Book Recommendation – My Murder

I have had Katie Williams’ My Murder on my “To Read” list for some time. I kept waiting for it to show up on Libby or Hoopla. That way I could listen to it on the ride to and from work. I haven’t seen it on either platform.

On a recent trip to the library with my kids, I noticed it on a shelf and picked it up. I chuckled when I took it to the desk and saw that it was the “large print” version. All these signs I’m getting older just keep coming.

Before I go into my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Lou is a happily married mother of an adorable toddler. She’s also the victim of a local serial killer. Recently brought back to life and returned to her grieving family by a government project, she is grateful for this second chance. But as the new Lou re-adapts to her old routines, and as she bonds with other female victims, she realizes that disturbing questions remain about what exactly preceded her death and how much she can really trust those around her.

Now it’s not enough to care for her child, love her husband, and work the job she’s always enjoyed–she must also figure out the circumstances of her death. Darkly comic, tautly paced, and full of surprises, My Murder is a devour-in-one-sitting, clever twist on the classic thriller.

Honestly, this book was not what I expected. I guess I thought that the story was going to be told by the ghost of the main character or something. The “being brought to life” aspect was an interesting angle. Bringing back the other murder victims made it more interesting.

Obviously, if they are bringing people back to life, there is a futuristic science fiction aspect to the story. It may take place in the future, but it has a current feel to it.

I’m not sure I feel it was “darkly comic,” but it was definitely full of surprises. There is a big twist about halfway through the book that takes you on another trail. That was unexpected, but it really made the story more thrilling.

I’m glad that I finally bit the bullet and just read the hard copy of the story. I don’t know much more about the author, but I think I am going to see what else she had written and check it out.

3.75 stars out of 5.

Book Recommendation – Kills Well With Others

Back in 2023, I read Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age. My thoughts about that one can be found here. At the end of my recommendation, I wondered if the ladies from the book might show up in another story. Sure enough, they do. This time it is in Kills Well With Others.

I knew the book was due out this year. While at a library visit with my kids, I saw it on the shelf and immediately checked it out. I read it in two days.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their rest, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions before she gets the itch to get back in the game. When they receive a call from Naomi Ndiaye, the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, all of them connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster who rules her business empire with an iron fist and plays puppet master in international affairs. Naomi is convinced this criminal queen is bent upon revenge, killing off the agents who attempted to thwart her, and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster and her assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.

I believe it was one of the first book’s reviewers who said it was “Golden Girls Meets James Bond.” I remembered that as I started to read the sequel. I wondered if I needed to go back and read the first one to catch up, but it wasn’t necessary. Once the story started, I recalled the characters pretty quickly.

There were a couple throwbacks to the first book, but you can still read this one without reading the first one and enjoy it. The sequel was a little less “James Bond” than the first book. Yes, there was still some sense of it, but the story was very character driven. I really enjoyed it.

Was it as good as the first book? It was close. At the end of the first book, I couldn’t wait to see if there was more to their story. This time around, I still felt that way, just not as much. It is not a bad sequel, and it is open ended so that a third book in the series is certainly possible.

3.75 Stars out of 5.

Book Recommendation – Shemp!

My dad introduced me to the Three Stooges at a very young age. Over the years I have read quite a few books about them. I read Moe’s autobiography, which was completed after his death by the family. I read Curly’s biography written by his niece. Larry wrote an “autobiography,” but there is controversy about who wrote a lot of it. Then Steve Cox put out the definitive Larry biography a few years back.

Each of those books were good reads for Stooge fans, but what about Shemp? Even the Joe’s got books. So where was the biography of the Stooge who was once named “The Ugliest Man in Hollywood?” Well, it has finally arrived.

