Kathy's (kmartin802's) First 2022 Thread (January - March)

I'm starting the year with rereads.

1. Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (416 p.; 15:41) -- 18th Liaden novel. This one is filled with changes and told from multiple viewpoints. Korval is trying to fit in on Surebleak which is suffering growing pains because of Korval's presence. Fans of the "good old days" would like to oust Korval so that they could have power again. Korval is also trying to finish off the Department of the Interior to eliminate that threat. Many characters from earlier books have roles in this one. There is just a hint of what is going on with Theo, Daav and Aelliana though Daav and Aelliana's changes are epic. We learn more about the Bedel and their culture. Great story!

Welcome back!

This group always helps me to read; welcome back to the group, Kathy.

Happy reading in 2022, Kathy!

Hope you have a great reading year!

2. Live, Local, and Dead by Nikki Knight (304 p.) -- Review. Jaye Jordan is recently divorced and has purchased a radio station in Vermont so that her daughter can still be close to her ex-husband. Jaye has to deal with protesters who are angry that she dropped the Edwin Anger show. Then she has to deal with someone hiding Anger's body in a snowman outside her studio. She also has to deal with prejudice since she is Jewish. These things get in the way of her new relationship with the governor who has problems of his own mainly stemming from a lieutenant governor who is a bigot. Lots of great characters, nice romance, and engaging mystery.

3. L. A. Burning by D. C. Taylor (288 p.) -- Review. Cody Bonner gets out of prison determined to discover who murder her twin Julie. They are Hollywood royalty with an Oscar-winning mother. But Cody became a street kid, druggie, and bank robber until prison redirected her. She's smart and tough. Her investigations reveal deep dark secrets and things about friends that change her. The story was fast-paced and dark but Cody was a great character.

4. The Body Counter by Anne Frasier (397 p.; 8:31) -- Judy buys the house where she was held captive for three years. A group of killers are slitting throats and posing bodies in the Fibonacci pattern. Jude loses and finds her cat. Her new downstairs neighbor is trying to get to know her and has secrets. Her partner Uriah has a health scare and she learns something about him that might change their relationship.

5. The Body Keeper by Anne Frasier (300 p.; 9:10) -- Third Jude Fontaine story deals with human trafficking, a child's body under the ice at Loring Pond, a four-year-old nameless child dropped off at Jude's door, and a health crisis for her partner Uriah which clarifies her feelings about him. Twisty plot; intriguing characters.

6. The Librarian Always Rings Twice by Marty Wingate (336 p.) -- Review. Hayley Burke is coming up on the first anniversary of her job as curator of the late Lady Fowler's collection of Golden Age mysteries. At the first afternoon the collection is open to the public, one of the visitors - John Aubrey - claims to be Lady Fowler's grandson which puts Charles Henry Dill's nose out of joint and dismays the society's secretary Mrs. Woolgar. When John's look-alike assistant is murdered, Charles Henry becomes a suspect. And, much as Hayley dislikes him, she needs to find out the truth about who murder Milo and if John is really Lady Fowler's long-long and secret grandson.

7. Behind the Lie by Emilya Naymark (304 p.) -- Review. Twisty tale with kidnapping, missing teenagers, corporate espionage, and tricky Russion spies. Told from the viewpoints of Holly Dubois and Laney Bird. Laney is a PI who is investigating both the disappearance of her friend Holly and the disappearance of a teenage.

8. Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels (385 p.; 8:29) -- This romantic suspense title about human trafficking wasn't very good. The narrator didn't do female voices very well and the dialog he had to work with wasn't much better.

9. The Wrong Woman by Leanne Kale Sparks (320 p.) -- Review. Entertaining thriller. FBI Special Agent Kendell Beck works in crimes against children. When she finds a missing child and learns she has been abused by her father, she is determined to see justice. She gets sidetracked when her best friend and housemate Gwen goes missing and then is discovered murdered. Denver PD Homicide Detective is trying to solve the murder of a young woman dumped on a golf course and gets involved in the case of Kendell's missing housemate. Kendell and Adam work together on Gwen's case and find that there are links between their two separate cases too. Intensely emotional and fast-paced with a number of red herrings.

10. A Sense of Danger by Jennifer Estep (367 p.; 11:04) -- New urban fantasy story about an organization that tracks paramortals. Charlotte Locke is an analyst with synesthesia that lets her know when someone is lying and alerts her to danger. Desmond Percy is a cleaner (assassin) who is trying to find out who betrayed him, his partner and a lot of other agents. He thinks one of the people Charlotte tracks will give him a lead. So do some bad guys who make several attempts on Charlotte's life making Desmond appoint himself her bodyguard. Lots of spy action with a nice amount of paranormal activity. Engaging characters and a fast-paced plot.

Looks like your reading year is off to a fast start, Kathy! I hope it keeps up for you throughout 2022.

>7 alcottacre: Thank you. Cold weather and snow make great reading weather.

>8 kmartin802: I would imagine. No snow yet here although I dearly wish we would get some!

11. Play Dead by Anne Frasier (366 p.; 9:43) -- Thriller set in Savannah, Georgia, starring Elise Sandburg, homicide detective and native with a mysterious past, and David Gould, former FBI, now homicide detective, with a tragic past. This one deals with a drug that mimics zombies and lots of bodies. Many ties to Savannah's Gullah people and Elise's own past.

