Book Review - The Second Chance Trailer Park by Katie Powner

My Review

Meredith McGillicutty is 52 and life isn't going her way.  She loses out on a promotion at work, quits her job, and breaks up with her boyfriend (with very mixed feelings).  She impulsively moves to a 55 and up trailer park, intending to retire and get away from her life ... although she is only 52 and posing as someone a bit older to live there.  She gets a great deal on a trailer that comes fully furnished -- including a cat named Sir Edmund a/k/a Eddie.  She meets a wide range of people in the neighborhood, makes friends, and becomes involved in the community.  This new life makes her question her choices and think about what she really wants.

I wanted to read The Second Chance Trailer Park because it sounded so unique and charming.  It is!  This book is told with a great deal of warmth and humor, including some sly lines and a couple of situations that made me laugh out loud.  Meredith develops a great deal of affection for her older neighbors - and I certainly did too as a reader.

This is a warm book with a memorable protagonist, unlike anything else I have read recently.  I thoroughly enjoyed the author's fresh voice and some of the should-be-a-TV-series situations that Meredith finds herself in.

I recommend The Second Chance Trailer Park for fans of women's fiction, warm hearted characters, and anyone wanting to read about second chances at life.

Thanks to the author for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Review and Giveaway - Crying in the Chapel: A Swinging Sixties Mystery by Teresa Trent

My Review

In August 1965, Dot Morgan is planning her wedding to Ben Dalton.  She's at church, working on wedding plans, when the body of the church caretaker is discovered on the lawn.  Dot becomes involved in juggling amateur detection with wedding planning.

I wanted to read Crying in the Chapel because the Swinging Sixties mystery series sounds so appealing.  I love 1960's settings and also am a cozy mystery fan.

This was a fun mystery!  It is my first read in the series, but read fine as a standalone ... although I do intend to read future books in this series.

Dot is an interesting character.  She's a secretary, an amateur detective, and she wants to maintain her identity after marriage ... despite the wishes of her more conventional future mother-in-law.  Dot works to solve the mysteries that pop up in her small town with the help of her very pregnant cousin Ellie (who is also her future matron of honor).  I enjoyed Dot's sleuthing skills.

The mystery has a refreshing 1960's feel, something I don't see often in cozy mysteries.  I recommend Crying in the Chapel for other cozy mystery fans, and especially for anyone who also enjoys '60's settings.

Book Synopsis

It’s August 1965, and Dot Morgan is finally getting married to the dashing reporter Ben Dalton. Her wedding day, August 14th, promises to be perfect—if only it didn’t follow Friday the 13th. What could go wrong? Planning a wedding with the members of the Camden Chapel, Dot thinks she’s overwhelmed, but then it gets worse when a body is found on the church lawn. Dot decides to focus on her wedding to Ben, but when police reveal the victim didn’t jump from the belfry—he was pushed—she can no longer look away. Her suspects aren’t hardened criminals; they’re the same church members who bring casseroles and ask about her family. With her wedding day fast approaching, Dot must unmask a killer hiding in plain sight, or the secrets of Camden Chapel will remain buried in the summer heat.

Author Bio

Teresa Trent has been writing and publishing mysteries since 2011 starting with the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series and followed by the Piney Woods Mystery Series. She presently writes the Swinging Sixties Mystery Series and the Henry Park Paranormal Series. When Teresa isn’t writing novels and short stories, she spends her time creating narrated excerpts on her podcast, Books to the Ceiling, where she gets to use all that community theater experience from her teens and twenties along with a little audio editing she learned from her daughter. Teresa is a former English teacher, but also spent many years teaching music to preschoolers, working with children of all abilities. Teresa makes her home in Texas with her husband and son.

Author Links

Website:  https://teresatrent.com

Blog/Podcast: Books to the Ceiling   https://teresatrent.blog

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/teresatrentmysterywriter

X:   https://twitter.com/ttrent_cozymys

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5219581.Teresa_Trent

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/teresatrent_cozymys/

BookBub – Teresa Trent Books – BookBub

Threads – https://www.threads.com/@teresatrent_cozymys

Purchase Links

Amazon    Barnes and Noble      Kobo      Bookshop.org      Bookbub

Giveaway

 

Book Review - Lost in the Summer of '69 by Eliza Knight

My Review

Lost in the Summer of '69 is the story of three women in one family -- Leanne Miller is the perfect wife and mother, living in Ossining, New York with her husband and teenage daughter Nora.  Nora is about to go to Yale as one of the first women accepted there.  When Leanne's mother, a thwarted musician, goes missing in this summer of music festivals, Leanne and Nora take off on a long road trip to find her, traveling to old fashioned motels and festivals in their search.

