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Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Fatal Flotilla at Sea Oats Beach

This fun new cozy mystery by Karen Whalen is sure to delight all the cozy mystery fans out there. I have been a fan of Karen's mysteries for several years now, and I always look forward to her new releases. This latest book did not disappoint. In this book she brings back Breanna Hart and her interesting group of friends.

Book Summary

Breanna Hart is an interesting character who is a real animal lover and volunteers at the local animal shelter. As this book begins Breanna is at the Flotilla just before Christmas in Sea Oats Beach. All of the boats are brightly decorated with shimmering lights as the parade in front of the beach. Everyone comes out to watch the flotilla, and it is a delightful sight. Breanna too is enjoying the festivities until they see an abandoned boat floating nearby and she discovers a dead body on the boat. The victim is found to be killed by a gunshot. He was a big supporter of the animal shelter where Breanna volunteers

Breanna takes it upon herself to go on a fact-finding mission to discover who the murderer was. She gets the help of several of her friends and also a bloodhound from the shelter named Tracker. She has several threatening incidents that occur that put her in danger, and she is warned by the police to stay out of the investigation. Breanna cannot help herself though and continues to search for clues.

As the holiday approaches she is determined to discover the culprit.

Book on Amazon

You can find the book on Amazon at The Fatal Flotilla at Sea Oats Beach

Reviews of other Karen C Whalen Books

The author has written three different series of books. The Tow Truck Driver Mysteries, the Dinner Club Mysteries, and the Sea Oats Beach mysteries. I have reviewed several of the books and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Here are some of my reviews.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Saturday, April 4, 2026

Clutter Cornucopia Review

CORNUCOPIA:

One of the dictionary definitions for the word ‘Cornucopia’ describes it as “an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind.” In this review, you will find a compiled list of several helpful books on how to conquer clutter and/or organize your home and your life. All have been reviewed by the contributors here on ReviewThisReviews.com.

A Collection of Books on Clutter (and what to do about it)

Clut`ter To fill with scattered or disordered things that restrict movement or efficiency. A collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.

For simple ways to take back control of your stuff, author Stephanie Culp’s book “How to Conquer Clutter” will give you some advice on the subject in an informative, but also humorous, way.

Paper Clutter

MY clutter, in general, is mostly under control. I like things orderly, and almost everything in my domain stays pretty much under control. EXCEPT, when it comes to paper. For whatever reason, I do not deal well with paper ~ sorting, filing or disposing! I begin with good intentions, then become overwhelmed and just turn around and go do something else!

Thus, Barbara Hemphill’s “Taming the Paper Tiger” has been a lifesaver for me, and perhaps it will for you.

More De-Clutter Book Reviews

Our RTR Contributor Brite-Ideas gives us "Three Ways to Hide Clutter."

Between screens with lovely scenes and furniture with storage places, your clutter can quickly be tucked away if unexpected company arrives, or if you simply have gotten tired of ‘looking’ at the clutter' which you have not had time to put away.

Personal Thoughts on ‘Tidying Up’

collage of the book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

This Japanese ‘art of decluttering and organizing’ found in the book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” written by Marie Kondo, does more than simply aid you in putting your house (and your life) in some semblance of order. It basically puts your past in order, revealing that you are now surrounded only by the things you love.

Summary

Since this is the Spring-Cleaning time of year, having just celebrated the first day of Spring, this list of helpful de-clutter books seems appropriate. There also just happens to be a National Cleaning Week beginning the 4th Sunday of March each year.

*This reviewed group of How-To books for learning how to declutter your home and life, is brought to you by Wednesday Elf.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2026

The President Is Missing - Book Review

The President is Missing is the first collaboration between former President Bill Clinton and the master of thrillers, James Patterson. This book is a fast-paced political thriller packed with suspense and realistic details about how the government operates.

The Plot for The President Is Missing:

President Jonathan Lincoln Duncan is under fierce political pressure in Washington. He is under investigation by Congress, his approval rating is slipping, and the media is circling like hawks. But President Duncan is dealing with something far more dangerous. A cyberattack that will destroy the United States.

A cyberterrorist has created and planted a computer virus to destroy the nation's critical systems. If the virus is activated, it will shut down financial networks and power grids, causing chaos throughout the country.

President Duncan suspects that someone inside the government, and possibly his closest circle, may be involved.

He disappears from the public eye. While the nation wonders where he has gone, he is secretly working with a small, trusted team to stop the cyberattack before it's too late.