12. A Perfect Equation by Elizabeth Everett (336p.) -- Review. Social commentary disguised as a romance. Letty Fenley, middle class mathematician with a reputation tarnished by an aristocrat, and Lord Greycliff need to work together to keep Athena's Retreat open to lady scientists. However, he's being pressured by his godfather to close the place down in order to be chosen as the director of a secret organization. The club is facing problems from men who believe a woman's only place is in the home. The leader of that group is Grey's rival for the directorship.

13. The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong (352 p.) -- Review. Seventh Rockton mystery feels like the end of a series. Casey and Eric are investigating when one of the resident's secrets is exposed and the exposer is attacked and buried alive. More deaths follow as someone really wants to keep their secrets hidden. Meanwhile, the Board of Directors is shutting down Rockton leaving Casey, Eric, and some other residents wondering about their futures and whether they can found their own Rockton.

14. Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (388 p.; 6:40) -- Reread. Donal Graeme is a Dorsai with a vision for the future of humanity. This story chronicles his career from mercenary soldier to Secretary of Defense for all the human worlds.

15. Summer Nights by Susan Mallery (381 p.; 8:59) -- Fool's Gold #8 stars librarian Annabelle Weiss and horse breeder Shane Stryker. Both are carrying baggage from previous divorces. Shane is still suffering from his ex-wife's betrayal and Annabelle reminds him of her. They get to know each other while he is teaching her to ride so that she can take part in a fundraising parade for a bookmobile. Loved the side characters including Priscilla the lonely elephant and Khatar the Arabian stallion who has a crush on Annabelle.

16. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery (379 p.; 9:29) -- Charlie Dixon wants to have a baby. But a rape when she was a freshman in college has left her with unhealed trauma. Widower and male model Clay Stryker has come home and wants to start a farm and host Haycations. Charlie is one of the few who can overlook his famous past and see him for who he is. She asks him to help her get over her trauma. Neither expects to fall in love. Clay's dealing with setbacks for his new business, and Charlie is dealing with the return of her mother to her life after years on not seeing her.

17. An Impossible Imposter by Deanna Raybourn (336 p.) -- Review. Veronica and Stoker travel to Hathaway Hall to look into a matter for Sir Hugo Montgomerie and deal with a secret from Veronica's past, an imposter, a jewel theft, and some dastardly villains. I liked getting to know more about Veronica. The plot was nicely twisty since the man from Veronica's past was a confidence trickster and crosses and double crosses filled the story. I also enjoyed Veronica's determination to free Euphemia from her situation and have the future she wants.

18. Batten Down the Belfry by Diane Kelly (304 p.) -- Review. Fourth house flipper mystery has Whitney and her cousin Buck turning a derelict church and parsonage into a restaurant and music venue. They have to deal with the horse breeder next door who believes he own the property and the murder of a delivery man in the bell tower. Interesting characters and nice cozy mystery.

19. A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery (306 p.) -- Evie Styker and Dante Jefferson's romance. Evie was dragged to Fooll's Gold by her family and doesn't want to be there. Dante is also a semi-reluctant resident since his partner Rafe has moved their business to Fool's Gold. They band together to deal with the holiday season and fall in love. Lots of great characters. The themes of forgiveness for past wrong and taking a chance on love are woven throughout the story.

20. Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery (379 p.; 9:21) -- Patience fell in love with Justice when she was 14. But the Witness Protection Agency pulled him out of Fool's Gold when his career criminal father was seen in the area. They grow up. She marries, has a daughter, and is abandoned by her husband. He joins the military, becomes a bodyguard, and is opening his new security business in Fool's Gold. They fall in love again, but Justice is afraid that he is too like his father to make a good husband. Great characters, great setting, and great cast of supporting characters.

>10 kmartin802: Holy cow, Kathy! You have been busy!

21. Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery (382 p.; 9:06) -- Felicia Swift, who is scary smart, is looking for a home when she comes to Fool's Gold. There she reconnects with Gideon Boylan, former Special Ops who was held captive by the Taliban for two years and who now owns two radio stations in town. He was her first lover when they met in Thailand four years earlier. She asks him to help her learn to be normal so that she can find a husband and family of her own. When Carter, the 13-year-old son Gideon never knew he had, comes to town, Felicia and Carter think the perfect family would be the three of them. Gideon thinks he's too broken for that to be possible.

22. Lt. Leary, Commanding by David Drake (580 p.; 16:24) -- Second Lt. Leary story finds Daniel and Adele traveling to Strymon with an unexpected passenger. Delos Vaughn has been a "guest" of Cinnabar since a revolution overthrew his father's government. Vaughn thinks it's time for him to regain control and plans to use Daniel to help. Lots of great plot threads including Adele reclaiming the house seized from her family. I love the relationship between Daniel and Adele. Lots of other great characters too.

23. The Fear by Natasha Preston (368 p.) -- Review. A stupid meme running through Izzy's high school leads to the deaths of a number of Izzy's classmates. The meme asks people post their greatest fears and then kids start dying in ways they said were their greatest fear. Izzy finds the body of the first victim and is determined to find the murderer. Her cousin and best friend had posted their greatest fears and Izzy is frightened for them. Occasional chapters are from the point of view of the Fear which give clues to his identity. Unfortunately, all of Izzy's suspects could be the Fear. The story was tense and fast-paced. Sometimes Izzy is TSTL but other times she's quite insightful. The ending was horribly ambiguous.

24. Stay Dead by Anne Frasier (310 p.; 9:07) -- Elise Sandburg is recovering from being kidnapped and tortured and rethinking her career choice when this story begins. Her torturer - Atticus Tremaine - is lying comatose in hospital and her partner David wants to kill him. Elise goes to her aunt's plantation where she spent many happy days as a child. There she meets a man claiming to be her deceased father. Her aunt reappears after faking her death in an insurance scam. And Elise learns about a childhood incident she had forgotten which might explain why her torturer fixated on her in the first place.

