Just A Second

Friday, August 15

What I'm Reading - August 15, 2025

Here's a quick update on what I've been reading and watching lately.

I'm currently reading . . .

No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig - At long last I've moved on to my next book in the Connections challenge and it's this historical novel about a young Irish woman who comes to America to find the twin brother she thought was dead. He's in some trouble though, and hiding from someone who wants him dead, and will use Cara to get to him.

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - Verity's elderly aunt from Germany seeks refuge with Verity and Sidney after being in some danger in her homeland, and Verity investigates who put her aunt at risk.

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - This is a retelling of the classic fairy tale, and so far I've watched Prince Everard grow up and learn about leadership and serving his people from his father, and he has just become king. I'm pretty sure we met "Beauty" in an early chapter and I'm waiting to see how she will be reintroduced into his life.

Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . .

I have a book waiting for me at the library, so obviously that has to be the next one I start. Other than that, I've got a long list to choose from and I don't know what I'll pick up next.

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year - Margaret Renkl

I finished reading . . .

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte - In a quiet block of flats in London, there's a murder, and the eccentric owner and landlady hires two of her tenants to investigate. I loved the Only Murders In the Building vibe of the delightful mystery as all the tenants get to know each other better throughout the investigation. (Read my review HERE)

Village Books by Craig McLay - The bookstore's assistant manager is the narrator of this novel, which feels a little like a memoir. The staff at the bookstore is quite the ragtag group of misfits. The narrator and newly hired assitant manager are navigating their relationship amid the goings-on at work, and eventually they find out that the shop is about to be sold to a large conglomerate. Okay, but not great, and not what I expected or would have chosen if I'd known. (Read my review HERE)

I've been watching . . .

I really haven't been watching much of anything during the past several weeks. I try to watch the video of my kids' church service each week, which is on YouTube, and technically the podcasts I have on while at work are on Rumble, so they are also videos.

I've been listening to . . .

My usual podcast playlist - The Bible Book Club, political commentary, interviews, and The Grammar Girl - and a little more music recently. I have a fun road trip mix and a 'church music mix' and those playlists get airtime while we travel. As always, RadioU is my listening choice for weekday mornings.

On my blogs recently . . .

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

July Bookshelf Review

On my main coffee break project, A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Five Minute Friday posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge and other Q&A Link-up posts

Currently . . . August 7, 2025

WQ - Spiritual Life

WOTY and Goals - A Journey Through July

Share Four Somethings - July 2025

WQ - Choosing Adventure

An on my "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break:

A Fallingwater PhotoJournal

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What are you reading?

This post may be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World, and/or at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

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Monday, August 11

Recent Reads - Village Books

Village Books by Craig McLay - Told from the point of view of the book store's assistant manager, this reads almost like a memoir, and to me the plot seemed secondary to the characterizations. We never find out the name of the narrator, but he is a young man who had hopes of being a writer but is instead toiling at a retail job in a non-chain bookshop and dealing with all the strange personalities of the other employees. The manager, Dante, is obsessed with avoiding the dates his controlling mother sets up for him because his preferences go the other way. Sebastian, the narrator's best friend, is obsessed with hooking up with as many women as possible and living a generally debauched life. Other employees include the wannabe philosopher Aldous, who doesn't quite understand personal hygiene and presentation; Ebenezer, the crusty yet gentlemanly former English teacher; Mina, who has been cheating on her crazy husband and may not be mentally stable herself; and other strange characters.

Leah is hired as a new assistant manager, and very shortly she and the narrator are involved in a passionate relationship that challenges the narrator's insecurities. Various small subplots involving this relationship and the relationships and activities of the bookshop employees dominate the narrative until well into the book, making me wonder if there was going to be an actual plot point of an overarching problem or crisis that drove the entire story, or whether it would be a collection of little events as the main relationship developed. The crisis finally did present when the narrator learns that the heiress to the bookshop is almost ready to close the deal selling it to a large corporation, and she does this while her mother is in a coma. At that point all the characters must look at their future if the sale goes through and they are no longer employed, and whether they can fight the sale or stop it.

