Losing Leah Holloway

Losing Leah Holloway (A Claire Fletcher and Detective Parks mystery) by Lisa Regan. Thomas & Mercer, 2017. 381 pages. Published October 17, 2017. *****

This second book in the Claire Fletcher and Detective Parks mystery series is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. Five years ago Claire Fletcher escaped her abductor and is working hard to put the past behind her and to live a normal life. Her quiet life abruptly changes when she and her sister, Brianna, are fishing and see a car careen through a concrete overpass and dive into the river. The car begins to sink, Claire throws her fishing rod down and races into the water to help. When Claire sees children in the car, she attempts to open the door and break the windows. The driver is slumped in her seat and is unresponsive when Claire bangs on the window. When she comes to, she refuses to unlock the door so Claire can get the children out of the car. What would cause a mother to drive recklessly and risk the lives of her children? Leah seems to be a model mother, wife, and employee. Nothing in her life indicates that she is under duress or stressed as a mother. Will Claire and Connor be able to unravel Leah's motivations for her actions and in doing so will Claire finally be able to overcome her fears and build a future with Connor?

I love a story that draws me in and keeps me guessing. There are many twists and turns to this story and the plot is unpredictable. I couldn't put it down. I did not read the first book and it isn't necessary because Regan explains enough of the backstory. However, I wish I had and will certainly do so now. You will not be disappointed in this suspenseful thriller.

I received an ecopy for a review.

Lisa Regan, the author of Finding Claire Fletcher, is a bestselling suspense novelist and a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. She has a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in education from Bloomsburg University, works full-time as a paralegal, and lives with her husband and daughter in Philadelphia, where she writes books while waiting in line at the post office. Readers can learn more about her work at www.lisaregan.com.

#losingleahholloway #suspensefulthriller #mystery

Merry and Bright

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber. New York: Ballantine Books, 2017. 140 pages. **** Published October 3, 2017.

Debbie Macomber has once again written a heart-warming Christmas story. Merry is a temporary employee at Matterson Consulting and with mandatory overtime has little time for anything else in her life. She lives with her mother who has mobility issues due to complications with multiple sclerosis, her father, and her eighteen-year-old Down syndrome brother. Merry is working as a temp to save money for college and tries to help at home as much as she can. Her job on the Boeing project is winding down and after the Christmas holidays her job will end. Merry has made many friends at Matterson and tries to make the workplace better by decorating for the holidays until reprimanded by her inflexible, curmudgeon boss, Jayson Bright. Merry's mother and brother worry that she will never find someone to date, so they surprise her with a subscription to "Mix and Mingle" for an early birthday present. Merry is not amused when she finds out that they used a photo of Bogie, the dog, on her profile. 

Merry meets and talks to a guy on the Internet, but is reluctant to meet him in person. When they agree to meet for coffee, Merry panics and leaves him waiting and wondering what happened. Has Merry met the man of her dreams or is he a fraud?

There is a certain predictability in Macomber's books and it is for this reason that her followers read her books. They are heart-warming, sincere, and full of hope in this unpredictable, crazy, world. Merry and Bright should be on your Holiday list and books to be read this season. 

I received an electronic copy for a review. 

Debbie Macomber is a leading voice in women's fiction, with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Twelve of her novels have hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, with three debuting at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly lists.  Follow her at debbiemacomber.com and Facebook.com/debbiemacomberworld, Twitter:@debbiemacomber

Instagram: @debbiemacomber,  Pinterest.com/macomberbooks.

I'm the one who got away

I'm the one who got away: a memoir by Andrea Jarrell. Berkeley: She Writes Press, 2017. 153pp. Book Club Discussion Guide. ****

Reading like a mystery novel, Andrea relates her experiences as the daughter and wife of an alcoholic who is determined to find the life that is right for her. When a woman she knows is murdered, Andrea must face her past and question her motives for avoiding the woman and her family. Estranged from her abusive father and escaping his charm, Andrea and her mother form a bond that helps them to survive. Andrea doesn't understand the choices her mother makes when it comes to men; however, she is determined not to make the same mistakes. Andrea takes us on her journey of marriage, motherhood, and the search for love and self. It's not an easy journey, however, it is a relatable one and a compelling read! 

Complete with a Discussion Guide, this memoir will appeal to Book Clubs. 

I received a copy for a review.

Andrea Jarrell's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other popular and literary publications. She earned her BA in literature at Scripps College and her MFA in creative writing and literature at Bennington College. A Los Angeles native, she currently lives in suburban Washington, D.C.

#memoir 

Obie's Country Store

My sister and I were out fabric shopping and stopped in Obie's Country Store at 1585 Main Street, East Earl, PA  17519. It is definitely not for the faint of heart, the fabric is floor to ceiling!

 

My sister asked about a particular fabric and the woman working there plucked it out of a huge pile! The prices are reasonable and there are many character fabrics...Betty Boop, The Muppets, etc. There are also College fabrics, I ordered University of Pitt fabric from an online vendor two years ago and she had some of that fabric as well as sports teams.

