The Devil Downtown by Joanna Schupe

I picked up this book because it was my book club's January selection. I have heard many great things about Joanna Shupe's writing so I was happy to have a push to read one of her books. This is a historical romance as you can see from the swoony cover. 

NOTE: I don't mind the cartoony romance covers that are currently popular, but as someone raised on Johanna Lindsey, this cover worked for me. 

This book is the third book in the Uptown Girls series, in it we get some scenes with Justine (our MC) and her sisters who were the main characters in the other two books. You don't need to have read any other books to enjoy this one, but if you like Romance or Historical Romance, you will most likely enjoy the other two books.

This is my first time reading Joanna Shupe's work and I get why she is award-winning.  This book takes place in the 1890s in New York City. Justine comes from a wealthy family but she is an advocate for women and children. A Feminist in the best sense of the word. She tracks down deadbeat dads and tries to get them to support their families. She does this in a system that doesn't think men should have to take care of their own children and who don't see women as equals.  She is a force to be reckoned with in this story.  The male lead is Jack Mulligan, a top-tier rough-around-the-edges character. The main conflict to their becoming a couple is that Jack is a gang leader in NYC. 

I'm not one for gang-related romance, but in the context of late 19th Century New York, it's more tolerable. It's clear throughout the book that if Justine and Jack are to find a HEA together one of them needs to give up their current livelihood. It is obvious which one of them needs to make better choices, the tension throughout the book lies in how we get to the right conclusion, and this is done very well.  

Joanna Schupe makes sure that Justine clearly consents as the romance unfolds, and I loved that while Justine was a virgin, she wasn't ignorant about sex or about pleasuring herself. 

5 Stars

 

Time for a Series in a Month!

 In keeping with my renewed effort to read and write, I'm participating in Because Reading's  Series in a Month (#SIAM) challenge. This time around Michelle and Berls are offering a twist. You can read the Night Rebel series as the #SIAM and participate in Anne of Books are my Heart's Realdalong of the Night Huntress World at the same time. 

I do love a two-for so, I'm in for the #SIAM read of the Night Rebel books!

Here are the books:

*Shades of Wicked (to be reviewed Jan 9)

*Wicked Bite (to be reviewed Jan 23) 

*Wicked All Night (to be reviewed Jan 30) 

And speaking of series, I recently finished reading most of the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.  Here is a quick review. Overall if you like Fantasy of any sort, you should do yourself a favor and start this series. The book  I just finished is called Skin Game and it is book number fifteen. 

As I have mentioned before, I prefer the books that are set in Chicago and involved humans over when the book is basically all Fae. This book was a 5-star book for me because it was basically a heist story, which was a fun departure and humans were central to the story -- esp. Murphy and Micheal. I would have liked more Molly. Now I only have two books left to read and I don't even know if they have a finality to them as I

think Jim Buther is still writing Harry's tale. 

#COYER 10 Year Annivesary Challege

 

I can't believe 2013 is 10 years ago but here we are. I found the COYER challenge a couple of years ago. I love the idea of working  on reading books  already own, but I'm not the best at keeping up with posting on the challenge. I appreciate that the COYER Community is pretty forgiving when it comes to consistency.  

My goal this year is to set aside the time to follow through with the challenge. I'm glad for the first season/semester of 2023 we can count any book format because I really want to read some of the physical books on my shelf that are currently collecting dust.

I am also going to take part in a challenge within the challenge for Janaury-- Can you read a series in a month. I am going to make a separate post about that next!

You can find out more about COYER and join me by clicking this sentence. 

How about you? Do you participate in any reading  challenges? 

Psy-Changeling Play of Passion - #COYER #BooksOfMyHeart #ReadAlong

I'm so glad we are reading this series for the 2021 read-along!  This series just does not disappoint!  We are now well into the second third of this series so we know the rhythm of these books.  Sometimes the couple gets together right off the bat and then they get in their own way and sometimes outside forces keep them apart.  Mostly they don't believe that they can have the love they need, want, and crave; and isn't that how we all feel at some point? 

As I say in probably every review for a book in this series, I am in awe of Nalini's Singh world building, she must be incredibly organized to have put this all together, so many plot & character plates spinning in the air at one time! 

