Nancy M

What do you do when you are being framed for murder and the evidence against you is so compelling that you know you will be arrested? This is the predicament facing Alice Humphrey in Alafair Burke’s new standalone. This is her best work yet, and I have been a fan of her other two series. Great characters, great writing and a riveting story. It is obvious that she is very familiar with the criminal justice system and the way a criminal mind works.

This is not the type of book I probably would have picked up if I had not won a copy. I decided to read the first few pages and I couldn't put it down. I loved the way Moriarty let Alice discover new things about herself daily - the accounts of her interactions with her 3 children that she didn't even remember having were priceless. At first I was put off by the other two story lines and the way they were told but by the middle of the book I couldn't wait to see her sister's diary entry or her grannie's letter. This could be the story of any young wife who soon finds herself with 3 active children, an ambitious husband, and all that keeping the household running smoothly entails. It is a cautionary tale of what one can lose along the way told with humor and insight.

If you have not yet met Chief Inspector Armand Gamache you are truly in for a treat with this book. While trying to finally come to grips with a very emotional and tragic episode involving the Surete du Quebec, Gamache and his agent Jean Guy Beauvoir each find themselves involved in mysteries with roots in the past. The majority of the history in the book concerns Samuel de Champlain and it was fascinating to learn about him and the history of the French and English conflicts through the eyes of Gamache. A beautifully written book with wonderfully rich characters and a wonderful village mystery, or two.

I enjoyed Death Echo. It was exactly what I thought it would be - a fast paced, interesting read, meant to entertain, which it did.

I liked the interaction between Emma and Mac and wished the action had taken place over a longer period so their relationship could develop farther.

It was a little formulaic but the fact that most of the action took place on boats, with lots of info about boats and yachts which I didn't know, helped make it interesting.

A beautifully written story of a small town, a powerful family and a long ago murder that continues to effect the lives of those involved

Jody Linder has spent most of her life thinking she knew who killed her father and longing to know what happened to her mother that stormy night 26 years earlier.

One beautiful summer Kansas day events begin which reveal new truths and which compel Jody to uncover the dangerous truth of her family's past.

This will be a Store Pick when it is released and would make a great book club book.