The Krewe of Hunters Book Series Review

 

By Heather Graham

Series Synopsis

FBI agent Adam Harrison had been involved in mysterious searches and situations so often that the government had asked him to put together a group of special teams who became known as the Krewe of Hunters. Jackson Crow, the only member chosen straight from the ranks of the  FBI behavioral Sciences Department, became the leader of the original team. The other members were carefully selected by Adam Harrison and Jackson Crow for their unique talents; some from other branches of law enforcement and some who had other skills needed for investigations (computer skills, audio & visual skills, etc.). Once the teams were formed, they all went through the rigorous FBI training at Quantico.

These teams are called upon to investigate and solve strange and unusual cases. What makes these teams special is more than their skills and FBI training; it is their paranormal abilities. Each team member is able to talk to the dead. You might call these 'ghost stories' and the 'ghosts' are as interesting as the crime-fighting characters. In fact, quite often a ghost is able to help in solving a crime. 

The other interesting thing about this series of books is the various locations where the investigations take place. The author adds in a bit of past history each location is famous (or infamous) for.  For instance, one story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts at Halloween time. The reader gets a history lesson about the area and the Salem witch trials that occurred there in the 1700s. Another story takes us to San Antonio and the Alamo. 

The book I found most interesting to date (#11 - The Night is Alive) is the one that takes place in Savannah, Georgia, because I lived in that area for almost 20 years. The restaurant & bar where the main part of the story action takes place is fictional, but all the other places mentioned are real. It was a fun trip down memory lane to read this particular mystery. 

The Krewe of Hunters Series

Book 1 in the Krewe Series

There are currently 37 books in the Krewe of Hunters series. Each book features primarily one crime to be solved and while quite often several team members are sent to investigate, the focus is on one member of the team each time. That way you get to know the background of that member. That member also seems to 'meet' just the right person to fall in love with. You also get to see the relationships and working dynamics between everyone.

The series begins with the formation of the first team and by book six a second team is formed. Six members seems to be optimal for their working relationships for each team.  In Book One, when the first team is formed, their first crime is located in New Orleans where the name Krewe of Hunters becomes the teams' name. And in several books there seems to be another unique person found who will be perfect for a team. 

Summary

So, we have a murder mystery, a ghost story, a history lesson, and a love story in each book.  

I am approximately one-third of my way through the entire series and I find each book so fascinating I don't want it to end ~ and I can hardly wait to get to the next one. 

At the end of several of the books, in addition to the history of the area, the author gives us a history of the foods indigenous to the area, along with a couple recipes. An interesting and varied series of books for sure. 

Book 37 in the Krewe of Hunter Series
Released on July 26, 2022.

Book List of the Krewe of Hunters

Book 1: Phantom Evil

Book 2: Heart of Evil

Book 3: Sacred Evil

Book 4: The Evil Inside

Book 5: The Unseen

Book 6: The Unholy

Book 7: The Unspoken

Book 8: The Uninvited

Book 9: The Night Is Watching

Book 10: The Night Is Alive

Book 11: THE NIGHT IS FOREVER

Book 12: The Cursed

Book 13: The Hexed

Book 14: The Betrayed

Book 15: The Silenced

Book 16: The Forgotten

Book 17: The Hidden

Book 18: Haunted Destiny

Book 19: Deadly Fate

Book 20: Darkest Journey

Book 21: Dying Breath

Book 22: Dark Rites

Book 23: Wicked Deeds

Book 24: Fade to Black

Book 25: Pale as Death

Book 26: Echoes of Evil

Book 27: The Summoning

Book 28: The Seekers

Book 29: The Stalking

Book 30: Seeing Darkness

Book 31: Deadly Touch

Book 32: Dreaming Death

Book 33: The Unforgiven

Book 34: The Forbidden

Book 35: The Unknown

Book 36: Sound of Darkness

Book 37: Aura of Night

Book 38: Voice of Fear (latest book in the series published in October 2022).

For more books reviewed by the writers of Review This, check out

ReviewThisBooks.com

Review of the Krewe of Hunters mystery book series was written by Wednesday Elf

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Review of Flights of Fancy (American Heiresses Book #1) by Jen Turano

I truly enjoyed reading the entire American Heiresses series by Jen Turano.  Each book has been equally enchanting, humorous at times, and a delightful read.  