This book features Andrew who is Riley's brother from Branded by Fire  and Indigo who we have heard about here and there. They are both important members of the Snow Dancer wolf pack. I find the couples who are lead by a dominant female the most enjoyable to read. I know that the Psy women find their voices and that is great, but I do love the changeling women who aren't afraid to be who they are and say what they need. 

4 stars for Play of Passion 

I am really excited for the next book which is featuring Hawke, the Snow Dancer's Alpha! 

 

#COYER SEASONS SUMMER POST! And Tango Trouble Review!!

 

The latest installment of the Magical Mane Mystery Series is out tomorrow! I love visiting Cliff Haven, Iowa.  Stella Bixby's has really hit the magical cozy sweet spot, She has Ellie who is still learning the extent of her magical abilities, but and this is key, it is her own sleuthing that solves the mystery. Ellie also has one of the best cozy companions out there, her potbellied pig named Penelope. I mean how cute is that! 

This series is a wonderful fun escape. You the reader get to enjoy the flight of fancy that the magic brings to the mystery, Ellie being like a young, yogi Jessica Fletcher, plus the mysteries are good puzzles to solve.  Stella Bixby gives character depth to the town's people and we have the ongoing mystery of Ellie's family. 

These days when someone mentions Iowa, I think of the Magical Mane Mystery series.  That just shows how this series will stick with you!  

What this story is about...

"In the dead of winter, when the town of Cliff Haven seems practically frozen . . . 

. . . Tango classes may be the key to heating things up. 

It's been months since the mishap at the theater, and Ellie is still reeling. 

Between exercising her magic and coming to terms with another family member disappearing from her life, Ellie wants nothing more than things to get back to normal. 

Whatever that is. 

When she comes across a body and a man standing over it holding a knife, the case looks pretty open and shut. 

Until it doesn't. 

With so many suspects, will Ellie be able to solve the crime? Or will a murderer go free? 

Join Ellie, Penelope, Xander, and the whole Cliff Haven gang in the fourth book of the Magical Mane Mystery series."

4 bright stars to Tango Trouble by Stella Bixby! 

You can click here to check out this book as well as the series- 

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are mine.

It’s time to celebrate Summer!

"Reminder on how it works….

COYER – Clean Out Your E-Reads – was initially about reading free (or nearly free) e-books and writing reviews for them. We’re going back to that as the basis, with some seasonal twists.

At the end of each season, reviews entered in the review linky will be eligible for a $5 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. On the last Thursday of each season (except December, where we’ll finish out the year), Michelle will randomly select and announce the winner for the season and share the sign-up for the next season (including a reminder of the rules). This means that all reviews for the season must be in the linky by 12 noon EST on the last Wednesday of the month. Any reviews entered after 12 noon EST will go towards the next season. But keep following the current rules for the remainder of the month.

Each season brings a new challenge so if you didn’t participate in Winter but want to Join Spring you are welcome to do that. You do not have to participate in all seasons, you can pick and choose which seasons you want to join."

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US! 

 

 

#TheSundayPost May 30th: Are You Ready For The Summer?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Yes! Yes, I am!  The weather here is more like early April, but I am ready for my summer!  My pool is open!  Marathon training starts tomorrow! #1000wordsofsummer starts tomorrow! 

This will be my third marathon and I'm running as a charity runner for Imerman Angels there are still spots available to join the team and run the Chicago Marathon for Team Imerman this fall! If I can run a marathon, you can run a marathon! Imerman Angels is a non-profit group that connects cancer patients and caregivers with peer support.  They call the peer's Mentor Angels.  Mentor Angels are that crucial listening ear, a person who knows exactly what you are going through and is on the other side--able to remind you that even if things are really tough now, there will be better days ahead. 

On the same day marathon training begins,  the two-week writing challenge invented by author Jami Attenberg.  As the name implies the challenge is to write 1,000 words every day for two weeks. It might actually be 15 days now that I think about it, I believe the end goal is 15,000 words which is a nice start to any writing endeavor. I am going to go back to writing the cozy mystery novel that has been lingering unfinished and ignored by me for months. I have a few changes I want to make to the outline and then get back to writing.  Or maybe I'll wind up writing something completely new.  Who knows! 

