Book ~ "The Age of Hope" (2012) David Bergen

From Goodreads ~ Born in 1930 in a small town outside Winnipeg, beautiful Hope Koop appears destined to have a conventional life. Church, marriage to a steady young man, children - her fortunes are already laid out for her, as are the shiny modern appliances in her new home. All she has to do is stay with Roy, who loves her. 

But as the decades unfold, what seems to be a safe predictable existence overwhelms Hope. Where - among the demands of her children, the expectations of her husband and the challenges of her best friend, Emily, who has just read "The Feminine Mystique" - is there room for her? And just who is she anyway? A wife, a mother, a woman whose life is somehow unrealized? 

This beautifully crafted and perceptive work of fiction spans some fifty years of Hope Koop's life in the second half of the 20th century, from traditionalism to feminism and beyond. David Bergen has created an indelible portrait of a seemingly ordinary woman who struggles to accept herself as she is, and in so doing, becomes unique.

This story is about Hope, the only daughter of Scottish mother and a non-practicing Mennonite father, living through changing times in a small Mennonite town outside Winnipeg, Manitoba. Set from the 1950s through the early 2000s, it follows Hope, a conventional housewife, as she goes through marriage, motherhood, societal expectations and personal discontent.

On the surface, she has a pretty typical life and instead of following her dreams, does what was expected ... she marries Roy, a car salesman, and raises their four children. But deep down, she’s often unsure of her place in the world. As time goes on and society shifts (feminism, changing family roles, new cultural norms, etc.), Hope finds herself feeling restless, confused and sometimes lost. She doesn't always know what she wants but she senses there's more to life than what she's been told to expect.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it. It's written in third person perspective, with a focus on Hope. It explores things like identity, mental health, growing older (at the end of the story, Hope is in her 70s) and what it means to live a good life. As a head's up, there is some swearing.

Book ~ "Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman" (2012) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Knocking off a drug kingpin was the last thing on Maggie Lee's to-do list but when a tragic accident leaves her beloved niece orphaned and in the hospital, Maggie will go to desperate lengths to land the money needed for her care.

But the drug kingpin is the least of her worries. Maggie's aunts are driving her crazy, her best friend's turned into a bridezilla ... and a knock on the head has given Maggie Dr. Dolittle abilities - she can talk to animals. Unfortunately, they talk back.

It's just another day in the life of this neurotic hitwoman,

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company and doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital she needs to be in. When she was approached by a mob boss to kill his son-in-law, she took the job as it paid off well. The mob boss offers Maggie another job ... to kill a drug dealer. At first, Maggie doesn't want to do it but changes her mind when she finds out the drug dealer had supplied the drugs to the driver who had caused the car accident that killed her sister. On top of this, Alice, her best friend, is getting married soon and Maggie is the maid of honour.

This is the second in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but you should read the first one as there are many references in this one that will make more sense and you'll have the background. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, and Doomsday, a dog she took in when she killed her owner ... it sounded dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie. Maggie has a crazy assortment of relatives around her. Her mother is in the "looney bin" and Maggie has chosen to have no contact with her. Her father is in prison for robbery and murder. Her mother's sisters (aka the witches) are quirky in different ways. Maggie was one of four daughters and is the only one left ... but she recently discovered that her sister, Marlene, who had run away years ago and was presumed dead, is actually alive.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job (her boss keeps hitting on her) but has to keep it to appear "normal". But it's also heartwarming as she is dealing with so much from her past and the present. I look forward to reading the others in the series.

Book ~ "Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman" (2012) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Maggie Lee is not your average hitwoman. For one thing, she's never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard - a picky eater, obsessed with Wheel of Fortune, that only Maggie can hear.

Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible so she reluctantly accepts a mobster's lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law.

Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh and let's not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she's up to.

Training has never been so complicated! And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn't ... she's the mob's next target.

