Goodreads Challenge 2019, Part Four

 I managed to read four great books this month! See if you find a new one for your virtual bookshelf:

Double Down Trouble by J. L. Salter
Last spring I traveled to Houston for my niece’s wedding. While there, I contacted author/publisher Gunnar Grey, who graciously took time from her busy schedule to meet me for lunch and a little shopping. She mentioned that she was editing a book from our hound, so when this book released a short time later, I hurried to download it. But I didn’t get around to reading it until this month. What a ride! This is not the usual stuff we read from JL. There’s a lot of violence, and when I got through the first chapter I wondered if maybe the main character would wake up in her own room and realize she’d had a bad dream. Nope, this is a thriller, and you’ll need to read it to find out how the lieutenant governor of Tennessee, with help from one stranger, manages to save herself as well as a building full of senior citizens from two buses of armed escaped convicts. I can guarantee you’ll be in for a wild ride. I especially loved the wheelchair-bound but resourceful Señor Viejo.

 

Too Close to Call by Mysti Parker
I enjoy Mysti’s romances, so when she announced she was part of a multi-author series I immediately ordered my copy. Lover’s Landing is the name of a coffee shop in the town of Love, GA. Its proprietors are proud of the fact that so many couples met and fell in love in their establishment. But one of the couples, social studies teacher Sean Dixon and attorney Helena Davis, went their separate ways after high school and don’t put much stock in the local legend. But now they’re both back in town, and both running for city council. This is an office Helena’s father has held for years. But sparks fly in more ways than one. Sean’s daughter plays a big role in helping them understand what’s important. As always, Mysti’s characters are fun and believable, the conflict is engaging enough to keep me reading, and the ending is truly satisfying.

 

Shoes and Baby by S. Y. Robins

Clara Morgan owns a shoe store. A baby is left on the doorstep of her shop with a note to please take care of Selina, because she and the mother are in danger. She calls what I assume is the UK equivalent of Child Protective Services, and is told that the system doesn’t have enough foster care homes, so if she’s willing, she can take care of the child, which she happily agrees to do. She has no boyfriend and has never thought about being a mother, but somehow she knows she wants to do it. Her friends help. While the baby is being checked out at the hospital, she and the friends go out and buy all the necessities. Clara’s mother comes to take care of the baby. The handsome constable investigating the case just happens to have a roomful of baby furniture left from his daughter’s babyhood and brings it over. This was a cute story, but there wasn’t much of a mystery – the question of Selina’s mother is solved quite easily, and there really wasn’t much conflict.

Whenever I read a book from a UK author I learn new words. I looked up Babygro and discovered it’s what we call a onesie. A dummy is what we call a pacifier.

 

Love, Die, Neighbor by Joanna Campbell Slan
I downloaded this right after Joanna appeared as our Friday Fox’s guest author. It starts out rather slowly. Kiki Lowenstein is a young housewife with a toddler, an unfeeling dingbat of a husband and an overbearing mother-in-law. They’ve just moved into a new home – the same day the builders finished but before it could be cleaned professionally. So it’s a perpetual mess, because the toddler is, well, a typical toddler and won’t let Mom get things done. The lawn won’t grow because workmen continually come and go. The neighbors complain about the mess – especially the Nordstroms across the street. And hubby can’t understand why she can’t get stuff done. I felt so awful for this young mom and her struggles. But she keeps on trying – much longer than I would have. Mr. Nordstrom, a cyclist, takes a fall from his bike, and Kiki is there to call for help. But it’s not a simple fall – he’s apparently been poisoned, and Kiki thrown into a whirlwind as investigators try to determine who killed him and why. I really enjoyed reading this cozy mystery, and plan to read more of the series!

That’s my list for this month! Goodreads says I’m one book behind schedule, so hopefully I’ll be able to read more, now that the university semester is done. Happy reading, everyone!