This week I have 3 books I'll be blogging about:

 A #NetGalley pick-up, New Series!

I'm trying to add some non-fiction to my audiobooks listening.  This book is really fascinating! 

I'm also trying to read down my physical TBR pile.  I like to read my books and pass them on so if you want this book when I'm done, comment and let me know! ( will send as media mail) 

So, what's on your agenda to start the summer? 

Happy Friday! #Readalong Review! And Some Summer Talk!

 Well as Mother Nature is wont to do, last week we had temperatures in the mid-80s and sunshine galore.  This weekend, the official start of the summer season, the skies are a uniform cloudy grey and the temperature is 46!!! 46!!! literally, 40 degrees Fahrenheit colder than this time last week. 

It's really harshing my budding pool lifestyle. 

My little pool which my daughter makes fun of because it's only 33 inches deep, but hey, it's easy for me to maintain and big enough to swim a little and float a lot!  Alas, this 3-day weekend it is going to stay covered, as temps won't even hit 70. 

When it was summer weather, I spend a few afternoons floating in my pool and reading Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh.  This is the 7th book in the PsyChangeling series that we are reading this year.  You can find out more about the read-along and join us here. 

As I have said before, I treating enjoy Nalini Singh's ability to keep raising the stakes in these paranormal romances. Once again, I had my doubts as the book was nearing the climax that Dev Santos and Katya Haas would find their HEA.  During this book, I found that I didn't care as much or root for this couple like I had in the previous book which was the love story between  Mercy and Riley.  For me, I think this was because Mercy was a strong, passionate woman who wasn't a virgin like the Psy, and because she was an equal match to Riley. Yes, Katya, survived and made it to Dev, but she is very fragile and since she has amnesia is one-dimensional. 

In Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh takes us back to the beginning of Silence and tells the story of one family's exodus to become part of the fallen. This is done through letters a mother writes to her son. I liked this method of storytelling.  Additionally, we learn more about how Judd's special set of skills can work for the good.

I would have liked to have a better understanding of what Dev's affinity with metal meant and how it developed as he grew up. I wanted more of his backstory. 

Next up is the story of the human cop Max Shannon, I have been hoping he would get his own book from the first time he walked on the scene!  

Have a great weekend even if the weather stinks! It's a great excuse to kick back and enjoy a good book! 

The Installment in the #PsyChangeling #Readalong #COYER Challenge Book 6! And Grocery Store Monopoly Talk

 Just when you think you think a book is going to be full of pining and delayed gratification Nalini Singh comes out of the gate hot!  Sexy time right from the get-go.  I love this series because of stuff like this.  Nalini keeps the readers guessing and that keeps this reader, reading! 

Branded by Fire tells the story of Mercy from the Dark River pack and Riley from the Snow Dancer Pack. She's a leopard and he's a wolf.  Can a cat and a dog find happiness together? Let's find out!  In this story, we have two main characters that are antagonists to each other but also have wild chemistry.  Frienimies to lovers is a solid descriptor, but none of the I hate you, I love you. Their relationship is more nuanced and because they are at the top of the pack hierarchy, they have to consider how becoming mated would affect both of their packs. I know they will get there, just a matter of how fun getting there will be for me the reader!

I loved the banter! 

Nalini Singh shares more about the lives of the couples we have already met, as the packs face a new challenge when the Human Alliance emerges as a terrorist group. There are also developments in the growth of Sienna Lauren, a character that readers know will be more and more pivotal as this story continues.  Lastly, is Nalini rehabilitating Ashaya's sister Amara?  Will Amara be fit to be around the pack in the future? 

Solid advice from E-Psy Sasha to Mercy! 

4 stars to the Branded by Fire, It was fun to read Mercy and Riley's point of view and see their romance play out! 

While I've been trying to read this week, I'm also in the midst of trying to win fabulous prizes from my grocery store's monopoly game. Thanks to a friend that passed on a ton of tickets to me, I'm up to my eyeballs in chances to win major prizes!  All I need to do now that all of the tickets are opened is to scan them in my app.  So far I have won over 36 individual bottles of water, five loaves of french bread, and three bottles of ranch dressing. Wish me luck, maybe I'll win $25,000! Who knows! If I do, I'll let you know!