25. A Night to Die For by Lisa Schroeder (288 p.) -- Review. Prom Night goes terribly wrong when the Prom Queen Mirabelle Starr is found strangled to death in a ditch by the Prom King Mario. His prom date Elana is passed out in the passenger seat. First he's arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but the charge is upgraded to murder when some of Mirabelle's hair is found in his truck. We hear his point of view, Elana's, Parker's (who was Mirabelle's boyfriend), Lucas's (who is Mario's best friend), Zain's (who is Marabelle's new boyfriend) and have to try to sort out what happened to Mirabelle that prom night. It doesn't help that some of the characters are lying. Nice twisty mystery.

26. Buried Bones by Melinda Leigh (104 p.) -- Deputy Tessa Black and her sister are hiking when they come upon a body. Identified as Aurora Franklin, who came to Widow's Island for a summer job, Tessa and Logan have a number of suspects from her womanizing boss, to her landlord who was convicted of rape, to a ex-boyfriend showing stalker-like behavior. Tessa is also dealing with a mother with dementia and her own upcoming wedding.

27. The Lost Bones by Kendra Elliot (116 p.) -- Cate Wilde is trying to leave her past as an FBI agent behind now that she's come home to Widow's Island. She is busy running a bakery and a bookstore. But when someone leaves a package for her containing the mandible of a small child, she is swept back into a case that has haunted her for seven years. A three-year-old was abducted by her father and her mother had a hard time convincing the police to take an interest. The FBI and Cate get involved but no trace of the man or child were ever found. The guy was an abusive husband and survivalist who kept his wife dominated and imprisoned. Now there are hints that he's found a new woman to abuse and is hiding somewhere near Widow's Island. A PI looking for a missing 18-year-old who makes jewelry gives them some clues to finally solving the old crime and rescuing the man's new victim.

28. The Night Shift by Alex Finlay (368 p.) -- Review. Excellent thriller told in multiple viewpoints. It starts New Year's Eve 1999 when someone comes into a Blockbuster and brutally murders the manager and three teenage employees, leaving one gravely injured teen alive. Fifteen years later, the survivor is a therapist who hasn't put her own tragedy behind her. When she is called to see if the survivor of a similarly brutal attack in an ice cream shop, there are so many parallels to her own tragedy. Also called in are a very pregnant FBI Agent and a Public Defender who happens to be the Blockbuster suspect's brother who was pulled out of his abusive home, adopted, and raised by loving parents. But he has never given up looking for his beloved older brother who disappeared after the crime. Great characters and a wonderful, fast-paced plot.

29. The Far Side of the Stars by David Drake (514 p.; 16:51) -- On half pay, Daniel Leary, Signals Officer Adele Mundy, and the crew of the Princess Cecile are hired by rich adventurers to take them to the Galactic North where they are in search of a lost treasure. Along the way there are flying dragons, jealous lovers, irate gamblers, kidnapping religious zelots, and Alliance cruisers wanting the Princess Cecile destroyed. Exciting and engaging and we learn more about Adele since she's the main viewpoint character here.

30. Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (464 p.; 10:53) -- Reread. Jethri Gobelyn leaves his family ship to learn trading from Master Trader Norn ven'Deelin on the Liaden ship Elthoria. He has to learn Liaden culture, avoid feuds with other Liadens, and master the art of trade. He learns about special magical talents that some Liadens have when he is sent planet-side to learn more about Liaden culture with his Master's foster mother. He also gets involved with Old Tech when both Uncle and the Scouts learn that he has some of that technology from his father. Great story and excellent world-building.

>11 alcottacre: That's how it goes in wintery Minnesota - especially with Omicron not yet peaking here.

You are doing quite well on your reading this year! 30 already!

Great reading here as always Kathy. x

>15 PaulCranswick: Thanks. I've got quite a stack of interesting choices right now.

>16 kmartin802: Your reading prowess often flies under the radar, Kathy, perhaps because you don't post quite so much as some of the others in the group, but I have certainly noticed over the years how often you run at almost a book a day and are regularly in the top ten in the group for books completed.

Just for interests sake I do keep stats on books by the group members and this year the current running totals at the start of the weekend were (top twenty only)

1 amanda4242 50
2 alcottacre 47
3 Chatterbox 41
4 silverwolf28 38
5 FAMeulstee 37
6 klobrien2 31
7 kmartin802 30
8 richardderus 30
9 cbl_tn 29
10 PaulCranswick 28
11 yoyogod 27
12 Quondame 26
13 fairywings 25
14 avatiakh 24
15 FamilyHistorian 22
16 Dianekeenoy 21
17 Whisper1 21
18 CDVicarage 20
19 figsfromthistle 20
20 ronincats 20

>17 PaulCranswick: I don't post when I finish a book these days. I like to wait until I've read 10 before creating a post. I find that easier to manage.

31. Trade Secret by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (368 p.; 15:00) -- Reread. Jethri goes off with Scout ter'Astin to recover his logbook and fractin since thieves stole it from Scout headquarters. Meanwhile, Gobelyn's Market is dealing with Liaden harassment in the person of chel'Gaiban who is determined to claim balance from them and from Jethri for things he saw as insults. Jethri learns about a secret document his father wrote which describes changes needed for trade to flourish in the future. The document is of interest to a variety of parties who either want to publish it or suppress it. Jethri is stuck in the middle as he tries to balance both Terran and Liaden interests. Good story but should read BALANCE OF TRADE first.

