Sibling Saga

Once the Plumb siblings can break into “the nest”, their inheritance money, everything will be all right. Bea-a writer, Jack-a gay antiques dealer, Melody-a mother of twin girls, and Leo-the charismatic philanderer are not a close-knit family. In fact they hardly speak. When Leo is involved in a very serious accident and “the nest” is compromised, the others become very involved. Each one was counting on the money for a different reason. As the time to collect draws near, the siblings fear they may end up short-changed. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is full of life’s up and downs. If you enjoy family stories, a glimpse into other people’s lives and some melodrama this book is satisfying. DB

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

A flock of secrets

Sheep are Mathieu Etcheberri’s life. What he wants most is to leave the family ranch in Arizona and go to the university. When his father dies in an accident, secrets are revealed.  Mathieu finds out he is not heir to the ranch and is forced to travel to France to meet a family he doesn’t know to claim his land. He is thrown into another culture where he learns about his ancestors and the traditions of his childhood. The French Pyrenees are stuck in time and Mathieu has to make sense out of decisions made by his grandfather years ago. He manages to find his place in the world and the answers he was seeking. The Last Shepherd by Martin Etchart is an interesting tale about growing up in a Basque-American family. The story is current and unpredictable.  DB