I wanted to read this book because I love 1960's settings and the music festivals and summer setting sounded like a fun read.  I absolutely loved Eliza Knight's book The Queen's Faithful Companion (about Queen Elizabeth and her favorite corgi dog), so that sparked my interest in this novel as well.

The book is told in the alternating viewpoints of the three characters.  They all evolve over the summer.  Leanne and Nora are not very close initially.  Leanne is very prim and proper, the perfect 1960's housewife.  She learns over the road trip summer to be more relaxed and take life a day at a time.  Nora grows closer to her mother as they search for Eleanor, stopping at diners and reading popular paperback novels out loud in the car.  Nora also experiences first love with a young man who is writing articles about the different music festivals they visit.  I have to add that I saw some similarities between Leanne and Nora and Betty and Sally Draper from Mad Men -- down to the Ossining suburbs.

Eleanor's story is a sadder one.  She takes off because she has a diagnosis of early onset dementia.  We see her having occasional memory lapses as she travels to festivals, becoming a sort of celebrity as a grandmother with a guitar - and the voice of an angel.  She performs on stage with one of the musicians she grows close to ... but she knows she will eventually have to go back home.

This is a well written novel.  The period details were exceptional.  I enjoyed the music festivals, and hearing about the singers and bands the women encounter or hear.  I especially loved the smaller moments with Leanne and Nora, the old fashioned motels, the road trip, the diners and truck stops, the books they read aloud together.

I recommend Lost in the Summer of '69 as a summer read for anyone who loves 1960's settings, classic rock, or Americana road trips ... and especially for anyone who enjoys a multi-generational family story.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair (The Detection Club) by Kelly Oliver

Book Synopsis

Scotland, 1930: Agatha Christie is getting married. She invites fellow members of the Detection Club to the windswept Isle of Skye for a quiet break while the banns are read. But tranquility proves elusive when the formidable Lord Blackwood, leader of a hunting party sharing their lodge, vanishes from the moors.

Sharp-eyed assistant to the Detection Club secretary, Eliza Baker, suspects foul play as the strange occurrences pile up: a mysterious grave in the churchyard, a missing rifle, and late-night excursions across the rugged island. There may be no body—yet—but someone at Dunmara Lodge is hiding a deadly secret.

As a storm cuts them off from the mainland, Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate lies, half-truths, and a treacherous landscape… but can they uncover the killer in the stalking grounds… or will the moors keep their secrets forever?

Head to the remote Isle of Skye in this delightful and gripping golden-age mystery series, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright and T. E. Kinsey.

Author Bio

Kelly Oliver is the Agatha award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, The Fiona Figg Mysteries, and The Detection Club Mysteries.

The Fiona Figg Mysteries have been on the most anticipated list of Mystery Magazine and won the Mystery and Mayhem Award and the Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Mystery. And The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, Detection Club Mystery book one, is currently nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Historical Mystery.

Kelly is Past President of Sisters in Crime National, current Education Coordinator for SinC Guppies, and a Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.

To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to www.kellyoliverbooks.com.

Website  Bestselling Author Kelly Oliver

BookBub  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-oliver

Amazon Author Page   https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Oliver/e/B001HN3HCM/

INSTAGRAM @kellyoliverbooks

Pinterest Kelly Oliver Books   https://www.pinterest.com.au/oliver743

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/kellyoliverauthor/

Pinterest Kelly Oliver Books   https://www.pinterest.com.au/oliver7431/

Purchase Links
Amazon US   Amazon CA    Amazon UK     Amazon AU     Amazon IN    B&N

Giveaway

Book Review - The Queen's Coronation by Jennifer Ryan

My Review

The Queen's Coronation is a historical novel set in 1952 England, as Queen Elizabeth is preparing for her coronation.  The story is told from the viewpoint of three women:  Caroline Brimstone, a dresser to the queen, is unhappily married and the mother of a young daughter;   Miranda Miller is an American journalist who has taken an office job at the palace in order to covertly write articles "behind the scenes";  Lucy Jones is a young wardrobe assistant who wants to be a singer.

