Murder on the Mullet Express by Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn

Genre:  Adult, Mystery

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I enjoy mysteries. This has always been my favorite genre no matter what age it is for. In this story, we have three really great characters. Two of them are former nurses during World War I. The third character is their elderly uncle Percy. The three of them find themselves on The Mullet Express, when their car breaks down. They are headed to Homosassa Springs. This is a place that is just about an hour and a half north of where I live in Florida. They witness a fight between two men on the train. The problem is that one of them ends up dead shortly after arriving at his hotel.  Uncle Percy becomes the prime suspect. Teddy and Cornelia must help find the real killer. After all, Cornelia’s uncle may be a bit crazy, but he is definitely not a murderer. I loved Cornelia because she was a very independent woman for the time.  I learned a lot about the time period. I’ve lived in Ocala and I am very familiar with the areas mentioned or alluded to in the book. This is a great mystery with a lot of history and one I would definitely recommend.

The Devil's Cold Dish by Eleanor Kuhns

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is the fifth book in this series. I have not read the first four. However, this clearly read as a stand-alone book. One of my favorite genres is mystery. Take that genre and add in a historical time period and I am all set. Will Rees is one of those people who tries to always do the right thing. This makes him a target of some in his town. His wife is pregnant and accused of witchcraft. Two people, he has argued with have ended up dead.  Someone seems to be going to a lot of trouble to set him up. Who is it and why?

Reese is a weaver by trade. He has one son from his first marriage that ended with his wife's death. His second wife is pregnant. They have adopted five other children.  Now that someone has tried to set his family up, Reese helps his family flee then returns to figure this mystery out.

The author has done a lot of research into this time period. It is quite evident in her writing. She has also created characters that are very believable. I loved the way this story carried me along from beginning to end. I definitely need to check out the first four books in this series. I have found a new author to love

A Bend in the Willow by Susan Clayton-Goldner

Genre:  Adult, Realistic Fiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I love reading a book where it is written in layers. In this story we find things out one layer at a time. It added such depth to the story and made it a compelling read.  I had to ask myself what I would do for my kids. Would I risk my marriage and my own freedom?  I would like to think I would. I think most parents feel that way.  There were so many messages the reader could take away from this book. Messages about being truthful no matter what the cost. The message that child abuse is never okay and should be dealt with. I know this is easier said than done. Trust was a big part of this book. Catherine/Robin’s lack of trust, or fear of trusting completely. This book touched some tender spots in my own life which made it a compelling read as well as a hard read.

Catherine the main character is facing every parent’s nightmare. Her son’s leukemia is killing him. Without a bone marrow transplant he will die. The best chances for a match is through family. This is where the story gets really interesting. Catherine must face her past if she wants to have a chance at saving her son. This is a past so horrific that she fled twenty years before, legally changed her name and moved on with life. Throughout the telling of this story as we learn about her past she paints herself as weak. We the reader can draw on how much strength it took to leave. The guilt over the years has eat her up. Her father, a drunk died in a house fire. She watched him burn. She did nothing to save him. There is no guilt about that because the family secrets died with him. However, after searching the house and making sure her brother was not there she runs away. Fear of being arrested for not helping is one of those issues. She carries the guilt of having never located her brother and then changing her name and moving on. Then we learn of a son born nineteen years earlier. She must contact him and try to find her brother if she has a chance of saving her son. When she locates her brother her guilt comes back double. Her marriage is in jeopardy because she had to tell her husband about her past to try to find her family. He reacted the way she thought he would. She no longer cares about the consequences of possibly being arrested for her father’s death. She is spurred on by her son’s dire situation. Then she meets Her brother’s wife and daughter. Can this small child save them all?  I really wanted to leave this with so many questions that anyone reading this review would have to read the book to find the answers. I sat and read this book from cover to cover. I just could not put it down. It was absolutely awesome.