Picture Perfect Frame

 

Picture Perfect Frame

By: Lynn Cahoon

Genre: Mystery/ Cozy Mystery

Summary:

South Cove has a new business in town, a little paint and sip store. And what better welcome can South Cove give this new venture than to have it be the site of the latest murder?! This time around, the prime suspect is none other than resident fortune teller/police secretary/Jill's neighbor. But, did she do it? If not her, than who? 

The 12th installment of this beloved cozy mystery series finds South Cove a whirl of activity. Not only is the town gearing up for St. Patrick's Day, but Amy's wedding is right around the corner. So, a new murder isn't really on anyone's agenda. A night of fun & friendship definitely is. Everyone gathers at the town's newest paint and sip store. Some bring their painting talent, some don't. One attendee, Nan, stands out, though. Mostly because she's drunk. Of course, the locals don't take long on getting whatever info they can about Nan and her husband. As it turns out, they're regular visitors to the town- mainly for the guidance of the local fortune teller/psychic. 

Nan makes the conversations change when she's found dead in the paint and sip the following morning. The hunt is on for the who, what, why. All fingers, clues, start pointing to Jill's neighbor, the fortune teller/police secretary. Knowing her friend didn't do it, Jill refuses to sit back and let her get railroaded. So, off she goes looking for clues. It isn't long before you uncover the reason behind the couple's frequent trips to South Cove. 

As if trying to solve a mystery isn't enough, Jill's best friend, Amy, is the bridezilla turned emotional wreck bride. Due to walk down the aisle in mere weeks, Amy is anything but calm. She's one hysterical mess after another. It only makes matters worse when her fiancé goes missing on her. Unable to get in contact with him, and having very little coming in from his end, Amy wastes no time jumping from one conclusion to another, leaving Jill to deal with the fall out. 

I love this series. I've been with this series from book 1 to now. I always love visiting South Cove and seeing what Lynn has all the residents up to. This book didn't disappoint. It was a fun read that I devoured, as I've done with each installment of this series. Some books have the mystery aspects more front and center than others, but I always get pulled into the plot right away. While Picture Perfect Frame wasn't as action packed as some of the previous books, you still loved finding out Nan's story. I enjoyed learning the back story and how it connected to the present happenings. The ending was anti-climatic for the mystery- there was no fighting confrontation between the killer and anyone, but there didn't need to be. 

I'm looking forward to the next installment. There may be another wedding in the not too distant future for South Cove. Lynn always has me coming back for more!!

The Rose Code

 

The Rose Code

By: Kate Quinn

656 Pages

Historical Fiction/Fiction

Summary:

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter—the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger—and their true enemy—closer... --bn.com

Has Kate Quinn have a story for you!! Once again, she takes you to World War II. This time. you're cracking secret codes in a secret location. You're intercepting war messages from the Germans along with Osla Kendall, Mab Churt and Beth Finch. Osla is the socialite who wants to prove there's more to her than just being a debutante. Mab is the girl from the poor part of town who wants better for herself and her family. And Beth is the one who's Mom bullies her and has no back bone. Through war circumstances, these three come together. 

As the war rages on, each of these girls grows into women they wanted to be, but never thought they would. One will turn her back on her family to forge her own life on her terms. One will lose the most important people in her life. One will sacrifice her heart for love's sack. And you will not want to stop reading as these ladies do the impossible. But all is not as easy as broken hearts. Devastation, betrayal and despair loom large. 

My favorite character was Osla. She's the spitfire of the group. She's stronger than she gave herself credit for in the beginning. Beth was the growth you loved the most. She went from shy and timid to a powerhouse in the war effort. Mab's secrets were ones that I didn't predict. As these women became part of the backbone for defeating the Germans, you couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Kate Quinn has brought you another masterpiece. I couldn't put this book down. Once again, it's based off real people and places. She told another gripping story that you pulled you in from the first page. Kate has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers because she's unbelievably gifted at telling her stories. All I wanted to do was see what each page had in store for the story and the girls I've been rooting for. You are in for an amazing, unforgettable adventure. One you will not likely forget after you read the last word and turn the final page. 

If you're like me, your house will become a mess while you're lost in the story, but you won't care, It'll be totally worth it. Thank you, Kate, for another awesome book. It was a true pleasure to read it. 

The Affair

 

The Affair

By: Danielle Steel

288 Pages

Fiction

Summary:

When Rose McCarthy’s staff at Mode magazine pitches a cover shoot with Hollywood’s hottest young actress, the actress’s sizzling affair with a bestselling French author is exposed. The author happens to be Rose’s son-in-law, which creates a painful dilemma for her. Her daughter Nadia, a talented interior designer, has been struggling to hold her marriage together, and conceal the truth from their young daughters, her family, and the world. But Nicolas, her straying husband, is blinded by passion for a younger woman—and not only that, she is pregnant with his child. 

Nadia’s three sisters close ranks around her, flying to Paris from Los Angeles and New York to lend support and offer their widely divergent advice. Athena, a jovial celebrity chef with her own TV show in Los Angeles, is leery of marriage. Olivia, a stern conservative New York superior court judge, is haunted by a shocking secret of her own. Venetia, a zany fashion designer, happily married with three kids, has the gentlest, most realistic point of view. Despite their well-meaning advice, Nadia needs to figure out what she herself thinks, and what to do next.  ---bn.com

Danielle's back, but not packing the punch I enjoyed in he previous release. I enjoyed the first half of this book more than I did the second half. The main issue I had was with the husband character, Nicolas. The reasons he gave as his explanation for the affair infuriated me and never did anything to remove that anger. As the story unfolds, it takes far longer than is should for him to grasp the pain he caused. How he wanted things to play out where beyond selfish and completely unrelatable. As the reader, I never felt he truly understood the impact of his selfish actions. His character was meant to be disliked, but I was never able to change my opinion of him as the story continued to unfold.

Danielle told a great, moving story, Her fans will enjoy this latest story, but I never got passed Nicolas from the first half. He was never able to really redeem himself with me. I had a hard time with his stand after his affair was revealed. I felt like he was a child who couldn't understand why things weren't going his way. Maybe it was the culture differences.

I did love the interaction with the sisters. Watching those relationships grow and impact one another was fun to read. The way they came together for each other, in more than one crisis, was awesome. They stood beside one another- no matter what. That was my favorite aspect of the book. I could've read about the sisters and mother relationship all day. They were all so different, but at the end of the day, they were family. Come hell or high water.