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Unless Maggie can come up with a lot of money to pay for Katie's care in a topnotch hospital, Katie will be moved and probably will get lesser care. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company so doesn't have that kind of money. When she is approached by a mob boss to kill his son-in-law for $100,000, she doesn't have a lot of choice. Luckily and suprisingly he offers to have Patrick, a police officer and contract hit man, to train her.

This is the first in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. I had my doubts about this book when I discovered Maggie can now carry on a conversation with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie has to take care of until Katie recovers ... it sounded dumb but God was actually amusing and a good friend and confident to Maggie. Maggie has a crazy assortment of relatives around her. Her mother is in the "looney bin" and Maggie has chosen to have no contact with her. Her father is in prison for robbery and murder. Her mother's sisters (aka the witches) are quirky in different ways. Maggie was one of four daughters and is the only one left ... Theresa was killed in the car accident, Darlene was abducted years ago and murdered and Marlene, Darlene's twin, ran away from home a long time ago.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job and is floundering as she learns how to become an assassin. But it's also heartwarming as she is dealing with so much from her past and the present. I look forward to reading the others in the series. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Domino" (2012) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Mia and Michael Battelli would love a kitty of their very own. But until their family is ready for a full-time pet, they foster cats and kittens. They give them lots of love and attention, and help these cute kitties find the perfect home. 

On a cold winter night, Michael discovers an adorable tuxedo kitten lost in the snow. Domino is wearing a collar but the tag is missing. He's scared, hungry and all alone. It's up to Michael to help this kitten in need. Will he be able to find Domino's home?

Mia and Michael are in elementary school. They'd like to have a pet but they live in an apartment and their parents don't it's the right time or place to have one.

Michael is sledding with a friend when he sees a tuxedo kitten as he is flying down the hill. Michael takes the kitten home but because of a snowstorm, the family isn't able to put up "found cat" posters or bring the kitten to the vet to check for a chip for a few days. The family get attached to the rambunctious kitty who they name Domino. If they can't find the owner, will they be able to find a home for Domino?

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There was a cat quiz at the end along some info about cats. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Domino's point of view. It is the fourth book in the Kitty Corner series.

Book ~ "Mocha" (2012) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home.

Charles and his family are visiting relatives in the country when a stranger drops off a puppy. Mocha, a Bernese Mountain dog, was running around on the highway without a leash or tags. Can Charles find this adventurous pup a perfect place to live?

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

The Petersons are visiting relatives in the country for a few weeks to celebrate Thanksgiving. There is a knock on the door and a stranger has a puppy he had rescued from a highway. He leaves quickly, leaving the puppy, who they name Mocha. Mocha is taken to the vet to see if she's chipped and it's discovered she's not. Mocha is very friendly and loves everyone so it shouldn't be hard to find her the perfect home.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Mocha's point of view. It is the twenty-ninth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Lucy" (2012) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home.

Lucy, the basset mix, has super-long ears, a mournful howl, and, as the Petersons soon discover, a penchant for burying things. Will they be able to find this soulful puppy a caring home?

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

A friend of the Petersons also fosters dogs but doesn't have room at the moment for Lucy, a basset/beagle/dachshund mix. The Petersons help out by taking care of Lucy. As they soon discover, nothing is safe from Lucy as she likes to bury things. The friend is able to take Lucy back just as Charles thinks he's found the perfect home for her.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Lucy's point of view. It is the twenty-seventh in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Cocoa" (2012) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ When Cocoa, a large chocolate Lab puppy, accidentally knocks over her elderly owner, Charles convinces his parents to foster this excitable dog. But can the Peterson household survive Cocoa's high energy behavior? 

Charles is confident that this intelligent pup will learn to calm down so they can find her a perfect forever home.

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Cocoa is a chocolate Lab puppy who is owned by an elderly couple. Cocoa has more energy than they can handle. One day she accidentally knocks the husband down and he needs to go to rehab. The wife can't handle Cocoa on her own so the Petersons offer to take care of Cocoa while the husband recovers. But Charles realizes until Cocoa gets older and settles down, she'll always be too much for the couple.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Cocoa's point of view. It is the twenty-fifth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "The Witness" (2012) Nora Roberts

From Goodreads ~ Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems - and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something - and that her elaborate defences hide a story that must be revealed.

