Book ~ "Believe Me" (2018) J.P. Delaney

From Goodreads ~ A struggling actor, a Brit in America without a green card, Claire needs work and money to survive. Then she gets both. But nothing like she expected.

Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. The rules? Never hit on the mark directly. Make it clear you’re available but he has to proposition you, not the other way around. The firm is after evidence, not coercion. The innocent have nothing to hide.

Then the game changes.

When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.

Claire can do this. She’s brilliant at assuming a voice and an identity. For a woman who’s mastered the art of manipulation, how difficult could it be to tempt a killer into a trap? But who is the decoy ... and who is the prey?

Claire is a Brit, living in New York and taking acting classes. Because she doesn't have a green card, she can't legally work so she works for cash for a law firm. She uses her acting ability to trick cheating husbands into making passes at her and bring the evidence back to the spouse who hired the law firm. After one encounter when a husband rebuffs her advances, his wife is found murdered and Patrick, the husband, is the prime suspect. Claire is approached by the police to go undercover and get close to Patrick and get him to confess.

Up until this point, I was enjoying the story. Then it got weird and confusing and unbelievable and went in so many strange directions ... I wasn't digging it anymore and I wasn't sure what was real. Had I known where it was going to go at times, I wouldn't have read it as it's just not something I'm into.

In the beginning, I liked the writing style. It was written in first person perspective in Claire's voice and third person perspective with other characters. It was interesting when it switched to screenplay mode with dialogue and stage directions, considering Claire is an actress. Patrick was a translator of the works of a 17th century poet and there was a lot of the verses of his poems ... zzzzz. As a head's up, there was swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "A Perfect Shot" (2018) Robin Yocum

From Goodreads ~ Nicholas "Duke" Ducheski is the most important man in the eastern Ohio steel town of Mingo Junction. Nearly two decades after he made the winning shot in the state championship basketball game, he remains much adored and the focal point of community pride. Hardly a day passes when someone doesn't want to talk about "the game." Now approaching forty, Duke no longer wants to be defined solely by something he did when he was eighteen. So he decides to parlay his local popularity into a successful restaurant - "Duke's Place."

But no sooner does he get his restaurant up and running than disaster strikes. One day "Little Tony" DeMarco, his brother-in-law and a known mob enforcer, comes into the restaurant and murders Duke's oldest friend. Now Duke faces the hardest decision of his life. DeMarco thinks he's untouchable but Duke discovers a way to take him down, along with his mob superiors.

To do so, however, means leaving Mingo Junction and sacrificing his treasured identity as the town legend. And if he follows through, what will remain of his life?

Duke peaked in high school when he got the winning shot in a state championship basketball game. He was offered university scholarships but had to pass on them when Nina, his girl friend, got pregnant. They married and he ended up working in the mill. Timothy, their son, had medical issues when he was born and had been in an convalescent home all his life (20+ years). The marriage was now loveless but Nina refused to give Duke a divorce. So Duke's life sucked.

Duke has always wanted to be known for more than something he did decades ago and reinvented himself by opening a restaurant called "Duke's Place". Tony, Nina's brother, worked for the mob and forced himself into Duke's business, something Duke wasn't happy about but there's nothing he could do about it. Finally fed up and potentially fighting for his life, Duke knew he couldn't continue this way and was determined to do something about it.

I liked this story and was cheering for Duke. It starts with Mitch, Duke's cousin and a reporter, telling us that Duke and his car disappeared one day and was never seen again. It's written in third person perspective except in the first and last chapters when it's in first person perspective in Mitch's voice. As a head's up, there swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Blackout" (2018) Alex Segura

From Goodreads ~ Startling new evidence in a cold case that's haunted Pete drags the exiled PI back to his hometown of Miami. But as Pete and his partner, Kathy Bentley, delve deeper into the unsolved murder, they become entangled in Miami’s obsession with a charismatic and dangerous cult leader and his even more menacing followers. 

