CarolynPaulBranch
Daniel Boone Regional Library
CarolynPaulBranch's Completed Shelf
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CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Nov 04, 2023
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Jun 22, 2023
Comment:
This fast faced thriller held my attention throughout. No slow parts at all! Chapters are written from different viewpoints, including a serial killer's victims, his current girlfriend, and his thirteen year-old daughter. My favorite chapters bring the reader into the tense fear-filled world of a woman he holds captive for years. As the book begins she is so beaten down she is convinced he even knows what she's thinking, and tries to school her thoughts to win his approval and the scant reward of another day alive. This novel is different. There's nothing from the victim's families, no detectives searching for clues. No tearful exploration of his deprived/damaged childhood. It's a deep dive into the lives of the women most affected by the secrets of a man admired and liked by the whole townThis fast faced thriller held my attention throughout. No slow parts at all! Chapters are written from different viewpoints, including a serial killer's victims, his current girlfriend, and his thirteen year-old daughter. My favorite chapters bring…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Nov 11, 2022
Comment:
Near the beginning of We Spread Penny walks over to the bookcase in her crowded apartment and pulls out a book: Surrealism by Herbert Read. She reads a sentence on a page marked with a napkin. "The Surrealist movement was a revolution directed at every sphere of life, encompassing politics and poetry as well as art, its purpose the liberation of the unconscious mind."
Penny is elderly, and her longtime apartment has grown crowded with a lifetimes accumulation of stuff she once treasured, overlaid with dust and notes she's written to help herself remember. She worries about losing her cognitive ability but tells herself she's doing fine. She can still walk to the market down the street to shop. She can still feed herself, even if it is usually canned soup and toast.
Then she tries to change a lightbulb, falls, and everything changes. She watches helplessly as her things are packed up to be put into storage and goes quietly, if reluctantly, to a small retirement home in the woods, far from everything familiar. The novel is written in first person, present tense, and entirely from Penny's viewpoint, so the rest of the story could be explained by simply saying her dementia worsened and she had delusions.
But I think Ian Reid gave us a strong clue. We Spread is mesmerizing surrealism.Near the beginning of We Spread Penny walks over to the bookcase in her crowded apartment and pulls out a book: Surrealism by Herbert Read. She reads a sentence on a page marked with a napkin. "The Surrealist movement was a revolution directed at…
Something in the HeirSomething in the Heir, Paperback
by Enoch, SuzannePaperback - 2022Paperback, 2022
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
This is more of a comic family story than a romance. A childless couple temporarily adopt a pair of orphans just to pull the wool over the eyes of a wealthy great uncle. They need to convince him they have produced heirs, otherwise they get thrown out of their lovely estate. They have a few weeks to turn two tough little street urchins into passable aristocrats. The couple, in a marriage of convenience, throw themselves into the job, working together for the first time in years. The kids work together, too, making plans to escape the "fancy" house with as much loot as they can carry. Although I had a pretty good idea how it would ultimately end, it was a fun ride getting there.This is more of a comic family story than a romance. A childless couple temporarily adopt a pair of orphans just to pull the wool over the eyes of a wealthy great uncle. They need to convince him they have produced heirs, otherwise they get thrown…
The Very Secret Society of Irregular WitchesThe Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, eBook
by Mandanna, SangueBook - 2022eBook, 2022
All copies in use
Holds: 6 on 2 copies
Holds: 6 on 2 copies
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
This is a light, fun read that left me smiling and feeling good. Good witches Harry potter might meet combined with a bit of Mary Poppins, a little romance and an irresistible dash of humor.
