How to Make an Apron Resource Page

A PAGE FULL OF RESOURCES TO HELP YOU MAKE AN APRON

This page is packed with resources for anyone wanting to make an apron. Whether you want to make one for yourself or for someone else, you've come to the right spot. It will point you in the direction of some wonderful resources that are available online for making your very own aprons.

I have included a few Youtube videos that show you how to make aprons, including one from Angel Fleece Aprons and one from the Missouri Star Quilt Company. I have also included links to pages with great apron how-tos an interesting apron-making book from Amazon.

The aprons shown above are from a vintage 1950s Simplicity pattern, number 4492. I love the turquoise blue one and the big pockets! You can find it on eBay by clicking here.

I hope this page inspires you to make an apron.

HOW TO MAKE AN APRON VIDEO FROM ANGEL OF FLEECE

This first video is inspired by the Baking Outside the Box cookbook. Angel of Fleece steps you through the creation of an elegant apron.

HOW TO MAKE AN APRON VIDEO FROM A TEA TOWEL BY THE MISSOURI STAR QUILT COMPANY (PARTS 1 & 2) 

HOW TO CREATE A RETRO APRON BY CINDY TAYLOR OATES

Cindy Taylor Oates has written a few retro-themed pattern books in this series that offers well written instructions and excellent illustrations. The patterns need to be traced because they are printed on two-sided paper but doing so is, according to reviewers, worth the effort. The author includes ways to make the apron look retro and ways to make it look contemporary so no matter your style, the aprons in this book can be adopted to suit. Click here to find these Retro Aprons books on eBay.

HOW TO SEW A FULL APRON VIDEO FROM PROFESSOR PINCUSHION

HOW TO SEW A SIMPLE APRON FROM MELANIE HAM

HOW TO MAKE AN UPCYCLED DENIM APRON FOR CHILDREN

BLOGS & POSTS DEDICATED TO MAKING APRONS

His and Her Aprons
Blogger Make it and Love It shares, His and Her Aprons.

Romantic Cottage or Shabby Chic Style Apron
Blogger Sew4Home shares how to make a romantic cottage or shabby-chic style apron.

How to Make an Apron on eHow.com
This page at eHow will step you through ow to make a simple bib-style apron. It is a good project for beginners.

Make A Make Do Apron
Mary Jane shows you how to make an apron out of a shirt. That reminds me of the aprons my great grandmother crafted from a worn out dress.

1 Yard Magic Apron

How to make an apron with one yard of fabric. 

DIY Reversible Apron

An easy-to-make pattern.

How to Make an Apron for Beginners

An awesome project for a new sewer.

How to Sew an Apron Without a Pattern

No pattern needed for this kitchen apron.

How to Sew Your Own Vintage-Inspired Apron

Martha Stewart shows you how.

A FEW APRON FACTS

Previous polls on this page when it appeared elsewhere online showed that 40 percent of the people who visited owned an apron and that 43 percent were looking for a new project or an apron inspiration. Only 19 percent of the visitors said that they ALWAYS don an apron when they're in the kitchen but 30 percent of them said that they should but only do so when cooking a particularly messy item. That is where I fit, in that last 30 percent. How about you? Do you usually wear an apron? Are you looking to craft a new one?

See you in the kitchen.

Hopefully, with your apron on!

Brenda

MORE APRON READING:

The Apron Book by EllynAnne Geisel reviewed. 

Discover a life time of wisdom, memories and recipes from the Great Depression.

Find a fun cookie-themed apron here.

Check out the aprons in my eBay store.

Find more Apron books on Amazon.

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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Weather Tech Floor Liner Cleaner and Protector - Reviewed

 

We had our Kia Sorento about a year before we decided to make the investment into our Weather Tech floor liners. I am sure you have all seen the advertisements on television.

Weather Tech floor liners are laser cut to your specific vehicle and are always a perfect fit. I have to say that these floor liners are well worth the money. But this post is not about the floor liners, it is about keeping them looking like new.