Actually, two books have been published recently about him. Geoff Dale’s “Much More Than a Stooge: Shemp Howard” hit shelves just a few weeks before “Shemp!” By Burt Kearns. I just finished the latter, and it was eye-opening. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Shemp Howard not only had one of the most distinctive faces of the twentieth century. He was also one of the most influential comic actors of Old Hollywood. An original member of the Three Stooges, Shemp—along with his brother Moe and actor-violinist Larry Fine—perfected a brand of raucous, lowbrow, slapstick comedy that had audiences rolling in the aisles of vaudeville houses, Broadway theaters, and movie palaces, and left an indelible imprint on the face of popular entertainment. Then he walked away… and the new Three Stooges—Moe, Larry, and brother Curly—made history.

But Shemp didn’t disappear. He made Hollywood history on his own, in a successful and until now unexplored career in more than a hundred movie shorts and features. He appeared in comedies, dramas, mysteries, Westerns, and musicals alongside the biggest stars of the Golden Age, including W.C. Fields, John Wayne, James Stewart, William Powell, Lon Chaney, Jr., Myrna Loy, and Marlene Dietrich.

SHEMP! is the first book to challenge the “official” version of Three Stooges history that’s been repeated for decades, shattering myths as it uncovers the surprising and often unsettling facts behind the man’s unlikely how the child of Jewish immigrants, racked with severe anxiety and phobias could conquer vaudeville, Broadway, and Hollywood. And it’s more than a author Burt Kearns digs into the shorts and feature films Shemp did on his own—more than a hundred of them—and, through interviews with fans, family members, scholars, experts, filmmakers, and celebrities, examines the “cult of Shemp” that thrives today.

For years, Moe Howard’s biography was the “official” version of Stooges history. However, when it was written, Moe was in his mid 70’s and his memory may not recall things exactly or over exaggerate stories. That is where Kearn’s book is unique.

Kearns uses theater advertisements, programs, deeds, and other information to set the record straight on what has been passed down through history as truth. He takes on the role of private investigator and discovers many contradictions to the “official” story.

There were quite a few nuggets of info I had never heard before. For example, I had no idea that Moe’s wife Helen had a famous cousin in show business. That cousin was the great Harry Houdini!

Going into this book, I wondered if it was going to rehash the stories that Stooge fans had already heard. I have to say that there was plenty of new information to devour.

Kearns does a great job of letting the reader know exactly where you are on the Stooge timeline. He references what was going on with Moe, Larry and Curly while he was making an Abbott and Costello picture, etc… He also divulges the terms that were agreed upon when he was to “temporarily” step in for Curly while he was recovering from a stroke.

This is a must read for Stooge fans and a great read for someone who loves old comedy.

5 out of 5 stars!

Book Recommendation – The Woman in the Window

I am really behind the times with the book I just finished. I found out that it came out in 2018, and actually had already been made into a Netflix movie.

The Woman in the Window was recommended to me by the owner of a used book store I frequent. We were talking about our recent reads and she asked if I had read it.

The Author AJ Finn wrote End of Story, which I really enjoyed. The Woman in the Window was his debut novel. Before I offer my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

As I read this book, I kept thinking about Hitchcock’s Rear Window. I suppose that is what the author hoped for in that the main character loved old movies. She references them often throughout the book.

There were quite a few surprises along the way. I really found myself on the edge of my seat a couple times. The end was certainly not what I expected, but in a good way.

Finn does a fantastic job describing the fears of agoraphobia in the main character, Anna. Her character made me think of the main character in Sorry, Wrong Number. At times she is calm, at times she is frantic, and other times she is lost in despair. She is a very complex character and along the way, you find out why.

At one point I remember reading what seemed to be the “wrap up,” but I knew it could be because of how many pages were left. Where the story went from here really had me turning pages.

The Netflix movie stars Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Juliette Moore. I’ve heard good and bad about it, so I may or may not decide to see it. As far as the book, it is worth the read.

4 out of 5 stars.

Book Recommendation – Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder

This is another book that I read because of the title. I admit that at first I assumed Lenny was a male character. I’m not sure why, but it sounded to me like a crime novel. It wasn’t.

I suppose if I had looked at the cover, I might have figured out that Lenny was female. Anyway, with that being said, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder was actually a good read.