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
Five millionaires meet at a Bitcoin conference and decide it might be fun to personally remove a few people who do not deserve to live. Each murder is meticulously planned and celebrated with a press release and social media posts explaining why this particular person was removed for the good of society. Without the publicity, they could have gone on murdering for years. But the press releases caught the eyes of the media and the politicians. And the politicians sent in never fail detectives Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. After 32 mysteries, Lucas and Virgil are getting a little older, maybe a little slower. They almost don't make it through this one. That's not a spoiler. It's part of what makes John Sanford so addictive.Five millionaires meet at a Bitcoin conference and decide it might be fun to personally remove a few people who do not deserve to live. Each murder is meticulously planned and celebrated with a press release and social media posts explaining why…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
The Bodyguard deals with some serious topics, but it's a fun read! Hannah is a highly trained and efficient agent working for a company that provides protection for wealthy and sometimes famous people. She's always been able to keep her distance from clients, to blend into the background, where she is most comfortable. But her new assignment, guarding an ultra famous and outrageously handsome movie star, requires that she pose as his girlfriend, both in public and in private with his family. Hannah goes into the assignment reluctantly. She's at a low point in her life: her mother died and the next day her boyfriend, a fellow agent, dumps her in front of the whole office. She knows she can protect Jack Stapleton, but is afraid she isn't pretty enough to pass as his girlfriend.The Bodyguard deals with some serious topics, but it's a fun read! Hannah is a highly trained and efficient agent working for a company that provides protection for wealthy and sometimes famous people. She's always been able to keep her distance…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
I loved that Lucy was forty nine. She's been around for a while, made some mistakes, had some fun, and built a reputation in her chosen field as a woman who can get things done. That reputation took a hard hit when she put her trust in the wrong man, but she hasn't given up. She's fighting to get her life back on track. When the book opens she is on her was to France to help bring a centuries old hotel, closed for decades, back to life. This is a character driven story and each person Lucy encounters is a fully rounded person we gradually get to know and like.I loved that Lucy was forty nine. She's been around for a while, made some mistakes, had some fun, and built a reputation in her chosen field as a woman who can get things done. That reputation took a hard hit when she put her trust in the wrong…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
A few pages into The Self-Made Widow I realized the mystery was number two of a series and I hadn't read book one. But it was too late. I was already hooked. Molly's husband, Derek, has died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. Paramedics kneel beside Derek's bed while police officers watch from the bedroom doorway. Women friends are already gathered in the front room to console the new widow and her two young sons. Then Molly's friend, Andrea Stern, blows in with a diaper bag over her shoulder and a screaming eleven-month-old baby casually slung over her arm. She barges into the death room, throws quick questions to the paramedics and police, and gets instant answers. No one says a word when she drops the baby down on the bed next to the corpse and deftly changes a stinky diaper. Later, as the body is carried out the front door, Molly quietly begs Andrea to use her influence with the police to convince them there is no need for an autopsy.
I wanted to know more about Andrea Stern and find out how she earned such deep respect from the police. So I put down The Self-Made Widow and found a copy of the first book: Suburban Dicks. After I finished that one, I went back to Self-made Widow Enjoyed both books. Quirky characters, humor, plus tension and mystery. Fun to read.A few pages into The Self-Made Widow I realized the mystery was number two of a series and I hadn't read book one. But it was too late. I was already hooked. Molly's husband, Derek, has died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. Paramedics kneel…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
Twisty and suspenseful! A dysfunctional family pushed to the brink by long buried and festering secrets. Nana, the Darker family matriarch, turns 80 on Halloween. She invites the whole family to her home on a tiny island only accessible during low tide. They park at the top of a cliff, scramble down a narrow footpath, and cross a stretch of wet sand. Since the ocean closes off their retreat, the family is forced to remain overnight until the tide recedes next morning. Some family members haven't seen each other for years and none of them are looking forward to the enforced togetherness. They are there because Nana holds the purse strings and are shocked and dismayed when she announces the provisions of her new will during dinner. A few hours later Nana is found apparently murdered. There's no telephone and no cell service, so help cannot be summoned. The family gathers in one room to wait for low tide, when someone can cross to the main land and call the police. Throughout the long night, one by one, more bodies are found, and the suspect list gets smaller and smaller. A new twist on the classic "locked room" murder mystery, the Darkers have to suspect each other. No one else is on the island.Twisty and suspenseful! A dysfunctional family pushed to the brink by long buried and festering secrets. Nana, the Darker family matriarch, turns 80 on Halloween. She invites the whole family to her home on a tiny island only accessible during low…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
Upgrade reads like a fast paced thriller set just a little bit in the future. There's a family story, too, exploring the complicated relationship between an ambitious scientific genius and her son
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
The Cloisters starts with an overwhelming sense of dark foreboding. Bad things have happened to Ann Stilwell and you know more bad things are coming. Ann flees from her home in Walla-Walla, Washington, hoping to escape the paralyzing grief left by her beloved father's sudden death. Her summer job as an assistant researcher at the Cloisters in New York City seems like it was almost made for her talents and experience. She loves the reconstructed 12th century buildings and gardens, the cool stone walls and the library full of rare books and manuscripts. But the ancient buildings are hiding secrets and the people she must work with gain her trust and tell her lies.The Cloisters starts with an overwhelming sense of dark foreboding. Bad things have happened to Ann Stilwell and you know more bad things are coming. Ann flees from her home in Walla-Walla, Washington, hoping to escape the paralyzing grief left by…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
Fun! I do so love a novel about smart older women. There really isn't much I can say without spoilers. If you liked the movie RED you'll love Killers of a Certain Age. These ladies definitely know how to take care of themselves, and how to take care of anyone else who wishes them harm. They were all recruited as young women to work for an unnamed agency and have lived double lives ever since. When someone at the agency decides these old ladies know too much and need to be "retired" permanently, they team up to save each other and find who was behind their final orders. Can't say enough about Killers of a Certain Age. Loved every bit of it!Fun! I do so love a novel about smart older women. There really isn't much I can say without spoilers. If you liked the movie RED you'll love Killers of a Certain Age. These ladies definitely know how to take care of themselves, and how to take care…
Miss Moriarty, I Presume?Miss Moriarty, I Presume?, eBook
by Thomas, SherryeBook - 2021eBook, 2021
Available
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
To truly enjoy this series, start at the beginning and read the books in order. Each book builds on the next. It's been a delight, watching the relationship between Charlotte Holmes and Lord Ingram move forward. Stodgy, glum Lord Ingram has become a new man as he is shedding the tethers of a miserable marriage and a wife that never loved him. In the few months since they have last seen each other, Charlotte has entertained herself by sending Lord Ingram extremely suggestive and erotic messages and knitted gifts. Who knew that one would need to hide knitted water bottle covers from others!