At the same time, the detectives find themselves at odds with a Florida politician’s fixation on wealth, fame and power. It all converges in the heart of the Magic City and Pete is left scrambling to pick up the pieces - or die trying. 

Pete was a former newspaper reporter and PI in Miami and now a PI in New York ... because of his last PI case in Miami, he was safer hiding out in New York. His friend, Jackie, was an attorney in Miami and asked him to work on a case that had ties to Miami. One of her clients, Trevor McRyan, was running for governor in Florida. Stephen, his son, had led a less than stellar life and had disappeared and his parents want him found and contained. There's another reason Jackie wants Pete back in Miami. Stephen may have something to do with the death of Patty, Jackie's niece and fellow high school student of Pete's, who he'd had a crush on. Patty's disappearance and murder about 20 years ago had never been solved so it was personal for Pete. So Pete headed back to Miami and he and Kathy, his former partner, investigated and caught up with a religious cult.

This is the fourth in the Pete Fernandez series (I read the first ones in the series recently) and, though it was very convoluted, I thought it was okay ... one more to go! It works as a stand alone but I'd recommend you read the others first to get the background. It is written in third person perspective with the focus on Pete. The timeline jumps back and forth and the chapters are labeled. I usually don't mind when a story does this but I found it confusing in this one. As a head's up, as usual, there is a lot of swearing and violence.

Book ~ "The Family Next Door" (2018) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Ange, Fran and Essie are moms with young children who live in the family-oriented suburb of Pleasant Court. Outwardly the mothers are neighbourly but each has issues they are hiding. Then they are distracted when Isabelle moves into the neighbourhood ... why would a single rumored-to-be-a-lesbian rent a house there? Each wants to find out more about her but Essie becomes especially obsessed.

This is the third book I've read by this author ... though I enjoyed the other two, I wasn't crazy about this one. I didn't like Ange, Fran or Essie so didn't care what happened with or to them. The book plodded along and then the twist happened around the 80% mark. I knew something had to be coming ... why else did Isabelle suddenly appear in their neighbourhood? And it was an unrealistic and ridiculous twist and I thought, "Seriously?!" Up until this point, there were no indications so it was a shock and I wasn't buying it. And everything got happily resolved at the end. No way! It's written in third person perspective and as a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Hanged Man's Noose" (2018) Judy Penz Sheluk

From Goodreads ~ Journalist Emily Garland lands a plum assignment as the editor of a niche magazine based in Lount’s Landing, a small town named after a colorful nineteenth century Canadian traitor. As she interviews the local business owners for the magazine, Emily quickly learns that many people are unhappy with real estate mogul Garrett Stonehaven’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse into a mega-box store. At the top of that list is Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of an antiques shop, who will do just about anything to preserve the integrity of the town’s historic Main Street.

But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Before long, a vocal dissenter at a town hall meeting about the proposed project dies. A few days later, another body is discovered and although both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s journalistic suspicions are aroused.

Putting her reporting skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme before the murderer strikes again.

Emily is a freelance journalist in Toronto. When she gets hired to be the editor of a local magazine in a town north of Toronto, it's an offer she can't resist. Wealthy Torontonian Garrett Stonehaven has recently bought a rundown school there. Though many support his idea of turning it into a megastore, others don't. Personally Emily has issues with Garrett because she feels he is the cause of her mother's death. As townspeople start having deaths that are ruled accidents and she learns about Garrett's past, Emily and her new friend, Arabella, suspect something is going on and start investigating.

This is the first in the Glass Dolphin mystery series and I thought it was okay. It's written in third person perspective. I like that the author didn't hide that it was taking place in and not far from Toronto. The storyline and ending was a bit convoluted but I went with it. The "whodunnit" was obvious about halfway through though Emily didn't clue in until the end. The editing could have been tighter as there were some grammatical errors and some history lessons that could have been deleted as they didn't impact the story.

Book ~ "Bluff" (2018) Michael Kardos

From Goodreads ~ At twenty-seven, magician Natalie Webb is already a has-been. A card-trick prodigy, she started touring at seventeen, took first place at the World of Magic competition at eighteen, and never reached such heights again. Shunned by the magic world after a disastrous liaison with an older magician, she now lives alone with her pigeons and a pile of overdue bills in a New Jersey apartment. 

