyer along with him! Jake is charged with defending the boy and encounters small town wrath with Southern vengeance. 5 of 5 stars

The Thursday Murder Club

THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB – Richard Osman A foursome of retired folk in a senior home get together to take a look at unsolved crimes. Much to their surprise they find themselves embroiled in a real present day murder. A delightful cozy with fully realized characters -- and they are characters! Deftly plotted with sensitivity to older citizens and great humor, this may be the start of a series starring the Murder Club members. A cleverly plotted romp. 5 of 5 stars

Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay ANdrews

SAVANNAH BREEZE Mary Kay Andrews BeBe, a formerly rich Southern belle, is reduced to remodeling her family’s rundown motel after a con man takes her money and most of her worldly goods. Her friends come to her aid when she determines to con the con man and get her money back – and remodel the motel into a magical get-away at the same time. A fun read by a master of the genre. You will enjoy this ramp thru the motel business. 4 of 5 stars

No Judgements by Meg Cabot

NO JUDGEMENTS by Meg Cabot When a hurricane hits the small beach town in Florida Bree has escaped to in order to reassess her life, she finds that many left their animals behind. Bree decides to help as many of these bereft animals as she can when the bridge to the island is washed out. Owners who expected to be gone just a day or two left behind many animals now trapped in empty homes. Bree and several friends, including a heart throb, work to save the animals while Bree’s former boyfriend and her mother attempt to convince her to flee back to the big city and her former fiance’s money and power. A light romantic comedy that is well written and has believable characters. 4 of 5 stars

A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Miessner

BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN by Susan Miessner I don’t usually like “ghost” stories, but this one was intriguing. Give it a chance. After WWII many American GI’s married the women came to know and love while overseas, this book tells the story of three of them. The “War Brides” came to the United States only after being cleared by the US government and passing health exams. They came in large groups on former troop ships to at last rejoin their husbands, often with small children in tow. A present day woman who “sees ghosts” is talked into visiting the Queen Mary in its California dock to reassure a young girl. What she finds there is not the Ghost of the young girls dead mother but an entirely different ghost, one who leads her to research the war brides who traveled on the ship in 1946. Interesting and well researched with believable characters and situations, Miessner tells a tale of love, betrayal, and desperation. 5 of 5 stars