This becomes a high-stakes race against time filled with political intrigue, betrayals, and dangerous encounters.

My Thoughts:

This book is the perfect blend of political drama and thriller. The story is fast-paced and keeps you guessing about whom you can trust. To me, the technical details are scary, and it makes me think that this could really happen.

I enjoyed reading all three of the collaborations between Bill Clinton and James Patterson. Once I started reading each one, I just couldn't stop.

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The First Gentleman: A ThrillerBuy Now The President's Daughter: A ThrillerBuy Now The President Is Missing: A NovelBuy Now

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Friday, March 13, 2026

An Unconventional Lady by Sarah E. Ladd - Book Review

This book is not my normal Regency Romance to read. It is more of a mystery than a romance, which was nice for a change.

It took a few pages to grab my interest, mostly because I was not familiar with the term phrenology. That pseudoscience was long ago debunked. It claimed there was a way to determine ones intellect, morality, and personality traits by the shape of their head/skull. I am sure there are many criminologists and detectives who would like for it to be a true science. It certainly would be easier to determine who was likely to commit a crime, to lie, or to be unfaithful.

As always, the Regency Romance was set in the early 1800's when women were not given very much independence. This book was also unique in that sense because the main character was encouraged by her parents to be educated, to think for herself, and to really consider a subject instead of just accepting it as presented.

It also offered a unique setting by taking place at Keatley Hall School for Young Men, which was established by Ella Wilde's grandfather. Her grandfather was the first headmaster. He was succeeded by Ella's father even though her mother was her grandfather's daughter. With this decision, it was established that the daughter's husband would be the next headmaster. Selecting a headmaster was paramount to selecting Ella's husband, and Ella was not fond of her father's choice.

Synopsis of An Unconventional Lady

An Unconventional Lady: A Low-Spice Regency RomanceCheck PriceElla is faced with several issues all at once. First, she wasn't keen on the man her father had chosen as her husband and the next headmaster for the school. Second, she would soon be required to serve as hostess for the upcoming symposium on Phrenology, a theory she could not logically embrace. And last, her mother had been "analyzed" and the results had been documented in an unflattering published pamphlet. Unfortunately, her mother had died and was unable to defend herself. Plus, how she died in a fire allowed a lot of speculation on the cause of the fire. Some thought her mother must have been responsible.

When Ella encounters Gabriel Rowe, a previous Keatley Hall School student, she is immediately drawn to him. The fact that he is loyal to Keatley Hall makes him even more attractive to her.

Gabriel is a London solicitor who has been hired to investigate the speaker at the upcoming symposium. Ella personally invites him to Keatley Hall and the symposium so he has a way to investigate Thomas Bauer, the phrenologist speaker and demonstrator, without drawing suspicion.

The events that follow, as well as the discovery of past truths, make this an intriguing book to read. The touch of mystery and suspense, coupled with the budding romance between Ella and Gabriel, make the perfect combination for a great book.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2026

The President's Daughter - Book Review

The President's Daughter is the second collaboration by former President Bill Clinton and the master of thrillers, James Patterson. Their first book is The President is Missing, and the third is The First Gentleman. I reviewed The First Gentleman last month, and I'm just starting The President Is Missing.

The Plot: The President's Daughter

Matthew Keating was a one-term president and a former Navy Seal. As you can imagine, being the president of the United States, Matthew surely made some enemies along the way.

Matthew and his daughter, Melanie, are living a quiet life in New Hampshire, while his wife, Samantha, is off teaching in Boston.

His world is shattered when his daughter Melanie is kidnapped by a terrorist with a long-standing grudge against him.

Matthew was a one-term president and did not get along with his successor. Now he finds himself unsupported by the very government he served. Now, he is forced to return to his elite Navy Seal skills, taking matters into his own hands to bring Melanie home.

Patterson did an excellent job of navigating between political friction and the personal aspect of a father's worst nightmare.

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The President's Daughter: A ThrillerBuy Now

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Saturday, March 7, 2026

The Myron Bolitar Mystery Series by Harlan Coben

Since 1990, Harlan Coben has written 18 standalone novels in the mystery and thriller categories, and two series. This is an overall review of his 12-book (to date) Myron Bolitar mystery series.