I didn't really love any of the characters, and while I was somewhat sympathetic to the narrator by virtue of the fact that he is the storyteller, I didn't find him very relatable. I liked Aldous and Ebenezer better than the narrator, I think. The lack of a clear plot for the first half of the book was off-putting, and although the interactions between all these strange characters were humorous, they were also just unpleasant and immature characters overall. A fair amount of the dialogue and narration relied on sexual jokes and references that I found crass and distasteful. Again - immature. The narrator and Leah did grow up in their relationship and show some character arc, but it was too little too late for me. I don't imagine I'd be in the target audience for the novel, and I admit part of my disappointment lies in the fact that my expectations based on the title and cover were rather different than what the author delivered. Not bad writing, not a bad book, but not what I expected and not my cup of tea.

From the publisher:

Village Books is a local institution . . . which is good, because most of the staff probably belong in one.

There's the manager, Dante Andolini, who's hiding more than just his hypochondria from his overbearing mother . . . Sebastian Donleavy, whose hedonistic lifestyle is two rails short of being on the rails . . . Aldous Swinghammer, whose philosophical eccentricities have not been the biggest hit with the ladies . . . Ebenezer Chipping, whose crotchety exterior hides a burning passion for the Spanish émigré next door . . . Mina Bovary, whose crazy husband may have just gone AWOL with an arsenal of fragmentary explosive devices . . . and the store's long-suffering assistant manager, who is spinning his wheels in retail while he waits for something better to come along.

That something better may be new assistant manager Leah Dashwood, an aspiring actress with an ambitious plan to transform the store and its staff in a way that will turn their carefully disordered worlds on its head. Will the store survive? Will it be bought over by its evil corporate competition? All questions will be answered (but not necessarily in that order) in this hilarious debut novel.

This is a stream of consciousness narrative (#40) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This is third in The 52 Book Club's Connections Challenge. It is set in the country where the previous author was born, Canada.

Saturday, August 2

July Bookshelf Review

Before you sleep, read something that is exquisite, and worth remembering. ~Desiderius Erasmus

An excellent argument for reading good books in bed, and yet I don't always read before turning out the light. I'd say the books I finished in July were good reads though and certainly entertaining.

July's Books Completed and Reviewed

The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham - Freddie and Grace visit her family in America and find the estate sold and her sister suspected of murdering her husband. And at the same time words arrives that Grace and her sister have an inheritance in Scotland that they must claim together. (Read my review HERE)

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson - With very few clues to start with, detective Helgi is tasked with finding out what happened to a popular crime author who has vanished, while also navigating challenges in his personal life. (Read my review HERE)

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte - The wealthy eccentric landlady hires two of her tennants to investigate the murder of a smalltime criminal in their small residential square. An excellent read if you're eagerly looking forward to the next season of Only Murders in the Building. (Read my review HERE)

During July I started reading:

Village Books by Craig McLay - This reads sort of like a memoir, narrated by the assistant manager of a bookstore and commenting on all the quirky (to be charitable) employees of the business. I had looked forward to reading this at long last, but it's not what I'd expected, and not really my style.

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - Just got started reading and have been introduced to the young prince Ever trying to live up to his father's strict expectations.

During July I continued reading:

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - Verity and Sidney are hosting a house party when Verity's elderly aunt arrives from Germany, having fled her home because of threats after the war. The mystery for Verity to solve is still developing, because I haven't read much further this month but am still working on it.

Where My Books Took Me in July . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, along with One Word to sum up the ones I finished.

The Highland Heist began in the USA, then moved to Scotland.

One Word: Maturity

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is set in Iceland.

One Word: Ill-fated

10 Marchfield Square takes place in London.

One Word: Discovery

Murder Most Fair starts off in Great Britain.

Village Books is set in Toronto, Canada.

Before Beauty is set in a fictional fairytale kingdom.

Coming Up in August!

No Safe Harbor - Elizabeth Ludwig

On my blogs recently . . .

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

What I'm Reading - July 17, 2025

Homeschool Coffee Break has been on hiatus again.

