As you can see, with a lengthy mid-month review and this one, I read a lot this September. It was a good month.
At the Reunion Buffet by Alexander McCall Smith In this short story, Isabel Dalhousie helps organize her school reunion, and in the process, uncovers a present-day mystery while helping resolve several past problems amongst her former schoolmates. Despite its brevity, one gets a good introduction to Isabel and Jamie, and the delightful twists and turns off any book written by McCall Smith.
The Secret of White Stone Gate by Julia Nobel I've had such go od luck reading YA books lately that I'm seeking out more to enjoy. The first in this series was not available from my library, so I started with this one, number 2 in the Black Hollow Lane series. I think it might have been better had I read the first, because there are a lot of illusions to this mysterious group which recruits tweens and teenagers from a boarding school for nefarious purposes. I never got a good handle on what this group is or its purpose, and maybe the first doesn't make that explicit either but I found it confusing. American Emmy attends a British boarding school while her author mother is on tour promoting her latest book. Emmy's father, whom she thought was dead, made contact with her in the first book, and in this second book, Emmy is coming to terms with the realization that he's alive but in danger. And the nefarious league is determined to track him down by threatening Emmy and everyone she loves. The medallions, such a crucial part of the mystery, were apparently an important part of the first book, but their background is murky in this second book and I was very confused over their actual purpose and history. Definitely a series that needs to be read in order, this isn't quite as good as some of the other middle grade and YA books I've read recently, but my impression might have been different had I been able to start with book one.
Murder in a Teacup by Vicki Delaney This is the second in the Tea by the Sea mystery series. I enjoyed the first book last year and was happy to see another book with chef Lily Roberts, her grandmother Rose, and their friends on Cape Cod. This time, Rose's old friend Sandra and her granddaughter Heather come the cape, having arranged a mini family reunion at Rose's B&B. Heather invited her estranged brother-in-law and his wife, trying to make amends after the two fell out after Heather's husband's death. There is a lot of sniping and ill will between the family group. but then someone is murdered in Lily's tearoom, and Lily, Rose and their friend Bernie swing in to action to find the killer before they strike again. I like this series because Lily doesn't investigate the murder because she thinks the police are incompetent; rather, she thinks that she can get information people may hide from the police and then she turns that information over to Detective Redmond. The location in Cape Cod is a strong reason why I like the book, as I have a longstanding yearning to visit the cape, but there really isn't much description of the setting; I wish Ms. Delaney would include more. The cast of characters that surround Lily are likable and realistic, and I'm especially impressed with her friendship with Bernie. Lily recognizes when her friend is being annoying and calls her out on it, for example, when Bernie is underfoot in her tiny kitchen, but offers unstinting support of Bernie's dream to be a writer. The love interests for both women are likable; heck, I'd date either one of them. And the twist at the end caught me off guard, so well done, Ms, Delaney, I can't wait for the third book in the series. (Net Galley)
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