Image of a basketball going through a hoop

Synopsis of the Myron Bolitar Series

Images of the book series for Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series

Myron Bolitar Series 11 Books Set

The leading character of this Myron Bolitar series of thrillers has a leading character by the same name. As the series begins, Myron is a 31-year-old formerly renowned basketball player who won two NCAA titles in four years at Duke University after breaking all records in high school. Just after being recruited by the Boston Celtics, he had a career-ending injury to his knee in a pre-season game. His basketball prowess is often referred to in the character’s back-story throughout the series.

Afterwards, Myron returned to college, obtained a law degree at Harvard, and eventually became a sports agent with his agency, MB SportsReps, representing sports stars.

The two main supporting characters include his best friend, Win (Windsor Horne Lockwood III), an eccentric, philandering billionaire who often gets involved in Myron’s cases. Win can probably best be described as an anti-hero, having some psychopathic tendencies. In many of the books, Myron and Win debate the ethical nature of various actions, but they usually accomplish what they set out to do.

Then there is his assistant at MB SportReps, Esperanza Diaz, who eventually becomes his partner (in the 7th Bolitar novel Darkest Fear) after Esperanza gets her law degree. She’s very close to both Myron and Win and very protective of both.

Bolitar is a good agent for his clients, taking care of their needs and wants while being careful to not exploit them like bigger agencies. He has office space in the Locke-Horne Investments & Securities building, which is owned by Win. Myron offers his client the choice of hiring Win for financial management.

Myron is from a Jewish background, grew up in New Jersey, and is very close to his parents. His mother is a former lawyer herself, and his dad is a factory owner. His favorite drink is chocolate Yoo-Hoo.

Summary

The series has quite a few ‘adventures’, since Myron keeps getting involved in solving problems for his clients. This most likely comes from the fact that both Myron and Win once did some undercover work for the FBI. Thus, they keep finding themselves playing ‘accidental detectives’ when needed for Myron’s clients.

The Myron Bolitar series began with Deal Breaker in 1995. It currently has 12 novels, through Think Twice published in 2024. There is a spin-off of a three book young adult series featuring Myron’s nephew, Mickey Bolitar (the Mickey Bolitar Trilogy), which debuted in 2011.

Windsor Horne Lockwood III received his own standalone novel “Win” in 2021.

Win and Myron are both fans of Batman, often calling their transport the "Batmobile." There is quite a bit of humor throughout the series, which keeps these ‘thrillers’ more on the light-hearted side of suspense stories.

I have enjoyed all of Harlan Coben’s books, but most especially his Myron Bolitar Series and have read the entire series more than once. I highly recommend them to fans of thrillers/suspense/mystery novels and of Harlan Coben.

For more Book Reviews of books by Harlan Coben, click here

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*The “Myron Bolitar Series” review was written by Wednesday Elf

+Intro image compliments of Pixabay

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Friday, March 6, 2026

Book Review of Hazelhurst - Families of Dorset Series by Martha Keyes

Hazelhurst is book 4 of the Families of Dorset Regency Romance series. I am sad to say that I finished reading the series last night. As with all good books, I wish there were more.

Each of the books in this series introduces us to a young woman of the Regency era in British history. It was a time when society and family pressure to 'marry correctly' dominated lives. As much as I am intrigued by the books written about the time period, I am most often reminded of how grateful I am that I was not born during that time period. Still, I remain intrigued by it.

Like many readers, I was originally drawn into Regency romance fiction by Jane Austen and the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice, as well as the Dashwood daughters of Sense and Sensibility. At a very young age, these books introduced me to a real part of history, their homes, the British peerage (the hierarchy of nobility), even their fashion, but mostly to the dominance of lineage. Like so many things, the facade is beautiful.

I have read and reviewed several books by Martha Keyes. She does a wonderful job of creating unique situations for us to read about and consider. Hazelhurst is an excellent example of how Keyes involves her readers in the life of her fictional character and makes us feel a range of emotions for our new friend.

Synopsis of "Hazelhurst" by Martha Keyes

Hazelhurst: A Sweet Regency Romance
(Families of Dorset Book 4)Check Price Lady Anne Vincent Haywood is devastated by the loss of her husband. In this case, loss means exactly that. Her husband has disappeared! She has no idea if he is dead or alive. All she knows is that he has been missing for 3 weeks. Her brother has hired a Bow Street Runner to help them find the missing husband, Anthony. What he finds is unbelievable. The name Anthony Haywood is an alias. His real name is Nicholas Hackett and he married his wife, Louisa, two years ago. Therefore, Anne is not really married.