The Sunday Post! Marching into March!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

How was your week? The weather here was very nice for early March and finally, the sidewalks are about 96% free of snow!  Even better, we are supposed to have highs in the 60s Monday - Wednesday. I will have my windows wide open to let in that fresh air! It will also be a great time to grill out for the first time in 2021. 

In case you missed it- this week
 I wrote about Magic for Liars,

Join the COYER Seasons Spring Challenge

and wrote about an obscure local holiday and a Cozy Series by Elizabeth Pantley

Upcoming this week I will be sharing reviews of: 

A Princess in Theory

Fairy Godmothers, Inc.

The Disappearance of Emily

As I've mentioned before I like seasonal decor and now that it is March, I have updated my coffee station for early spring:

Speaking of coffee, I am taking a MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) class this month and our current homework is to practice the techniques daily. Today I tried a coffee mindfulness meditation! 

I hope you have a great week planned!  What's going on in your neck of the woods? 

#FriYay! #2021AudioBookChallenge Magic For Liars

 This year I'm participating in the Caffeinated Reader's Audiobook Challenge.   Today's review is an audiobook that I picked up from the Chirp website, it was less than $5.00 USD!  Such a deal, plus if you want to use my referral link you can get 20% off your first order. 

The reason I purchased this book was because I enjoy the reader XE Sands.  Her voice is perfectly suited for telling the tales of world-weary PIs and this book's protagonist is a jaded PI who has spent years investigating fraudsters and cheaters.  Now she's been asked to investigate the murder of a teacher at a school for Mages.   To complicate things, her estranged sister is a teacher at the school.  

Ivy and her sister Tabitha have been avoiding each other for decades. The book is told from Ivy's point of view, so we know she has a deep longing to reconcile with her sister.  Conversely, she is also incredibly angry with her sister over their mother's death.  Their mother died of cancer when they were teenagers.  Trigger warning here, cancer plays a prominent role in Ivy's past and throughout this book. It did not bother me, but if I had started listening to this book during treatment for cancer last year, I probably would have put the book back down (or in this case deleted it off my phone).

What I enjoyed in this book is how magic is a presence that both helps and hinders the investigation. Ivy doesn't have any magical ability and this lack of magic gives her a giant chip on her shoulder, which is an important trait in good PI--a strong sense of lack. 

In my mystery reading, my favorite murder motives are greed, hubris, or unintended consequences, I find these motives always beat boring old jealousy.  In Magic for Liars Sarah Gailey gives us a wide-ranging group of potential suspects with solid motives and not great alibis.  In the end, the murder is solved and Ivy our protagonist, has made in-roads into accepting the possibility that maybe she is enough as she is and worthy of someone's affection. 

The book finishes with Ivy ready to make an emotional leap, but we do not see what happens as a result of her leap of faith. I don't need to know how things turn out because the point is that she's decided to change her script. 

If you like PI mysteries or Contemporary Fantasy- I say give this a read or a listen.  4.5 stars!

This book is a stand-alone book, it's not part of a series! 

Repurposing A Wine Bottle and #COYER Spring Challenge! Join us!

 The other day my other half picked himself up a bottle of wine from Walgreens and I thought to myself, that is a good-looking wine label.  So once the wine was gone.  I repurposed the wine bottle and added it to my bookshelf. I am tempted to find books to put on the shelf that goes with the Firefly theme. 

In case you are wondering what I did, I just took a string of LED lights I got from Aldi over the holidays and stuck the little lights into the wine bottle to get the effect of having fireflies in a mason jar, and then I used some velcro to attach the battery pack on the back of the bottle. Easy peasy, that is the extent of my DIY skills. 

As you may recall this year I am joining reading challenges.  To the right of this post,  you can see the Read a Series in a Month Challenge button which you can click to join!  My post on that challenge is here:  Two Challenges To Talk About.

I am also participating in the COYERS Seasons Challenge, which means it's time for my COYER Spring Challenge post!  You can read all the details and join me in the challenge here.   I'm really excited for this part of the challenge because now that physical books are included it gives me an incentive to read the books I got for Christmas and some books I won in contests. 

In addition to the gentle nudge to read books that I already own,  COYERS offers community! I love being part of the group.  It's nice to read with others, and have a chance to talk about books outside of a traditional book club. 