Book 1 of the series, Flights of Fancy, is a wonderful beginning for a great series. It introduces us to Miss Isadora Delafield, who finds herself being pushed into an undesirable relationship with a duke from Europe simply because her mother desires a "titled" son-in-law.  Being a member of New York's Four Hundred isn't enough for Hester Delafield. She wants her daughter to be a duchess!  Never mind the duke is twice her daughter's age and is a widower multiple times.

When we think of wealthy heiresses, we assume their lives are easy, perhaps even enviable.  However, when you really sit back and think about how difficult it would be to know if someone was interested in you or in your money, it doesn't seem quite as enchanting.  Place the heiress in historical times when a husband controlled everything, including the heiresses inheritance, then the whole idea becomes downright dismal. 

 

Flights of Fancy (American Heiresses series) Synopsis

Hester Delafield may be thrilled that the Duke of Montrose has taken a special interest in her daughter, but Isadora is not.  Something about the duke makes her skin crawl and Izzie is rather disgusted by the lecherous fiend. Plus, he makes no secret of the fact that he is seeking a 4th wife who will hopefully succeed where the others have failed.  In his words, he is "in desperate need of an heir and a spare".  Not exactly a courting phrase that makes a young girl swoon, especially when delivered by a creepy old man. 

 Flights of Fancy
(American Heiresses Book #1)Check PriceWhen Izzie's butler reveals his own concern for her safety based on what he has learned from the duke's previous staff, he helps her run away.  He even writes her a letter of recommendation so she can get a job in a household and hide out in domestic service.  After all, who would search for a heiress among the staff of a household in another city.

All the fun and laughter for the reader begins when Izzie arrives at a farm in rural Pennsylvania, answering a newspaper ad for a housekeeper.  There is no way anyone would look for her in a home with two elderly people, 3 children, several cows, goats, chickens and ranch hands.  It is the perfect hideaway!  However, she is totally clueless on how to cook, clean, or care for any of them, which makes her less than perfect for them.  Or does it?

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If you are seeking an easy read that will leave you cheering at the end, then I highly recommend "Flights of Fancy".

 

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Modern Amigurumi for the Home – Craft Book Review

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small, cute dolls. It comes from the Japanese words ami (crocheted) and nuigurumi (stuffed toy).  

*As defined by Google 

Amigurumi Crochet Designs

From Annie's Crochet comes this Modern Amigurumi for the Home crochet leaflet with 8 adorable designs to crochet in the Amigurumi style.

Amigurumi Cat on Etsy

Amigurumi Birds on Etsy

Designs include two cute cats, two birds and a rooster, Petunia the Pig a darling dog, and an adorable Fairy House.

This crochet leaflet includes color photos of finished items and full instructions to create your favorites from this collection. Author Elisa Sartori has named each of these cute designs with the names Madge, Esther, Felix, Mr. Rico, Petunia, Poppy and Luna. The Fairy House goes by the name Le Petit Maison. 

Summary

This craft pattern leaflet is available on Amazon where it is ranked #164 in the Stuffed Animal Crafts category. It is also available online at Annie's Craft Store and at yarn stores such as JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby. 

Amigurumi is a really fun style of crochet which can vary in size. There are no restrictions about size or look, so whatever type of yarn or hook you use, the end result can vary in size. The world of amigurumi is sweet, cuddly, and smiley.

So, add a little fun to your home décor with these adorable Amigurumi designs to crochet from Modern Amigurumi for the Home! 

Related Craft Book Reviews: 

• A Review of the Craft Book Amigurumi Two” - craft book review by Wednesday Elf
• Easy Crochet Critters – craft pattern book review written by Wednesday Elf
• Around the Corner Crochet Borders – pattern book review written by Beverly Owens
• Baby Crochet – pattern book review written by Wednesday Elf
• Hello Crochet Friends – an inspiring story of a young boy who found crochet to be of great help in overcoming disruptive behavior problems. Not a pattern book, but a wonderful read about how crochet can help anyone.  Book reviewed by Dawn Rae.

For more reviews of Crafts & DIY, go to ReviewThisCrafts.com

*Modern Amigurumi for the Home crochet craft pattern leaflet review written by

~Wednesday Elf

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Book Review: The Borrowed World by Franklin Horton

I recently binge-read an entire 9 book series: The Borrowed World series by Franklin Horton.  I have since read several unrelated books and none have captured my attention and absorbed me into the setting as this story did. I still wish the visit with Jim Powell, his family, and his community had not ended. 

