Tuesday, October 01, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Every Dead Thing/Can't Judge a Book by its Murder/Finding Home Again/Secrets of the Chocolate House



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!


Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker #1) by John Connolly (1999)
Tortured and brilliant private detective Charlie Parker stars in this thriller by New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.

Former NYPD detective Charlie "Bird" Parker is on the verge of madness. Tortured by the unsolved slayings of his wife and young daughter, he is a man consumed by guilt, regret, and the desire for revenge. When his former partner asks him to track down a missing girl, Parker finds himself drawn into a world beyond his imagining: a world where thirty-year-old killings remain shrouded in fear and lies, a world where the ghosts of the dead torment the living, a world haunted by the murderer responsible for the deaths in his family—a serial killer who uses the human body to create works of art and takes faces as his prize. But the search awakens buried instincts in Parker: instincts for survival, for compassion, for love, and, ultimately, for killing.

Aided by a beautiful young psychologist and a pair of bickering career criminals, Parker becomes the bait in a trap set in the humid bayous of Louisiana, a trap that threatens the lives of everyone in its reach. Driven by visions of the dead and the voice of an old black psychic who met a terrible end, Parker must seek a final, brutal confrontation with a murderer who has moved beyond all notions of humanity, who has set out to create a hell on earth: the serial killer known only as the Traveling Man.

In the tradition of classic American detective fiction,
Every Dead Thing is a tense, richly plotted thriller, filled with memorable characters and gripping action. It is also a profoundly moving novel, concerned with the nature of loyalty, love, and forgiveness. Lyrical and terrifying, it is an ambitious debut, triumphantly realized. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: This has been sitting on my TBR shelf for years now. I read a novella by the author, which I really enjoyed and was determined to read his popular series, which had come highly recommended by so many. I still haven't managed to get to this one, but it is one I still hope to read. Someday.

Have you read Every Dead Thing? Does it sound like something you would like to read? 


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder (Main Street Book Club Mysteries #1) by Amy Lillard
Release Date: October 29, 2019 by Poison Pen Press
Not every murder is by the book…

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That’s when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo’s front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime.

When the elderly ladies of Arlo’s Friday Night Book Club start to investigate, Arlo has no choice but to follow behind to keep them out of trouble. Yet with Wally’s reputation, the suspect list only grows longer—his betrayed wife, his disgruntled assistant, even the local man who holds a grudge from a long-ago accident.

Between running interference with the book club and otherwise keeping it all together, Arlo anxiously works to get Chloe out of jail. And amidst it all, her one-time boyfriend-turned-private-eye returns to town, just another distraction while she digs to uncover the truth around Wally’s death and just what Sugar Springs secret could have led to his murder. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: A bookstore cozy mystery! How can I resist?!


Finding Home Again (Catalina Cove #3) by Brenda Jackson
Release Date: October 29, 2019 by Harlequin Romance
First love. Second chances. In Catalina Cove, anything can happen…

Bryce Witherspoon’s heart races every time she sees Kaegan Chambray. Everyone in town knows they can’t stand each other, but the truth is, even though the man broke her heart ten years ago, she still feels that irresistible, oh-so-familiar jolt of desire.

When Kaegan returned to Catalina Cove to run the family business, he knew there’d be no avoiding Bryce. The woman he thought he’d one day marry was instead the biggest heartbreak of his life. But when Bryce lets slip a devastating secret, he discovers just how wrong he was to let her go all those years ago.

He knows they both still feel the spark between them, but it’ll take more than attraction to convince her. Kaegan will pull out all the stops to show Bryce he’s the man who can give her the future they once dreamed of—if only they give love a second chance.
[NetGalley Summary]
Why I want to read this: I love a good second chance novel and this one sounds like it will be an emotional and heartwarming one.




Secrets of the Chocolate House (Found Things #2) by Paula Brackston
Release Date: October 22, 2019 by St. Martin's Press
New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston’s The Little Shop of Found Things was called “a page-turner that will no doubt leave readers eager for future series installments” (Publishers Weekly). Now, Brackston returns to the Found Things series with its sequel, Secrets of the Chocolate House.

After her adventures in the seventeenth century, Xanthe does her best to settle back into the rhythm of life in Marlborough. She tells herself she must forget about Samuel and leave him in the past where he belongs. With the help of her new friends, she does her best to move on, focusing instead on the success of her and Flora’s antique shop.

But there are still things waiting to be found, still injustices needing to be put right, still voices whispering to Xanthe from long ago about secrets wanting to be shared.

