Last Gasp

Last Gasp by Carla Cassidy Summary: Her time may be up…  With her amazing job and loving son, single mom Allison Clemmins seems to have the perfect life – but only on the outside. She keeps her past in the dark, refusing to dwell upon that horrifying day when, years ago, she stumbled upon the bodies of her murdered mother and siblings. Shattering the life she once knew, Allison was forced to pick up the pieces alone, forever harboring hatred toward the man who destroyed her happiness: her father. Her life changes abruptly for the second time when attorney Seth Walker comes to town bearing new evidence about the crime. As Allison slowly accepts the possibility of her father’s innocence, Seth uncovers untold truths of the past. Along the way, he helps Allison find the most important piece she has missed her entire life – trusting a man. But when the two are at last comfortable in each other’s arms, a raging killer appears out from the shadows to take away Allison’s most cherished treasures… Angie's Comments: Last Gasp is a great read for readers who like romance with a lot of mystery. Author Cassidy offers up many potential murderers and keeps the pace going fast. I couldn’t wait to see who the murderer was and how Allison and Seth would resolve their different lives.  Recommended for romance readers who like mystery. Request this item

Checked Out

Checked Out by Elaine Viets Summary: Shhh...in the newest hardcover in the national bestselling Dead-End Job Mystery series, Helen Hawthorne quietly goes undercover at a local library to search for a missing masterpiece. Wealthy socialite Elizabeth Cateman Kingsley has hired Helen to find a missing John Singer Sargent painting, owned by her late father. After his death, many of Davis Cateman’s books were donated to the Flora Park library, and his daughter suspects the small watercolor—worth millions—was tucked away inside one of those dusty tomes. To search the stacks, Helen applies for a position as a library volunteer and discovers the library director has a catalog of complaints—from a mischievous calico cat named Paris to the mysterious disappearance of various items that some of the more imaginative staff are attributing to a ghost haunting the building. While her husband Phil sticks his neck out to find a missing necklace, Helen is on her own with no one to lend her a hand. When a dead body turns up in a parking lot, it appears someone is willing to go to any lengths to keep the treasure in the library quiet. Now Helen is bound and determined to find the killer as well as the painting—before she’s taken out of circulation herself. Angie's Comments: Checked Out is a great cozy mystery. Of course, I am biased since it takes place in a library! The book is mostly plot-driven, with many of the characters more one dimensional than real. I kept changing my mind about who the murderer was. I had to wait until the end for Viets to reveal the killer. This is part of the Dead-End Job Mystery series, but you can read it as a stand-alone. Recommended for readers of the Dead-End Job Mystery series and readers of cozy mysteries.  Request this item

Not Always a Saint

Not Always a Saint by Mary Jo Putney Summary: After the death of his sweetheart when he was at university, Daniel Herbert buried his grief in medical studies and his passion for healing. Viewed as a saint by those who know him, in his own mind he never quite manages to live up to his own high standards.  Most men would be thrilled to learn they've inherited a title and estate from a distant relative, but Daniel is appalled because the burden of wealth will interfere with his medical calling.  Warily he accepts that he must enter society and seek a wife—a sensible woman who can oversee his properties, leaving him free to continue his work. He does not expect to become intoxicated by a woman called the Black Widow, who is as mysterious as she is shockingly beautiful… Jessie Kelham’s looks have always been a curse. Now alone with a young daughter and a perilous secret, she is in need of protection. But dangerously attractive Daniel Herbert is not the kind of husband she has in mind. If he recognizes her, the demons of her past will surely erupt. Yet they cannot keep apart—and soon they are drawn into a union that may bring joy—or shattering danger… Angie's Comments: Not Always a Saint is not the best Mary Jo Putney novel, and the plot is unconvincing at points. The book is nice reading as long as you don’t look too closely at the plot. Daniel is a good guy, and Jessie has done what she needed to in order to survive.   Recommended for Mary Jo Putney fans and historical English romance readers. Request this item

The Lady Hellion

The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe Summary: Lady Sophia Barnes doesn't take no for an answer. Especially when she's roaming London's seedy underground...dressed as a man. A rabble rouser for justice, Sophie's latest mission is to fight for the rights of the poor, the wretched--and the employees at Madame Hartley's brothel. She's not concerned about the criminals who will cross her path, for Sophie has mastered the art of deception--including the art of wearing trousers. Now her fate is in her own hands, along with a loaded gun. All she needs is instruction on how to shoot it. But only one person can help her: Lord Quint, the man who broke her heart years ago. The man she won't let destroy her again... The last thing Damien Beecham, Viscount Quint, needs is an intrusion on his privacy, especially from the beautiful, exasperating woman he's never stopped wanting. A woman with a perilously absurd request, no less. For Damien is fighting a battle of his own, one he wishes to keep hidden--along with his feelings for Lady Sophia. Yet that fight is as hopeless as stopping her outlandish plan. Soon all Quint knows for certain is that he will die trying to protect her... Angie's Comments: Sophie doesn’t play by Society’s rules! She is a strong character with a sense of right and wrong. She ends up in some tight spots due to her crusading, and Quint helps to rescue her. But not to worry, she helps rescue Quint several times as well. The murder mystery added to the romance plot. Does the plot always make sense? No, but it is fun and fast-paced. Recommended for historical romance readers.  Request this item