The winter months here in Western New York can be brutal on your vehicle, especially the floor mats. After the first winter with our new Weather Tech floor liners, it was time to clean up the car.

I removed the floor liners and scrubbed them with soap and water using a scrub brush. They were clean, but they did not look clean. The winter dirt and scuff marks seemed to be permanent.

So, I did what anyone else would do, I searched online to see what was recommended to clean and make my floor liners look new again. What I found was the Weather Tech Floor Liner and Floor Mat Cleaner, and the Weather Tech Floor Liner and Floor Mat Protector.

Weather Tech Floor Mat Cleaner:

“Exclusive foam formula immediately works to remove dirt, sand, and stains. Biodegradable and contains no phosphates.”

Weather Tech Floor Mat Protector:

“Provide long-lasting “Like New” appearance. Creates a slip-resistant and stain-reducing finish that helps extend the life of the mats and liners.”

The above are the statements on the product labels, and I must tell you they are true statements. The Weather Tech Cleaner and Protector have my floor liners looking like new with truly little effort from me.

Before

This is a before photo of my Weather Tech Floor liner. Keep in mind that this photo is after I had already scrubbed it with soap and water.

After

Here is the photo after I used the Weather Tech cleaner and Protector, it looks brand new just like it came out of the box.

If you do not have Weather Tech Floor Liners, you can buy them here.

If you do have Weather Tech Floor Liners and want them looking like new, I highly recommend the cleaner and protector. I am so pleased with the new look of my floor liners.

Weathertech TechCare FloorLiner and FloorMat Cleaner/Protector Kit

 

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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Petcakes Birthday Kit Reviewed

 Every pup deserves a Birthday cake! This year I decided to try the Pupcakes Birthday Kit to make a dog bone shaped cake for the big day. So easy for those who don't cook, do not like to cook or are in a time crunch. A few minutes in the microwave and a fun bone shaped cake is made with no muss, no fuss.

What's In The Box?

The petcakes are so easy to prepare!  The Petcakes box contains 1 package of cake mix, 1 package of frosting mix, 1 bone shaped pan and a Birthday Candle.

All you need is water plus a small amount of greek yogurt or peanut butter to make the cake. 

The frosting requires a small amount of water and yogurt. Honey is optional. 

Microwave is required.

Anyone Can Make This Pupcake

A few common ingredients and a microwave is all that is required to make this Pupcake in under an hour (and most of the hour is waiting for the cake to cool so it can be frosted.)

Or skip the frosting and the cake is ready to go after cooling. The directions state 15 minutes cool time after removing from microwave. I found a half hour is a better timeframe to ensure the cake is cooled.

Decorate the Pupcake

Keeping in the edible theme of cake decorations I used dog food nuggets as a cake decoration. The cake can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week after it is made. The ingredients are dog friendly: Organic oat flour, brown rice flour, flax seed powder, carob, cinnamon. 

The cake was a win for my furball. (Admittedly this furball is not a picky eater)

Reusable Cake Pan

The dog bone shaped cake pan is reusable so save it for the next healthy Pupcake for your favorite furball or pass it along to a friend for their birthday pup!

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Reviewing Pretty and Versatile Headbands For Great Hair

I love my versatile headbands "Sea Team 6-Pack Wide Hairbands" which come in different colours and patterns to suit the activity and my mood. I feel these headbands are very suitable for anyone of any age from a young person to a more mature person who likes the style and look of wearing a headband and perhaps needs one to keep hair out of the way while still looking lovely!

 Why I Like To Wear Headbands. 

I have medium length quite fine wavy hair but a lot of it and I often end up tieing it up when working in the garden and certainly for doing fitness activities. I love having long hair but on hot days I simply have to keep it off my face or I get too hot and uncomfortable. Before I got these hairbands I used to tie my hair up in an elastic band and that resulted in damaged hair and splitting, which is not a good look and not healthy for the hair. 

I think these hairbands would also work for thick hair, curly or straight hair and I do feel that any age can wear these if you like the colours and patterns. I initially thought these would be best for long hair but I do think they would look very cute on shorter hair too. 