I hope the beginning of March is going well, the anniversary of when the pandemic began to affect most of our lives is just about here. I hope you are in a good place and soon to be vaccinated or already vaccinated! 

#CozyMysteryDebut! The Guest is a Goner and Valentine's Day Talk

 

Look at this old cute picture of how cute is that kid and how colorful are the clothes.  The shirt has a great reminder for all of us Love Yourself!  Anytime is a good time to celebrate love, but it's almost Valentine's Day so let's talk about that, do you have any tradition you observe, a special dinner or night with your loved one? Is it all about the romance or the friendships?  Oprah Magazine has put together a list of 35 different ideas to celebrate Valentine's Day in 2021.  I like to use seasonal decor to celebrate the holidays so as I posted about a couple weeks ago, I have my DIY Valentine's day decor and as you know I like to cook, so a chocolate dessert is in order. 

And lastly, if you like flowers, get yourself some flowers! Don't wait for someone to do it for you, give yourself the gift of beauty in your home! 

Now on to my book review!

The Guest is a Goner by Carly Winter My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I Need to Know The Answer To The Cliffhanger at the End!

I have to say right up front that the cliffhanger I am talking about is outside the central mystery of the book. Don't worry you'll know why the guest is a goner and who did it! The Cliffhanger is the answer to something I was curious about as a reader and for that reason, I'll be sure to pick up the next book in the series.

This book is the first book in the Sedona Spirits series and is a spin-off of the author's "Tri-town Murders" series, but you don't have to be familiar with that series to start this book. I was drawn to read this book because I thought the title was a hoot and I enjoy paranormal cozies. Bernie and Ruby are a likable duo, grandma Ruby is a free spirit and Bernie is very straight-laced. Their lives have both been affected by Ruby's hardnosed parents and it's interesting to see how Bernie's great-grandparents have had a hand in Ruby's, Bernie's Mom's, and Bernie's personalities and decisions. In the book, Bernie does some important self-reflection and that's a real plus, it's so good to see characters focusing on their mental health.

One of the main components of a cozy mystery is the town and the townsfolk. In this book, it turns out that Bernie is surrounded by terrible townsfolk. At the end of the book Bernie really only has her grandma and a potential love interest and that was rather sad. I hope in the next book Bernie makes new friends with people who aren't murder suspects.

When the killer is revealed it is done Scooby-Doo style, which I *loved* So fun! I also learned that in the Sedona area there are wild boars and they are called javelinas. Lastly, I highlighted one line from the book to share: "The bowling alley smelled like oil and feet."--What a great line!

Overall this is a short cozy, has a quirky duo to root for, and paranormal elements and I will read the next book to see where we go!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

View all my reviews

Two Challenges To Talk About!

 My local grocery store had a very good deal on Eye of Round Beef Roast, So I said challenge accepted, let me see if I can cook that.  I didn't know that eye of round roast is tricky to cook since it doesn't have that handy fat marbling that allows you to throw it in a slow cooker and forget it.  In other words, Eye of Round Roast isn't like Chuck Roast.

I did some Google searches and found this recipe from the A Family Feast blog which I followed. I did marinate the roast overnight before cooking it today.  I will say that my oven runs hot and I should have turned the heat down from the 500 the recipe used to 475. The fat cap on my roast was overdone. Otherwise, the roast turned out. For sides, I made roasted potatoes as well as cabbage, carrots, and cipollini onions. 

Here is how it looked going into the oven. I put it on a little rack in a roasting pan, but there wasn't much in the way of grease and I don't think the rack was essential. 

This is the plate of food I prepared and brought up to my husband to eat since he was on a work call. Isn't he lucky to have such a nice wife? 

The second challenge I want to talk about is a book series challenge that I'm going to participate in this March.  The challenge is called Can You Read A Series In A Month? My plan is to use this challenge as an opportunity to read the Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole.  The series is a contemporary romance series of three books and two novellas. 

Join me! Let's read a series in March, and then when March is over it will be time for springtime! 

