Second Street Station: A Mary Handley Mystery by Lawrence H. Levy

Book Description:  A historical mystery featuring the witty and wily Mary Handley, the first woman detective in Brooklyn, as she tries to prove herself in a man's world while solving a high profile murder.

Mary Handley is a not your typical late-nineteenth century lady. She's fiery, clever, daring—and she’s not about to conform to the gender norms of the day. Not long after being fired from her job at the hat factory for insubordinate behavior, Mary finds herself at the murder scene of Charles Goodrich, the brother of a prominent alderman and former bookkeeper of Thomas Edison. When Mary proves her acumen as a sleuth, she is hired by the Brooklyn police department—as the city’s first female policewoman—to solve the crime. The top brass of the department expect her to fail, but Mary has other plans. As she delves into the mystery, she finds herself questioning the likes of J. P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. Mary soon discovers the key to solving the case goes well beyond finding a murderer and depends on her ability to unearth the machinations of the city’s most prominent and respected public figures, men who will go to great lengths to protect their secrets.

My Thoughts:  I love cozy mysteries!  I love that there is no gruesome murders and if there is any romance, it's light, fun love scenes, nothing too mushy or over done.

Second Street Station features Mary Handley one smart not your typical 19th century lady.  Mary is daring and clever!  She takes on a case and she digs and digs until she finds the clues and "meat" she needs to solve the case.  Of course, the men of the Brooklyn police department expect her to fail even though she was hired to solve the crime.

The crime is interesting because it involves the brother of a prominent alderman and former bookkeeper of Thomas Edison.  Yes, this is also a historical mystery.  

I like Mary and her feisty ways of breaking a case.  She is a force to be reckoned with.  

In my opinion, this is a good mystery.  A little slow in parts but that's how most cozy mysteries read.  There's enough action to  make the read interesting and the whodunit part is quite a surprise.  

All in all a good read!

• Series: Mary Handley
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Books 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553418920
• ISBN-13: 978-0553418927

To Have and to Hold: Three Autumn Love Stories (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Betsy St. Amant , Katie Ganshert , Becky Wade

Book Description:  They’ve helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

My Thoughts:   Ahh, sweet autumn and love are in the air.  And To Have and To Hold is a wonderful book with three novellas to have for those crisp fall days.

The first novella is Love Takes the Cake: A September Wedding Story by Betsy St. Amant.  Charlotte Cantrell is always the baker never the bride.  Then one day Will comes into her bakery and "catches"  her eye.  

Charlotte is a single mom and not sure if Will is the guy.  she really likes him but....

Then she she hired to bake a cake for a wedding and finds out that Will is the best man at this wedding.  

Charlotte is working but would like to have a better relationship with Will.

A sweet love story of letting go and moving on.

The Perfect Arrangement: An October Wedding Story by Katie Ganshert is my favorite of all three novellas. 

I just love the wall flower and how she blooms after meeting her man.  All about flowers and love!

And then there's Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story by Becky Wade.  A cute story of a wedding coordinator and the groom's best friend.

Two people meeting for a wedding, with no intention of building a relationship...only hoping to help.

Weddings are fun and wonderful and in this book one will find three short stories of fun and romance.  

Fabulous Friday!

Dragonflies have always been pretty but never really crossed my path, until this summer.

It seems like this summer dragonflies were abundant and made themselves known.

One afternoon as I sat on the back porch reading, the most beautiful dragonfly glided across the patio.

He was so happy that he literally came to the beginning of the concrete and began a slow descent then he dipped up then he dipped down.  He did this all across the patio.

Honestly, it was the most beautiful sight.

But what I felt was his exuberance.  His happiness.  Yes!  The dragonfly was happy.

That afternoon I realized that pandemic or no pandemic I, too, can flit and flight and have a happy attitude.  

Chicken Salad with Watermelon and Peaches

Another great recipe from Reader's Digest:

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill leaf or
1 tablespoon fresh snipped juice from a lemon
dash of salt and pepper to taste
2 peaches seeded and chopped
2 cups chopped seeded watermelon

Instructions

Mix together the chicken, yogurt, mayonnaise, dill and lemon juice.

Servings

Makes 4 to 6 Servings.

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

Another GREAT recipe from Pinterest and it's not only delicious it doesn't stick to the hips!