I wanted to read this novel because I love Jennifer Ryan's historical fiction.  Her book The Chilbury Ladies Choir is one of my all time favorite novels.  I love the fresh perspective she brings to life in England during World War II.

It took me a few chapters to get to know the three protagonists in this book.  I found Caroline immediately sympathetic, found Miranda's story interesting, and was often exasperated with Lucy's naivete and very poor decisions with men.  As the book went on, their stories became more entwined and I became fully engrossed in the storytelling.  

The historical details in this book are lovely.  It was unique and interesting glimpsing the coronation from the viewpoint of everyday women working at the palace.  I especially loved the glimpses of excitement in the larger community about the coronation, like the big street festival in the neighborhood where the women lived, with Caroline's young daughter dressed up as queen.

I really enjoyed The Queen's Coronation and recommend this book for other historical fiction fans.  Readers who have an interest in Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family will be particularly interesting.  (And yes, fellow dog lovers, there are several Corgi sightings in the book!)

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Review - The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

My Review

In 1957, a young, recently orphaned girl named Aria Jones finds herself at the Chateau Marmont, moving in with her aunt, a former actress that she doesn't really know.  She makes friends with two young starlets living at the hotel and is shocked on a regular basis by how different life in 1950's Hollywood is from the quiet life she was used to in New York.  The book flashes between Aria as a young girl and later as a young woman in the 1960's.  It is loosely inspired by Jane Eyre.

I wanted to read The Chateau on Sunset because I love novels with a Mid-Century setting.  I'm interested in old time Hollywood, and Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books.

This novel has so many interesting things going on at once -- it is a coming of age novel, a love story, a mystery.  It deals with some darker aspects of life for young women in Hollywood long before the Me Too movement.

The historical details are vividly captured, and the writing is beautiful, verging on poetic, with passages like:

"But it’s raining as heavily as one of those Manhattan summer storms that would pour down from a sky that had been bright blue a moment before, magicking up puddles and umbrella hawkers where there’d once been dull concrete and souvenir stands" (eBook location 2482).

At the heart of the story there is Aria, who feels invisible as an ordinary girl in this star touched world.  There is also the story of Aria and Theo, a rock star living at the Marmont with his young daughter. 

I read this book late at night, staying up to read just another chapter, waiting for the next twist or surprise that was sure to come (and it did, it always did).

I recommend The Chateau on Sunset for readers who enjoy historical fiction, and especially old time Hollywood.  The Jane Eyre references (and divergences) are sure to interest fans of that classic book as well.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Review - On the Book Train to Paris by Norie Clarke

My Review

On the Book Train to Paris is a story of three women in Edinburgh who are looking for a new start.  They are all living at an old family bookstore.  Carly is a young woman at a crossroads, not sure if she wants to write or run a bookshop or teach yoga.  Her mother Fran is a famed romance author who has writer's block and is feeling insecure in her marriage.  Elsa is an older family friend who is caring for her husband who has dementia.  When they have the opportunity to go to Paris on a book train, promoting books and authors, they travel and the trip changes their lives.

I wanted to read this book because I love fiction set in Paris, I love trains, enjoy bookstore settings, and the idea of a book train sounds amazing!

This is a charming, leisurely read.  I loved the way the stories unfolded.  Carly meets two men on the train trip and has feelings for them both.  Fran finds a book and some mementos that belonged to her long lost love, and this propels her travels ... even more so when she unexpectedly sees him again.

Elsa's story involves a lot of armchair psychology, as she is interested in pursuing studies to be a counselor.  There were a number of New Age aphorisms attached to her storyline, which made it a bit less engaging to me than the other two women's stories.

I recommend On the Book Train to Paris for fans of women's fiction and especially for anyone interested in Paris and bookstore settings.