In 2000, Elizabeth was on the verge of turning 17. She was the daughter of a single mother who controlled everything she did. She was also extremely intelligent and excelled in school, about to enter medical school. After an argument with her mother, Elizabeth rebels ... she heads to the mall and runs into a former schoolmate. They go shopping and make plans to go to a night club the next night with the fake IDs Elizabeth makes. At the club, they meet a couple of older guys, who turn out to be in the Russian mafia, and the night ends up with with murders. Elizabeth sees it all happen and ends up in witness protection, which doesn't end up being so safe after all.

Twelve years later, Elizabeth is now Abigail and working as a freelance securities systems developer. She lives outside a small town in the Ozarks with her big guard dog, Bert, and many guns. She keeps to herself which attracts the interest of the town and especially the local police chief, Brooks. Brooks starts approaching her and becomes attracted to and intrigued by her. He eventually breaks down her defences and against her better judgment, they begin dating and fall in love .... but she is always ready to disappear again if she has to.

I found the first part of the book (the Elizabeth part) interesting. When she became Abigail, it was unrealistic and less interesting and draggy. When I was reading the things she was saying and thinking, she seemed like a female Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory ... brilliant but lacking social skills and real world knowledge. Plus I wasn't buying that at 17, she went on the run with $15,000 and managed to buy cars and stay in motels/hotels by paying cash, changed her identity many times but is a master hacker so is able to create her new identities, and is now a very rich woman. She was resistant when Brooks started basically stalking her but it didn't take much for her to accept him into her world and they are in love within a couple of months.

It's a long book that could have been so much shorter. There were side stories that included local townsfolk that had nothing to do with Abigail ... these could have been chopped out and put into another book or two where they would have worked better since they could have been the focal point rather than filler in this book.

It's written in third personal perspective from Elizabeth/Abigail and Brooks' point of view. As a head's up, there is swearing, violence and adult activity.

Book ~ "Rocky" (2012) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ When Lizzie sees an ad in the paper for a dog in need of a new home, she is immediately concerned. Why is this person so anxious to get rid of their puppy? 

Rocky is a cuddly, couch potato of a Bulldog. He was originally brought in as a guard dog but he would rather nap than protect a store. While fostering Rocky, Lizzie learns that the puppy is very stubborn and not open to changing his lazy ways. 

But every pet owner has a different need and Lizzie is able to find an older couple in need of a companion who are more than happy to accommodate the sleepy puppy's lifestyle.

Lizzie and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Lizzie sees an ad in the newspaper that someone is looking to rehome Rocky, a puppy bulldog. Concerned that the dog might be given to just anyone, her family fosters Rocky and try to find a home for him. He had been original bought as a guard dog but he's actually a goofy lazy lovable boy.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Rocky's point of view. It is the twenty-six in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Bandit" (2012) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Bandit is an adorable black and white Shih Tzu with a mask-like marking over his eyes. Lizzie discovers him at a highway rest stop restaurant. He was abandoned by his owers because he needs an operation and they couldn't afford it.

Lizzie and her family take Bandit in and begin fundraising for the expensive procedure. Maria and her Uncle Teo are also a big help. Maria and Lizzie establish competing dog-walking businesses to raise funds. Everyone who meets Bandit falls instantly in love - except for Uncle Teo, who thinks he's a little too small and fluffy. In the end, Bandit's operation is a success. Uncle Teo is won over by the resilient puppy and agrees to adopt him.