#ReadAlong Visions of Heat #ParanormalRomance

 It's the last Friday of January already!  How are you doing?  Hanging in there? We had some snow this week and I got to try out my YakTrax which work great for walking or running in the snow. I'm still looking forward to the snow melting so I can run without the snow.  In my perfect world, among many amazing advancements; we would have sidewalks and streets that warmed up when it snowed and we'd not have to shovel or trudge through unshoveled sidewalks and we'd have dry streets that didn't turn into sheets of ice. 

Along with the snow has come gloomy grey skies, but since Groundhog Day is around the corner that's when we usually have sunshine to ensure six more weeks of winter!  That sun scares the poor little dude!

 

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Because Nalina Singh had laid a foundation of the Psy-Changeling world in "Slave to Sensation", I was able to appreciate the expanding universe of this book and deepen my understanding of the Psy-Net.

In direct contrast to Sascha and Lucas's relationship, Faith and Vaughn have a slow, slow burn. There is much to be learned about Faith's family and I look forward to knowing more about the F-Psy Clan in the future. This book is almost all Faith and Vaughn with as much DarkRiver interaction as Sascha had in book one. I noticed that Nalini Singh purposefully uses images of heat, fire, gold to describe Vaughn throughout the book, Singh wants us to notice and understand Vaughn is the sun and Faith is the night sky. Vaughn is a passionate being, an artist more at home in the wild and Faith is a logic-driven woman who lives in her mind-- and sees the beauty of the Psy-net. Their approaches to the world are polar opposites and Nalini Singh shows us how perfectly they fit together.

At the end of the book, we get some information on a character and I was pleased to see that character isn't who we thought they were earlier in the book, I look forward to them coming back into the picture and home someone they are related to plays a role in these books as well.

At the end of this book, we have some idea of how the Dark River/Snow Dancer Clans with their adopted Psy members may someday be able to usher in an end to the Silence and I am here for it!

View all my reviews

Downward Death - A New Cozy Mystery and I Try A New Recipe! #COYERCHALLENGE2021

As you can see here I overcooked the crescents by about 2 minutes. 

 Kraft food sends me recipes all the time and many of them involved crescent rolls which I think I could easily eat a whole batch by myself! They are so light and flaky!  Ham and Pineapple Crescent Rolls I followed the directions on this recipe. I will say if I were to make this in the future I would dice the ham and mix all the ingredients into one spread and spread that on the crescent rolls and then roll them up. Overall it was a good way to use up leftover crushed pineapple!

I received an ARC of Downward Death by Stella Bixby, below is my review and as always the opinions are mine!

Ellie Vanderwick is a bit of a loner. She was raised in foster homes and has lived off and on in her converted VW Bus since she was 17.  Her dream is to help people to be pain-free and more flexible through yoga.  This story begins with Ellie being bequeathed a farm in Iowa courtesy of the grandmother she never knew.  So far so good right?  Ellie will be the outsider coming to a new town. We've all read that before right?

But wait! Ellie has a secret, her hair is a mood ring.  Yes, it changes color and texture based on her mood and feelings.  I thought this was a unique and fun way to add a little magic to a fairly standard cozy.  She also has a pet pig as her cozy companion!  

At the beginning of the book, there is some major corn confusion that made me say out loud-- "Is anyone going to tell her?"  I don't know if I got it because I am a Midwesterner or if it's common knowledge.  (you'll have to read to know what I am talking about, I don't want to spoil you).

Within the first three chapters of this book, I was already invested in Ellie V's life. I wanted good things for her and her Penelope, and I was ready to fight a couple people in the town on her behalf and hug others.  Stella Bixby has done a wonderful job in this book of really pulling the reader into the story.  The mysteries of Ellie's hair, who her parents were, and how will Ellie support herself were enough to keep me turning the pages, even before the murder occurred. 

I read the second half of Downward Death in one sitting,  The mystery keeps you guessing and you aren't sure which of these characters is terrible enough to be a killer. As I have said before, I prefer it when a cozy mystery killer is just an awful person motivated by...well I better not say this killer's motivation- that might help you guess who done it! 

When the book ends, some of the mystery of Ellie's background is solved, but much of who she is is left as an overarching mystery for future books.  I really enjoyed this series and can't wait to read the next book. I am hoping that Ellie's mother is alive and well and will show up in a future book!  I also hope Katie & Earl's daughter features in a future story!