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs- whisked
• 1/4 cup coconut oil-melted
• 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1 or 2 tbs raw honey, depending on how ripe your bananas are and how sweet you like it
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life brand mini chocolate chips
• Silicone muffin cups – if you have them

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl smash the bananas.
2. Add eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and honey. Blend together.
3. In a larger bowl combine dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and blend well.
5. Add all but a couple of tablespoons of your chopped nuts.
6. Add chocolate chips.
7. Blend together.
8. Pour into silicone muffin cups.
9. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top of muffins.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 22-25 minutes.
11. Store covered in fridge or freeze for an on-the-go snack!

The Courtship Basket (An Amish Heirloom Novel) by Amy Clipston

Book Description:  Years ago, a picnic basket brought two hearts together. For Rachel and Mike, history may be about to repeat itself.

Rachel Fisher is devastated when the young man she’s loved for years leaves her to date her best friend. Her heart is broken, and she has all but given up on love. Determined to keep her mind off the pain, she starts teaching at an Amish school for children with learning disabilities.

Since his father became ill, Mike Lantz has been overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing for his family and caring for his six-year-old brother, John. When John joins Rachel’s class and she learns that his mother is deceased and his father sick, she desperately wants to help the family, even with something as simple as a meal.

With her parents’ old picnic basket, Rachel begins sending food to the Lantz family. As the weeks go by, John’s grades start to improve, and the attraction grows between Rachel and Mike. They can’t deny that their friendship is growing toward something more, but both of them are hesitant to risk a more serious relationship.

The last thing Rachel wants is another heartbreak, and Mike is worried about providing for his loved ones. Will the two be able to reconcile their past hurts with new hope for the future?

My Thoughts:    Amy Clipston is one of my favorite authors!   

In this wonderful read about a picnic basket and heart in love one finds that history sometimes, invariably, repeat itself.

Rachel Fisher is completely devastated when the young man that she is dating leaves her/breaks up with her to go with her best friend.  Her heart aches from broken promises.

But when Mike Lantz's father becomes ill and he is responsible for caring for his family it seems overwhelming.  But then Rachel begins to send food to the family in her parents' old picnic basket. Because that's what the Amish do . . . they help each other in times of crisis.

Well, as Mike's dad begins to recover and less responsibility is required of him, he begins to see Rachel.

But Rachel doesn't want heartbreak again.  

This is a fantastic story.  Yes, it is about the Amish but it is so well written that it grabs the reader attention.

Loved, loved this story!

• Series: An Amish Heirloom Novel
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310342015
• ISBN-13: 978-0310342014

When Death Draws Near (A Gwen Marcey Novel) by Carrie Stuart Parks

Book Description:  Gwen Marcey takes death in stride. Until she’s faced with her own mortality.

Forensic artist Gwen Marcey is between jobs when she accepts temporary work in Pikeville, Kentucky—a small town facing big-city crime. But before Gwen can finish her first drawing of the serial rapist who is on the loose, the latest witness vanishes. Just like all the others.

Gwen suspects a connection between the rapist and the “accidental” deaths that are happening around town, but the local sheriff has little interest in her theories. When her digitally-obsessed teenage daughter joins her, Gwen turns her attention to a second assignment: going undercover in a serpent-handling church. She could get a handsome reward for uncovering illegal activity—a reward she desperately needs, as it seems her breast cancer has returned. But snakes aren’t the only ones ready to kill. Can Gwen uncover the truth—and convince anyone to believe her—before she becomes a victim herself?

My Thoughts:  Gwen Marcey is quite a gal with quite a few obstacles in her path but she doesn't let that stop her from living or trying to catch a killer.

Not only is Gwen a forensic artist but she brings "dust" to life with her drawings, sculptures and intricate details.  Gwen also has a teen daughter who is now being sent to live with her, she is divorced and tries to balance her life with some sanity like talking to her ex-husband in her head.  

In this particular case the police need help finding a serial rapist.  Terrible, haunting crimes but it gets better with an underground religion and trying to understand why she is getting such a cold shoulder from the local police . . . after she was sent to this department to help solve the crimes.  Gwen gets the feeling that the police chief is involved....dangerous, surprising results!

Quite a read!  Definitely not  read for the faint of heart and definitely not read for those late summer nights!  

Love her or leave her Gwen is quite a gal!

But a surprising ending....

• Series: A Gwen Marcey Novel
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401690475
• ISBN-13: 978-1401690472