32. Deep Night by Ambrose Ibsen (202 p.; 6:12) -- Down on his luck, eccentric private investigator Harlan Ulrich has moved to Tanglewood, Ohio, and set up his business. Need for cash has him taking a case offered by pawn shop owner Nancy Pruitt who seems to have attracted a stalker that no one sees but her. A haunted painting and a runaway spouse and lover turn the story into a murder investigation. Quirky characters made this one interesting.

33. Fair Trade by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (352 p.) -- Review. Jethri is now trader on his own ship and is sent by his mentors to the South Axis Trade Fair - hosted by TerraTrade - to gather support for the Envidaria - a document rearranging trade in response to the incursion of Rostov's Dust. There he works with allies old and new and also gathers enemies, notably Bory Borygard from TerraTrade who doesn't want to upset his comfortable life. New characters include the crew of the Dulcimer especially Squithy Patel and the norbears, and the crew of the Elsavair who find Old Tech for the Uncle. This was an enjoyable story which was heavy on politics but low on resolution of any of the plot threads. Fourth book is under contract and being written as this one is published.

34. Front Page Murder by Joyce St. Anthony (304 p.) -- Review. Irene has taken over as the editor of her father's newspaper while he is away as a war correspondent in 1942. She has to deal with male employees who think they can do a better job. The Jewish hardware store owner is facing harassment. One of her reporters has disappeared on a "hot tip" and is found dead in his home. There are potential spies at the ironworks making nuts, bolts, and rivets. There are also lots of women newly working at the factory including one who's staying with Irene's family. The mystery wasn't very mysterious but the setting was excellent with 1940s slang, fashion, and attitudes.

35. Don't Get Close by Matt Miksa (352 p.) -- Review. A twisty thriller that pits a rookie FBI agent against a long-standing group of suicide bombers and ranges into psychiatry and physics as the agent needs to deal with reincarnation and physics and the endurance of the human soul. The plot was twisty and fast-paced. Artist turned FBI rookie Vera Taggart was an intriguing character.

36. If You Ask Me by Libby Hubscher (368 p.) -- Review. Advice columnist Violet Covington's life explodes when she walks in on her husband having sex with a neighbor in their bed. All of a sudden, this woman who had the image of being perfect is getting real and her advice changes. When she burns her husband's stuff on the front lawn, she meets firefighter Dez who gives her confidence by liking her just the way she is. But being more real causes problems for her editor and best friend and also shows that some of her friends weren't really friends at all. Violet has trouble trusting that her new feelings for Dez are more than just a rebound relationship. Great characters and interesting story.

37. Archangel by Sharon Shinn (398 p.; 17:08) -- Reread. First Samaria novel. Angel Gabriel needs to find his destined human bride before it is time to take over the role of Archangel at the annual Gloria which gathers people from all walks of life to sing to the god Jovah. Human Rachel is his destined wife but she is also a slave in Semorrah after being raised by the Edori (gypsies). The villain is the current Archangel Raphael who doesn't believe in Jovah but who believes in power and wants to keep it. Gabriel and Rachel have a very stormy relationship, but both believe in Jovah and want their world to survive. This story reads as a fantasy but there is a science fiction background that the characters in the current generation don't know about. Entertaining.

38. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (384 p.) -- First Joe Leaphorn thriller introduces him and his setting - a Navaho reservation in the Southwest. When a fugitive young man is found dead miles from where Joe expected him to be, Joe investigates. His investigation leads to a potential wolf-witch which is also the basis of anthropologist Bergen McKee's study. McKee and his colleagues also find themselves in danger but it isn't from wolf-witches. Great setting and atmosphere for the story.

39. Deadly Justice by William Bernhardt (322 p.) -- Attorney Ben Kincaid takes a new lucrative job with a big corporation in Tulsa and then finds himself suspect #1 in the murder of a fellow attorney. Meanwhile, there is a serial killer on the loose. He's kidnapping teenage prostitutes, murdering them, and removing their heads and hands to delay identification. Engaging characters.

40. Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt (279 p.) -- Review. The K-9 team has been hired by the Patterson Police to look into some cold cases. The first one they choose concerns the disappearance of Chris Vogel and Kim Baskin from a high school reunion Corey attended. There has been no trace of them for 7 years. I liked Corey's snarky point of view. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me interested.

41. The Hills Have Spies by Mercedes Lackey (366 p.; 10:43) -- Reread. New Valdemar series starring Mags and Amily's children. Mags takes his oldest son Perry with him when he goes to investigate some disappearances on the border of Valdemar and the Pelagirs. Perry has the gift of animal mindspeech which comes in handy when he becomes the companion of a kyree named Larral. They discover that an insane person with very powerful mindspeech is kidnapping people and has even mindcontrolled a troop of mercenaries. Against Mags' orders, Perry goes undercover inside the kidnapper's fortress in the guise of a mentally challenged Dog-Boy to uncover what is going on. The story was exciting and fast-paced. I enjoyed getting to know Perry.

42. Abandoned in Death by J. D. Robb (361 p.) -- Eve and her team need to track down a killer kidnapping, murdering, and posing young women with a sign reading BAD MOMMY on their chests. Great police procedural. Nice contrast with Eve and Roarke's own experiences with bad mommies. Love the support network Eve has built around herself.