Before I give my thoughts, here is the Goodreads Synopsis:

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail—and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life—but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who’s simply unforgettable.

For a debut novel, it was really good. I won’t give away too much, but with a title like “Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder,” I assumed the “murder” would happen towards the beginning of the book. It didn’t.

Because I was waiting for it, at times I wondered when it was going to happen. This distracted me a bit, but once I was able to put the expectation of a murder out of my mind, things fell into place nicely.

If I had to describe the book, I would say that it is like The Maid Meets Desperate Housewives. Let me clarify:

I say The Maid because Molly, the main character is a bit odd. She has autism and is very particular about her schedule and routines. Lenny isn’t autistic per say, but she has those tendencies. She is innocent and quiet and likes her routine.

I say Desperate Housewives not because of the drama on the show, but in the way that the story will bring up something or someone that you forgot about. There were times where I was like, “Oh yeah, that guy…”

The book focuses mainly on present day Lenny, but at times there are flashbacks that shed light on what is going on in the story. I would agree with the synopsis in that there are some scenarios that are heartbreaking and as a whole, heartwarming.

Does the title of the book give away the ending? You should read it and find out.

3 out of 5 stars.

Book Recommendation – The Man Who Died Seven Times

I recently took the kids to Barnes and Noble to get a book. While I was there, I looked around at the new books. I always like to see what’s out and what I might want to add to my list.

They had a “Staff Recommends” shelf. There were a few on the shelf that I had already read, a few that were on my “to read” list, and some that were completely new to me. One of the new ones was by an author I had never heard of, but the title was enough for me to pick it up and see what it was about. It was called The Man Who Died Seven Times, and it peaked my interest so much, I bought it.

Over the holiday weekend, I took advantage of quiet moments and read. Most of the books I read are audio books in the car, so it was nice to sit with a physical book. From the moment I started reading it, I was hooked. I was able to read it over a three day span. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Hisataro, a young member of the wealthy Fuchigami family, has a mysterious ability. Every now and then, against his will, he falls into a time-loop in which he is obliged to re-live the same day nine times. Little does he know how useful this ability will be, until one day, his grandfather mysteriously dies…

As he returns to the day of the murder time and again, Hisataro begins to unravel its secrets. With a sizeable inheritance up for grabs, motives abound, and everyone is a suspect. Can Hisataro solve the mystery of his grandfather’s death, and prevent it, before his time-loop ends?

The hardest part about the book was keeping the various Japanese names strait. Thankfully, there is a helpful chart in the front of the book that keeps the family members organized and names the secondary characters. Every once in a while, I’d have to flip there to make sure I knew who I was reading about.

The story has sort of a Groundhog Day feel to it. It reminded me of Stuart Turton’s “The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.” In that book the main character relives each day as a different character in the story. This one has the same character reliving each day.

I was surprised to learn that this book was written back in 1995 by Yasuhiko Nishizawa and recently translated to English for a 2025 release. Outside of the character names and a few Japanese references, it reads just like a good mystery.

Each day Hisataro learns something new about his grandfather’s death. Each day also presents in a way that shines the spotlight on someone who may be the murderer. I was guessing all the way through the book.

Admittedly, the ending had a nice twist to it, but I expected something a bit different. Because of the twist, it ended the way it had to I’m guessing. Don’t let my opinion keep you from reading this. It is a great book that makes you want to read “just one more chapter” before putting it down.

I should go back to Barnes and Noble and thank the staff member who recommended this one. I enjoyed it!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – Queen of Poisons

This book has been out for a while, but I was just now finding it as an audio book. It is the third installment of the Marlow Murder Club stories. – The Queen of Poisons.

The Marlow Murder Club reminds me a lot of the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. It’s a group of friends who work together to solve a murder. This one was just as good or better than the previous books. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer… Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite―also known as the queen of poisons―are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?

The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content… which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet…

This one was really well done. Right from the start you begin guessing who did it, and along the way you discover the various secrets of those who also had a reason to. Honestly, it kept me guessing all the way through. I changed who I thought the murder was a few times and was taken by surprise when the killer was revealed.