We couldn't believe it!

 Here we are standing in the aisles!

Unbelievable!

#obies #fabricgalore #pennsylvaniafabricstore

I sewed a quilted heart

My Granddaughter and I have always believed in "paying it forward" and have done a few projects which promote that philosophy. We are truly blessed to have each other and many common interests. We love to sew and quilt. When I saw the "I Found A Quilted Heart" movement, I knew it was for us.
All of the information, rules, etc. can be found here.

Our process is simple:

• Quilt together two fat quarters. We used fusible batting and it was so easy.
• Trace a heart shape on the quilted fabric and cut out the hearts using pinking shears.
• We sewed a straight stitch close to the edge, so it doesn't fray or come apart. 
• We printed out the sample tags found on the website. and glued them to the back of paper hearts. We made the paper hearts out of card stock and hole punched them to facilitate hanging.

My Granddaughter hand wrote "Take Me Home" to the front side of the heart tags.

We added rick rack, buttons, lace, etc. to the hearts.

We added ribbon or rick rack as a hanger and stitched it on with the sewing machine to make it strong.

We made 11 hearts the first day!

We sowed 2 hearts that first day in Pennsylvania and it was really hard to walk away and not to hang around and see if anyone noticed the heart or claimed it. It rained so hard that night that I woke up and wondered if the hearts were in the rain.

I am taking two hearts with me this weekend to Maryland and my Granddaughter is taking two with her to South Carolina. I wonder if everyone else who makes these hearts checks the FB page to see if anyone has claimed/recorded their heart as often as I do? Just think, you may be lucky enough to find one. We'll be making more hearts next week!

#isowedaquiltedheart 

Don't Let Go

Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben. New York: Dutton, 2017. 291 pages. ***** to be Published September 26, 2017.

Napoleon Dumas has spent the last fifteen years talking to his dead brother, looking for his missing girlfriend, and playing vigilante. When the fingerprints of his missing high school girlfriend surface during a murder investigation, Dumas begins to question the facts that surrounded his brother's death along with Diana, his brother's girlfriend, on the train tracks. Is anything true that he was told at the time or have all of his friends lied to him? If Maura is alive and complicit in this latest murder, why did she run away 15 years ago and why has she not contacted him? Were Leo, Diana, and Maura, all members of the Conspiracy Club, a secret society, along with Hank, Rex, and Beth? Rex has now been murdered, Hank is missing and Beth is unavailable. It's up to Nap to connect the recent murders with what happened 15 years ago and to find Maura.

In true Coben fashion, the plot twists and turns, confusing the reader (in a good way) as to who is the good guy and who is the killer. Nap tries to right wrongs and questions whether he is being played for a fool. The endings in his books are usually a surprise and this one was no exception. Great escapism reading.

I received an ecopy for a review.

This is a story of friendship, love, loyalty, and secrets.

With more than seventy million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the internationally bestselling author of thirty novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Home, Fool Me Once, The Stranger, Missing You, Six Years, Stay Close, Live Wire, Caught, Long Lost, and Hold Tight, as well as the Myron Bolitar series and a series aimed at young adults featuring Myron's nephew, Mickey Bolitar. His books are published in forty-three languages around the globe and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. The winner of the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, he lives in New Jersey.

Beartown

Beartown by Fredrik Backman. Translated by Neil Smith. New York: Atria Books, 2016. 418 pages. ****

The story opens with "a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead, and pulled the trigger." Beartown is a town that has lost most of its economic base, closed some schools, and is getting swallowed up by its desolateness. The town's hope for a bright future is hockey. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semifinals and the town is counting on their star player, Kevin. A win will change the lives of the team members and justify the choices that the general manager and coach have made for the boys and their families. The actions of the players at an unsupervised party the night before the game challenges the beliefs of the parents, townspeople and the players themselves. When the police remove one of their own from the bus on the day of the big game, the players and townspeople rally to support him even though his innocence is questioned by his best friend. 

Backman has tackled a difficult subject and this book is unlike his others. Initially, I was disappointed because if you have read my previous posts, I love his writings and was hoping for similar characters and plot. This is one of those books that starts out slow and I knew something tragic was unfolding based on the first few lines. Yes, it is a book about hockey, but it could be any town and any sport. When players are idolized and are seen to be above the rules of society and the adults turn a blind eye, anything can and does happen. There are no easy answers and even the players who stand up for what is right and just are beaten for their stance. It is through Backman's characters, that hope, love, and courage win over ego and violence. 

 I am not a sports fan and maybe some of the situations are predictable and cliched, however, Backman's unique character development gives this story an edge. Difficult to read at times because of the anticipated outcome, I couldn't "look away" and had to keep reading.

Recommended for Book Clubs, there are many cultural and societal issues addressed and are ripe for discussion.

Reviews of his other books, click here.

Fredrik Backman's stories have been published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Visit him online at his blog: FredrikBackman.com, on twitter @backmanland, or on Instagram @backmansk.

#beartown #fredrikbackman