43. Eye Spy by Mercedes Lackey (332 p.; 9:51) -- Reread. Mags and Amily's daughter Abi has been well-trained by her parents to become a spy and a protector for her friends in the royal family. She discovers a unique talent that lets her feel, and later see, the stress in non-living things when she sees a bridge collapse just before it happens. She is sent to be trained as a Artificer which makes her an enemy in Dudley Remp who is a bully. When he attacks her, she breaks his finger and a truth spell shows his intent which gets him expelled. She helps discover a hidden treasure and, for her Master Work, designs a new bridge to replace the one that collapsed. She's sent with other Masters to fix things in a land area that borders Valdemar and is thinking of joining. There the company meets enemies and Abi needs to use her talents as a spy to solve that problem. Great coming of age story.

44. Spy, Spy Again by Mercedes Lackey (348 p.; 10:53) -- Reread. Mags and Amily's third child Tory gets his adventure. He and is best friend Kee share a gift that lets them Farsee their relatives. Tory is also being trained to be a spy like his father. When Kee and Tory receive a distress call from an unknown source, they don't know what to do. They learn when their sleepgiver cousin Ahkhan comes to beg for Mags' help to find his missing sister Sira. Tory and Kee are sent to try to find her. She has been captured by Karsite priests who control demons and imprisoned. This was a great story about friendship and how things in life change.

45. The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery (384 p.) -- Review. Nice romance with great family dynamics. Robyn runs to her great aunt in Santa Barbara when family pressures get to be too much. She also has to make decisions about her own future now that her children are grown. She meets Mason who also has his own decisions to make when he learns that he is set to inherit a house worth upwards of $12 million. Robyn and Mason fall in love but her complicated family and his feelings that he isn't good enough for her put up roadblocks for both of them. Intriguing group of characters.

46. The Prey by Allison Brennan (416 p.) -- Former FBI Agent turned best-selling author is being threatened by a murder who is recreating the murders in her books and who has _targeted her to be a victim too. Michael and John Flynn are private investigators hired to keep her safe. Michael is crushing on her but it is John who captures her heart. When Michael also becomes a victim of the killer both Rowan and John feel lots of guilt but more determination than ever to bring the murderer to justice. Great characters and fast-paced plot.

47. Jovah's Angel by Sharon Shinn (365 p.; 15:51) -- In this second book set on Samaria, science and religion butt heads. Alleluia is the current archangel after the previous archangel lost her ability to fly in an accident. Samaria is dealing with very difficult weather and somehow their god is no longer hearing their voices. There is also an industrial revolution going on which is changing the society on Samaria. Caleb Augustus is one of the engineers exploring the new science. When Alleluia learns that their god is in need of repair, she recruits Caleb to see if he can fix it and together they learn a lot about Samaria's founding and goals of the first settlers. This causes issues with Alleluia's faith since it appears her god is a machine created by man. Great storytelling, intriguing characters.

48. La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman (463 p.; 13:08) -- Amazing epic fantasy set in the world of His Dark Materials and telling about different part of Lyra's life. In this one she is an infant who needs to be protected by 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead on a journey down the flooded Thames pursued by various villains.

49. Thankless in Death by J. D. Robb (418 p.; 13:22) -- Reread. In the days before Thanksgiving, Eve and her team have to track down a killer who began with his parents and moved on to his ex-girlfriend. They don't know who he will be _targeting next but anyone who ever crossed his path is a candidate. Eve is also mentally preparing for Roarke's large Irish family to come for Thanksgiving. She and Roarke also have to prepare for the ceremony that will give both of them Medals of Honor for solving a previous case. Eve is also offered a chance at promotion to Captain and realizes that she doesn't want that right now even though it had been her main goal until she met and married Roarke. I missed some of the secondary characters I have grown fond of. This one substituted sections in the mind of the very creepy killer.

50. Night Scents by Carla Neggers (320 p.; 10:00) -- Nice romantic suspense title set on Cape Cod. Piper Macintosh is a lifelong resident. Clate Jackson is a Nashville entrepreneur who bought her aunt's house which is her nearest neightbor. Her aunt Hannah has moved to a brand-new condo in town. She says that Clate is Piper's perfect match. But before their romance can prosper, they have to deal with Aunt Hannah's herbal remedies and the mystery of buried treasure left by Hannah's parents 80 years earlier. Someone else also wants the treasure which puts Piper's life in danger.

51. Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian (352 p.) -- Review. Twisty mystery filled with multi-ethnic characters, magic of the stage variety, vegan recipes, and interesting relationships. When Tempest Raj's back-stabbing assistant is found dead in a locked room, Tempest needs to find out who murdered her and how she got into the room. Lots of suspicious characters.

52. Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh (374 p.) -- Entertaining contemporary romance set in New Zealand.

53. Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (384 p.; 11:59) -- Reread. This fantasy is a romance between Farmer Fawn and Lakewalker Dag. It is a story of love overcoming culture clashes and many other things. Fawn meets Dag while running away from home with an unplanned pregnancy. Dag saves her life when she encounters a Malice, the Lakewalkers' ancient foe, and falls in love with her courage and curiosity. Excellent characters and great worldbuilding.

54. Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold (384 p.; 12:57) -- Reread. Fawn, Dag, and Fawn's brother Whit start out from her parent's house to explore more of the world. Dag wants to show Fawn the sea. They travel down the river on a flatboat and meet all sorts of people. Dag learns more about his newly developing powers and confirms his belief that Farmers need to know more Lakewalker secrets if malices are ever going to be eradicated. They also find a renegade Lakewalker who is causing as much damage as any malice as they travel down the river.

55. Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold (435 p.; 14:48) -- Reread. Fawn, Dag, and Fawn's brother Whit start out from her parent's house to explore more of the world. Dag wants to show Fawn the sea. They travel down the river on a flatboat and meet all sorts of people. Dag learns more about his newly developing powers and confirms his belief that Farmers need to know more Lakewalker secrets if malices are ever going to be eradicated. They also find a renegade Lakewalker who is causing as much damage as any malice as they travel down the river.

56. Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold (464 p.; 15:20) -- Reread. Dag and Fawn make the journey north again to find a home before Fawn has their baby. Dag has learned much about his new powers. They gather quite a crew heading north including Dag's teacher Arkady. Along the way they also have to battle two malices. Dag's new protection for Fawn, Whit, and his wife Berry saves they day when they are the ones who actually kill the malice.

57. Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold (148 p.) -- Reread. Barr Foxbrush changes from passively watching the daughter he had fourteen years earlier with a farmer woman when the girl (Lily) begins developing groundsense and can feel that her mother doesn't believe her when she says she wasn't the one who burned down their farm. Barr catches up to her but wonders what to do for her. His first thought is to take her to Dag and Fawn but an encounter with a sessile malice that injures him means he was to take her to his home camp and confess to her existence. This was a great story filled with Bujold's masterful prose.

58. Game On by Janet Evanovich (299 p.; 7:03) -- When Diesel reappears in her life, Stephanie Plum knows that her latest FTA won't be an easy recovery. Hacker Oswald Wednesday is an FTA and Diesel wants to find him for his mysterious employer. Oswald is not only elusive but he is also murdering other hackers. Diesel and Stephanie are in a rush to find them first and protect them. Grandma Masur's hijinks, Lulu's presence, and her mom's new hobby, keep Stephanie busy. She's also juggling Morelli, Diesel, and Ranger.

59. Evil in Emerald by A. M. Stuart (384 p.) -- Review. Third Harriet Gordon mystery set in Singapore 1910 was largely Inspector Robert Curran's story. He deals with a planter looking for revenge, a dissolving personal relationship, the discovery of a previously unknown brother and sister, and a series of murders surrounding an amateur company getting ready to perform The Pirates of Penzance. Great setting and interesting characters.

60. River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz (9:53) -- Reread. Classic Jayne Ann Krentz! Lucy Sheridan comes back to Summer River to settle her aunt's estate and meets Mason Fletcher, the man she had a crush on as a teen. Together they have to figure out who killed her Aunt Sara and why. Does it have something to do with the events that caused her to leave Summer River as a teen? Or does it have to do with the shares she inherited in Colfax Inc.? Krentz weaves events of the past and the present into a compelling story. Watching Lucy and Mason fall in love through the book was great too. I liked that the romance featured two strong adults who completed each other.

You are doing quite well on your 2022 reading.

Quite a lot to take in with ten books at a time, Kathy.

Impressive first 60 anyway.

61. Beguiled by Darynda Jones (370 p.; 10:10) -- Great conclusion to trilogy. It was filled with both humor and danger as Defiance Dane learns to use her new powers, save herself from an assassin, discover who murdered her grandmother and why, and strengthen her relationship with the wolf downstairs.

62. Lake Silence by Anne Bishop (461 p.; 13:38) -- Reread. Excellent fantasy set in the world of the Others. Vicki DeVine gets The Jumble in her divorce settlement with Yorick Dane. It is a resort on Lake Silence that is in need of restoration. She updates what she can afford and has her first lodger Aggie Crowe. When Aggie discovers a body, itbegins a conspiracy by her ex and his business partners to evict Vicki and turn the resort into a high end resort. Unfortunately for them, the land is controlled by the Others who want Vicki there to act as a bridge between humans and Others. Wayne Grimshaw is the cop who is assigned to investigate and becomes involved with the town, the Others and the crime. I liked how clear it was that humans were not the apex predators here and smart ones knew it. Vicki's ex and his partners weren't smart.

63. Summer Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews (320 p.) -- Too long contemporary romance. Sheriff Zack Kittredge and Janie Atwood - both complicated people - fall in love. Janie is a traveling nurse looking for her family. Zack has more than enough family and wants to keep his distance.Review.

64. Indulgence in Death by J. D. Robb (380 p.) -- Reread. Eve gets involved in a murder investigation on her anniversary trip to Ireland with Roarke. Then, when she returns to New York, she gets called in for what seem to be random killings in semi-public places using odd weapons. Eve and her team quickly get involved in this complex case of rich guy, thrill kills. In fact, she is the ultimate _target. I love the relationship between Eve and Roarke. It is a wonderful example of a romance growing and deepening as two characters really get to know each other.

65. The Art of the Decoy by Trish Esden (336 p.) -- Review. New cozy series introduces Edie Brown who is trying to save her family's antiques and fine arts business after her mother is imprisoned for art forgery. They are hired to appraise some very valuable carved decoys which disappear leaving Edie, her Uncle Tuck, and new employee Kala to find them before the owner reports the theft to the police. They find themselves in the middle of a ring of thieves that don't hesitate to murder and the FBI Art Crimes Team that is trying to track them down.

66. Pretty Dead by Anne Frasier (342 p.; 9:04) -- A serial killer comes to Savannah, and it is up to Elise and David to track him down. Meanwhile the anniversary of his son's murder is coming up which is throwing David off balance. And Elise's estranged father Jackson Sweet is back in town fighting cancer. Lots of intense emotions and a fast=paced plot.