Lizzie and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Lizzie is heading with her friend, Maria, to their cottage when they stop for pancakes at a truck stop restaurant. As they are paying, the cashier is holding a Shih Tzu puppy named Bandit and tells them that he was abandoned behind the restaurant because he needs a heart operation and his owners can't afford it. The Petersons agree to foster him and their vet arranges for his surgery. Lizzie and Maria started walking dogs to raise money to pay for the surgery while they work on finding him his furever home. But they are concerned that he may not make it through his operation.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Bandit's point of view. It is the twenty-fourth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Freak" (2012) Jennifer Hillier

From Goodreads ~ Sitting alone in a maximum-security prison cell, Abby Maddox is a celebrity. Her claim to fame is the envy of every freak on the outside: she’s the former lover of Ethan Wolfe, the killer who left more than a dozen dead women in his wake and nearly added Puget Sound State professor Sheila Tao to the tally. Now Abby, serving a nine-year sentence for slashing a police officer’s throat in a moment of rage, has little human contact - save for the letters that pour in from demented fans, lunatics, and creeps. But a new wave of murders has given Abby a possible chance for a plea bargain - because this killer has been sending her love letters, and carving a message on the bodies of the victims: Free Abby Maddox.

Jerry Isaac will never forget the attack - or his attacker. The hideous scarring and tortured speech are daily reminders that the one-time Seattle PD officer, now a private investigator, is just lucky to be alive. Abby Maddox deserves to rot in jail - forever, as far as Jerry’s concerned. But she alone may possess crucial evidence - letters from this newest killer - that could crack open the disturbing case. With the help of Professor Sheila Tao, seasoned police detective Mike Torrance, and intuitive criminology student Danny Mercy, Jerry must coax the shattering truth from isolated, dangerous Abby Maddox. Can he put the pieces together before Abby’s number one fan takes another life in the name of a killer’s perverted idea of justice?

Ethan had been a teaching assistant to Sheila, a professor, and they had an affair. When she broke up with him, he didn't take it well and he kidnapped her. They were eventually found and Ethan was killed. Ethan had apparently killed many women and it is suspected that Abby, his girlfriend, was also involved, though she denies it. She is serving a nine year sentence in prison for slashing the throat of Jerry, a private detective, so she could escape when it was discovered what Ethan had done.

A year later, women who look like Abby are murdered and "Free Abby Maddox" is carved into their backs. Abby agrees to help catch the murderer if she is moved into a minimum security prison. As much as Jerry despises Abby for what she did to him, he agrees to help Mike, his ex-partner police officer, in doing what he has to do to save women's lives.

I've liked other books by this author and thought this one was ridiculous. It is written in third person perspective with a focus on where the action was. It was unbelievable how Abby was able to manipulate everyone just so she could get revenge on Sheila. It was gross how Jerry kept scratching at is scar. Though it is second in the Creep series, it works as a stand alone but I would suggest you read the first one first so you get the full background. As a head's up, there is swearing and extreme violence.

Book ~ "Killer Fudge" (2012) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Atlanta private investigator/cleaning business owner Callahan Garrity once again proves her ability to clean up a sticky mess. When the grandson of faithful House Mouse employee Ruby is charged with brutally bludgeoning an elderly antique dealer, Callahan is called on to investigate. What she discovers is a recipe for homicide. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

Ruby, one of Callahan's House Mouse employees, comes to her for help ... her young grandson had been arrested for the murder of an elderly client he had been hired to do lawn work for.  Plus he'd taken a pile of cash from the old man.  Callahan investigates and discovers what really happened.  The solving of the real killer is pretty lame.

This is a short story in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. 

 Also included is a recipe for a fudge.

Book ~ "Fatal Fruitcake" (2012) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Atlanta cleaning lady/private detective Callahan Garrity, the protagonist of the author's eight critically acclaimed mysteries, returns from a long hiatus in this short story to track down the source of a killer fruitcake--and in the process discovers that some forms of Christmas spirit really can be lethal. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

It's the Christmas season and Callahan and Edna are putting up their tree.  Callahan gets a call from Jacky, one of her House Mouse employees, that while cleaning after an office party, she came across a dead body in the boardroom.  Panicked she called Callahan who advises her to call the police.  When Callahan arrives, the coroner has found a piece of fruitcake lodged in the dead guy's throat and deems it death by asphyxiation.  Callahan doesn't believe this and investigates and discovers what really happened.

This is a short story in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. 

 Also included is the author's recipe for a not-so-fatal fruitcake.