And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge and other Q&A Link-up posts

Share Four Somethings - July 2025

WQ - Choosing Adventure

Vacation Memories

WQ - Hobbies

Currently . . . July 5, 2025

This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life.

Thursday, July 24

Recent Reads - 10 Marchfield Square

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte - In a quiet block of flats in London, a resident is murdered and the landlady doesn't have confidence that the police will handle the case properly, especially since the victim was an unsavory smalltime criminal who was abusive to his wife. Wealthy Celeste van Duren is confident that none of her tenants could be the killer, and certainly not the widow, Linda, but that's what the police seem to think. So she recruits two of the tenants and tasks them with working together to investigate. Audrey is also Celeste's cleaner and has an eye for details and a knack with people. Lewis is a crime writer who has run out of book ideas, but he's got the background in procedure and research. And most definitely does not have a knack with people. Both Audrey and Lewis could use the money Celeste is offering, and when Linda is also murdered, they have an additional incentive to figure out what really happened and get justice for Linda.

The story is told with chapters alternating between Audrey and Lewis as the viewpoint character, with a few chapters from Celeste's viewpoint thrown in here and there. Audrey and Lewis are very different and their partnership for the investigation is uneasy at first, but as they track down clues they realize that each of the residents of Marchfield Square has something to hide, and conclude that it's most likely that the murderer was someone who lived there. They learn to work together and trust each other as they untangle the leads and work through the possible theories.

Inevitably they face danger as they uncover those who had motive and close in on the killer. The growing friendship and trust between Audrey and Lewis is sweet and the glimpses of how Celeste cares for her tenants are endearing. Although there are three murders and the story moves along crisply, I'd still consider this a cozy mystery much more than a thriller or suspenseful mystery. Certainly there are some tense scenes and the closer the amateur detectives get to the solution, the more I was kept on the edge of my seat to see which parts of the theories were right and wrong, and if my solution was the same as Lewis and Audrey's. There is definitely an intriguing twist at the end, one that made me hope there might be a sequel at some point, but even if there isn't, the ending struck a great balance between a satisfying wrap-up and a tantalizing question or two left unanswered.

The comparisons to Only Murders in the Building are apt and I found myself picturing a couple of the characters looking very much like the beloved residents of the Arconia.

From the publisher:

The Paris Apartment meets Only Murders in the Building in this debut murder mystery with an intriguing cast of characters inhabiting a quirky block of flats in modern-day London.

When a minor criminal is murdered in the smallest residential square in London, elderly heiress and landlady Celeste van Duren recruits two of her tenants to investigate. Her cleaner, Audrey, knows everyone and is liked by all, while failed writer Lewis is known by no one. He hates his job, hates his life, and he's not that fond of Audrey either―but Celeste is persuasive.

As they hunt for clues in and around the Square, they discover everyone has something to hide, including their fellow residents. Audrey and Lewis must find a way to work together if they're to find the killer in their midst. Assuming of course, there's just the one . . .

Cozy crime enthusiasts will not be able to get enough of Marchfield Square and its residents.

This is a book published in 2025 (#52) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

Thursday, July 17

What I'm Reading - July 17, 2025

Here's a quick update on what I've been reading and watching lately.

I'm currently reading . . .

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte - The comments I saw about this book were accurate . . . it does remind me a lot of the show Only Murders In the Building, which I love. One murder leads to another in a ten-unit residential square in London, and the wealthy landlady gets two of her tenants to investigate.

Village Books by Craig McLay - I got started on this for the next step of the Connections mini-challenge. So far it hasn't really grabbed my attention, but I'm still being introduced to characters and am not even sure what the main conflict will be yet. It's #3 on the Connections Challenge, being set in Toronto, Canada. Obviously I do not plan to finish this challenge by the end of the summer!

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - This Verity Kent mystery is a little bit on the backburner since I had a couple of review books and a library book that had to take priority, but I'm still reading a little here and there so I don't forget what's happening.

Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . .

This is up next on my Kindle. I've got a few books on the physical stack too, but I haven't decided which of those will be next.