67. Truly Dead by Anne Frasier (335 p.; 9:14) -- Finale of the Elise Sandburg series is as action-packed and emotionally intense as the previous episodes. This time they are trying to track down a serial killer who had been presumed dead 30+ years earlier. The killer wants revenge on Elise's father Jackson Sweet and is killing anyone who is close to him.

68. Cleopatra's Dagger by Carole Lawrence (361 p.) -- Review. Historical mystery set in New York City 1880. Reporter and socialite Elizabeth van den Broek gets her break when she discovers the body of a young woman murdered, wrapped as a mummy, and left in the hole where Cleopatra's Needle will be erected. The villain thinks he is Osiris and is murdering a number of young women. Elizabeth needs to investigate and, while she does so, we get pictures of what the city looked like and felt like at the time. Interesting characters and great setting. The mystery itself wasn't the strongest element of the story for me.

69. Glass Slippers by Leah Cypess (272 p.) -- Review. Middle grade fantasy that tells the story of Cinderella's third stepsister. Tirzah was only five when the events of the fairy tale took place. Cinderella took her along to the palace when she became queen but everyone still believes that Tirzah is wicked. She's eleven when the glass slippers go missing and she's blamed. She finds a plot wherein her fairy godmother and stepsisters want to overthrow Cinderella. Tirzah isn't sure what to do but is sure she isn't getting the whole story from anybody. Lots of action. Great main character.

70. Someone Like You by Susan Mallery (382 p.; 9:29) -- Nice contemporary romance. Jill Strathern is back in her hometown after her marriage implodes and she loses her job as a corporate lawyer. Mac Kendrick is also back. He's the new sheriff and trying to reconnect with his 8-year-old daughter Emily. When a former client of Jill's comes to see her, Mac is suspicious of the guy who screams mafia. Jill and Mac are also dealing with an abusive husband. Mac is also dealing with a social worker who doesn't think a cop can make a good father.

71. A Baby's Bones by Rebecca Alexander (480 p.) -- Pregnant archaeologist Sage Westfield and her students are excavating a Tudor well outside a cottage on the Isle of Wight when bones of a woman and infant are discovered sending Sage on a search to discover who they were and how they ended up in a well. Flashbacks to the 1580s have some parallels with the present in the form of forbidden love, obsession, and murder. Great story.

72. Shadow in the Glass by M. E. Hilliard (336 p.) -- Review. Second Greer Hogan mystery has her at a friend's wedding hoping to learn more about her husband's murder but finding herself investigating the death of one of the guests who might be the bride's father's lover and who might be doing some sort of shady deal with the company they all own. Great characters. I love that Greer is a mystery-reading reference librarian.

73. Crowbones by Anne Bishop (351 p.; 11:17) -- It's Trickster night at The Jumble but no one expects the Crowgard bogeyman Crowbones to knock at the door. Crowbones is on the track of some contamination that is spreading among some of the young Crowgard and Sanguinati and it is up to Vicki, Wayne, Julian, and Ilya to find it and stop it before many more die. Great characters and fast-paced, suspenseful plot.

74. The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton (304 p.) -- Review. Delany attends a Burns Night Dinner that leads to arson and murder and a mystery concerning her colleague, Hamlet. Interesting characters and setting.

75. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (448 p.; 12:00) -- Time Travel romance. Eva Wells returns to Cornwall - the place of her happiest childhood memories - to spread her beloved sister's ashes. There she finds herself going back in time to 1715 and meeting Free Trader and James Stuart supporter Daniel Butler. They fall in love. She needs to find a way to stay in the past with him rather than traveling back and forth.

76. Written in Red by Anne Bishop (514 p.; 18:33) -- Reread.

77. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (448 p.; 14:13) -- Reread.

78. The Alleluia Files by Sharon Shinn (450 p.; 17:33) -- Two romances, a fanatic archangel, and a persecuted Jacobite cult all weave together in the novel about a time of great change on Samaria. The search is on for The Alleluia Files which could prove or disprove the idea that the people's god is actually a spaceship programmed to aid and punish the settlers on Samaria.

79. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop (416 p.; 16:04) -- Reread.

80. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop (528 p.; 15:21) -- Reread.

Congrats for blowing way past the goal!

Wow! You've already exceeded 75! Congratulations!

>25 kmartin802: Congratulations on reaching 75, Kathy!

81. Miz Scarlet and the Imposing Imposter by Sara M. Barton (257 p.) -- This mystery tried to do way too much in too few pages. Scarlet is an innkeeper having turned her family mansion into an inn serving handicapped and medically challenged guests. Her mom is in a wheelchair. The family lost their fortune in a Ponzi scheme which was just the tip of the iceberg in a vast conspiracy to ruin Scarlet's family. There are a couple of murders and Scarlet is kidnapped. I liked Scarlet who was snarky.

82. If There Be Dragons by Kay Hooper (251 p.) -- Nice contemporary romance with a touch of the paranormal. Brooke Kennedy is a psychic who owns a lodge in Montana. Cody Nash is a computer security specialist and troubleshooter. He's sent to help her out by a friend. She doesn't want help. During days snowed in by a series of blizzards, Cody who has fallen in love with her at first sight convinces her to love and trust him. However, her abusive childhood has left her with lots of dragons for him to slay.

83. Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop (407 p.; 16:21) -- Reread.