Book ~ "Underwater Dogs" (2012) Seth Casteel

From Goodreads ~ From the water's surface, it's a simple exercise: a dog's leap, a splash, and then a wet head surfacing with a ball, triumphant.

But beneath the water is a chaotic ballet of bared teeth and bubbles, paddling paws, fur and ears billowing in the currents. From leaping Lab to diving Dachshund, the water is where a dog's distinct personality shines through; some lounge in the current, paddling slowly, but others arch their bodies to cut through the water with the focus and determination of a shark.

In more than eighty portraits, award-winning pet photographer and animal rights activist Seth Casteel captures new sides of our old friends with vibrant underwater photography that makes it impossible to look away. Each image bubbles with exuberance and life, a striking reminder that even in the most loveable and domesticated dog, there are more primal forces at work. In Underwater Dogs, Seth Casteel gives playful and energetic testament to the rough-and-tumble joy that our dogs bring into our lives.

I like dogs ... I like pictures ... I like pictures of dogs so this book caught my eye.

In 2000, Seth Casteel was taking pictures of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Buster in a backyard.  Buster started knocking his ball into the pool and jumping in to get it.  Casteel wondered what he looked like underwater so he changed his focus and the photo shoot switched from being an "on land" theme to a "in the pool" one.  

He went on to photograph more than 250 dogs, most of whom had never been underwater before or even been swimming.  Some of the pictures are freaky but underwater dogs show what retrieving means to them.  It's a quick read as it's just pictures, both full colour and black and white ... but it was a fun book.

Book ~ "Heart of a Killer" (2012) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ Jamie Wagner is a young lawyer who is happy to be flying under the radar at a large firm. It’s not that he isn’t smart. He is. It’s just that hard work, not to mention the whole legal thing, isn’t exactly his passion. Underachiever? A little. Content? Right up until the firm puts him on a case that turns his whole world upside down. 

Sheryl Harrison has served four years of a thirty-year murder sentence for killing her husband, who she claims was abusive. The case is settled - there shouldn’t be anything for Jamie to do - except Sheryl’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Karen, is sick. She has a congenital heart defect and will die without a transplant. Her blood type is rare, making their chances of finding a matching donor remote at best. Sheryl wants to be that donor for her daughter, and Jamie is in way over his head. Suicide, no matter the motive, is illegal. So with Sheryl on suicide watch, Jamie’s only shot at helping her and saving Karen is to reopen the murder case, prove Sheryl’s innocence, and get her freed so that she can pursue her plan on her own.

Jamie is a smart guy but not overly motivated.  He knows he'll never make partner in the law firm he works for and he's okay with that.  He is handed a pro bono case ... Sheryl has been in prison for six years for murdering her husband.  Her teenage daughter, Karen, has a heart defect and needs a transplant and Sheryl is a rare match for her.  So Sheryl wants to be able to be killed so her daughter can have her heart and live.  Assisted suicides are illegal so Sheryl needs legal assistance.  Jamie enlists the help of Sheryl's arresting officer, Novack.  Despite Sheryl admitting at the time that she had murdered her husband, he never believed her and this is his chance at redemption and to prove her innocence.

In the meantime, a hacker is causing chaos across the country by taking control and crashing planes and trains, etc. in return for money.  While Novack would like to focus on Sheryl's situation, he is also pulled in to try to find the hacker as they could be local.

I've read many books by this author, mostly his Andy Carpenter series which I enjoy, and this is a stand alone.  I like the writing style and it is written in first person perspective in Jamie's voice and third person perspective when the focus is on others.  It's a bit of a depressing story with Sheryl wanting to be killed so she could donate her heart to her dying daughter.  I thought the "whodunnit" was a bit convoluted, though, and I could have done without the hacking/terrorism side story (I didn't find it all that interesting).

Book ~ "The Corpse with the Silver Tongue" (2012) Cathy Ace

From Goodreads ~ In the south of France where hatred simmers in the heat, a man seemingly admired, and certainly feared, drops dead at a dinner party. All of the guests fall under suspicion, including Welsh-Canadian professor Cait Morgan. A criminologist who specializes in profiling victims, Cait sets out to solve the murder - and clear her name. 