Book Review: The Borrowed World by Franklin Horton

The Borrowed World (a Post-Apocalyptic Societal Collapse Thriller)

The story opens with a man, a terrorist living in the US, and the moment that the next plan to terrorize the country becomes a viable thought while watching a television documentary about the nation's failing infrastructure.

"The surgeon recalled the attacks of September 11th. He envisioned a broader attack. Something with more men and lasting devastation. Something more visceral and less flashy"  - excerpt from The Borrowed World

During the first few chapters, the reader observes the work of the terrorists; how they destroy important sites across the United States including the Alaskan pipeline, Wolf Creek Dam, multiple refineries, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Transformers at power stations were also destroyed. Power, communication, and transportation systems immediately failed. Law enforcement and medical services failed soon after.  The nation was completely changed from that day forward. 

Jim Powell is the main character. He lives and works in southwestern Virginia and frequently travels to Richmond with his co-workers. He and five of his co-workers were in Richmond when the attack occurred.  Jim woke in the hotel without power and his phone only partially worked, showing a pixelated headline stating "America, Nation Under Attack". He attempted to call home but received only the recording that the circuits were busy.

Jim's co-workers in Richmond are Gary, Lois, Alice, Randi, and Rebecca. At work, Jim is abrupt and abrasive. He and Lois tend to butt heads on a typical day. Their opposite opinions continue into this emergency situation. Jim wants to return home immediately. Some of his co-workers, Lois included, want to stay where they are and see what happens. 

They decide to drive home as a group but immediately run into one dangerous situation after the next.  These situations included difficulty getting gas, violence in the rest areas, and travelers being unwelcomed in the small towns along the interstates.

Jim is a prepper and has a "Get Home Bag" (similar to a "Bug Out bag if you've heard of them. However, Jim's Get Home Bag is full of items to help him return home rather than leave home in the event of an emergency). Gary has a similar bag. When they are unable to continue their trip via car some of the group decides to walk home, using the Appalachian Trail for a portion of the journey, while some of the group decides to wait for the promised help from the Government to first move them from the rest areas to a camp and later transported to their hometowns.

The chapters switch between the experiences of the part of the group who decided to walk home and the experiences of the part of the group who decided to wait for transportation at a camp.

Meanwhile, Jim's wife Ellen is at home with their two children. She is doing the best she can to follow the things Jim taught her about being prepared while keeping her family safe from those who come to steal their food and possessions.

Reasons Why I Loved This Story and Read the Entire Series

It was immediately obvious that Jim was one of those characters who is flawed. Maybe not even likeable to some. But I couldn't help but root him on... hoping he got home quickly for the sake of his wife and children. But quickly is relative when you are talking about walking across the state of Virginia. The other characters were each unique and their voices were clearly their own. I never had to pause to try to remember who was who.  It was very interesting to see how each individual made their choices. I fell in love with Randi and Gary and hoped for their safe travels. I forgave Jim for his abrasive rule-breaking and was pleased for his sake that he had broken some of the agency and HR rules.

In addition to the fictional aspect of this story, I enjoyed the informational portions of the book. In the forward the author states:

"During periods of elevated terror alerts and especially during Hurricane Katrina, I thought often about the vulnerability of a person traveling during a national disaster"  

"As a way of passing the time during long drives, I developed 'get home plans' for each trip. Given what I had in my luggage, what avenues of travel would be available to me?"  - Franklin Horton

As a result, he packed differently for trips - including a good pair of walking shoes. Over the years I've observed people (women especially) getting stuck in blizzards and walking through deep snow in flats or heels. Still, I do not tend to keep good walking shoes in my vehicle, but after reading The Borrowed World  I will begin to do so. In addition to shoes, the author clearly has experience with a variety of survival/camping/hiking items.  For example, he spoke of a brand of water filter that would be an excellent addition to my own camping/day hiking items.  His style of "product placement" or product recommendation did not interrupt the flow of the book at all as it was such a part of the story yet provided factual information about his own preferred items. 

This is not a how-to prep book. But it does present much food for thought related to disasters (natural or man-made). This is a story about people trying to survive an extreme terrorist attack that disables life as we know it. It also peeks at the negative view of "preppers" but pulls back the curtain on how vulnerable we all truly are and that it doesn't hurt to be at least a bit prepared for extreme circumstances.