My Three Fave Headbands

 When Can You Wear Headbands

These headbands are very comfortable, soft and stretchy enough to easily be worn for hours. I wear mine for every pilates and rebounder workout and my new dance exercise video classes. I think it would be great to wear at any age if you do yoga or play tennis, badminton or any other sports.

I also wear mine when out gardening so that my hair doesn't get in my eyes so much and pick up all the burrs and pollen from the plants!

They are great for when decorating too. You would just need to have one you sacrificed for decorating as if you are anything like me it will end up with paint all over it!  

Apart from wearing them for activities, I do feel that they are pretty enough to wear when out and about and I love the colours and patterns to go with or contrast with clothes.

If a new wardrobe or new dresses or jeans are not affordable right now you can easily update your look with these pretty and funky headbands!

I have to say they really came into their own during the time when we could not get to hairdressers for months and my hair was certainly doing its own thing!! Wearing one of these headbands just made it look a more put-together look. 

In addition, I am not happy about my hair going grey and it seems to be going more grey at the front than the back! I do use natural colourants but I cannot use any with chemicals. I find the natural ones do not last very long and if I have not had the time or the inclination to colour again the grey comes back! However, if I wear one of these headbands it nicely covers up the grey at the front and you just cannot tell !! 

Turquoise Headband Worn Wide

I also wear one when doing my make-up. Day to day I don't wear much makeup but I do wear SPF factor foundation powder every day to protect my skin and I find it easier to apply if I keep my hair out of the way. Then of course if I am doing full makeup for going out,  it is just neater and easier to wear a headband and sort everything. 

These hair bands are also great if you have a day when you should really have washed your hair but did not and then find that you do need to go out! Pop one of these on and the problem is largely sorted as you will look like you make an effort and covered up much of the problem!

Also, headbands are very useful if you are growing your hair from a shorter to a longer style or growing out bangs or a fringe. It keeps hair looking good and not getting in your eyes all the time or looking too messy when going through that difficult stage! 

I do feel that these suit anyone from younger girls to more mature ladies depending on your personal style and activities.

Width Of Headband At Narrow Point

About Headbands, Measurements And Materials.

I strongly recommend that whichever headbands you choose you carefully check the measurements both of your own head and of the headband. 

In addition, check or ask the seller how stretchy the headbands actually are and what the material is made from. You will likely want a quite stretchy and soft material so that you can easily put the headband over your head and that it is comfortable. Also, look for ones that are easily washable as you will want to wash them fairly often.   

The headbands I own are made from a stretchy material that is very soft. Enough stretch in it to be easily worn but not too much to be tight. If you wear one a lot it can feel a little loose after time but I found generally after washing they go back to shape. I have only hand-washed mine as really it is so easy and quick to do. 

Stretchy Soft Headband

 

They are often sold as one size fits most. The ones I own are on average around eight and a half inches long measuring one side as per the photo below on the red headband and about two inches wide at the smallest point. The widest point can stretch to significantly more.

I find these measurements are about right for my head. Some headbands in the past have given me a headache as they were way too tight, but these I find are just comfortable.

I would always recommend that you measure your own head or your child's head first then check the measurements on the listings carefully. If the headband is too tight it will hurt and if too loose will fall down and not hold the hair in place.

The ones I have are quite wide but I personally like that as I can then have them wide on my head or simply fold it over to make it a thinner band which is still comfortable for me. 

I can also wear them with the widest part at the front or flip them over and have the narrow part where the long edges join as the top piece which gives a different look. 

 

Length of Headband Folded

If you have hair you need to keep out of the way while doing an activity, be it sports or other physical work, they are very useful and you can look great as well!

If you wish to wear them as a fashion accessory, to style your own fashion, then that works too. The colours and patterns are varied and lovely.

My favourites from my "Sea Team 6-Pack Wide Hairbands" are dark blue, turquoise blue and red as shown below. 