But it's not all cakes and candy (Charlotte can never put her waistline before enticing dessert) because Moriarty himself has come to her for help. Knowing that Charlotte and those close to her are in his sights and not safe, Charlotte also knows that it's best to play along with Moriarty, when he requests that Charlotte investigate his daughter's welfare in a remote community of occult practitioners. As usual, so much is not as it seems and it's hard to discern how many more enemies might be out to hinder and harm Charlotte and her friends. Never is each book a self contained unit and now I'm looking forward to the next book. Moriarty doesn't rest and will never forget.To truly enjoy this series, start at the beginning and read the books in order. Each book builds on the next. It's been a delight, watching the relationship between Charlotte Holmes and Lord Ingram move forward. Stodgy, glum Lord Ingram has become…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Sep 24, 2022
Comment:
This is the first Cormoran Strike novel that I didn't totally love. It is a good book, but just didn't hold my attention as well as the first five. The author used excerpts from online chats throughout, giving readers (and the detectives) the challenge of guessing which online personas matched up with which real suspects. It was confusing at times and hard for me to follow because there are many characters to keep track of. The continuing dance between Strike and Robin held my attention far more than the surface mystery plot. Will they remain friends and partners or become something more? That question has hung over all six novels. If Robin and Strike ever do get together it will probably end the series. And that would be a shameThis is the first Cormoran Strike novel that I didn't totally love. It is a good book, but just didn't hold my attention as well as the first five. The author used excerpts from online chats throughout, giving readers (and the detectives) the…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 20, 2022
Comment:
Grace, Felicity, Alice, and Hannah used to be very close friends, but split apart after an evening out together ends with hard feelings all around. Out of the blue Felicity sends the other three women invitations to an all expense paid birthday party weekend at a luxury resort in Botswana. Point of view alternates between the three as they consider the unexpected invitation, examine the various dissatisfactions of their current life and decide to go. All three women are unreliable characters in their own way, and I liked the way past secrets are alluded to throughout, but not fully revealed until closer to the end - it definitely kept me reading!
There is a sense of impending doom you feel almost from page one. From the minute they arrive at Deception Lodge, Alice, Grace, and Hannah realize that they are the only guests; yet, food and drink appear on the table at the appropriate times, and sinister notes are left for each of the girls to find in their rooms. You know something bad is going to happen, and you find yourself holding your breath over and over again.Grace, Felicity, Alice, and Hannah used to be very close friends, but split apart after an evening out together ends with hard feelings all around. Out of the blue Felicity sends the other three women invitations to an all expense paid birthday…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 20, 2022
Comment:
Both fun and suspenseful! That combination is hard to pull off, but Lee Goldberg did a fine job of making me chuckle, without diluting the suspense at all. This is my first Goldberg book and I enjoyed it, even though it is the fourth book in the Eve Ronin series. I'm going to go back and find the first one about this strong female deputy sheriff in California. Movieland is about a series of shootings taking place in or near a large state park that has often been used as movie locations.Both fun and suspenseful! That combination is hard to pull off, but Lee Goldberg did a fine job of making me chuckle, without diluting the suspense at all. This is my first Goldberg book and I enjoyed it, even though it is the fourth book in the Eve…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 10, 2022
Comment:
Like many, many others, I'll read any Joe Pickett story. This one was about half Joe Pickett and half Nate Romanski. Two elderly people were brutally murdered near Saddle String, Wyoming and an old Nazi photo album is left on the library's front steps. Joe and MaryAnn just want to welcome their three daughters home for a peaceful Thanksgiving, but two Hungarian bad guys keep the bad news coming. Meanwhile, Nate is on his way north hunting for the very bad guy who injured his wife and stole all his falcons in the last book. Chapters more or less alternate between Joe and Nate. I kept waiting for the two story lines to merge. They never did, but in a twist on this series, Joe flies to the rescue, helping to save both Nate and his birds.Like many, many others, I'll read any Joe Pickett story. This one was about half Joe Pickett and half Nate Romanski. Two elderly people were brutally murdered near Saddle String, Wyoming and an old Nazi photo album is left on the library's front…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 10, 2022