Finally, when I was much younger I read The Stand by Stephen King. That story, especially the beginning description of the pandemic and those trying to survive it, kept me awake reading at night. But later in the book the story started to drift for me as it included more of the dark fantasy. The Borrowed World never drifted for me. It remained in the realm of disasters that could really happen and the possible resulting  struggle over resources. The reality that the food supply is not infinite and starving neighbors can go to great lengths to take your remaining piece of crusty bread is unnerving. I kept turning pages to see if and how the Powell family would survive.

More Reading:

Readers may also enjoy One Second After by William R Forstchen. One Second After is a story about America's power grid going down after an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) weapon was detonated over the US. Previously I thought EMPs were the product of active imaginations. However, I have since learned that it is something that has actually been discussed in Congress and is something that could really occur. In One Second After, families and a community are again trying to survive without electricity, communication, and without a supply of food.  This fictional story kept me interested, but I did not find the individual characters as memorable as Jim Powell et al.

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

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The Baby Shower Word Search Book - 60 Puzzles in One Book

 

The Baby Shower Word Search Book

As some of you may already know, I've authored numerous riddle books and have recently expanded into word search activity books. 

Why a Baby Shower Word Search Book? What's So Special About That?

The purpose of this book was to provide baby-related word search puzzles in one book, to use for baby shower games. 

You can easily find baby shower word search cards for party game activities; however, having one book with 60 word search puzzles gives you a larger amount in one affordable book.

How to Use This Book for a Baby Shower Word Search Game

• Cut out the puzzles you need and hand them out to your guests
• Have each person write their name and time taken to complete the puzzle on the page
• OR give everyone a preset time, for example, three minutes, to complete as much of the puzzle as they can
• The best time and greatest number of words found wins

Makes an Excellent Giveaway for Smaller Baby Showers

• Give everyone their own book at the shower
• Have each person complete one (or two) puzzles for the word search contest
• Pick the winner based on time and words solved
• Allow each person to keep their book as a shower momento gift

What's Different About This Word Search Book?

At the bottom of each word search puzzle is a place for a person to write their name, the time they started the puzzle, and the time it was completed.

There's a place to write your name and time completed on each puzzle

Large and Easy to Read

The book measures 8.5 inches by 11 inches, making it very easy on the eyes. It's the size of a standard piece of paper. There is one puzzle per page, and all of the answers are featured in the back of the book.

One puzzle per page, and large and easy to read

The book is available on Amazon and also via the website StumpedRiddles.com.

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

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The Wish by Nicholas Sparks – A Book Review

 The Wish is the latest book by Nicholas Sparks published in September 2021.

Synopsis

Image Source: Pixabay

Maggie Sparks grew up to be a well-known travel photographer who also helped run a successful art gallery in New York City. But her life might have taken a different track if she had not been sent away at age sixteen to live with an aunt in Ocracoke, a remote village on an island on North Carolina's Outer Banks. 

At first Maggie hated the remote island and missed her friends and family in Seattle. Then she met one of the few teenagers on the island. Bryce shows her how much there is to love about this isolated beach town. He also introduces her to photography, which eventually defines the rest of her life – as does Bryce.

Maggie spent many years photographing remote locations around the world and running the gallery in New York where she featured her photographs, along with a fellow artist's work.  But as the story begins, she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to understand and cope with a newly sobering medical diagnosis.  

As her health worsens, Maggie becomes dependent upon a young man she has hired to help manage the gallery.  As Maggie and Mark count down the last days of the Christmas season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas decades earlier on that remote North Carolina island and the love that set her on the course she could not have imagined on that long ago time in 1996.

Summary

Author Nicholas Sparks has had over 100 million copies of his books sold. His stories are often sad, because life always includes some sadness. But Sparks has a special way of capturing what is real in every life, with the sadness being offset by the wonderful joys to be found. The Wish is another wonderfully real story.

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

“Never forget that love is always stronger than fear.”

~ Nicholas Sparks in The Wish

Related Links:

• The Return by Nicholas Sparks (Book Review by Wednesday Elf)
• Two By Two by Nicholas Sparks (Book Review by Wednesday Elf)
• The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (Movie Review by Sylvestermouse)
• Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (Book & Movie Review by Sylvestermouse)

Book Review of The Wish written by Wednesday Elf 

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Merry Christmas from Review This Reviews

 Merry Christmas to everyone from all of us here at Review This Reviews.