Beautiful Colours And Patterns On Headbands

I think if you bought the pack and did not like one or more of the colours or patterns then they would make a lovely little additional birthday, thank you gift or stocking filler. Or of course, you may wish to buy the whole pack as a gift.

There are many variations of these headbands. I just have this set Sea Team 6-Pack Wide Hairbands but there are many more you may wish to take a look at in the selection below.

BLOM Headbands for Women, Non-Slip, Wear for Yoga, Fashion, Working Out, Travel or Running Multi Style

 

More Product Reviews On Review This Reviews 

More Fashion Reviews On Review This Reviews

Raintree Annie Reviews

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A Better Country Book Series by Kristina Hall Reviewed

When I received a request to review "To the Uttermost", which is book 2 of A Better Country series by Kristina Hall, I quickly agreed to read it.  However, I wanted to start with book 1, "Strangers and Pilgrims" and I'm really glad I did.  

Reading Strangers and Pilgrims first allowed me the opportunity to get to know the main characters in the series.  Understanding their background and the struggles this created family survived, helped me appreciate and understand them.  I doubt I would have grasped the depth and reason for their close relationships without the revelations of book one.

Both books caused me to really stop and think about several things. When reading books, hearing stories, or visiting battleground sites of the American Civil War, I often consider how families were forever changed.  Reading a book, even a fiction book, about a soldier who returned home to find his parents dead and his home town overrun by the enemy, is not a scenario I previously considered. However, I have no doubt it is a plausible plot and was, most likely, a reality for far too many at that time in history.

As long as the reader keeps in mind that there are evil people in every region of every country and doesn't get locked up on Civil War sides, I believe "Strangers and Pilgrims" offers an excellent message for all.

It is unlikely anyone would struggle with the content in "To the Uttermost", but you will want the background provided in "Strangers and Pilgrims". 

 

Strangers and Pilgrims Synopsis

 Strangers and Pilgrims (A Better Country Book 1)Check PriceIn book 1 of A Better Country series, Harry Reiner has just returned to his home town in Texas and to a very unwelcome reception.  He is easily identifiable as a Confederate soldier in this town overrun by Yankees, and they are intolerant of his presence.  He is shot and left for dead in the middle of the street. Only one woman has the courage to come to his aid.  

Rose Kendrick previously stood up against the self-appointed leader of the town, Edwin Burton, and is almost an outcast herself. She survives by taking in laundry, but once she takes in Harry, her business completely dries up. She finds herself, her home, and her loved ones under physical attack. 

Sally Guilford is an orphan who was previously taken in by Rose.  She is Rose's helper, adopted daughter, and biggest defender. Sally is also Rose's greatest area of weakness and evil people are not beyond threatening or even harming a child.

Doyle is an adult man who is Rose's only friend in town. Every time Rose is under attack, Doyle comes to her defense, which puts him in great danger.  Because he has previously taken a bullet while defending Rose, his physical strength is limited.

These four individuals don't stand much of a chance against a lawless town full of enemies lead by a vengeful and spiteful leader.

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Throughout this book, Christians are reminded that they are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth".  (Hebrews 11:13)

 

To The Uttermost Synopsis

 To the Uttermost (A Better Country Book 2)Check PriceBook 2 of the series picks up a few years later where Harry Reiner and his family are living on his parents horse farm, but the book begins in the wilderness of Colorado with Owen Lockart and his 3 brothers escorting a captured outlaw to jail. 

The outlaw is a member of Vic Guilford's gang. When the 4 brothers are ambushed by the gang, only Owen survives.  He vows revenge for his brother's murders. 

Owen heads to a farm in Texas (Harry Reiner's farm) where Guilford's sister lives. He believes the brother will visit his sister there and give him opportunity to exact revenge.  Since Harry is familiar with the Lockart farm and their excellent horses, he doesn't hesitate to hire Owen.  Of course, Harry has no knowledge of Owen's true intentions.

When the area farms are hit by rustlers, Harry and his workers establish around the clock watches. When the rustlers attack his farm, they kill one of his men and shoot Harry.  All of the remaining workers, except Owen, quit. They don't believe defending Reiner and his farm are worth their lives. 

