The time has come for another edition of Catching Up on My Book Reviews. Are you ready?
I have four books that I want to give you my thoughts on. I have included a link to Amazon US if you'd like to read the synopses or find out more about each book. Here we go!
Standalone Science Fiction set in New York City
Rating: D
My Thoughts: Lovett has written some wonderful books, like The Lost Book of the Grail, but The Program isn't one of them. This tale of a highly popular new weight loss program kept me intrigued, but when how the program really worked was revealed, it completely lost me.
This one may not satisfy, but as I said earlier, he has written some wonderful books.
Dual timeline Fiction set in England
Rating: B
My Thoughts: Julia Esdaile, who specializes in historic garden restoration, has been hired to restore the gardens of Havenworth Manor to the way they were in 1940. Many family secrets are uncovered along the way.
I enjoyed learning more about the language of flowers as well as the garden restoration itself. The characters were sympathetically drawn in both timelines, although the modern-day characters were a bit predictable.
An enjoyable, although not particularly memorable, read.
#1 Eve Ronin Police procedural set in Los Angeles, California
Rating: A
My Thoughts: When I shared how much I was enjoying Goldberg's Ian Ludlow books, I was told that I should give his Eve Ronin series a try. Of course, I had to.
Eve Ronin (AKA Deathfist) found a way to get the job she wanted in the LAPD, and although she has to put up with nonsense from her fellow officers, she doesn't let that stop her. Goldberg shows Eve's mistakes as well as her real talent as she investigates.
Filled with Goldberg's usual fast pace, vivid descriptions, and laugh-out-loud humor, I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Hills and look forward to meeting Eve again.
#1 Supermarket Mystery set in England
Rating: B+
My Thoughts: I don't remember how this book first caught my eye, but it did. I was surprised by how many good reviews it had received, and I decided to give it a try because, well... I'd never read a mystery with a supermarket checkout employee as a sleuth. (It also brought back memories of the first time I set foot in a British supermarket and saw the checkout employees sitting down.)
After reading The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery, I am no longer surprised by its good reviews. Bea Jordan and her cohorts are so engaging, and I loved getting to know all of them. In fact, I enjoyed the days of our lives in a supermarket so much that I almost didn't care whodunit.
An added bonus was learning a bit more about British retail, as well as a certain slang term that even had my three English nieces a bit puzzled. (Pasta parcels, anyone?)
Okay. Are you sitting down? You'd better be because I am finally caught up with my reviews!
Did I tempt you with any of these books? Which ones?
You've got a nice variety here, Cathy, and I'm glad that at least three of them ticked the boxes for you (or most of them). You've reminded me, too, that I really ought to read Goldberg's work. I don't know why I haven't yet, but I know I should.
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