Posted in #Classics

The Hunt for Red October

Don’t Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!

The #1 
New York Times bestseller that launched the phenomenal career of Tom Clancy—a gripping military thriller that introduced the world to his unforgettable hero, Jack Ryan—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
 
Somewhere under the freezing Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. The chase for the highly advanced nuclear submarine is on—and there’s only one man who can find her…
 
Brilliant CIA analyst Jack Ryan has little interest in fieldwork, but when covert photographs of Red October land on his desk, Ryan soon finds himself in the middle of a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek played by two world powers—a game that could end in all-out war.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Somewhere under the Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision: the Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. And the most incredible chase in history is on….

The Hunt for Red October is the runaway bestseller that launched Tom Clancy’s phenomenal career. A military thriller so accurate and convincing that the author was rumored to have been debriefed by the White House. Its theme: the greatest espionage coup in history. Its story: the chase for a runaway top secret Russian missile sub.

Review

Praise for The Hunt for Red October

“Flawless…frighteningly genuine.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Remarkable…intricate and nerve tingling.”—Clive Cussler

“Gripping narrative…Navy buffs and thriller adepts have been mesmerized.”—Time

Praise for Tom Clancy

“He constantly taps the current world situation for its imminent dangers and spins them into an engrossing tale.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A brilliant describer of events.”—The Washington Post

“No one can equal his talent for making military electronics and engineering intelligible and exciting…He remains the best!”—Houston Chronicle

Posted in Cozy Mysteries

The Inn at Holiday Bay: Letters in the Library

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.

In book 2 of the series, Abby finds a bundle of letters which had been written in 1954 in the wall of the library after Lonnie tears it down as part of the remodel. Intrigued by the secret revealed in the letters, Abby and Georgia set out to find the rest of the story.

Meanwhile, Chief Colt Wilder uncovers a new clue relating to the death of a local girl the previous summer. In spite of her vow to focus her time on her writing, Abby finds herself pulled into the tangled web of half truths that may tell a different story than was first believed true.

Join Abby, Georgia, Rufus, and Ramos, as they continue with the remodel on the old mansion, prepare for a busy summer season, and continue to find a new meaning for their lives in the charming small town of Holiday Bay.

	Kay Monk
5.0 out of 5 stars Second chances
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Letters in the Library is the second book in the exciting new The Inn at Holiday Bay cozy mystery series. This book is filled with elements of a cozy mystery including suspense, romance, humor, love, friends and family, and a sense of community. The story takes place in the charming, festive, tourist town of Holiday Bay, Maine. Residents are planning the upcoming Valentine’s Ball.

The main character is Abby Sullivan, a writer from San Francisco who, after suffering a devastating personal tragedy, sold her condo, packed up all her belongings, bought a huge old house she had never seen in a town she had never been to, and moved to Holiday Bay. She works with her new friends, including the local police chief, Colt Wilder, to uncover the answers to the many questions they encounter in three or four different (but perhaps connected) mysterious circumstances, including old love letters that were found in the wall in the library.

This story contains heart-warming side stories within the mystery. There is a strong theme of second chances in this series and in all of Mrs. Daley’s stories. I love the way she writes in a continuing saga fashion with hints and clues to stories in the future (and red herrings). I love that not all questions are resolved in each book. I enjoyed the character development and the expansion of Abby’s friend set. As always, this author’s writing flows smoothly, and her setting and relatable characters make for an extremely enjoyable and quick read. I really look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Posted in #BookTours

The Calleshire Chronicles Volume One: The Religious Body, Henrietta Who?, and The Stately Home Murder

A trio of sharp-witted British whodunits featuring Detective Inspector Sloan—from a CWA Diamond Dagger winner and “a most ingenious” author (The New Yorker).

In her debut novel in the long-running mystery series, The Religious Body, Catherine Aird introduced the sleuthing team of shrewd Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan and his less-than-shrewd sidekick, Detective Constable William Crosby, in the fictional County of Calleshire, England. Over the course of twenty-four crime novels, the award-winning author has maintained the perfect balance between cozy village mystery and police procedural.

The Religious Body: When Sister Anne’s body is found at the bottom of a steep set of cellar stairs, her veil askew and her head crushed, it’s clear she’s been viciously attacked. Heaven help Detective Inspector Sloan as he’s called to the Convent of St. Anselm to determine why someone would want to murder a nun.

Henrietta Who?: In a quiet English village, a woman’s body is found in the road, the victim of a hit-and-run. Miles away, her daughter, Henrietta, is given the bad news. But an autopsy brings even more shocking news: Not only was Mrs. Jenkins’s death no accident, the woman never had a child. If Henrietta is not her daughter, who is she? It’s up to Detective Inspector Sloan to find out.

The Stately Home Murder: To survive financial hard times, the Earl of Ornum has opened his estate to tourists. One curious young boy sees a full suit of armor and lifts the visor . . . only to see a face staring back at him. Now Ornum House is a crime scene, with Sloan and Crosby determined to discover how a murdered man ended up in knight’s garb.

Posted in Cookbooks

My Italian Kitchen: Favorite Family Recipes from the Winner of MasterChef Season 4 on FOX

A collection of authentic Italian family recipes from the Season 4 winner of MasterChef!

Most of Italian chef Luca Manfe’s early memories, especially of family holidays, revolve around food. Passed down from his nonnas, these recipes reflect the warm, rustic flavors of Friuli, Italy: rich frico, risotto, and savory polenta. Also showcased are the lighter bites that pair perfectly with a glass of wine: crostini with ricotta and honey, or a tramezzini, the Italian version of English high-tea sandwiches. Standout desserts include the tiramisu he made with his mother when he was eight years old and his now-famous basil panna cotta that helped win him the title of MasterChef.

“I love to teach,” says Manfe, “I’ll show you the fundamentals of fantastic Italian food, including homemade stock (I swear, it’s easy), pasta from scratch, and more. My Italian Kitchen is packed with the food that I love and that you and your family will love too.”

Continue reading “My Italian Kitchen: Favorite Family Recipes from the Winner of MasterChef Season 4 on FOX”