84. The Sweet Goodbye by Ron Corbett (304 p.) -- Review. Intriguing mystery. Undercover Agent Danny Barrett is sent to the Maine woods to find out what is going on when Lee Forestry Products is discovered to have $250 million in unexplained money on the books. He gets to know the players, especially Travis Lee a functional alcoholic and good guy, when he tries to unravel the mystery. Intriguing characters and setting.

85. Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare (384 p.) -- Review. Nice paranormal romance. Reggie Johnson takes a job with 2000-year-old witch Drusilla Magnus thinking she's going to work as an executive assistant at a gaming company. It takes a while for Reggie to believe that magic is real. While the pay is great and greatly needed, Reggie has to deal with Dru's nephew Ben Magnus who is hot but not a fan of Reggie's. When Dru is the victim of a curse, Reggie and Ben need to work together to save her. They fall in love.

86. Rescued by David Rosenfelt (6:57) -- Andy is dragged into a new case when his wife asks him to defend a former boyfriend of hers accused of murder. The story includes a truckload of dogs from the South, villains calling themselves after NFL Quarterbacks, stock market manipulation, weapons of mass destruction, and an attempt on Andy's life.

87. As You Look by Veronica Gutierrez (216 p.) -- Review. Mystery set in LA introduces Yolanda Avila a former LAPD officer turned private investigator as she investigates the kidnapping of her godson. Great setting, interesting characters, LGBTQ+ themes, and lots about unions in SoCal.

88. A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber (384 p.) -- Review. Keira and Gage, their servants, and infant daughter are at the home of the Marquess of Burbreck for the wedding of Keira's cousin Rye and her friend Charlotte. Burbreck's famous art collection is a draw for Keira but she is distressed when she sees that some of the more valuable pieces are forgeries. Despite Burbreck's obstruction, she and Gage try to find out who did the forgeries and when. Then the bodies start piling up - murdered by an obscure poison - and Keira and Gage know that the criminal is busy trying to cover up their crime. Keira also learns some startling facts about the mother who died when she was eight.

89. The Art of Detection by Laurie R. King (528 p.; 13:38) -- Kate Martinelli and her part Al Hawkin are called to the Golden Gate Recreation Area when a body is discovered. Since Philip Gilbert wasn't murdered there and is a resident of San Francisco, the case becomes theirs. Gilbert was a noted collector of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle artifacts. His recent discovery of a manuscript that might be a previously unknown Doyle work and which tells about a case investigated by Sherlock Holmes in 1920s San Francisco could be related to his murder. The story is included and has echoes of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes stories. It is about the death of an army officer who was ready to leave the service in order to marry his transvestite lover Billy Birdsong. I loved the characters and the pacing of the story.

90. Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kawawa (320 p.) -- Review. Fun middle grade adventure. 13=year-old Shinji Takahashi is kidnapped after purchasing an artifact in a small shop in Africa and has to elude dastardly villains in order to return the statue to its correct home. Lucy, another 13-year-old who combines magic and tech, helps him escape and find the quirky Society of Explorers and Adventurers who help him in his quest. Lots of fast-paced action and a strong environmental theme.

Belated congrats for flying by 75 books!

>30 PaulCranswick: Thanks. Our prolonged winter (and the baseball lockout) really helped my reading total.

91. Mad for a Mate by MaryJanice Davidson (312 p.) -- Review. Quirky paranormal mystery/romance. Verity Lane is a squib; she can't shift to her bear form. Magnus Berne is a bear shifter from Scotland in the Twin Cities to look after his goddaughter after her mother's death. When squibs start dying in what at first look like accidents, Magnus becomes worried about Verity's safety. When it is determined that the two were murder victims, they team up to find the killer. Witty dialog and interesting characters.

92. A Grave Talent by Laurie R. King (386 p.; 14:14) -- The first Kate Martinelli mystery introduces her, shows how she became partners with Al Hawkin, and tells about the beginning of her relationship with Lee. It is also a police procedural about finding the murderer of three young girls who are strangled and dumped near the home of a famous artist who was herself convicted of strangling a young girl. Great characters and an intriguing plot.

93. Murder on Madison Square by Victoria Thompson (352 p.) -- Review. Latest in Gaslight series. Frank turns down a new client who wants to divorce her husband, but she won't tell him why. He and Sarah attend the first auto show in New York and meet Alvin Bing shortly before he is run over by one of his own autos. There are lots of suspects including his new wife, the wife he abandoned before her but didn't divorce, his daughter Pearl and stepdaughter Carrie, and his business partner. While I quickly learned why the current Mrs. Bing wanted a divorce, it took a while, and two more deaths, to determine who killed him. Great period detail.

94. To Play the Fool by Laurie R. King (272 p,; 9:14) -- Second Kate Martinelli mystery concerns the murder of a homeless man and the mysterious man who might have committed the crime. Brother Erasmus is a Fool who speaks only in quotations which makes for a very frustrating interview for Al and Kate. Neither believes he committed the murder, but both believe he knows who did if they could only get him to give them straight answers. Intriguing characters and a great setting.

95. With Child by Laurie R. King (306 p.; 10:31) -- Lee is off trying to find herself leaving Kate at loose ends when Jules, Al's future stepdaughter, comes to her to find a missing homeless boy who had become her friend. During the search, Kate and Jules bond. When Al gets married, Jules spends the honeymoon with Kate. While on a road trip to visit Lee, Jules disappears. It is feared that she has become the latest victim of a serial killer - but Kate doesn't want to accept it and begins investigating other options. Kate's investigation is an intense police procedural since she pursues every trail even the most unlikely and through sheer, dogged effort finds Jules. Intense story filled with intriguing and complex characters.