The fourth in the series is on my list to read, too. It is called Murder on the Marlow Belle. In January of next year the fifth book will hit the shelves. That will be called The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts. I’m already looking forward to them.

If you love a mystery, I think you’ll like this one. It’s a “Golden Girls meets Columbo” kind of feel.

4.75 out of 5 stars!

Book Recommendation – The Book of Cold Cases

A friend of ours is always good about sharing books that she enjoyed with my wife and I. My wife actually read this one first, and I was able to read it this week. I went into this book only knowing the title and that it had a “true crime” aspect to it. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James did not disappoint.

I’ve always loved shows that talked about cold cases. Back in the day it was Robert Stack talking about them on Unsolved Mysteries. There was also a series that aired from 2003-2010 called simply Cold Case. The most famous show was A&E’s Cold Case Files which has aired sporadically (1999-2002, 2005-2006, 2017, 2021-2022, 2024-2025). True crime is fascinating to me and many people, and I started reading this with those shows sort of on my mind.

Let’s look at the Goodreads synopsis:

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

This book was very good and kept me asking questions and on the edge of my seat at times. There were elements of the story I had not expected and at first I wasn’t sure about how to take them. In the end, however, those elements were what added the extra “suspense” for me.

As the summary states, the story bounces from the past to the present. There was no trouble keeping the characters straight. There were surprises and twists, too. I’m not sure I would categorize this as a mystery (which is what I thought it was), but I’d definitely call it a thriller. I found myself hating to have to stop reading at times. I wanted to know what happened next.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – The War Pianist

My wife knows I like historical fiction books. She found this at Sam’s Club and said, “It sounds like a story you might like.

My first thought was “a piano player during wartime?” Then I read the Goodreads Synopsis:

Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code.

July, 1940

Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or Pianist – for the Dutch resistance, Marnie knows she must complete his mission – no matter the cost…

Nazi-occupied Amsterdam: At the other end of the wireless, fellow pianist Corrie Bakker is caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse as she desperately tries to keep her loved ones out of the line of fire – even if it means sacrificing herself…

Bound together by the invisible wires of their radios, the two women lead parallel lives in their home cities, as both are betrayed by those they trust the most. But when the Nazis close in on one of them, only the other can save her…

Two cities. Two spies. But which woman survives?

I enjoyed the book, even though there were a couple times where I thought “would they really be up and walking after that happened to them?” All in all, it was a good read that kept my interest.

I give it 3.5 out of five stars.

Book Recommendation – Murder on Black Swan Lane

It’s been a while since I posted a book recommendation. I slowed down a bit over the past couple weeks as I was finishing up a semester of my bible classes and taking exams.

In searching for my next read, I had scrolled through my Goodreads “want to read” list. This one had been on their for a while – Murder on Black Swan Lane. It looked “Sherlock Holmes-ish,” so I read it.

I had no idea that this was part of a series of books. I lucked out because it is the first of the Wrexford and Sloane series. It was written in 2017. Andrea Penrose had put out a Wrexford and Sloane novel every year since, with the latest due out this year. That will bring the series up to 9 mysteries.

I was right in my thoughts that it was Holmes-ish. It takes place in England and would be considered “Regency-era historical fiction.” Before I move on here is the Goodreads synopsis:

In Regency London, an unconventional scientist and a fearless female artist form an unlikely alliance to expose unspeakable evil . . .

The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London’s most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church—his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear—and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect.

The thing I liked about this was that it broke away from the “norm.” Instead of there being a murder and a detective swoops in to solve the crime, the main suspect has to solve it to save himself. You see the story from a whole new angle. The suspect is in a race against time to put together the pieces before he is arrested and tried for a crime he didn’t commit.

The book was not one of those “find out who the killer is on the last page” books. Whether you consider that a spoiler or not, I don’t know. I will just say that the way everything falls into place adds to the excitement and leaves you waiting for the next adventure.

3.5 out of 5 stars.