For me, Christmas is a time to be spent with the people you love and a wonderful time to create memories.  Everyone celebrates Christmas differently and has different Christmas traditions, one such tradition is the Christmas Tree.

Some people put the tree up as soon as Halloween is over and others on December 1st, when I was a child it was Christmas Eve in our household.   My brother and I tried to talk my parents into putting it up earlier and one year we thought victory was ours as mum relented and said okay we'll put it up on the Saturday before Christmas.

As it got closer to Christmas we realized that Christmas was on a Sunday which meant the Saturday before Christmas was, in fact, Christmas Eve!  When my daughter was younger we would put our tree up on the 1st Saturday of the school holidays.   This leads us to how you decorate your Christmas tree, there are lots of ideas that can be found on this Christmas Facebook page.   We used to have special ornaments that we put up every year, but some people like to create a new theme every year.

My brother and his family have a tradition of giving their children a present every Christmas Eve which is a pair of pajamas for them to wear that night.   They used to open the presents while still in PJs so it meant all the photos always looked good!

Growing up we would use pillowcases in lieu of stockings and when talking to some other ex-pats from the UK a few years ago we found that we had very similar things placed in our stockings each year!  There would always be an orange, a toffee dime from the Quality Street tin(how strange that this was the one that my parents didn't like from Quality Street - a must-have for any English household over the holiday season at that time!).   There would also be a book and/or a little game to entertain us and a nice outfit to wear.   

After waking our parents up at whatever time in the morning it was that we discovered Santa had been we had to go back to bed and weren't allowed up until 9am, hence the book/game.   Then we had to get dressed (hence the new clothes) and eat breakfast (which was usually porridge that took soooo long to cook!) before we were allowed into the front room to see the Christmas tree and all the gifts.   I can feel the excitement just recalling the moment when we could see the tree on Christmas morning. 

I have spent far more Christmases in the antipodes than I did in the UK so Christmas for me these days is in summer (I do still miss Christmas being in winter though I must admit).   Our family Christmases certainly look different to my childhood Christmases for one thing we usually watch Christmas movies (my daughter used to love Elf, whereas my husband and I are more Die Hard fans) in the lead up to the big day - when I was growing up we didn't watch much television.

Board games were a big part of our Christmases and I know they are for lots of other families as well.   I also come from a family of readers so there were occasions where after Christmas lunch was over we would all be stuck with our noses in books!  If you're after a book to read then be sure to check out our recommendations, and best of all most of these can be downloaded to your Kindle straight away (just in case no one gives you a book this year!)

Some people enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, others build Legos whereas others take walks as a family or for people Downunder it often means being in the pool or playing backyard cricket.   The first Christmas we spent in New Zealand we went down to the beach and tried out fly fishing rods that mum and dad had got, then found a log and tried our version of tossing the caber, I seem to recall a jandal throw as well.   Our very own Christmas games on the beach!

Whatever you're doing and whoever you're spending Christmas with this year make sure you are making some fantastic memories.   Keep safe, have fun and goodwill to you all.

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Reviewing Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Sometimes I need a break from whodunnits and psychological thrillers so when I came across a novel that had the same title as my favourite Simple Minds song and a ringing endorsement from Marian Keyes I just knew I had to read it.

Mhairi McFarlane certainly didn't disappoint, this was the exact book I needed to read.   It was a romance, but it was so much more.  The characters were awesome (even the ones you loathed!), the only one that really irritated me at times was the main character, Georgina, but even when she was annoying me she was so relatable.

The story starts with a budding romance in the sixth form between our heroine Georgina and the mysterious Lucas and I have to say that having spent my sixth form years in the UK Mhairi McFarlane did an amazing job at invoking memories I'd actually forgotten I had.   

We quickly fast forward to the present day and Georgina is 30 and working in the worst restaurant in town and even the way this restaurant and staff are described allowed my mind to actually see the restaurant.  When she was totally unfairly dismissed from the restaurant she decides to pay an unexpected visit to her boyfriend.   This turned out to be a mistake as said narcissistic boyfriend was in bed with his PA.