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - I keep meaning to start this, and something else inevitably gets ahead of it in the queue. I promise this is the next one I start on my Kindle. I hope.

I finished reading . . .

Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery - Young Jane is a 'too good to be true' character, but she's so likeable and capable that I couldn't help but root for her to have all the happiness she could handle in the little house where she spends summers with her dad. It was delightful to read about her intuitive connection with the father she thought she disliked, and her blossoming hope that maybe there was a way her parents could live together again. (Read my review HERE)

The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham - Freddie and Grace pay a visit to her sister in the USA only to discover the family home has been sold and sister Lillias is the prime suspect in her husband's murder. Time is short to clear Lillias' name because at almost the same time they are told that the sisters must travel together to Scotland to claim their inheritance from their mother. (Read my review HERE)

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson - A famous crime writer is missing and young detective Helgi is put on the case. He has very few clues to work with but hopes to figure out what happened before the news gets out to the public. (Read my review HERE)

I've been watching . . .

I haven't been watching much lately, which isn't unusual for me. When my husband is watching Dry Bar comedy I sort of watch from across the room sometimes, but seldom sit down and pay attention. I did sit down and watch several episodes of Drive Thru History with him one evening - the episodes about the setting and stories in the book of Acts in the Bible. Very entertaining and interesting! When we were in Maryland we watched the King of Kings movie with the kids and our granddaughter. It was very well done and enjoyable, I thought, and is a great way to give kids an understanding of who Jesus is.

I've been listening to . . .

In addition to my usual podcast playlist - The Bible Book Club, political commentary, interviews, and The Grammar Girl - I explored a few other podcasts but didn't add much to the regular queue. Listened to my road trip mix and 'church music mix' playlists while we traveled, since the music on those is mostly approved by my husband. He doesn't like some of my other playlists as much. I had to listen to a few hours of his Spotify playlist too, but I got lucky in that no Pink Floyd or Wings songs appeared in the shuffle during that time! As always, RadioU is my listening choice for weekday mornings.

On my blogs recently . . .

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

June Bookshelf Review

On my main coffee break project, A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Five Minute Friday posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge and other Q&A Link-up posts

Vacation Memories

WQ - Hobbies

Currently . . . July 5, 2025

Share Four Somethings - June 2025

WOTY and Goals - June Journal

WQ - Patriotism

My "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break, has been idle again.

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What are you reading?

This post may be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World, and/or at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

Monday, July 14

Recent Reads - The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson - When a bestselling crime author goes missing, the young detective Helgi is given the challenge of finding her or finding out what happened before the press and public realize there's a problem. Helgi hopes to prove his mettle with the case, and maybe his own love of crime and mystery fiction will help him make sense of the few clues available. He faces challenges in his personal life too, with his former girlfriend stalking and threatening his new love interest and his struggles to handle the situations.

There's one flashback timeline in which the author, Elín Jónsdóttir, is being interviewed by an unknown person. We're given the transcript of this interview, and there's a sense that there must be clues for the reader that Helgi doesn't have access to, and it does add to the tension. The sections of transcript are interspersed throughout the story.

In another alternate timeline, the detective that Helgi replaced, Hulda, is doing follow-up work on a bank robbery and murder case. It was apparently the last case she was working on before she disappeared. Again, there's a sense to the reader that the cases or maybe even the disappearances must be related, but at the beginning it's not clear just how.

The tension builds throughout, as Elín's few close friends maintain hope that she is still alive and has just chosen to be incommunicado for reasons of her own. There are some clues that don't fit this solution, so Helgi keeps working at it, and the bits of interview transcript start to fall into place for the reader as well. There are some twists and turns in the solution.

There's some good payoff in how Hulda's investigation has a connection to Helgi's case, but those threads seem loosely woven together, and the way Hulda's timeline concludes makes me wonder if there is more to come in a sequel. Likewise with how the book ends on a cliffhanger, and such an abrupt one that I'm still not sure how I feel about it! I was actually startled that there was not another chapter and I really had reached the end of the book. I enjoyed the read, putting together the clues as best I could, and the rising suspense and subsequent satisfaction of the pieces coming together. However, that abrupt ending was very unsettling and left me puzzled and feeling like I'd missed something important.

