Mystery in Maine

Faith Fairchild, caterer and amateur sleuth is vacationing in Maine with her family. While her cottage is being remodeled, they are staying with friends at The Pines. She is hoping for an easy enjoyable rest, but next door at The Birches things have become interesting. It seems that the whole family has come in for the 4^th of July holiday to stake their claim at inheriting the family summer property. Owner of The Birches, Paul McAllister is supposed to decide who will get the property after dealing with relatives for about a month. Contenders include Sophie Maxwell, her mother Babs, her uncle Simon and his snooty family, and her Aunt Sylvia a free spirit from California and her three children. While everyone tries to charm Uncle Paul into believing they should get The Birches, the beloved housekeeper Bev passes away. Then a second person turns up dead! Faith finds both bodies, so she quickly becomes involved in these suspicious events. Pick up The Body in the Birches by Katherine Hall Page if you like mild mysteries. DB

Deep Secrets

What happens when a Jewish girl leaves her ultra-conservative lifestyle and runs away with her first love? Does she find what she longed for? Aviva Kagan is that girl. She runs off to Florida with her college-age boyfriend, has a baby, and then leaves again. Twenty years later, her daughter Rebecca is working in New York City as a reporter when a man from the Jewish community gets in touch with her. It seems a murder has been committed and no one’s talking. Rebecca starts to unravel clues and uncovers secrets the Hasidic world her mother left would like to keep buried. As Rebecca investigates the murder she comes to understand her mother’s actions in the process. Run You Down by Julia Dahl gives the reader a glimpse into the ultra-conservative Hasidic Jewish culture in New York.  DB

Trapped by Scandal

Trapped by Scandal is the second book of the series by Jane Feather. The second book can also be read alone. It is during the French revolution and the main characters, Hero and William meet quite by accident as both are trying to find people to save them. William recognizes right away that Hero is a woman and not meant for what she is doing, but Hero answers to no one, not even her twin. Both are strong willed people who put others first and both are falling for the other. This is a fun, historical read and has a nice story line. *JK*

Crowned and Invaded

Do you love fantasy? Do you love fantasy with a dynamite young woman who is crowned queen? Erika Johansen has written such a series. Book one, Queen of the Tearling, introduced us to Kelsea Glynn. "On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen's Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon--from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic--to prevent her from wearing the crown."
Book two, Invasion of the Tearling , Kelsea Glynn is still settling into her role as the ruler of the  land, populated by the descendants of people who fled Earth in search of a better life. Kelsea must juggle politics, war, and her own growing magical abilities as she faces an unstoppable opponent, the malevolent Red Queen. She is also having visions of the past, in which a young woman named Lily Mayhew gets caught up in William Tear's exodus from 21st-century America to a new world. As Lily struggles to free herself from an abusive relationship, Kelsea finds the key to dealing with the Red Queen. Johansen's vision of a dystopian near-future America is chilling and sadly plausible."

Cold Case

Laurie Moran is the producer for a new show. Under Suspicion is a true-crime show about unsolved cold cases. After success on the first episode, Laurie is contacted by Rosemary Dempsey about the murder of her daughter Susan. Susan was a young college student at UCLA. She was a beautiful, talented, bright actress. She was on her way to an audition with famous director Frank Parker and never made it. Her body was found in Laurel Canyon Park, missing one shoe with a necklace nearby. It was dubbed the Cinderella Murder by police and remained unsolved for twenty years. Laurie and her team begin to work on the cold case and contact people who knew Susan. The characters include 2 billionaire tech wizards, an old boyfriend and her college roommates. Of course there is also the famous director, whose alibi seems air-tight. The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke is filled with twists and turns and is a great read for mystery lovers. Check it out! DB