She returns to her parents home and is once again, living under her father's rule. Lord Purbeck is determined to see the stain removed from his daughter, his name, and his family. She will marry Tobias Cosgrove. The Cosgrove family is wealthy, but has no title. Lady Anne can bring a title to the marriage, but no money. As far as her father is concerned, it is the perfect solution for all.

Tobias Cosgrove's father and mother have informed him of his father's agreement with Lord Purbeck. Tobias is not ready to marry and give up his carefree lifestyle, but he has known Lady Anne all of his life through his sisters. She seems a reasonable sort. He decides that perhaps the two of them can come to an agreement of their own. It is with that in mind, that he calls on Lady Anne.

Lady Anne is relieved by Tobias suggestion. She has already been duped by the romantic idea of a marriage for love. Theirs will be a marriage of convenience. Both families will get what they want and Anne and Tobias can live separate lives under the same roof without romantic entanglements.

Sounds perfect, right? Marriage is never quite that simple, especially when the Ton is watching!

_________

Books by Martha Keyes Previously Reviewed on ReviewThisReviews.com

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Thursday, March 5, 2026

How Not to Age Cookbook Review

I have been working on improving my diet over time, and have become more plant based as a result.

My latest endeavor, or wakeup call came from watching YouTube videos by Dr. Michael Greger. Greger not only has recommendations on the better choice of what to eat, he knows the science that backs it up.

I was so impressed with his knowledge, that I bought his latest book, The How Not to Age Cookbook.

It was in this cookbook that I saw a recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Tahini Lemon Sauce. Below is my photo of my results.

I usually sauté asparagus, steam it once in a while, or cook it in soup. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised with the flavor of it being roasted. I also liked the sauce, my husband wasn't so impressed with the sauce, he didn't even taste it. The sauce by itself was a bit strong to me, but paired with the asparagus and also on the pasta, I thought it was pretty good. Overall I was pleased with this recipe and liked the lightness of their not being any oil in it.

In the Introduction part of the book, I learned that berries appear to reduce mortality risk as much as green leafy veggies. Did you know that? I have heard a lot about getting your greens, but I hadn't heard about the praise of berries. Berries may benefit the eyes in a variety of ways and can also suppress inflammation in the gut. Pulling out information from three studies on eating berries, overall, those with a higher berry consumption tended to live significantly longer than those with a low berry intake.

I'm not even half way through the Introduction part, and there are a lot of terms that I am not familiar with; I won't even try to explain those. But for those that want the scientific background on the best foods to eat, and then have recipes that incorporate those findings, this book is for you. Or if you just want to eat more plant based, this cookbook is a great option.

I do like carrot cake, but am not a fan of cream cheese frosting, and I don't care for most things that are overly sweet. So I was also pleasantly surprised when I tried the Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal. There is no frosting, a plus right from the start. However, it didn't have any raisins. I reduced the shredded carrots by around 1/4th of what was called for and replaced that with two small boxes of organic raisins. That added just a bit of sweetness to the recipe, and made it a hit with me. This recipe called for date syrup. (Dr. Greger has a recipe in the front of the book if you want to make your own.) The date syrup that I had on hand seemed to thick to me, so I reduced that by half and replaced the other half with water. That may have watered the recipe down more than it should have been, but the cake did come out very moist, so I added some extra baking time to it. That worked pretty good.

There are more recipes that I'm looking forward to trying. Most of the ingredients, from what I looked at so far, are every day ingredients. Two things that I noticed that weren't part of my normal ingredient selection, were white miso paste and tahini. Besides that, you might want to have ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, and soymilk on hand for your repertoire of plant based ingredients.

Another great thing that I like about this cookbook, is that it has a chart of Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen. It is a list of the various types of food one should eat in a day for maximum health. This has really helped me to see where I might have been lacking and what I should make more of an effort to incorporate into my day. I don't always get all 12 categories checked in one day, but I can see where I'm short and what I can add in the next day or so. If you are interested in checking out Dr. Greger's chart, you can check out the sample pages for the book, on Amazon. Greger also has a free app for those that are interested in keeping track on their cell phone.

The How Not to Age Cookbook. Check price and or sample pages on Amazon.

Cheryl Paton

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Wednesday, March 4, 2026

The Green Baize Door ~ A Book Review

When I saw the title of this book, I had to ask myself if I knew what a " green baize" door was. Well after a look into the word, I knew that I had no idea that such a thing existed! Do you know what a Green Baize door is?

