Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

I love to read, recommend books and open the world of reading to others. I tutor to ensure that the next generation of readers will know the joys of a good book because their reading skills have improved. I am an avid reader, especially of mysteries and fiction. I believe that two of the world's greatest inventions were the public library and eyeglasses!

Out today: The Stolen Child

I love this new series by Sarah Taylor Stewart that features Maggie D’Arcy and those around her. In this book, Maggie is now living in Dublin with her boyfriend, his son and her daughter. She is currently a Garda, not a detective, as she had to begin again in the Irish system. For those who don’t know, Maggie previously lived in New York.

Maggie and her work partner Jason like one another and do a good job on their beat. In the novel, some of those that they have met will figure in a murder case. Happily for Maggie she is seconded and gets to be a detective again, at least some of the time looking into the complex situation.

Who murdered beautiful Jade? And what happened to her daughter, the stolen child of the title? Ms. Taylor makes a suspenseful story with a fully created world to answer those questions.

In addition to the relationship with Jason, of course, there is Maggie’s relationship with boyfriend, Conor. They are having a few growing pains. Will their relationship be strong enough to hold? That is another question to be answered.

Publishers Weekly stars this one. I could not agree more. Highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries, police procedurals, novels set in Ireland and just good stories. I am already eager for the next title in this series.

This novel can be read as a standalone but why would one? Each of the previous three stories were excellent and provided hours of reading pleasure. So, readers who start with this may then want to look for the earlier books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five stars *****

Coming soon and cozy: A Sour Note by Jill Piscitello

Details:

When murder provides a welcome distraction…

About the book:

On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?

EXCERPT:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.

If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.

“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.

“I found it.”

“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.

“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.

“Where was Vic?”

She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.

“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”

“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks.

About the Author:

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Social media links:

Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram  ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub

Note: This post was published in response to the author’s request.

Published by Wild Rose Press

No: You Can’t Stay Here Forever (by Katherine Lin)

#YouCantStayHereForever #NetGalley.

Have you ever had the experience of life just blowing up in your face? How did you react? What did you want to do? Anyone who has gone through this upset will relate to Ellie Huang.

Ellie’s husband dies suddenly and, of course, that would be enough for anyone. However, there is more bad news ahead for Ellie. No spoilers so read the novel to find out what happened.

Ellie does something dramatic in response. She leaves San Francisco to spend an extended time in France accompanied by a close friend. Mable and Ellie meet some interesting people at a resort and things go on from there.

This is a well written debut novel told from the perspective of a young Asian woman. There are both a good setting and good characters here.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 13 June 2023

From the Publisher

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Named a must-read book of summer by: Good Morning America, People, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and the Philadelphia Inquirer