A Deadly Thaw: A Mystery / Sarah Ward / 377 pages

  The second volume in the Detective Sadler series by Sarah Ward. I enjoyed the first one so much I immediately started the second one. Once again the past has come back to haunt not only the police force but also the village of Bampton. In 2004 a woman was convicted of killing her husband. She offered no defense, no reason as to why she committed the crime. She went to prison and served her time. In 2016, her husband was killed again. What is going on?
  Detective Sadler has been charged with finding out the truth. First what happened back in 2004 because it is the belief that will have an affect on the present. His team is back and just as competitive as ever. They have to tread carefully because it looks like the first investigation wasn't handled correctly. The story alternates once again between suspects, interested parties and the police. This is a fast paced plot with a lot of twists. I am in awe of the author who can keep all the different character threads spinning without causing the reader confusion. Excellent mystery.

6 Degrees of Reading: The Trespasser by Tana French, The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris.

Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, and Kate and the Throne/ Christopher P. Andersen/ 341 pages

Game of Crowns, written by Christopher P. Andersen is a light read regarding the three highest ranking ladies in the British Monarchy.  The author begins with the premise of what will happen the day that the current Queen passes away.  The remainder of the book is a re-hash of previously published information and interviews with a few fun details added in.  It's clear from the author's tone that he is not a fan of Charles and Camilla, but does believe the fate of the monarchy rests in the hands of William and Kate.  For those who like royal trivia there are some interesting bits revealed, but the bulk of the book is the same old, same old.

Do No Harm:Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery/ Henry Marsh/ 289 pages

Do No Harm:Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery is the memoir of  Henry Marsh a British  neurosurgeon.  Mr. March introduces the reader to various patients via the treatment they require.  Along the way he shares episodes from his own life.  The level of detail is shallow enough for the average reader to understand and follow the surgeon and his cases.  An interesting sideline occurs when Mr. Marsh compares the British socialized medical system with the British private system.  Surgeries can be postponed for the average person due lack of a post-operative bed.  This does not happen in the private system.  In one case, the doctor searches through several wards and still does not find his patient until just before the operation.  Yes, the patients are housed in multi-person wards, even the patient with terminal cancer.  Overall the reader will find the book informative.

Millie's Fling/ Jill Mansell/ 514 pages

Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell is a British romance comedy.  Millie has just broken up with her boyfriend.  He dumped her after she choose to ignore his proposal and stop a potential suicide instead.  After she loses her job at the travel agency, Millie picks up some cash helping a friend with his singing message business.  Along the way a practical joke backfires on Millie, but will it lead to a new romance?  This was an enjoyable read.  While humorous events take place, they stop short of the slapstick type of humor that can occur in some romantic comedies.  The author has a series of romantic comedies that the ready might enjoy in addition to this title.

Body in the Library / Agatha Christie 198 p. Deceased author challenge

Body in the Library / Agatha Christie 198 p.

The Colonel and Mrs. Bantry are awaken urgently by their maid with the news that there is a body in their library, a young blond girl.  Immediately Mrs. Bantry sends her car for Miss Jane Marple to solve the case in this intricately plotted murder that keeps one guessing till the very end.  The finger points first to one then to another.  With Miss Marple's keen eye for detail and knowledge of people, the murderer will be sussed out.  

Sushi for Beginners: a novel / Marian Keyes / 426 pages

Genre - Chick Lit, Humor, Romance included

Plot overview - Set in the British Isles, magazine editor Lisa Edwards is a career climber, striving for a high profile spot in New York City, when her corporation instead sends her to start up a magazine in Dublin, Ireland. Her assistant there is Ashling Kennedy, native Irish girl with an unspectacular life, a strong sense of duty and an attractive best friend who is bored with life as a married mom to the near-perfect man. Lisa's boss is a handsome, laid-back manager who seems short on pizazz.

Over the course of this novel, lives change and lessons are learned. Friendships and marriages fail, while the magazine flourishes. But, most of all, the reader is treated to wry observations of everyday life, every day insecurities and pointed pokes at the humor in the average person's life. The plot moves along well and never seems to drag despite the book's length, but the true highlight of this novel is the author's wit.

Analysis/Recommendations

This is not Marian Keyes' first novel. She has drawn praise for the humor in her previous books, but she has not missed a beat in this one. Her humor is over-the-top funny and left me laughing out loud with no one else around (I hope). But she also weaves a many-faceted storyline that leads to unexpected places and surprise outcomes.

Keyes is hilarious while,a t the same time, weaving a storyline that deals with some issues that are not funny at all. She adeptly shows her characters as they deal with the consequences of choices they make and provides one of the most accurate depictions of emotional turmoil that I have read in a very long time. I will stop there so as not to spoil anything.

A great read, this book will especially be enjoyed by women from 19-60. But, it's also a good read for men like m who aren't afraid to be seen with chick-lit in their hands. I give it a strong recommendation. 
If the reader is seeking a romance novel, this may not fill the bill. Although there is plenty of romance here, it is not the end-all of the plot line. Some of its romantic encounters lean a little bluer than I prefer, but that is the only criticism I can make of this book.

A SURREY STATE OF AFFAIRS / by Ceri Radford / 273 Pages

A Surrey State of Affairs is a debut novel and the story is written as a year's worth of blog entries by Constance Harding, a woman in her early 40’s.  She is a devoted (possibly overly so) wife and mother to husband Jeffrey, adult son Rupert, and 18-year old daughter, Sophie.  Unfortunately for Constance, she has absolutely NO CLUE what is really going on with the members of her family.  Each day she blogs about her experiences in a very naive but often, quite hilarious fashion.  

Constance is also very British – she is ever so polite and never curses.  But if she does post a (spur-of-the-moment!) reaction to something upsetting, she will apologize profusely in her next post and ask her readers to please, PLEASE forgive her outburst!  Radford's novel is for those who enjoy Women's Fiction and humorous novels about a woman learning to live with changes in her life and family.

Appeal factors: Funny, Light, Fast-paced