Well, I love historical novels and this one fits into that category perfectly. Now for your own sake and a bit of education a " Green Baize" door is a simple door frame that was tacked with cloth, most often green in color. It was a door that separated the "Master's quarters" from the servants or staff quarters in the most stately homes.

In this story The Green Baize Door is thrown wide open when the elderly housekeeper is found murdered! It's the first day of the new century (1900's). And for this family living in the Chestnut Hills of New England, life has just taken a wild turn and no one knows who could have done this.

Oh there are the regular list of suspects, but both Marie Chevalier (the elderly woman's granddaughter) and James Lett (the owner's son) have very different ideas in who could be capable and for what end!

The Green Baize Door is an interesting historical tale that will take you through the early times when millionaires were made and family history was being written. The north was home to many that had been slaves in the south. Making money was still hard for the migrants from the south, but even harder sometimes due to no fault of their own.

Marie's love for her grandmother would not allow her to stop looking and wondering what had happened. Was someone in her family able to do something like this or was it someone of "means" that took some kind of exception to her grandmother?

Marie is determined to find out!

James Lett on the other hand, doesn't like that a dark cloud of suspicion has fallen on his family and their good name. So he is also on the hunt for whoever could have done this nasty deed. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of discrimination happening and the police are not in any hurry to find the killer of an elderly black woman servant.

I think that anyone who enjoys historical novels will find this book eye opening in so many ways. It was an enjoyable read for me and I think Eleanor Birney did a masterful job with The Green Baize Door and at bringing out the many ways that our history has had an impact on people's lives for generations.. It is worth reading and I bet you'll learn something new as well.

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Saturday, February 28, 2026

Pulse by Felix Francis - A Book Review

A horseracing mystery by the son of the well-known English author, Dick Francis

Felix Francis brings us another novel in the group of horseracing mysteries begun by Dick Francis and now continued by his son, Felix.

Synopsis

Pulse (A Dick Francis Novel)

A well-dressed man is found unconscious at a local racecourse and is rushed to the hospital. He subsequently dies and his identity is unknown. No identification is found on him and no one appears to be looking for him or reporting him missing.

The ER Doctor who treated the deceased is Dr. Chris Reynolds. She is at first intrigued by this nameless man, and then is all but obsessed with discovering who he is. She begins asking questions and discovers this to be a problem. Someone doesn’t want the questions asked or answered and will go to any lengths to prevent it.

At the same time, Chris is suffering from mental health issues and severe anorexia. Her husband and 14-year-old twin boys are worried about her. Even her job is in jeopardy if she cannot get her medical issues resolved.

While on medical leave, Dr. Chris continues to try and discover who the dead man is. When someone attempts to murder her, no one will believe someone tried to kill her. Chris is left with no option but to discover who the dead man was and why he died, before the same thing happens to her.

Summary

Another mystery set in the world of horseracing where the subject of race fixing becomes a factor in the plot of the story. Pulse, by Felix Francis, is part of a collection of novels continuing the racing thriller tradition begun by his father, famous English fiction writer, Dick Francis.

For more Francis (Dick & Felix) Book Reviews here on ReviewthisReviews, check out this link.

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*Book Review of Pulse is written by Wednesday Elf

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Wednesday, February 25, 2026

The First Gentleman Book Review

The First Gentleman, a thriller by former President Bill Clinton and the master of thrillers, James Patterson.

The First Gentleman is Clinton, and Patterson's third collaboration with the first two being The President Is Missing and The President's Daughter. The books are not a series, so it doesn't matter what order you read them in.

The First Gentleman: Plot

President Madeline Wright is in the middle of a reelection campaign and preparing a plan to save the US economy. But that is not her biggest problem; it's her husband, Cole Wright.

Cole is a former NFL star who played for the New England Patriots and is now the first gentleman. Cole is being charged with a 17 year old murder of a cheerleader, turning his world upsidedown.

Two investigative reporters, Garret Wilson and Brea Cooke, set out to write a book and uncover the truth about this cold case. Is Cole Wright guilty of murder? You will have to read this book to find out.

The story alternates between personal moments and political drama. You will be drawn into a web of secrets, investigations, and power struggles that feel real. Patterson keeps the chapters short and suspenseful, making this hard to put down. I do have the other two books and can't wait to read them.

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The First Gentleman: A ThrillerBuy Now