The Running Bibliophile

Halloween Night Murder  by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland  is a collection of three novellas centered around Halloween. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley for free in exchange of my honest review, and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed in the least as I gave it a resounding five out of five stars. The first novella is Halloween Night Murder  by Leslie Meier and Lucy Stone receives a late night trick - or - treater at her home in Tinker's Cove, Maine. The next morning, she learns that the teenager died shortly after coming to her house in a hit - and - run. Desperate to learn what happened, Lucy discovers some long held secrets in her small town. I wasn't expecting the outcome of who all was involved in the wrong doings in this story, but one of the characters that was unlikable ended up redeeming themselves some what by the end. I wasn't ready for the story to end and wanted more! I always feel like I'm visiting wi...

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...

The Devil's Advocate (Eddie Flynn, #6)  by Steve Cavanagh opens with a prisoner in Alabama is on death row and who just had his last supper. His lawyer is trying to get a stay of execution when the DA speaks with the governor and talks him into going through with the execution. Fast forward a few months, another prisoner is waiting on his trial to determine whether or not he will be put on death row when his lawyer goes missing. The federal government pings Eddie Flynn to represent the prisoner and ensure the DA isn't dirty. This book is being re-released for whatever reason, and I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm extremely thankful to NetGalley for this opportunity. I've only read one other novel by Steve Cavanagh, and it was great, so I was excited to read The Devil's Advocate , especially because the synopsis sounded so awesome! I wasn't disappointed in the least. This book absolutely clinch...

The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White is the story about Phoebe Manigault returning home to Mt. Pleasant, a suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, to help her sister with their ailing mother. When past memories resurface, Phoebe is thrown back into some childhood turmoil. I requested an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of The Last Carolina Summer from NetGalley, and I was ecstatic when the provided me with a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. So, a big thank you goes out to them! When I began reading this story, I just happened to be vacationing in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. I loved hearing about the different places, including streets and a bridge called the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which I had to cross to get into Mt. Pleasant as well as Isle of Palms. It's always nice to be able to visualize the places and author writes about. With that being said, I'm not a fan of traveling over bridges, and one of the scenes of The Last Carolina Summer mentions a car going off ...

Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5)  by Lee Hollis  opens with Maya and Sandra taking on a case of a former high school classmate and mean girl, Tawny,  right before their twenty-fifth high school reunion. When Maya and Sandra get stuck on their case, they enlist the help of another former high school classmate and friend turned actress, Alyssa. Soon after, they all attend the reunion, and Tawny is murdered after making a scene with her soon to be ex. When Alyssa becomes a suspect, Maya and Sandra must prove the innocence of their friend. I received an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. Being approved to read Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5) by Lee Hollis made my day, and I wasn't disappointed in the least. As soon as I started reading the book, it drew me in, and it felt like I was with an old friend, in the form of a story. I absolutely loved that the...

Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers opens with four high school friends meeting up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts for a reunion of sorts. When one of them doesn't show up, and no one can get a hold of her, the other friends are desperate to find out what happened. NetGalley, thank you for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this novel. I requested a copy of this book based on their synopsis and the author. When my request was approved, I was thrilled. The story started off well and kept me wanting to know more. Early on, I thought I had everything figured out, but much to my surprise, there was a plot twist I didn't count on.  I won't say more as to not spoil it for others. It's an easy read and perfect to take on vacation. Although I enjoyed Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers a lot, I wish there was more action in the first half of the book. The second half was action packed, and I found myself rushing to finish the story to see if my gut instinct was correct. As for the charact...