Book Review: Death of a Tom Turkey (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #18) by Lee Hollis

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Death of a Tom Turkey (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #18)  by Lee Hollis  opens with Tom Farley and his neighbors in a snit because he's the last holdout to sell his house to a property developer who wants to build a resort. When Tom is shot at a pre-Thanksgiving community gathering and hospitalized, Hayley Powell puts her amateur sleuthing skills to good use. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this cozy mystery. I received a copy of this book for free in exchange of my honest opinion and review of the story. I loved the fact that this latest installment of the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery  series had a theme around the Thanksgiving holiday and included live turkeys in the plot. It was good to visit some familiar characters. Since this is the eighteenth installment in the series, Lee Hollis didn't go into much detail of the background of those reoccurring characters; however, she...
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Book Review: The Model Spy by Maryka Biaggio

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book review the model spy maryka biaggio

The Model Spy by Maryka Biaggio is based on the true story of Toto Koopman, model turned spy. As a spy for the British Intelligence Service, Toto was part of the Italian Resistance in World War Two and had to face off with the German Intelligence Service.

A big thanks goes out to NetGalley and Milford House Press for the digital Advanced Readers Copy of The Model Spy by Maryka Biaggio. I was honored to be selected to read this book ahead of publication.

Not knowing anything about Toto Koopman before reading this book, I was in awe and shock to learn about her life. Even though the subject matter is difficult, this account of Toto's work in the Italian Resistance was a compelling read, and I was eager to finish The Model Spy to find out the fate of this courageous woman.

This historical fiction novel definitely gave me a different look into WWII that I never learned about in school. Everyone knows about Anne Frank thanks to her diary being published, and it's an important read, but I think the story of Toto Koopman is just as important. I definitely think The Model Spy should be required reading for high school students. Five out of five stars is what I give The Model Spy by Maryka Biaggio.

 

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