In a desperate ploy to make extra cash, she follows up on an old offer to write a feature magazine article - on the art of cheating at cards. But when she meets the perfect subject for her article, what begins as a journalistic gamble brings into question everything Natalie thinks she knows about her talent and herself. 

Natalie is dazzled by the poker cheat’s sleight of hand and soon finds herself facing a proposition that could radically alter her fortune - to help pull off a $1.5 million magic trick that, if done successfully, no one will ever even suspect happened. 

Natalie is a magician struggling to make ends meet, who doesn't have a lot of ambition, drive or friends. After an unfortunate incident at one of her shows, she needs to make some quick cash so decides to write an article exposing cheating at cards. This leads her to meet Ellen, a card cheat, who becomes her friends and offers her the chance to learn how to cheat at cards, get into a high stakes poker game and walk away with 20% of $1.5 million for participating. How can Natalie say no?

The premise sounded interesting but I wasn't crazy about this story. I found the writing style a slow and draggy ... the flashbacks were more detailed than they had to be. It's written in first person perspective in Natalie's voice. I thought Natalie was boring and not overly likeable so didn't really care what happened to her. Though I find magic interesting, I don't know anything about poker and found the references to both over my head. The ending was ridiculous and farfetched and I wasn't buying it. Just not my kind of book, I guess. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "All Good Intentions" (2018) Trudi Johnson

From Goodreads ~ Behind closed doors ...

In the summer of 1996, Jeanne Sinclair, a St. John’s socialite, is getting to know her biological mother, Hannah West, whom she meets for the first time in over thirty years in the rural community of Falcon Cove, Newfoundland. Mother and daughter have in common their devotion to Charles Sinclair, a wealthy businessman, recently deceased.

Jeanne’s life becomes more complicated with the arrival of Kevin Gillis, a land developer from Halifax who is determined to avenge the treatment of his father, an employee of Sinclair in the 1940s. As the summer unfolds, Jeanne and Kevin find their loyalty tested by a growing attraction to one another and the discovery of new and intriguing Sinclair family secrets.

In 1935, Hannah moved from a small village to work for Charles and Virginia, a wealthy family hours away in St. John's, NF. She has relations with Charles and gets pregnant with Jeanne. To avoid scandal, Charles and Virginia raise Jeanne as their own and Hannah moves back to Falcon Cove, eventually gets married and has another daughter, Carrie.

Sixty years later, Charles has passed away and Jeanne has just discovered the truth about her mother. She and Hannah have just met and trying to establish some kind of a relationship. Jeanne is hesitant because she's concerned about what others will think but Joe and Lauren, her adult children, and others welcome Hannah and Carrie as family.

In the meantime, Jeanne has inherited Charles' house and it trying to figure out what to do with it as she has her own house. Kevin, a developer from Halifax, approaches her and offers to buy the house so he can turn it into an inn. Kevin says he's also writing an article about St. John's businessmen and is asking a lot of questions and everyone wonders what he is really up to. As Jeanne considers selling her father's house to Kevin, more shocking secrets from the past start coming out.

This book is the continuation of From a Good Home, which I recently read ... it picks up on the afternoon Jeanne and Hannah meet. It works as a stand alone but it helps to read the first one to get the full background. It was written in third person perspective depending on where the action was. 

Though I liked the first one, I liked this one better. The writing style was still a bit stiff and unnatural but not as much. Whether they were rich like Jeanne and her family and more lower class like Joe and Lauren's friends, the way they spoke seemed like I was reading a book set in aristocratic England rather than Newfoundland or Canada. For example, everyone including Joe and Lauren and their friends called their parents "Mother" and "Father" rather than "Mom" and "Dad". 

As with the first book, there were a lot of characters but in this one there was a list at the beginning saying who was who which was helpful. I didn't find Jeanne as unlikeable in this one and she seemed to soften towards the end. I liked that the story took place in St. John's and the author didn't try to hide that.

