Stockholm – the Venice of Sweden – filled with deliciously devious characters trying to save or overthrow the monarchy in the md-1700’s. Emil Larsson is trying to realize his Octavo – eight cards that spell out his fate – in the midst of this cast. Loved it!

Debut novel that is terrific – great characters, strong dialogue, funny in a dark way, good suspense and believable magic … You will love Kate her Appalacian town of Swan River where everyone is not quite who they seem (a little like Stittsville!! hee, hee)

Second Father Christmas mystery (follows Twelve Drummers Drumming – any guesses what no. 3 mystery title will be?) – anyway I do love Father Tom Christmas – light, airy, good characters and plot that moves along – combines quirky small town English characters and a murder mystery that doesn’t have an obvious solution and isn’t gruesome or disturbing in a psychothriller SIlence-of-the-lambs way. A fun, light read …

How could anyone not love Edward Day – hapless, muddled, funny with enough suspense in the novel to keep us wondering where this fellow is going …

WWII Berlin – Sigrid, an average German woman going about her business, gets caught up in the resistance movement – slowly but ever so surely can she no longer close her eyes to what is going on around her. Characters are rich, setting is great, suspensful, believable, dark but not depressing and loved the ending …

This little gem of a book (only 179 pages) will make you laugh and weep and wonder what the odds are that a couple married 30 years who are on the verge of financial bankrupcy nad divorce can actually salvage anything. Art certainly thinks they can beat the odds so he takes the rest of their life savings, books them into the honeymoon suite of a swanky hotel/casino in Niagara Falls and proceeds to win his wife back.

Renaissance Rome where Machiavelli, DaVinci and Casare Borgia meet Damiata a cultured Roman courtesan who must resolve the murder of Pope Alexander VI’s favourite son or lose her own. Excellent portrait of these infamous characters – historical fiction at its best with twists and unexpected turns. Loved it!

Percival Grey, Archie Lean and Helen Prescott join forces in a quest to solve a few murders tied into the Salem witch hunts circa 1892. A host of grisly characters, some good dialogue and a few twists and turns make this an enjoyable, light, Christmas read (and you learn a thing or two about that nasty time!).

Katie Kontent is witty, practical and gets more than she bargains for as she journeys from a secretarial pool to the upper echelons of 1938 New York society. George Washington’s “Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour…” hover in the background of the novel … (my favourite rule? “While in the presence of others sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet”). I loved this book.

Three couples married 25 years plus are having to re-invent their lives as individuals and couples. Their choices and the consequences of those choices are funny, sad, infuriating and compelling. The title? When Del’s husband tells her he’s “not sure” anymore she throws something at him (can’t remember what) – the object misses its intended target and hits their “Bosch” dishwasher. His response to her rage? “You dented the Bosch” – and so it goes … I loved the book and the ending is very satisfying…