Vanishing Day (Logan McKenna Series Book 4) by Valerie Davisson

 

Vanishing Day: A Logan McKenna Mystery/Thriller Logan Book 4 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm working my way through this series pretty quickly and I have to say, this has been my favorite book so far. It covers the sensitive topic of domestic violence and I think it was done in a way that covered it delicately.

Logan has a new neighbor and she's pretty tight lipped on where she's from. However, Logan isn't one to push and when Lori starts to open up to her and spend some time with her shopping, Logan realizes that all might not be well. One day when baby Shannon turns up on Logan's doorstep, she immediately is concerned about Lori and finds her beaten within an inch of her life. Not knowing any of Lori's background, all Logan can do is call the police and get the investigation started.

Meanwhile, Ben drops a bombshell on Logan that gives her a lot of things to consider. She's not sure she's ready for what he's asking about and it could change their relationship forever.

While there is still a lot of repeated things in this series, it's starting to become a little less. This book could be read as a standalone but the reader would be missing out on the previous adventures that Logan and crew have been involved in.

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Devil's Claw (Logan McKenna Series Book 3) by Valerie Davisson

 

Devil's Claw: A Logan McKenna Mystery/Thriller Book 3 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Logan's daughter, Amy, is home from her travels in Africa. She's home because she is receiving treatment for and recovering from malaria. She's under strict orders to get as much rest as possible. Liam, Amy's boyfriend, is taking the doctor's orders very seriously and monitoring Amy's progress hourly.

The sea otter center, which is fairly new, receives a new sea otter pup after Logan and Amy find it trapped in some seaweed while on a walk one day. Eager to learn more about the habits of sea otters, Amy volunteers, along with several of her friends, to help nurse the otter back to health.

A snag has come up in the sea otter center though as another person has come up claiming rights to the property. There is a lot of legal battling going on, and then a break-in, some injuries, and a murder. What has Logan gotten herself into this time?

I enjoyed this story and it kept me engaged. This one was a bit more emotional for me because of the situations within the story. I continue to look forward to reading more of this series.

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Forest Park (Logan McKenna Series Book 2) by Valerie Davisson

 

Forest Park: Logan Book 2 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book takes place about 6 months after the end of Shattered: Logan Book 1. Logan is still trying to wrap her brain around the events of the last 6 months, as well as prepare for the upcoming school year. Before school starts though, Logan takes a trip to Portland. While there, her favorite food truck is attacked and a murder takes place. There are a few suspects, all of whom Logan feels are innocent and she'll do what she can to clear their names.

This book has a lot of repetition throughout, which I found a little annoying. Because of that, there are parts of this book that drag along. However, if this is the first book that's been picked up in this series, the reader should be ok as their is enough background given (sometimes repetitively) that no losses will take place. This book was also classified as a thriller. I would say more of a crime-mystery but I wouldn't go so far as to say thriller. It was an enjoyable read and I'll continue on with this series.

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Shattered (Logan McKenna Mystery Book 1) by Valerie Davisson

 

Shattered: Logan Book 1 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Logan is still recovering from the loss of her husband. Her year of teaching has gone really great, up until the last day when a note is left on her desk that has her questioning her teaching future. Nevermind that for now, though. It’s summer vacation and she’s going to help her friends with their booth at a summer festival. While there, she gets to meet and experience some of the life of a glassblower. It’s only when her friend Thomas is accused of murder that she dives deeper into the world of glassblowing to try to clear her friend’s name.

This book is mysterious and held my attention, making it difficult to put down for any length of time. I wasn’t overly surprised as to “whodunit” but it did take me a bit to put two and two together. I enjoyed this story and the writing style and look forward to more in this series!


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Kneading a Winning Idea by Terri Sabol

 

Kneading a Winning Idea by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a cute book about a young man who is ready to enter a baking contest. He makes really good biscuits, but they are pretty basic and not “good enough” to win the contest. With the encouragement of his dad, who becomes his taste tester, he finds the perfect recipe for his biscuits.
This book is about practice and perseverance. It would be a great teaching tool for a young child experiencing life’s difficulties. It could be a great encouragement if read to them/with them by someone who would become their “taste tester” and cheerleader in life.


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Joy’s Christmas Escape (The Marshal’s Mail Order Bride Book 1) by P. Creeden

 

Joy’s Christmas Escape: The Marshal’s Mail Order Bride Book 1 by P. Creeden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Joy is a schoolteacher who loves her pupils very much. When her grandmother falls ill and subsequently passes away, Joy isn’t sure what she’ll do. A very vile man comes at her and demands a large sum of money to pay off her grandmother’s debt, a debt that Joy cannot pay. When she tells him this, he says he’ll take her as his mistress instead. Joy isn’t about that life and does everything she can to get away from him.
Marshall Jake is alarmed when he sees fire coming from the direction of his family’s home, a home that his sister and her family now live in. When he arrives, he sees the twins, but not his dear sister or her husband. It doesn’t take Jake long to figure out that they’ve passed on and he’s now responsible for these two precious souls. How can he maintain his role as the town Marshall, take care of his mother, and raise these two kids?
When Joy’s minister suggests to her that her grandmother set her up with a “mail order bride” service in Denver, Joy’s first thought is “no way”. However, with Pomeroy and his goons after her, she decides that maybe grandma was right after all and knew she would need an escape. Joy takes a chance and answers an ad for the Denver agency. She immediately falls in love with Nate and Natalie and life in Denver. Would she be able to fall in love with the Marshall though?
I LOVED this book! It is in my top reads for this year. I’m a huge fan of historical novels and especially ones with mail order brides. This was a clean read, which I also much prefer! I will be looking for more titles by this author in this series.


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Detective Dylan and the Case of the Missing Mail (A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book Series) by MJ Murray

 

Detective Dylan and the Case of the Missing Mail: A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book Series by MJ Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Detective Dylan is super excited when his new detective kit comes in the mail. His sister is also excited but told to stay far away from his kit, as it cost him 8 weeks worth of allowance! When the neighbor lady can’t seem to locate her missing mail, including pictures of her grandkids, Dylan and his faithful sister assistant jump into action. They interview the neighbors, collect fingerprints, and keep notes in their notebook. When a set of symbols occur in the mud, they have a big clue and they are eventually able to solve the mystery of the missing mail.

This was a great book that includes some slightly bigger words that some kids may not know. There is a section at the end of the book that goes over these words. A great vocabulary builder for the eager reader! I’m looking forward to the next book to come out, expected in 2024!!


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