Book ~ "Louie" (2018) 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. 

At Loon Lake Park, Charles and his Cub Scout friends are told that a dog has been abandoned in the parking lot. Louie, a not-so-small Newfoundland puppy, is quickly taken in and cared for by the group. 

Can Charles and his friends find Louie a perfect, and roomy, forever home?

Charles is in elementary school. His family, the Petersons, have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Charles and his Cub Scout friends are cleaning up a local park before the summer season starts. They find a Newfoundland puppy abandoned in a crate. Charles gets attached to him and names him Louie. Since the Petersons foster and find homes for dogs, they take him home and Charles and his friends start training Louie. They eventually find out why Louie was abandoned and find a good home for him.

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 Louie's point of view. It is the 51st in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "The Last Lie" (2018) Alex Lake

From Goodreads ~ For Claire Daniels, life is good. She has everything she’s ever wanted - a career she loves, friends she can rely on and a husband who dotes on her. All she needs is to start a family of her own and things will be even better than good.

They’ll be perfect.

For Alfie, it couldn’t be more different. His life with Claire is built on a lie. A lot of lies. And she can never find out.

Because Alfie has plans for her. Plans which must never come to light. But lies have a way of taking on a life of their own and when his do, the consequences threaten to destroy everything.

For him and Claire.

Claire and Alfie have been married for a couple years and she been trying to get pregnant. For Claire, this will make their life complete. For Alfie, it's the last thing he wants and he knows there is no way it's going to happen. 

When they met, Alfie was filling in with a band playing at a wedding Claire was attending. As soon as he spied her, he saw a way of getting out of his hand-to-mouth existence and moving up into a life where he'd never have to worry about money because Claire's daddy pays for everything. But as the years have gone on, though Alfie loves his lifestyle, he despises Claire and the role of perfect husband he has to play and decides to do something about it. As his plan is about to come into action, someone else comes in and initiates the same plan.

I've read a few of this author's books and I thought this one was the best one I've read by them.  It is written in third person perspective in various voices (Claire, Alfie, etc.) depending on where the action was. It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on but it was interesting to read how the author got us there. Though Alfie was a despicable person, he was a fun character to follow, especially when he was losing control of the situation. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Book ~ "Spirit" (2018) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ While walking in a snowstorm, Lizzie sees two dark eyes and a little black nose. It's Spirit, a white German shepherd puppy! 

Spirit's owners found new homes for all of his brothers and sisters but they still don't have a place for him. Can Lizzie find a forever home for this helpful little pup?

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

Lizzie was walking to her friend's house in a snowstorm when she hears barking. Following the sound, she discovers a white German shepherd puppy who leads her to where his family had crashed their car. The family's dog had had puppies and Spirit was the last one to find a home. The family has a couple of kids and another one is on the way and having a young puppy is just too much so the Petersons agree to foster Spirit and find him a home. But Spirit is sad because he isn't with his family and misses them.

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 Spirit's point of view. It is the fiftieth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Edward" (2018) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Welcome to the Puppy Place - where every puppy finds a home! 

This puppy is quite a handful. He doesn't listen, he's obsessed with his toy sheep and he can't ride in the car without ... um ... getting sick. Has Lizzie met her match, or will she be able to train this pugnacious pug?

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

Lizzie and her friend, Maria, are downtown and spy a dog in a car who seems to be in distress. When the owner comes, Lizzie gives her a bit of a hard time about leaving a dog in a car. The woman had only been away for a few minutes ... she'd gone to get some paper towels because Edward, her pug puppy, got sick in the car. She's ready to give Edward away because she wants to bring him with her when she goes to work but he always gets carsick. The Petersons agree to foster him but Lizzie knows she has to train him not to be carsick before they can find him a new 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 Edward's point of view. It is the forty-ninth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Jar of Hearts" (2018) Jennifer Hillier

From Goodreads ~ This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years.

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong - one of the most popular girls in school - disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser - now a detective with Seattle PD - finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?