Once again, Harry finds himself wounded and fighting a battle with little help.  Unfortunately, his one remaining healthy worker has ulterior motives and Vic Guilford is back in town.  Owen will go to great extremes to take down Guilford, but when another's life is threatened, will he go to the uttermost?

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The message of this book is clear as we watch how a desire for revenge will eat away at someone's character and overshadow all else.  

 

My Recommendation

Both of these books deal with the insidious nature of anger, hate, & revenge.  Conversely, they also include kindness, love, & forgiveness.  

Too often, books can make forgiveness look easy and don't really explore the depths of emotions.  I don't believe that is the case with either of these books.  I think the author did an excellent job of walking us through the events, as well as the hearts and thoughts of those involved.  She didn't try to make it all look simple or effortless, and everything isn't tied up neatly with the bow of Christianity.  

We all struggle with being humans.  I highly recommend this series to believers who recognize we are strangers on this earth seeking Him to the uttermost.

Read More Book Reviews at
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A Better Country Book Series by Kristina Hall Reviewed by:

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Review of My New Air Fryer

 

My brother and my neighbor have both been telling me about the wonders of their air fryers, so when I found a great sale on Amazon I decided it was time for me to buy one and give it a try.  I had been getting in a real rut with my cooking and in fact I dreaded to have to cook meals each day.  Well, I will tell you with my new combination air fryer griller I am looking forward to each mealtime and deciding what I can make next.  The possibilities seem endless.  So far I have made shrimp, chicken wings, waffle fries, grilled sandwiches, donuts, apple chips, and reheated toasted ravoli.  All were very easy and what was really great was how easy it was to cleanup the fryer.

Features of my Power XL Grill Air Fryer Combo

The air fryer that I choose has 12 different cooking modes.  Although I don't anticipate using all of them, I can see where several will come in very handy.  There is a separate lid that I can use when I want to slow cook, steam, saute, rice, simmer, sous vide, fry or keep warm.  When I want to use the following modes: air fry, grill, bake, or roast I use the air frying lid.

I really like that it has a slow cooker option too.  I was worried about space for the air fryer but now I can put away several of my other appliances and just use the Power XL for everything.

I have not made fried food for years, but with the option of using little or no oil for the air fryer I can have crispy food and they can still be healthy without compromising any of the taste.

 

Recipes I Have Tried

My Power XL  came with a recipe book so it gave me some good ideas to start. I also found that if I wanted to cook something I could just ask Alexa and she would give me a recipe.  For instance I asked our  Alexa to give me a recipe for shrimp and she provided me with several options.  I could also ask what time and temperature to use for cooking chicken wings and she gave me the answer.  There are also tons of recipes online to try for air fryers.  

The first recipe I tried was one for shrimp.  It was so very easy. I brushed the raw shrimp with a mixture of olive oil and seasonings and then put them in the basket of the air fryer.  I cooked them at 400 degrees for 8 minutes and they came out perfectly cooked and a little crispy on the outside.  They were wonderful and this is a recipe I am sure I will use often.

For a breakfast treat I made some donuts in the air fryer.  They were also so simple and delicious.  I took a package of Pillsbury Grands biscuits and cut out a hole in the center.  I then cooked them for 6 minutes in the air fryer.  When they were finished I took them out and brushed them with some melted butter and sprinkled on a cinnamon/sugar mixture.  They were delicious.  Here is a photo I took.

I also made some apple chips by slicing an apple thin and adding a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg.  They were a wonderful snack.  Here you see them laid out in the air fryer.

What I am Looking Forward to Trying

I have a lot of different recipes marked to try in the future.  In the cookbook that came with the PowerXL was a recipe for a cherry dump cake that I will be trying this weekend.  My brother made it and said it turned out great.  A nice feature is that you can bake a cake without having to turn on the oven and heating up the house in the hot weather we are having.