Add to this the disappearance of an ancient Celtic gold collar said to be cursed and there you have the ingredients for a Nicoise salad of death, secrets, and lies. Will Cait find the killer before she, too, falls victim to a murderer driven by a surprising and disturbing motive?

Cait is a criminologist from Vancouver, BC, in the south of France to present a paper for a colleague.  She runs into a former boss, Alistair, who invites her to his birthday party that evening.  Despite the fact that she hates him, she can't say no.

That night at the party, everyone falls ill (it's discovered they have been poisoned) and Alistair dies, and an expensive historical necklace Alistair was going to give his wife disappears.  Those at the party are under suspicion ... Alistair's young flaky wife, the novelist who lists upstairs, a couple of elderly neighbours, an museum director and even Cait.  It gets more suspicious when another attendee of the party is found dead.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.  It is written in first person perspective in Cait's voice.  I liked that Cait wasn't perfect ... she was 48-years-old, shorter than average, overweight with greying hair who usually wears "black bouncy, draper layers that suits most occasions and which never ever creases".  She wears horizontal stripes because though they say they make you look wider, jokingly believes that people will think it's the stripes that making her look twenty pounds heavier.  She enjoys her own company and isn't a joiner.  I thought the story was interesting.  I wasn't crazy about the ending, though ... I didn't find her potential love interest believable at that point.

This book is the first in the Cait Morgan mystery series and I look forward to reading the others.

Book ~ "Ten Thousand Truths" (2012) Susan White

From Goodreads ~ Thirteen-year-old Rachel is bad news, or so her foster care worker tells her. She's been shuttled from one rotten foster family to another ever since her mother and brother died in a car accident five years ago, and she's running out of options. So when she gets caught shoplifting and is kicked out of her latest home, the only place left to send her is the last resort for kids like her; a farm in the middle of nowhere run by a disfigured recluse named Amelia Walton, whom Rachel names 'Warty' because of the strange lumps covering her face and neck. 

Rachel settles into life on the farm, losing herself in daily chores and Amelia's endless trivia and trying to forget her past and the secret she's holding inside. But when a letter arrives for her out of the blue, Rachel soon realizes that you can't hide from your past - or your future.

Five years ago Rachel's mother and younger brother were killed in a car accident.  With no other family except for her maternal grandmother who didn't want her, Rachel, then eight, was put into the foster care system.  She was bounced from one foster family to another because of behavioral issues.  When she is caught shoplifting, that's it ... she's sent to Amelia's farm in rural New Brunswick, considered the last resort.

Rachel isn't used to the respect and support that being with Amelia provides to her and the other three foster children living there so she's initially suspicious and keeps her guard up.  Stopping in on a regular basis and helping out are Zac and Jodie, former foster children of Amelia's.  Just when Rachel has settled in and is comfortable living on the farm, she receives a letter out of the blue from a family member she didn't know she had and didn't think cared about her.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it ... I liked the story and writing style.  It was a nice feel-good book.  Though I think the target audience is young adults, I didn't find the writing juvenile.  It is written in third person perspective in various voices including Rachel's and Amelia's.  I found the characters likable, even Rachel when she wasn't at her best behavior.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Book ~ "Swallow" (2012) Theanna Bischoff

From Goodreads ~ With an absent father and their mother constantly ill, sisters Darcy and Carly Nolan were forced to rely on each other growing up. While unpredictable Carly bounced around, her life's direction uncertain, Darcy fell in love, went to university, and moved to another province. 

When nineteen-year-old Carly unexpectedly kills herself, Darcy is left to carry the burden of their childhood memories forward alone. The pain of these memories overwhelms Darcy as she struggles to unravel her own feelings of guilt, and to make sense of her sister's death - as an act of destruction, of misery, but also of love. 

