Her Final Words

 

Final Words by Brianna Labuskes. Seattle: Thomas & Mercer, 2020. 343 pages. ****

Eliza Cook walks into the FBI Field Office and asks to see Special Agent Lucy Thorne. Eliza confesses to killing a young boy with details that only the killer could know and then Eliza goes mute. Lucy is troubled by the lack of motive and is determined to find out the truth. Knox Hollow is a small town in Idaho with many secrets to hide and Lucy makes it her mission to expose them. It seems like an open-and-shut case until others go missing and additional bodies are found. Can Sheriff Hicks be trusted and what is he hiding? Is there a serial killer hiding in this Church controlled town or just a series of unfortunate natural deaths? 

 

This psychological thriller will have you guessing until the very end.  I enjoyed Labuskes technique for revealing the back-story. Starting with a confession and then gradually introducing the main characters kept me reading and questioning whether Eliza is a killer and why she confessed to Noah's murder if she isn't one. Total escapism, read it in 2 days and was sorry to see it end.

 

Brianna Labuskes was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Penn State University with a degree in journalism. For the past eight years, she has worked as an editor at both small-town papers and national media organizations such as Politico and Kaiser Health News, covering politics and policy. She is the author of the psychological suspense novels Black Rock Bay, Girls of Glass, and It Ends with Her. Brianna lives in Washington, DC, and enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking, and exploring the city’s best brunch options. Visit her at www.briannalabuskes.com. 

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The Blended Quilt

 

The Blended Quilt (Hawaiian series, book #3)by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Jean Brunstetter. Ohio:Shiloh Run Press, 2020. 293 pages. Recipe. Discussion Questions. ****

Sadie Kuhns and her boyfriend Wyman have been courting for months and are at a crossroads. Wyman has a history of job-hopping in an effort to find the perfect job and Sadie wants to settle down and get married. In order to keep herself occupied, Sadie creates a wall-hanging that blends traditional Amish and Hawaiian quilt patterns. Friends encourage her to write a book with her quilt patterns and self-publish it. Receiving an inheritance from her mother's sister, Sadie has the opportunity to make her dream come true much to Wyman's disapproval and resentment. The more successful Sadie becomes in promoting her book, the less time there is to see Wyman and participate in her family activities. When the same young man attends her book signings and asks inappropriate questions, Sadie doesn't know what to do. Her Amish way of life has not prepared her for success and a brash young man. Is he harmless or does he have a sinister motive for showing up on her family's farm? 

 

This mother and daughter-in-law writing duo has done it again. The Amish way of life looks calm and peaceful from the outside; however, they have a way of introducing reality into their stories. The jealousy of Sadie's sisters about her inheritance and Wyman's unrealistic job pursuits are relatable in any culture and may be surprising to some readers. The Brunstetters provide a window into a way of life that few outsiders (English) understand. As a quilter, I enjoyed reading about Sadie's quilt design process and appreciate the recipe for Sadie's Coconut Carrot Cake (page 280). In our chaotic world today it is helpful to read a book filled with acceptance and hope. Whenever I pick up one of their books, I know it will be an enjoyable afternoon.

I received a paperback copy for a review.

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 100 books with more than 11 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine, USA Today, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, and Country Woman. Wanda’s books have been translated into four foreign languages. For more information on the author: https://wandabrunstetter.com/about/

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The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters

 

The Unikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswall. New York, William Morrow, 2019. 312 pages. ****

 The British born Shergill sisters-- Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina --travel to India on a pilgrimage to fulfill their deceased Mother's request. Having grown apart as they have gotten older, they don't really know one another and their constant bickering and fighting doesn't help. All three bring their own issues and secrets on the trip as well as their resentments about their role and treatment in the family. Somewhere along the way, each sister gaisn insight into the role their mother had to play in her husband's family and they come to terms with the expectations for women in their culture. No trip with three sisters would be complete without at least one arrest and one disappearing sister. A heart-warming story of love and acceptance!

This book is one of the choices in the Bee Keepers - The Book Hive Book Club. It is my October read and I am so glad it was chosen. Not a book I would have picked up on my own, but an enjoyable read. If you have a sister, you will understand and bring your own experiences to the story. I borrowed a copy from the library to read because the book came with a multitude of post-it flags on the pages and post-it notes throughout. Drove me crazy...is this something new in Fiction book reading? A total distraction for this retired librarian.

Balli Kaur Jaswal was born in Singapore and grew up in Japan, Russia, and the Philippines. She studies creative writing at Hollins University in Virginia  and has taught fiction at Nanyang Technological University and Yale-NUS College in Singapore. Her novel Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was an international bestseller and a Resse's Book Club pick. She lives in Singapore.

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The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

 

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni. Seattle, Union Lake, 2018. 428 pages. ****

Sam's father named him the first time he saw him, "What the Sam Hell?" His mother called it "God's Will" and his classmates dubbed him "the devil boy" Sam was born with ocular albinism and red eyes. His mother fought for him and if questioned about his unusual eye color would reply, "God made them that color. Their extraordinary." While Sam wanted to believe in his mother's faith and that everything will be all right, the bullies and cruel children in Our Lady of Mercy elementary school taught him differently. Sam learns that he can only depend on his best friends, Ernie Cantwell, the only African American student in the school, and Michaela Kennedy. 

I read this book in two days, laughed and cried. As a Catholic school survivor, I can relate to the life teaching experiences and his mother's devotion to the Blessed Mother. I laughed when Sam describes his mother's determination to get him into OLM Catholic school. His mother exemplifies Catholic mothers everywhere, butting into his life and hiding behind "it is God's Will."  Sam's afraid to believe and afraid not to believe, just in case. Dugoni dedicates the book to his mother and his Acknowledgements bring the story full circle. (no spoilers here) I have read other books by Dugoni and enjoyed them, however, this one touched me. While at times stretching credulity, Sam's ordinary life was truly extraordinary. While not for everyone and the Catholicism may be difficult for some to understand and accept, in these troubled times, Dugoni gives us hope in the goodness of ordinary people.

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 6 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, and the David Sloane legal thriller series. He is also the author of several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, and the literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. 

Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a two-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He is also a two- time finalist for the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages.

Ocular Albinism

https://www.visionofchildren.org/what-is-ocular-albinism

https://www.albinism.org/information-bulletin-ocular-albinism/

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2020 Monthly Color Challenge - October

October- Ruby Crowned-Ringlet (Olive)

I love the look of this little bird! Pattern is available on Patterns by Jen's blog.

My one piece of advice is to trim your units according to the pattern.

Visit the other bloggers to see their blocks and hints!

Quilty Creations by Fawn

Home Sewn By Us

Steph Jacobson Designs

So This Is Kentucky

rainbows. bunnies. cupcakes

Kathy's kwilts and more

Patterns by Jen

Everyone Deserves a Quilt

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