In high school, Geo, Angela and Kaiser were best friends. When Geo met Calvin, who was a couple years older than them, they started dating and she became obsessed with him, even though he was physically and emotionally abusive to her. One night after a party, Angela is killed and rather than tell anyone, Geo has kept it a secret all these years. Everyone thinks Angela ran away.

Fourteen years later, Geo is a VP with a pharmaceutical company and engaged. Angela's body is found chopped up and buried in the woods near the house Geo grew up in. Evidence shows that Calvin killed Angela and Geo had helped. Kaiser, who is now a police officer, arrests her. She testifies against Calvin and is sent to prison for five years, needless to say losing her job and her beau.

When Geo gets out of prison, she tries to pick up her life again but people don't forget. Plus there is serial killer on the loose killing and chopping up women and murdering young children and Calvin, who had escaped from prison, is the suspect because it's so similar to Angela's murder. Kaiser suspects Calvin is trying to give Geo a message and investigates.

I've liked other books by this author but didn't like this one ... it was sooooooo negative. It is written in third person perspective with a focus on where the action was. The timeline shifts back and forth from the past (to give you the backstory to present day). The "whodunnit" at the end was ridiculous and unbelievable. None of the characters were likeable. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence (multiple rapes).

Book ~ "All the Beautiful Lies" (2018) Peter Swanson

From Goodreads ~ On the eve of his college graduation, Harry is called home by his step-mother Alice, to their house on the Maine coast, following the unexpected death of his father. 

But who really is Alice, his father's much younger second wife? In a brilliant split narrative, Peter Swanson teases out the stories and damage that lie in her past. And as her story entwines with Harry's in the present, things grow increasingly dark and threatening - will Harry be able to see any of it clearly through his own confused feelings?

Harry is just about to graduate from college when Alice, his stepmother, calls him to tell him that his father has passed away.  He was out on a walk and must have slipped or something.  Harry heads home for the summer to be with his stepmother and help run his father's used bookstore.  Then the police determine his father had been murdered.  A mysterious young woman shows up around town and though he is drawn to her, Harry wonders how she knew her father and whether she was involved in his murder.

I thought this story was okay.  It bounced back and forth from the past to the present.  We get to know Alice, who grew up with an alcoholic mother who passed away when she was a teenager, and she was then raised by her stepfather, Jake.  It is written in third person perspective, depending on where the action was.  As a head's up, there is swearing, pedophilia and violence.

Book ~ "The Neighbours" (2018) Hannah Mary McKinnon

From Goodreads ~ After a night of fun, Abby was responsible for the car crash that killed her beloved brother. It is a sin she can never forgive herself for so she pushes away the man she loves most, knowing that he would eventually hate her for what she’s done, the same way she hates herself.

Twenty years later, Abby’s husband, Nate, is also living with a deep sense of guilt. He was the driver who first came upon the scene of Abby’s accident, the man who pulled her to safety before the car erupted in flames, the man who could not save her brother in time. It’s this guilt, this regret that binds them together. They understand each other. Or so Nate believes.

In a strange twist of fate, Liam (her old lover - possibly her true soulmate) moves in with his own family next door, releasing a flood of memories that Abby has been trying to keep buried all these years. Abby and Liam, in a complicit agreement, pretend never to have met, yet cannot resist the pull of the past - nor the repercussions of the dark secrets they’ve both been carrying.

Abby and her brother, Tom, were extremely close, even sharing a birthday just a year apart.  Their father had abandoned the family when they young and their mother wasn't warm and fuzzy.  Abby and Tom were out celebrating one night when they got in a deadly car accident.  Abby was drinking and driving and was thrown from the car but Tom couldn't get out of the car.  Nate had been passing by and came across the accident and wasn't able to save Tom.  He visited Abby in the Abby regularly and they became friends.  Abby felt extremely guilty for causing Tom's death and pushed away Liam, the love of her life, because he and Tom were close and she was afraid he'd blame her for Tom's death.