Some other recipes I have found that I will try in the near future include: chicken parmesan, chicken drumsticks, french toast, egg-bacon-cheese biscuits, air fried vegetables, and fried zuccini.

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Cottage Essentials: Family, Friends, Fun and Safety! Product Reviews!

This past year, my son and daughter in law fulfilled a dream that they had for their family.  They decided to invest in a cottage for their growing family!  A restful place that will have the kids and parents making memories that will last a lifetime!

Image by Lenzpointer from Pixabay

The choice to purchase a cottage is something that not everyone is prepared to do, and there are several alternatives to actually buying your own place. There are several places that can be rented on a week to week basis! For some people that makes more sense as they don't like going to the same place all the time., or don't have the time to be going to the cottage every weekend during the summer months.  It really is a personal choice.

What I would like to do is focus on a few things that are quite IMPORTANT for anyone who has a cottage!

First and foremost, get to know your neighbors!  If there is ever a problem at the cottage, it's nice to know that your neighbors can contact you with details or just keep an eye out if you are not there every weekend.

Second, get to know what's around you!  If you are in the "boonies" away from civilization as we know it, it would be especially helpful for you to know where the closest medical facility, veterinarian (if you bring your animals with you), hardware, and grocery stores are located.  It might not just be a quick trip, if you run out of something that you need!  

Third, and this is the one that stopped me in my tracks,  Plasticware!  

Plasticware you say?  Think about it for a minute!  You have three children that are all excited to be at the cottage and ready to run around and let loose the minute you arrive.  Now that's all great and good, but then they get thirsty or hungry and run up to the cottage to fill their needs. You send them away with a glass of juice/water/soda or whatever they want and a plate of snacks to take down to the dock.  

Ooops, one little slip on a rock with wet little feet and there is glass now shattered all over the place and at least 2 other kids in bare feet!  This is NOT a good combination and will see you using the Second most needed information on the list!

It's a little thing to do when you have youngsters in the cottage.  Keep the glass dishes and tumblers for use in the house only or don't have any there at all (depending on how responsible your children are).  

So for house warming (cottage warming in this case)  we are sending up some nice, functional and pretty Plastic "Glassware" that everyone can enjoy their favorite drinks in!  No worries about broken glass cutting fingers, feet or anything that could be harmed!  

  

Cottage life is meant to be carefree and fun.  Playing in the water from sunrise to sunset is one of the many perks!  My Grands love water!  Mom and Dad don't have to be slaves to the kitchen either.  Hot dogs and hamburgers on the campfire with marshmallow treats to follow make a day at the cottage memorable and easy!

All that's needed for clean up is some really good soapy warm water and a good rinse afterwards and the Plastic glasses will be ready for the next use.  Good quality Plasticware will last for years too!  After years and years of use, they can sometimes break too, but you won't be having small shards of glass to worry about!  

Summer safety is always on my mind!  You can read more about what to do during those relaxing and lazy days and still remain safe a secure.  Children and water are one of my biggest worries and I make many suggestions for safety around water!  Cottage life falls into that category too!  Please take the time to ensure your family is safe and has a wonderful adventure when holidaying at the cottage!  You can read more here about personal floatation devices!

The other things that I would highly recommend for everyone, is books!  Sitting on the dock, with a great story under your nose is relaxing and enjoyable for everyone!  There is always a great list of books available right here on Review This Reviews.com!

Cottage life, whether it's for a week or two at a time or for a lifetime at your own place, should be enjoyable, memorable and fun!  Please stay safe and have a Blast of Summer to make those wonderful memories the whole family will enjoy!

 

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Neon Prey by John Sandford – Book Review

 

Neon Prey, a mystery suspense thriller in John Sandford's Lucus Davenport series. 

Main Character

Lucus Davenport is a former Minneapolis homicide detective and later worked as an investigator with the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension.  He is now with the U.S. Marshall's Service. In Neon Prey he is given the assignment of finding a small-time criminal (Clayton Deese) who skipped out on bail after being arrested.