While looking for new stock for the shop, Xanthe hears the song of a copper chocolate pot. Soon after, she has an upsetting vision of Samuel in great danger, compelling her to make another journey to the past.

This time she'll meet her most dangerous adversary. This time her ability to travel to the past will be tested. This time she will discover her true destiny. Will that destiny allow her to return home? And will she be able to save Samuel when his own fate seems to be sealed? [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I have to confess: I haven't read the first book. Yet. I want to. And I want to read this one as well. Time  travel and chocolate . . . What better combination?


Do any of these novels sound good to you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? 


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38 comments:

  1. Can't Judge a Book by Its Murder sounds like such a lovely cozy. I love books set in bookstores as well. I hope that you love all of these titles. :)

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    1. Olivia - I am really looking forward to it. I love books set in bookstores too. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  2. This is a good spread of books, Wendy. I really enjoyed Brackston's The Witches Daughter - I must look out for this new series of hers. Thank you for sharing:)

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    1. Sarah - I haven't tried her The Witches Daughter, but it sounds like one I might like. Thank you for visiting!

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  3. They all look good to me, especially the cozy mystery - I've been in the mood for them lately.

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    1. Kathy - I have too. I just finished one I thought was cute. Thank you for stopping by!

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  4. Not going to lie, Secrets of Chocolate House had me at the word 'Chocolate'

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    1. Eustacia - Same here. LOL That word was enough for me as well. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  5. Can't Judge a Book by Its Murder sounds like one I need to pick up and I seriously need to start that Brackston series. Great books this week!

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    1. Barb - I really need to give them a try too! I hope you enjoy them if you read them. Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Guys you are killing me! They all sound very intriguing and I am in serious trouble here *lol* Can´t decide which one I would pick, so all of them are on my wishlist now. Thanks for sharing and happy reading.

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    1. Vi - I hope you enjoy any and all if you do decide to get them a try. Thank you for visiting!

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  7. You have some great picks this week. Secrets of the Chocolate House is really good.

    My CWW

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  8. Every Dead Thing is not for everyone. I read it years ago, and it was quite a while before I could read John Connolly again. That said, I've enjoyed almost all of the rest of the books in the Charlie Parker series. :)

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    1. Jenclair - Thank you for the warning. I am glad you at least enjoyed most of his other books. Thank you too for stopping by!

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  9. some great looking books. i have read some of connolly's and enjoyed it. hope they are all good for you
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Sherry - I am glad to hear you have enjoyed Connolly's series! Hopefully I will too. Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I just checked out Every Dead Thing from the library this morning - for about the 10th time. I check it out and then don't read it over and over. Hoping this time I will read it. That Charlie Parker series is one that I've meant to try for a long time. Think I would really like it.

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    1. Kay - I hope you enjoy Every Dead Thing when you read it! Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. Oh what a fun selection of books! That cozy series is on my TBR and hopefully I'll get around to reading it one of these days. The Chocolate House book appeals to me. I love the cover and the basic plot but time travel and I have never really gotten along. I look forward to seeing your thoughts!

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    1. Katherine - I am looking forward to reading them. I hope you enjoy Can't Judge a Book by Murder when you read it. Thank you for visiting, Katherine.

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  12. Oooh! All of these sound like interesting books! Great picks!

    Here’s my WoW!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Sarah - Me too! I can't resist a bookish cozy. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  14. I hope you enjoy all your reads. Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Mystica - Thank you! I hope you have a lovely weekend too.

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  15. You've made me add Little Shop of Found Things to my list and it's not even pictured, lol.

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    1. Stacy - It does sound good, doesn't it? :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  16. Can't Judge a Book by Its Murder sounds like a fun cozy. I love that it's set in a bookstore!

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    1. Suzanne - I think so too! Bookstores make for great settings in novels. Thank you for stopping by!

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  17. All of these sound good, especially Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder and Finding Home Again. I'm excited about reading The Institute. I have my copy and am going to be reading it later this month.

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    1. Naida - I hope you enjoy The Institute. That does sound like a good one. Thanks for visiting, Naida!

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  18. These all look so good! I have Secrets of the Chocolate House but I haven't read it yet. I do think that is going to be a series that needs to be read in order based on how the first book ended. I feel like I should give the Charlie Parker series a try at some point.

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    1. Carole - I was thinking I should probably read the first book in the series first. Thank you for the head's up!

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  19. Is it terrible to admit that the one that captures my attention the most is the one with "chocolate" in the title?! haha... I've heard a lot about the John Connolly series but just have never picked it up. Liked the blurb you posted so I may have to check it out!

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    1. Iliana - I don't think it's terrible to admit that. I am sure that's what drew me to the book first too. LOL

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