Twenty years later, Abby and Nate are married and have a teenage daughter named Sarah.  New neighbours and it's Liam (!!) and his wife, Nancy, and their son, Zac.  Abby and Liam pretend not to know each other and Abby avoids Liam, to the point of badmouthing him to Nate to keep him away.  But Nate's a friendly and helpful guy and has no problem being friends with Nancy and Liam, much to Abby's dismay.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style ... it is written in first person perspective from Abby, Nate and Nancy's points of view (the chapters are labeled so you'll know whose voice it is) plus there are Sarah's diary entries.  There were lots of twists and turns at the end, most I didn't see coming.  I didn't find Abby and Liam likeable, even more so as the story went on.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Missing Molly" (2018) Natalie Barelli

From Goodreads ~ Everyone has secrets and Rachel Holloway is no exception. She’s worked hard to keep the past where it belongs: dead and buried. And so far, she’s been very successful.

But now the small newspaper where she works wants to produce a podcast on a cold case: the disappearance twelve years ago of little Molly Forster.

Some secrets should never see the light of day, and as far as Rachel is concerned, whatever happened to little Molly is one of them. Rachel has a life now, a boyfriend she loves and a three-year-old daughter she adores, and she will do anything to protect them.

But to do that, no one can ever know that she is Molly Forster.

When Molly was 12, her parents and older sister were brutally murdered and Molly saw it all ... and then disappeared.  A mentally challenged man was found full of blood holding her dead sister and was arrested.  Before he could go to trial, he was found hanging in his cell of an apparent suicide and the case was closed.  Everyone has wondered, though, what happened to Molly.

Rachel works for a small newspaper which will soon be shutting down.  They come up with the idea of creating a series of podcasts to draw an audience with the first focus being on where Molly is.  Rachel doesn't want this to happen because she is Molly.  She had run away because she knew she was in danger since she had witnessed what had really happened that night.  She never returned after that night and has been living under a different name all these years, and even has a long-term boyfriend and a young daughter.  When she sees the podcast isn't going away, she manages to get herself involved in the podcast so she can try and control it so no one will find out the truth.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  The story is told in first person perspective from Rachel's point of view.  Since she spent so many years living on the street, I found some of the decisions she made unbelievable.  I like the writing style and found it flowed well.  The editing could have been better as there were a couple typos.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Boy on the Bicycle" (2018) Nate Hendley

From Goodreads ~ On the night of September 15, 1956, seven-year-old Wayne Mallette, was brutally murdered on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The chief suspect was a “boy on a bicycle” seen pedalling away from the CNE.

Investigators zeroed on 14-year-old Ronald Moffatt, a former CNE employee who had the poor timing to run away from home shortly after the murder.

Moffatt was located, arrested and interrogated. He eventually confessed and was convicted.

The problem was, Moffatt couldn’t ride a bike and didn’t commit the crime. The real killer abused and murdered two more children, using his bike as a lure.

A shocking true story about a coerced confession, fumbled police investigation, a miscarriage of justice, and the star lawyer who fought to free Moffatt from custody.

"The Boy on the Bicycle" is based on police files, interviews, original newspaper coverage, reports, books and documentaries.

Seven-year-old Wayne Mallette and his family were visiting his grandmother in Toronto in September 1956.  He was bored and wandered towards the CNE grounds.  On the way he met a teenager on a bicycle, who beat him up and suffocated him with his face in the dirt there.  Moments later a teenager on a bicycle stopped a watchman at the CNE grounds and asked strange questions before pedalling off.

Ron Moffatt was 14 at the time and had spent that evening at a movie theatre.  He had a troubled home life and when he skipped school one day, he thought he would get in trouble so hid.  The police were looking for the "boy on the bicycle" so when they found Ron, who kind of fit the description, he assumed they were truant officers and went with them.  They were, in fact, Toronto police officers.   So sure were they that Ron was the teenager who had killed Wayne, they disregarded all the evidence and pressured Ron into admitting he did it.  He was sentence and sent to a juvenile facility.