Thanks to Headline Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Review - In the Spirit of French Murder By Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris Mystery Series)

My Review

In 1950, Tabitha Knight is enjoying life in Paris with her "messieurs" - her grandfather and uncle, and her friend (and fellow ex-pat) Julia Child.  She has a startling encounter with a medium.  Then she attends a dinner for former Resistance fighters along with her messieurs, and witnesses the aftermath of a murder.  Tabitha becomes involved in solving the mystery, with the help of Julia, and also her crush, Detective Merveille.  

I wanted to read In the Spirit of French Murder because I have loved the earlier books in this series.  It has so much that I enjoy - historical fiction, a cozy mystery, and life in Paris!  I love the atmosphere in this series, with passages like:

"We were silent on the short walk back to his car. The night had turned colder, and the air was still, carrying only the faintest tinge of cigarette smoke. A spray of stars glittered above, joined by a chunk of moon that had dipped lower since we’d walked along the quai hours ago." (eBook location 191).

Tabitha is a wonderful amateur detective.  She has sharp intuition and often discovers clues even before Merveille.  I especially enjoyed the scenes of their forays into Paris at night, looking for clues in quirky and unexpected places.  And of course I enjoyed their chemistry - they both seem to want to get together, but they are also both reticent.

Julia Child is a delightful character in this book.  I love her rhapsodies about fresh strawberries and the produce market, and her excitement to try new recipes and new cooking techniques.  The food descriptions in this series are unparalleled!

The mystery aspect of this book was interesting, with a glimpse back at the French resistance movement, and several plausible suspects.  The murderer took me by surprise!

I highly recommend In the Spirit of French Murder, and this series, for other fans of historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, Paris settings - and Julia Child.  Five stars!

Book Review and Giveaway - A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten

My Review

In 1763, Penelope Corbitt travels with her two children and her brother-in-law on the way to his house.  She has lost her husband and her home and is reluctantly resettling.  They get stranded at an inn run by the town constable and Penelope finds a body in the outhouse.  The inn's owner, Miles, is also a recent widower and needs help at the inn's tavern.  Penelope starts cooking and helping ... while she juggles taking care of her children and working to solve the murder mystery.

I wanted to read A Necessary Death because the 1760's setting was intriguing.  I am interested in early American history but had never read a mystery set during this time period.

The first few chapters really set the scene of how different life was during this time period.  The conditions were very basic and challenging and danger was unexpected.  (An animal lover, I had to skip the chapter involving a beloved dog's death.) As Penelope settled in more at the inn, sleuthing - and a slow, reluctant friendship with Miles - became more central to the story.

The historical details in this book are very interesting.  The author did a wonderful job with this sense of history.  I enjoyed the details of historic food and cooking, which included several recipes (i.e. Dead Cakes, Mince Pies, Dauphiny Soup).

The mystery aspect of the story was well plotted, with several people confessing to the murder, a very surprising twist, and real danger lurking.

A Necessary Death is a unique read of interest to historical fiction readers, and especially to readers interested in early American history.

Book Synopsis

With Penelope Corbitt in the kitchen, the tavern will never be the same.

Penelope Corbitt can turn a lump of meat and a bit of flour into a mouth-watering pie or make a tasty meal of cabbage and vinegar. But all her skill can’t save her family in the spring of 1763, when she loses everything to pay off her missing husband’s debts. Walking a tightrope between the freedom of poverty and the confines of propriety, she must accept her stingy brother-in-law’s reluctant charity to keep her family fed and her children close. The miserable journey north from Philadelphia is interrupted when the coach crashes in the mud. Penelope and her children are stranded at a run-down tavern. Penelope doesn’t think things can get worse.

Then she finds a dead man.

Author Bio

Living in the shadow of the Mississippi River bluffs, Terri Karsten has been a writer and educator for many years. She grew up in sunny San Jose, California, playing amid the cherry orchards that soon gave way to houses. In her search for education and adventure, she lived in Iowa and Wisconsin, Mexico and France, before settling into a hundred-year-old house in Winona, Minnesota. She spends most days in her tiny office, surrounded by  books, papers, and good memories.

With more ideas than time, Terri writes a bit of everything, ranging from historical fiction novels to picture book folktales to dozens of short stories and articles in magazines, encyclopedias, and newspapers.