Then she receives an offer to do a one-off gig to tend bar at a wake - the bar in question has been newly refurbished and is looking at opening up again.   Georgina absolutely loves working the wake and gets on really well with one of the owners, Devlin.   At the end of the night, he offers her a permanent job which makes her feel like her life is on the up again.

Of course, it would be a boring book if that was all ..... enter Devlin's brother and the other owner of the bar, Lucas.   Whereas Georgina recognises Lucas instantly, he doesn't appear to have any memory of her whatsoever and is not happy that Devlin hired her without consultation. 

I won't tell you anymore of the storyline, I will let you discover it for yourself.  Yes, it's a romance, but it is so much more.   The characters are really well-rounded (I do hope Kitty gets her own novel one day) and it is also a book that deals with gaslighting and not ignoring red flags in relationships.   It's about great friends and complicated families and about overcoming adversity.  Oh, and the one-liners will have you in stitches!

I thoroughly enjoyed Don't You Forget About Me and couldn't put it down until I had finished.

As with most of the books, I read this was downloaded as part of my Kindle Unlimited membership something I highly recommend no matter what genre of book you like to read.   In fact, it's also a great way of exploring new genres too, I've recently read some supernatural and some science fiction books through my membership.

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

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Kawaii Craft Life - Book Review

Super-cute projects for home, work & play

Kawaii

The word Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese.  It has the power to make you smile. It is the precious, the cuddly, and the silly.  Kawaii is all things super-cute.

The Kawaii Craft Life Book

The first part of the Kawaii Craft Life craft book lists the tools you need for each craft (Needlecraft Essentials), plus materials lists and hand-stitching basics, with illustrations and directions on how-to-do each craft.  Then the book is divided into sections filled with patterns and instructions.

The sections include:

Feltcraft 

These include tiny plushies, woodland critters, coasters, pencil toppers and more.

Counted Cross-Stitch

Patterns include cute animals wineglass charms, gift tags, greeting cards, cupcake toppers, napkin rings, magnets and even earrings.  Color charts of a seal, a penguin, a panda and a cat, bunny, frog, acorns and mushrooms, and even designs of Sushi food, are among the cute designs to cross stitch or use in other needlework crafts.

Embroidery

Stitch a cheerful blooms coin purse, an apple pie apron, tea towels and and a Little Monster onesie.  Embroider a tote or a dragon bookmark.  Stitch cute veggies on napkins or create a magic unicorn wall art.  Woodland critters look darling on just about anything. 

The Authors

The authors of Kawaii Craft Life are Sosae and Dennis Caetano.  Years ago they began their crafting journey with needle and thread and found it was a wonderful way to deal with stress – a way to unwind and express their creativity.  They began to design needlecraft projects – from felt animals to cottage ornaments to Kawaii monsters. Whether they are creating a pattern or stitching it to life, needlecraft brings them happiness.  Sosae & Dennis hope that with this Kawaii Craft Life book it does the same to you.

Summary

Kawaii Craft Life is a fun crafting book filled with home décor and playtime pals, all with the  'cuteness factor'.  It will bring “adorable” and “lovable” into your crafting world. Few can resist the charm of Kawaii, so come create a cute and cuddly craft. 

For more craft reviews, check out ReviewThisCrafts.com 

For more book reviews, check out ReviewThisBooks.com

*Kawaii Craft Life Book Review written by

Wednesday Elf

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

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The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs – A Book Review

 

The Bone Code is the latest in Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan crime series. 

Plot Summary 

The Bone Code available on Amazon

Tempe Brennan is on her way to help a friend on the Isle of Palms on the South Carolina coast whose home is damaged by a hurricane. Before she gets there she receives a call from the Charleston coroner who needs her help with two bodies found in a medical waste container which has been tossed ashore by the storm.

As Tempe investigates, she recognizes many of the details as being identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec years earlier. She then travels to Montreal to gather evidence.

Meanwhile, health authorities in South Carolina are becoming alarmed as a human flesh-eating contagion spreads. Tempe is so focused on identifying the container victims that she doesn't initially register how the murders and the pestilence may be related.  But she does realize one unsettling fact ~ that someone is protecting a dark secret, and they are willing to do anything to keep it hidden.

The Bone Code gives us a sinister look at a shocking way genetics can be put to use.

Author Kathy Reichs

Author Kathy Reichs.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Kathy Reichs is an American Crime Writer. She is also a forensic anthropologist associated with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale in Quebec, Canada. 