Darcy and Carly are being raised by a single mother in Toronto (their father abandoned the family when Carly was still a baby).  Their mother's income as a waitress doesn't bring in a lot of money so the family doesn't have a lot.  When their mother isn't working, she is snappy and hard on her daughters.  Darcy, as the older sister, has to take care of her sister often but they are so different ... Darcy is more down-to-earth and responsible whereas Carly is more of a free spirit.  They have an older cat-rescuing neighbour they call Papi (they adopt him as their grandfather) who looks after them when their mother isn't around and he provides some normalcy in their lives.

When Darcy moves out of the house to go to university locally, she feels bad about leaving Carly behind but she does what she has to do for herself.  She and Carly talk and/or visit every day.  This continues when Darcy follows her boyfriend, Patrick, to Calgary where they both go to school and eventually find work (Darcy as a teacher).  Then Darcy gets the call that her sister has committed suicide.  That destroys her world and she has a hard time coping.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective from Darcy's point of view.  It jumps around back and forth in time but I found it fairly easy to figure out what the time period was given the content.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

It's a depressing story and while I can't say I liked the storylines (none were happy), it did keep me interested.  There aren't really any likable happy characters (except perhaps Papi but he was still mourning the death of his wife who had died many years before).  Darcy had no support and was trying to do the best she could with what she was given.

I'm assuming the title refers to the reference in the book that sailors, who often had to go away for long journeys, had tattoos of swallows.  Swallows apparently symbolized hope for their safe return home, back to those they loved.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Book ~ "Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars" (2012) Scotty Bowers and Lionel Friedberg

From Goodreads ~ Newly discharged from the Marines after World War II, Scotty Bowers arrived in Hollywood in 1946. Young, charismatic, and strikingly handsome, he quickly caught the eye of many of the town's stars and starlets. He began sleeping with some himself and connecting others with his coterie of young, attractive, and sexually free-spirited friends. His own lovers included Edith Piaf, Spencer Tracy, Vivien Leigh, Cary Grant, and the abdicated King of England Edward VIII, and he arranged tricks or otherwise crossed paths with Tennessee Williams, Charles Laughton, Vincent Price, Katharine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Errol Flynn, Gloria Swanson, Noel Coward, Mae West, James Dean, Rock Hudson and J. Edgar Hoover, to name but a few.

"Full Service" is not only a fascinating chronicle of Hollywood's sexual underground, but also exposes the hypocrisy of the major studios, who used actors to propagate a myth of a conformist, sexually innocent America knowing full well that their stars' personal lives differed dramatically from this family-friendly mold. As revelation-filled as Hollywood Babylon, "Full Service" provides a lost chapter in the history of the sexual revolution and is a testament to a man who provided sex, support, and affection to countless people. 

Bowers was born in Illinois in the early 1920s.  He and his family were very poor and living on a farm.  He served time as a Marine and moved to Los Angeles and got a job working in a gas station.  From there, he started hooking people up when they came to him regardless of what they wanted ... basically he became a pimp and even "tricked" himself out.  He claims over and over that he never did it for money ... he just wanted to make people happy.  Gag!  He eventually quit his job at the gas station and became a bartender and handyman, while continuing to be a pimp.  This is his story, focusing mostly on the famous people he hooked up and/or tricked.

I like reading gossipy books and this was definitely one.  But it was also icky.  Bowers is quite graphic about what everyone did and to whom.  As no surprise, there is a lot of swearing.  It took me a while to read this book because I kept stopping and Googling people that I hadn't been aware were gay or bisexual ... and some didn't have a whiff of it attached to them.  All the people he writes about are dead so they can't speak up for themselves.  If we are to believe his stories, we have to take his word for it.

I didn't find him overly likable and, despite him saying over and over he just did what he did to make people happy, I found him to be a user.  He met Betty before he settled in Los Angeles and they lived together there.  He was sleeping with anyone and everyone and barely home, even after she ended up pregnant and they had a daughter.  It doesn't say much for her if she was willing to put up with all this stuff ... he says he doesn't know how much she knew as he tried to keep it from her.  I hope she was having lots of fun on the side since he was never home.  He even got married when he was in his 60s and kept the marriage from Betty even though he saw her daily (she passed away 20 years later).  His wife knew about Betty and was understanding about it.  Huh?!