This book is a sequel to Death At the Sanitorium: A Mystery, which I understand has a similar layout of Helgi following up on Hulda's previous investigation after her disappearance. I don't think it's necessary to read these in order, but given Hulda's disappearance and the drama in Helgi's personal life, I assume it would probably be very helpful to read in order.

From the publisher:

The next thrilling golden-age-style mystery from the #1 Icelandic bestseller Ragnar Jónasson, author of Death at the Sanatorium and Reykjavik.

One winter evening, bestselling crime author Elín Jónsdóttir goes missing.

There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective Helgi to crack the case before its leaked to the press.

As Helgi interviews the people closest to her―a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge―he realizes that Elín's life wasn't what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than the fiction she wrote.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of the writer's very unexpected life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

#NetGalley

By the same author: Reykjavik: A Crime Story (with Katrín Jakobsdóttir)

This is a book set in a country with an active volcano (#49) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

Tuesday, July 8

Recent Reads - The Highland Heist

The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham - Frederick and Grace have had several exciting adventures on their honeymoon trip to Egypt and Italy, but before returning to England, Frederick surprises Grace with a visit to her family home in America. But the home has been sold and upon their arrival at her sister's house, there is another shock ― Lillias's husband has just been stabbed and she is the prime suspect and the household is in turmoil. Frederick and Grace try to take charge of the situation and find the real murderer. This is complicated by untrustworthy household staff, a phony police officer, and Lillias's uncooperative attitude.

Amidst all this drama, a solicitor arrives to inform the sisters that their late mother left them an inheritance in Scotland, and they need to claim it together. He has been delayed in finding them, and now time is of the essence if they are to claim the property before it is sold. Lillias grasps at this hope of salvaging her finances, but her name must be cleared before they can depart, so Frederick and Grace race to find out who killed Tony and keep themselves alive. It seems that someone wants to keep them from ever reaching Scotland and finding the original copy of the will!

When Lillias recklessly leaves for Scotland by herself, the pressure is really on Frederick and Grace to get there as quickly as possible not only to find the will but to rescue Lillias from the villain they realize is following her. More surprises await them all as they confront a ruthless killer and hunt for a will in a castle rumored to be haunted.

Coincidences and danger seem to follow Grace everywhere she goes, but her sense of adventure and love of books keeps her optimistic and high-spirited. As a character, she has matured over the series, but still seems very young, showing a childlike quality that borders on naivete at times, but her cheerful boldness and determination make her a very appealing and likeable character. She and Frederick are still in the early days of their marriage and both often reflect on the good fortune of their relationship and the devotion is accompanied by some starry-eyed newlywed behavior as well.

The adventures, coincidences, and character quirks are just exaggerated enough to provide drama and humor, although stretching credulity a bit. Grace's love of story and penchant for viewing everything through the lens of books she has read brings a lighthearted quality to the suspenseful situations, and one can't help but cheer for the fairytale happy endings along with her.

From the publisher:

Grace Storms a Scottish Castle to Save her Sister

Lord Astley surprises his wife with a trip to America to see her family before they end their honeymoon adventures. But just as they arrive, they find Grace's sister, Lillias, is the prime suspect in her husband's murder. To add to the confusion a solicitor arrives to tell the sisters they are needed in Scotland immediately to claim their mother's inheritance.

The clock is ticking to clear Lillias of suspicion, but someone is determined to keep the sisters from reaching the Scottish Highlands. When Lillias disappears, Freddie and Grace race to Scotland, sure the answers will be found in a long-forgotten castle.

With a ghost from Frederick's past leaving threatening clues along the way, the mysterious Mr. Kane waiting in the wings to grab the inheritance for himself, and an apparition haunting the infamous castle, Lord and Lady Astley must capture the castle, save Lillias, and not die in the process.

The Highland Heist is a Freddie and Grace Mystery, sequel to The Mistletoe Countess, The Cairo Curse, and The Juliet Code.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

#TheHighlandHeist #NetGalley