Plot Synopsis

Deese worked as a muscle-for-hire for a loan-shark. The Marshalls are looking for him mainly because they think he might be their best chance to bring down his boss and the whole illegal loan-sharking operation. 

Lucus and his team, Rae and Bob, track Deese to his home in rural Louisiana where they discover he has disappeared.  When they check out a dirt path behind Deese's cabin, they find a jungle full of graves. Now Deese is no longer a simple crook who beats people up for his loan-shark boss; he is a serial killer who has been operating for years without notice. 

Tracking a serial killer instead of just a low-level criminal who skipped bail, the Marshall's office teams up with the FBI. The search takes them to Los Angeles where Deese has a brother who may be harboring him. It is soon discovered that the brother is also a crook and has a gang of thieves who rob wealthy people in home invasions.  A Los Angeles police detective is extremely anxious to catch up with the brother and his gang. Deese and his brother are finally located in L.A., but a planned swat team attack fails to catch all of the gang members.  Deese and his brother, along with two other gang members, manage to escape. 

Through evidence found in the quarry's house, they figure out the four remaining criminals have gone to Las Vegas.  

Now, not only are Lucus Davenport, Bob and Rae from the U.S. Marshall's Office looking for them, but also the FBI, the L.A. Detective and the Las Vegas police. 

Except - the quarry is ruthless and – as Davenport will come to find – full of surprises. 

Summary

Available on Amazon

Neon Prey is #29 of 31 in the Lucas Davenport 'Prey' series. As with all of Sandford's books, this one has clever plotting, is genuinely suspenseful, and is interspersed with cop-type humor. 

Neon Prey Book Review written by

Wednesday Elf

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Blink of an Eye – Book Review

 

by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen

Readers of the mystery genre may be familiar with best-selling author Iris Johansen, who is well-known for her Eve Duncan forensic sculptor series. To date, she has written 25 books in this series. She is also the author of 22 non-series books and 4 books with Catherine Ling as the main series character, who is a shadowy CIA operative raised on the streets of Hong Kong 

In 2012, she began a new series with a new character, Kendra Michaels, who has keen senses from being blind for 20 years. Kendra now uses those exceptional senses as a consultant to the FBI and local authorities to solve difficult cases. What makes this series different from her other novels is it is written in conjunction with Iris Johansen's son Roy.

Roy Johansen is an author in his own right, having published three mystery novels prior to collaborating with his mother on, to date, eight Kendra Michaels books. 

This is a book review of Iris and Roy Johansen's latest Kendra Michaels book, Blink of an Eye.

Blink of an Eye Synopsis:

Blink of an Eye

The story features investigator Kendra Michaels, whose observational skills are worthy of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes.

Kendra was blind for her first 20 years of life, until a revolutionary surgical procedure allowed her to regain her sight.  Her powers of observation became honed during her years in the dark, allowing her to detect what other investigators don't. 

When Delilah (Dee) Winter, one of the hottest pop stars in today's music world, is kidnapped in the middle of a show at the Hollywood Bowl, authorities cannot figure out how it is done. Dr. Kendra Michaels agrees to lead the race to rescue the young singer before time runs out. 

Kendra is joined by Jessie Mercado, her long-time friend and the singer's former bodyguard who knows Delilah well. As they close in on the hideout location of the kidnappers, casualties mount up.  Desperate for leads to where Dee is being held, Kendra also joins forces with Department of Justice Special Agent Adam Lynch with whom she has had a personal relationship.  His special skills aid in the search for Dee Winter. 

But, as the true purpose of the kidnappers become clear, the trio uncover a plot they never could have imagined – leading to a showdown they won't soon forget.

Summary

Even though Blink of an Eye is Book #8 in the Kendra Michaels series, it reads easily as a stand-alone story, so it doesn't really matter in which order you read any of the books in the series. Starting with Book #8 works just fine as an introduction to this fast-paced thriller series.

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Related Links:

• Eve Duncan Series by Iris Johansen
• Kendra Michaels Series by Iris and Roy Johansen

Blink of an Eye book review written by

Wednesday Elf

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