Reichs' main character (Tempe) in her Temperance Brennan crime series is based on her own life.  And the television show Bones is loosely based on her book series. 

Summary

The Bone Code is the 20th book in the Temperance Brennan series of crime novels by Kathy Reichs. It is Temperance Brennan's most astonishing case yet and will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

*Book Review of The Bone Code written by Wednesday Elf

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Reviewing Joy Ellis' Nikki Galena Series

 Have you heard of the novelist Joy Ellis?   I discovered her and her Matt Bollard series by a happy coincidence and am now devouring her Nikki Galena Series of books.

Joy Ellis - Nikki Galena Series of Books

Joy Ellis writes police murder mysteries based in England's Fenlands which provides a really atmospheric background to the novels and makes me really want to visit some of the desolate villages of the Fen and photograph them .... although there does seem to be a few too many murders occurring!

Now at the time of writing, there are 13 Nikki Galena books and I have read 8 of them with number 9 waiting for me on my Kindle.   I recommend reading these books in order as you build up relationships with the members of Nikki's team and understand their backstories that way.

In the first book, we meet a pretty angry, hostile DI Nikki Galena and are introduced to her new DS Joseph Easter who she really didn't want to work with.   As the book evolves we see that they actually make a great team and we also get to meet the other members of her team based in Greensborough.

I actually downloaded books 1-5 as a book set on my Kindle and I really recommend doing that as some of the threads, especially that of a certain villain continue throughout these books.  If you have enough of Inspector Nik and her crew by this time you will at least rest easy knowing certain things have reached a conclusion.

Personally, I wanted to continue so I downloaded book 6, Captive on the Fens.  This book introduced us to a new character and a totally unexpected twist that relates to an existing character which really led to a very neat transition of team members in the next book.

I then downloaded another set and this was for books 7-9.

I totally recommend getting book sets because you really don't want to stop at just one book with these characters.  I feel like it's watching one of your favourite tv shows and you want to tune in each week to see how they're going - that's how good Joy Ellis is at creating characters.

I was able to download all of these books for free as part of my Kindle Unlimited membership which I have mentioned before and thoroughly recommend.

If you enjoy shows like Midsommer Murders and Vera and you also enjoy reading then I think you'll love this series of books by Joy Ellis.  Joy Ellis is compared to Peter May, J M Dalgliesh and Ann Cleeves (the author of Vera - totally agree with this comparison) and was nominated for Crime and Thriller Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2021 for The Patient Man.   This book is part of her Jackman & Evans series which is next on my list to read after I finish all of the Nikki Galena books.

Have you read any Joy Ellis books?

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The Burning by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman – Book Review

A raging wildfire. A massive blackout. A wealthy man shot to death in his palatial hilltop home 

Synopsis

Available on
Amazon

The protagonist of this story, Clay Edison, is a deputy coroner.  Caring for the dead, he speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. He prides himself on an unflinching commitment to the truth. Even when it gets him into trouble. 

The Burning, set in the San Francisco Bay Area during one of the state’s terrible wildfires, is Book #4 in the Clay Edison series by Jonathan & Jesse Kellerman. 

A murder scene becomes personal for this deputy coroner when he discovers a link to his brother, Luke, while investigating the crime scene.

Luke is fresh out of prison and struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. But when Clay calls Luke to find out why his lovingly restored vintage Camaro is in the murdered man's garage, he discovers his brother is missing. 

While trying to find his brother before anyone else can, Clay is forced to do his job, as well as cope with a wildfire and a massive blackout occurring in his northern California area. Is his brother a killer or a victim? And, where is he?

Image Source: Pixabay

The Kellerman Authors, Father & Son

Jonathan Kellerman is the well-known author of the Alex Delaware Series (36 books to date) and is married to author Faye Kellerman (known in particular for her 29 mystery novels in her "Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus" series. Now, Jonathan is joined by their son, Jesse, a writer in his own right. To date, Jonathan & Jesse have co-authored 5 books, including four in the Clay Edison series. 

The Kellermans are an amazing family of writers of mystery thrillers. 

Summary

The Burning is a real page-turner – a harrowing collision of family, revenge, and murder. 

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Related Link:

The Bone Box by Faye Kellerman – a Decker//Lazarus Novel

*The Burning – a book review written by Wednesday Elf

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

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