In the meantime, teenager Peter Woodcock had a history of abusing young children and killed two while Ron was in custody.  He had no friends and his prize possession was his bicycle.  When he was caught, he admitted to killing Wayne and that's what got Ron released.  

At the end of the book, the author tells what happened to everyone, including the police officers, lawyers, etc.  Ron had depression issues and eventually sought help.  He got married a couple times and had children.  Peter spent the rest of his life in a psychiatric institution north of Toronto.

I thought this was an interesting story, especially since it happened not far from where I live.  It was obvious the author did a lot of research.  I liked the writing style ... there was just enough information provided without being too details.  The editing could have been better, though, as there were typos and grammatically errors.

Book ~ "Just the Funny Parts" (2018) Nell Scovell

From Goodreads ~ "Just the Funny Parts" is a juicy and scathingly funny insider look at how pop culture gets made. For more than thirty years, writer, producer and director Nell Scovell worked behind the scenes of iconic TV shows, including "The Simpsons", "Late Night with David Letterman", "Murphy Brown", "NCIS", "The Muppets" and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", which she created and executive produced.

In 2009, Scovell gave up her behind-the-scenes status when the David Letterman sex scandal broke. Only the second woman ever to write for his show, Scovell used the moment to publicly call out the lack of gender diversity in late-night TV writers’ rooms. “One of the boys” came out hard for “all of the girls.” Her criticisms fueled a cultural debate. Two years later, Scovell was collaborating with Sheryl Sandberg on speeches and later on Lean In, which resulted in a worldwide movement.

Now Scovell is opening up with this fun, honest and often shocking account. Scovell knows what it’s like to put words in the mouths of President Barack Obama, Mark Harmon, Candice Bergen, Bob Newhart, Conan O’Brien, Alyssa Milano and Kermit the Frog, among many others. Through her eyes, you’ll sit in the Simpson writers’ room ... stand on the Oscar red carpet ... pin a tail on Miss Piggy ... bond with Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy ... and experience a Stephen King-like encounter with Stephen King.

"Just the Funny Parts" is a fast-paced account of a nerdy girl from New England who fought her way to the top of the highly-competitive, male-dominated entertainment field. The book delivers invaluable insights into the creative process and tricks for navigating a difficult workplace. It's part memoir, part how-to, and part survival story. 

Nell Scovell is an American television and magazine writer, and producer.  I had never heard of her ... I came across her book on the Toronto Public Library site as a "Staff Pick".  I like getting the behind the scenes scoop on how things work and it sounded interesting.

Scovell started off as a magazine writer and then moved on to write for television. In 2009, after David Letterman admitted to having sexual relationships with his female staffers, she published an essay in Vanity Fair calling his show a "hostile work environment" for women.  She has gone on to write a book with Sheryl Sandberg, political speeches and more and fights for gender and racial equality in the workplace.

I thought this book was okay.  It was interesting to read about her interactions and friendships with famous people.  The writing could have been tighter, though ... or maybe it was just about some things I wasn't interested in.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Homes: A Refugee Story" (2018) Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung

From Goodreads ~ In 2010, the al Rabeeah family left their home in Iraq in hope of a safer life. They moved to Homs, in Syria - just before the Syrian civil war broke out.

Abu Bakr, one of eight children, was ten years old when the violence began on the streets around him: car bombings, attacks on his mosque and school, firebombs late at night. Homes tells of the strange juxtapositions of growing up in a war zone: horrific, unimaginable events punctuated by normalcy - soccer, cousins, video games, friends.

Homes is the remarkable true story of how a young boy emerged from a war zone - and found safety in Canada - with a passion for sharing his story and telling the world what is truly happening in Syria. As told to her by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, writer Winnie Yeung has crafted a heartbreaking, hopeful, and urgently necessary book that provides a window into understanding Syria.

