Aunt Dimity And The Summer King

Aunt Dimity and the Summer King
By Nancy Atherton
book received by publisher in exchange for fair review

Amazon Blurb - 
It’s June, the roses are in bloom, and the small English village of Finch may be in big trouble.  Two cottages are for sale, but something—or someone—is driving buyers away.  Has a developer targeted Finch?  Will property values skyrocket?  Will a wave of wealthy weekenders drive out the longtime locals?

Lori Shepherd has a lot on her plate—a brand-new baby daughter, her father-in-law’s impending nuptials, and a visit from her dreaded aunts-in-law—but she refuses to stand back and watch while big money destroys her beloved village.  Lori suspects that a local real estate agent is illicitly lining her pockets at Finch’s expense, but before she can prove it, she’s sidetracked by a chance encounter with eccentric inventor Arthur Hargreaves, dubbed the Summer King by his quirky family, is as warmhearted as the summer sun.  In his presence, Lori forgets her troubles—and Finch’s.

Lori snaps out of her happy trance when a series of unsettling discoveries shakes her faith in Arthur Hargreaves.  She stumbles across a detailed map of Finch in Hillfont Abbey.  An ancient feud between Finch and the Hargreaves family comes to light.  Arthur appears to be making secret deals with the shady realtor.  Is the Summer King as kind as he seems?

With Aunt Dimity’s otherworldly help—and her new baby girl in her arms—Lori mounts a crusade to save her village from the Summer King’s scorching greed.
*****

I just loved this wonderful cozy! This was my very first cozy and what a great way to start one. Aunt Dimity And The Summer King was delightful. Each character was so vibrant it was as if they were standing in front of me. What a lovely writing style Nancy has, smooth and descriptive without being tedious. As someone who really enjoys psychotic thrillers, this book surprised me and has me wanting more.

Lori Shepherd has been very busy. Her new baby girl, young twin boys, her father in law is getting married and his snotty wicked sisters are coming from America. Add empty cottages in her beloved town to her list of worries and she starts digging into the mystery as to why no one wants to move to her sweet Finch. A bit of snooping uncovers an ancient feud between Finch and the neighboring town of Tillcoate that all have been privy to but her. In the middle of this mix is the mysterious Arthur Hargreaves Lord of Hillfont Abbey who just may have a hand in keeping buyers away. Lori is on the case with some solid adivice from the beyond in her departed Aunt Dimity.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book! If you need a break from hard core thrillers, love quirky funny characters, and a bit of mystery do read Aunt Dimity And The Summer King!  

4 cannolis

Luckiest Girl Alive

Luckiest Girl Alive, Jessica Knoll

Amazon Blurb - 

HER PERFECT LIFE IS A PERFECT LIE.

As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ani has a secret.

There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.

With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

*****

*Fair and unbiased review given in exchange for ARC*

This book was great. It kept me going to the last page! Ani is a bold brash, ballsy, girl!

Ani (pronounced AHni) FaNelli has it all. Beautiful, awesome job at a great magazine, a handsome filthy rich fiance, lives in Tribeca, what more can a girl want right? Well, there's a storm brewing underneath Ani's well constructed facade. It's bubbling right there at the surface and it's taking all of her inner fortitude to keep it from not exploding. How bad? The first pages has her imagining sliding the kitchen knife she's deciding on (Wustof or Shun)  right into her fiance. Oh, she likes the Shun by the way.

And so we're introduced to a character that is complex to the nth degree. Every single aspect of her life is thought out, crafted, from what clothes she wears, the food she puts in her body, to the words she uses to speak to others. Oh yes friends, "Nice to meet you.", vs "Nice to see you.", can show your hand as to your real background in a flash.

Why? Who is Ani Fanelli and what has made her this way? Born TifAni FaNelli in a Philly suburb to a dad who she has no interaction with and a mother who is obsessed with labels, luxury cars and dreams of living in the high falootin Main Line. A silly indescretion as a 14 year old kid gets her taken out of her Catholic school and put into this "hoity toity" private school where she'll be hob knobbing with all the goober smoochers and where her life takes a drastic turn that will alter her forever.

Wow, this book takes you on a ride! It was absolutely exhausting trying to keep up with Ani. Every single aspect of her life was so planned I don't know how she could keep up with it. You feel for her and what she went through as a kid. You struggle with not hating her as an adult, she is razor sharp and will slice right through you, yet she is quite vulnerable under that sculpted exterior. Jessica has crafted quite the tale, her writing keeps you going, never getting tedious. You keep waiting for what's coming anticipating it with each page turned, get ready friends, climb aboard and enjoy the thrill that is the Luckiest Girl Alive.

4 cannolis

Ask The Dark

Ask The Dark

Henry Turner, Netgally review

Amazon Blurb -

Billy Zeets has a story to tell. About being a vandal and petty thief. About missing boys and an elusive killer. And about what happens if a boy who breaks all the rules is the only person who can piece together the truth.

*****

Billy is a scrappy tough little kid. Dealt a real crappy hand with the death of his mother. His father is on  disability and pretty much a zero, he spends his day carousing the neighborhood doing odd jobs with some fellow townsfolk. His big sister informs him that they are losing their home so Billy takes it upon himself to try and earn money to stave off the inevitable. A daunting task but one he takes head on becoming more like the adult and his father the child.

When he discovers the body of a missing local boy he becomes a bit of a detective as well, telling no one that he stumbled upon the child first.  He starts piecing clues together bit by bit. All the while juggling little jobs here and there saving his money. When he gets too close to the truth Billy finds himself at risk and you get taken on a ride of suspense and danger as he tries to put it all together before he becomes the next victim

Told all in Billy's voice, you are literally there with him, running through yards, talking to friends, yelling at his dad. Great story, great thriller, I highly recommend it.

3 1/2 cannolis