According to him everyone wanted him.  He would be walking down the street and strangers would stop their car to invite him to their homes (and he went along) for sex.  All the famous people he supposedly met (male and female) wanted him and he tricked himself to them over and over.  And they all became his very good friends for years.  Really?

His introduction to sex was when he was a child and a friend's dad started putting the moves on him in a shed.  Instead of recognizing this as molestation by a pedophile, he looked at it as a wonderful and loving experience (which continued until they moved).  Seriously?

The book is the Bower's recollections.  Perhaps he is remembering the stories differently than how they really happened (he's in his 90s now).  Perhaps he is embellishing them to sell a book.  I found most of the book too unbelievable to be true.

Book ~ "Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality" (2012) Jacob Tomsky

From Goodreads ~ Jacob Tomsky never intended to go into the hotel business. As a new college graduate, armed only with a philosophy degree and a singular lack of career direction, he became a valet parker for a large luxury hotel in New Orleans. Yet, rising fast through the ranks, he ended up working in “hospitality” for more than a decade, doing everything from supervising the housekeeping department to manning the front desk at an upscale Manhattan hotel. He’s checked you in, checked you out, separated your white panties from the white bed sheets, parked your car, tasted your room-service meals, cleaned your toilet, denied you a late checkout, given you a wake-up call, eaten M&M's out of your minibar, laughed at your jokes and taken your money. In "Heads in Beds", he pulls back the curtain to expose the crazy and compelling reality of a multi-billion-dollar industry we think we know.

"Heads in Beds" is a funny, authentic and irreverent chronicle of the highs and lows of hotel life, told by a keenly observant insider who’s seen it all. Prepare to be amused, shocked and amazed as he spills the unwritten code of the bellhops, the antics that go on in the valet parking garage, the housekeeping department’s dirty little secrets - not to mention the shameless activities of the guests, who are rarely on their best behavior. Prepare to be moved, too, by his candor about what it’s like to toil in a highly demanding service industry at the luxury level, where people expect to get what they pay for (and often a whole lot more). Employees are poorly paid and frequently abused by coworkers and guests alike, and maintaining a semblance of sanity is a daily challenge.

Along his journey, Tomsky also reveals the secrets of the industry, offering easy ways to get what you need from your hotel without any hassle. This book (and a timely proffered twenty-dollar bill) will help you score late checkouts and upgrades, get free stuff galore and make that pay-per-view charge magically disappear. Thanks to him, you’ll know how to get the very best service from any business that makes its money from putting heads in beds. Or, at the very least, you will keep the bellmen from taking your luggage into the camera-free back office and bashing it against the wall repeatedly.

The author had graduated from university with a philosophy degree and no job prospects.  On a lark, he applied for a job as a parking valet for a new hotel in New Orleans.  He got the job and became "Tom" (later "Thomas").  He eventually got promoted to supervising the housekeeping staff ... less money and more hours.  Burnt out, he took a year off and traveled around Europe.  Broke and ready to get back to a "real life" again, he headed to New York hoping to transfer his skills to another profession.  Unfortunately that didn't happen and "Thomas" ended up manning the front desk of a hotel in Manhattan.

Because of my job, I spend a fair bit of time traveling and in hotels ... and that's why this book caught my eye.  I was curious to see what goes on in the industry and get a behind-the-scenes peek into the hotel business.  Basically you can get anything you want if you want to slip someone some cash.  The author wrote about his experience working and traveling in the U.S. ... I'm not sure if it would work at a hotel here in Canada (maybe depending on the hotel?).  But I did learn how to get free movies and free booze from the mini-bar.

I liked this book and found it interesting and enlightening.  I liked the writing style ... it was funny and snarky.  It was definitely not boring.  The author's sense of humour and expression may not be for everyone but I enjoyed it.  As a head's up, there is swearing.