Comment:
I was in the mood for something quick and light and Room maid was just right. It's not deep at all, and some of the characters act more like middle school girls than the teachers they are supposed to be, but I enjoyed the fun predictability. It reminded me of the Hallmark Channel- I don't watch it every day, but once in a while it's just what I need.I was in the mood for something quick and light and Room maid was just right. It's not deep at all, and some of the characters act more like middle school girls than the teachers they are supposed to be, but I enjoyed the fun predictability. It…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 10, 2022
Comment:
This murder mystery was written for avid murder mystery readers, for those of us who always know what book the movie was based on and exactly how it differs from the novel. The narrator, Malcolm, is a book store owner and a lifelong mystery reader. Years ago, on his bookstore blog, he listed eight mystery novels with "perfect murders." Each of the murders was different and each was almost impossible for the police to detect or to prove.
As Eight Perfect Murders begins, a young FBI agent enters the bookstore during a Boston blizzard and announces that someone is using Malcolm's list to commit "perfect" murders throughout New England. She enlists Malcolm's help in her investigation, and despite his deep reservations, he agrees to travel with her to the scene of one.
It's easy to get distracted by all the old mystery titles and plots the two read and discuss, to run to your bookshelf to scan an Agatha Christie, or refresh your memory of Strangers on a Train. This is a fun read, especially is you love old mysteries.This murder mystery was written for avid murder mystery readers, for those of us who always know what book the movie was based on and exactly how it differs from the novel. The narrator, Malcolm, is a book store owner and a lifelong mystery reader.…
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 05, 2022
Comment:
Emma Averill is afraid she's going crazy, and for much of this novel the reader wonders: Is she losing her mind? Are her strange thoughts and actions caused by extreme sleep deprivation? Is someone else trying to make her think she's insane? A suspenseful page turner I loved until the last few pages when the author brings in an unbelievable paranormal explanation to cover up plot holes.Emma Averill is afraid she's going crazy, and for much of this novel the reader wonders: Is she losing her mind? Are her strange thoughts and actions caused by extreme sleep deprivation? Is someone else trying to make her think she's insane? A…
Added Apr 05, 2022
Comment:
A good historical novel. The Indigo Girl stays true to the voice and atmosphere of 1700's South Carolina. Although Eliza Lucas has progressive ideas about race and the roles of women, she doesn't sound like a modern woman dropped into an historical setting. Lots of tension and action, but no sex or bad language.A good historical novel. The Indigo Girl stays true to the voice and atmosphere of 1700's South Carolina. Although Eliza Lucas has progressive ideas about race and the roles of women, she doesn't sound like a modern woman dropped into an historical…
Added Apr 05, 2022
Wordpress For Beginners Vol 1Wordpress For Beginners Vol 1, Online Magazine
Online Magazine - 2012Online Magazine, 2012
All copies in use
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2022
Comment:
Useless for the new WordPress editor. Not one single mention of blocks.
CarolynPaulBranch's rating:
Added Mar 17, 2022
Comment:
A bit slow moving for a thriller. It's told in first person and for much of the book we are inside the head of Anna, a police detective who specializes in finding missing children. When the story opens, Anna is fleeing from a personal tragedy, the death of her own child. She drives through California in a fog of grief, guilt and pain, stops at a motel and calls her husband. She wants to come back home. He says no, not yet, you have to work some things out for yourself. So she heads for the small town she grew up in. But, instead of taking time to work through her grief, Anna becomes involved in the search for a missing young girl. She throws herself into the case, giving it all her time and attention. As she always has in the past, she pushes her own problems and her own family to the back of her mind.
McClain is generous with her clues. I knew who the kidnapper was and where he was holding the girl long before Anna did, even though everything is seen only through her eyes. I was disappointed that the resolution of Anna's personal family story was left unresolved.A bit slow moving for a thriller. It's told in first person and for much of the book we are inside the head of Anna, a police detective who specializes in finding missing children. When the story opens, Anna is fleeing from a personal tragedy, the…
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