When she is not writing, Terri loves poring over old cookbooks and recreating dishes from long ago, especially medieval, Renaissance, and colonial  foods. Always ready for the next adventure, she enjoys camping, hiking, and traveling. Her latest goal is to visit National Parks in every state. Only 13 states to go!

Author Links

• Webpage: https://terrikarsten.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrikarsten
• Substack: https://historicalcookery.substack.com/
• GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7343260.Terri_Evert_Karsten
• Purchase Links – Amazon  B&N

Giveaway

Book Review and Giveaway - Death of an Antiquarian: A Mia Reid, Archaeologist, Mystery by Rose Kerr

My Review

Archaeologist Mia Reid is busy working on a new exhibit at the Lakeview City Museum in Ontario.  When she goes to an antique shop sale with her grandmother, she meets a local antique dealer ... who dies suddenly afterwards.  His daughter asks Mia to look into the case, and she becomes involved in solving the mystery of his murder.

I wanted to read Death of an Antiquarian because I have a lifelong interest in antiques.  The details in this book - antiques, Mia's archaeology work, Luke's Interpol work, and antiquities smuggling, were all absolutely fascinating!

Mia is such a smart protagonist.  I loved the way she approached the mystery with such a calm, methodical manner.  

This is the second book in the Mia Reid series but I had no problem at all enjoying Death of an Antiquarian as a standalone read.

The mystery aspect of this book was well done, with strong suspects and some unexpected plot twists.  I enjoyed this read and look forward to future books in the series!

Book Synopsis

When archaeologist Dr. Mia Reid takes a contract position at the Lakeview City Museum, she expects artifacts, exhibitions, and research notes, not murder. The death of a local antique dealer, with unexpected ties to artifact smuggling, draws Mia into a dangerous mystery.

As chatter of an international smuggling ring surfaces, Mia and Luke race to uncover the truth. The stakes rise when threats reach her—and her beloved grandmother.

With lives in jeopardy and artifacts at risk of vanishing forever into the black market, Mia must use all her skills to piece together the puzzle. Can she expose a killer before the next artifact or person disappears?

Author Bio

Retired in Southern Ontario with her husband, Rose spends her days crafting mysteries featuring strong, smart women who use their resourcefulness to solve crimes. When she’s not writing, she enjoys discovering the hidden gems of the region and indulging her lifelong curiosity.

Author Links

Website: https://rosekerr.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/RoseKerrauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22146877.Rose_Kerr

Amazon Author Central page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/rose-kerr-mysteries

Purchase Links:  Amazon  Barnes and Noble    Kobo    Bookshop.org

Giveaway 

Book Review - Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

My Review

After Maeve and Therese Dunigan's mother passes away, they meet at their childhood home in Savannah.  They could not be more different;  Maeve is a by the rules professor, while Therese is a rule breaking actress.  They are both single, out of work, and at odds with each other.  Three things happen that change everything:  they discover their mother had mortgaged their family home and they are in financial straits;  they find out that an old ancestral portrait hanging in their home may be worth a great deal of money;  they learn that their mother saved money for them to take a trip to Ireland together, as her last wish.  They go to Ireland to learn about their ancestry and the mysterious painting.  They discover more mysteries there, possible romance, and twists and turns that effect them both.

I wanted to read Road Trip because I love Mary Kay Andrews' books.  She is one of my favorite writers and I always enjoy her summer reads.

This was such a delightful, engrossing book!  I found myself going slowly because I wanted to savor the story.  I liked Maeve right away, and Therese grew on me as a character as the book went on.  I loved Liam, the Irish whiskey distiller, the gruff and quirky Esme, who is a previously unknown relative, and of course Esme's cocker spaniel, the memorably named Sinead O'Cocker.

I enjoyed the Irish inn, the countryside, and the mystery that unfolded there about their great-grandmother Kathleen.  Kathleen is at the center of their history.  She disappeared in the 1920's along with a family portrait and a mysterious murder, traveling to America and a new life there.  The glimpses of her life in Ireland, and later in America, are fascinating.

Road Trip is an absolutely perfect summer read, especially for anyone who enjoys some armchair travel and a mystery mixed in.  It is sure to be one of my top 10 books of 2026, and I highly recommend it.

PS - I have to add that I found Celtic Relaxation Music at Spotify a perfect soundtrack for reading this novel!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.