In 2010, when Abu Bakr was ten years old, the al Rabeeah family (his parents and seven siblings) left their home in Iraq and moved to Homs, Syria, where his father opened a bakery, hoping for a safer life.  His father wanted to keep the family safe so started contacting the UN on a regular basis hoping to emigrate anywhere.  After a few years, their refugee applications were finally accepted and they left everything and everyone they knew and were moved to Edmonton, Alberta.

The family spoke no English and were all provided with English lessons.  Winnie Yeung was Abu Bakr's ESL teacher and one day she asked him what he wished for.  He said he wanted others to know his story ... and the product of that wish is this book.

I don't know a lot about politics so this book was an interesting eye-opener about what is happening on the other side of the world.  Though people are afraid, bombings and hearing guns going off were a fact of life there, they still carried on as "normal" as possible.

I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective in Abu Bakr's voice and it's amazing and scary what he (and his family) went through on a daily basis.  Because story starts when he is a child (he's in his teens now), it would be an appropriate book for a young teen and older to read.

Book ~ "Live and Let Pie" (2018) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ The heat is on for pastry chef, family business operator and unlikely sleuth Jules Capshaw. Just when she thought she could enjoy some time away from the kitchen, Jules manages to discover a skull during a picnic by the lake. 

As if unearthing remains that may be connected to a missing-persons case from the 1960s isn't enough on her plate, Jules must contend with the unsolved matter of her own marriage while her estranged husband Carlos sails the open seas, awaiting a verdict. 

Then there's Jules's bitter landlord Edgar, who is intent on making a sweet deal on a vacant lot down the block from Torte - until he turns up dead. If only Jules could find a recipe that would let her bake her cake and eat it too.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been over two years and, though she doesn't know what will happen with Carlos, she now happily shares ownership of Torte with her mother, Helen. 

Torte's recent renovations are done.  Because there is more space, Jules has hired three new staff and promoted her existing staff.  Looking forward to having a nice picnic with her mom, she is there when some kids swimming in a lake find an old skull.  It is suspected that it is the skull of George, who disappeared years ago.  This intrigues Jules, specially when one of George's friends, Edgar, now an old man is found dead.  Edgar had a piece of land in town for sale that everyone wants (and it turns out he had promised it to everyone) so was someone mad enough to kill him?  Or is it tied to discovery of George's skull?

This is the ninth in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I've read most of the books in this series and have read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This book works as a stand alone ... there is enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end.  I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "Till Death Do Us Tart" (2018) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ Torte - the small-town bakeshop no one can resist - is hosting a midsummer night’s wedding ... where merry-making and murder are served up in equal measure. 

Jules Capshaw has too much on her plate - and she’s feeling the pinch: the whole town of Ashland, Oregon, is in on the surprise Elizabethan-themed wedding she’s planning for her mom and soon-to-be stepdad. But is her secret scheme half-baked? She’s hiding racks overflowing with sweet treats while Torte is topsy-turvy with a major remodel and the return of Jules’s estranged husband, Carlos. 

And until now, Jules had no clue about the bitter family feud that has her friend Lance frazzled and suspicious. But when a party crasher takes someone out with a serving of poisoned wine and Jules discovers the deadly cup was intended for her, it’s time to turn the tables on a killer.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been over a year and she now happily shares ownership of Torte with her mother. 

Jules' mother is engaged to Doug, the town's head of police, and Jules is planning a surprise A Midsummer Night's Dream-theme wedding (to tie in with the town's Shakespeare Festival) for them at the winery she is a part owner in.  The whole town is in on it and Jules is secretly baking for it while hiding it from her mother and Doug.

Carlos and Ramiro, his teenage son, arrive from Spain for the week to attend the wedding.  Jules has never met Ramiro and only recently learned of his existence.  This is causing extra stress.

And if she didn't have enough on her plate, her best friend, Lance, has been out of town for a couple weeks and when he returns, she finds out then where he was.  He was visiting his father in the next town who is dying.  When he does pass away suddenly, Lance suspects his brother, Leo, had something to do with it and includes Jules in his investigation.

This is the eighth in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I've been reading the books in this series and have read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This book works as a stand alone ... there is enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end.  I look forward to reading the others in this series.