Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Misterio Press (May 21, 2020)
Number of Pages: 250

Synopsis

 

Abigail and Hyperion uncork a murder… 

Tea and Tarot room owner Abigail Beanblossom is used to running interference for her socially-awkward former boss, tech billionaire Razzzor. So when he invites her on a stakeout to investigate the sale of counterfeit wine from his latest venture – an upscale winery – she barrels on in. But the two stumble across the corpse of a wine merchant, and new wine in old bottles is now the least of their problems.

Good thing amateur detectives Abigail and her partner, tarot reader Hyperion Night, have a nose for murder. Their investigation takes them from elegant wine cellars to chic tea parties on the California coast. But just as the investigation starts to get its legs, Abigail discovers there’s more than wine at the bottom of this crime…

Hostage to Fortune is book 2 in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Start reading this hilariously cozy caper today!

Tearoom recipes in the back of the book.

 

 

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Review

 

Abigail and Hyperion are back in a new mystery in their sleepy little town in CA.  This time we get to know Razzzor and prove to Hyperion that he isn’t Abigail’s imaginary friend.  Of course, there is Brik, Grandpa, and Tomas throwing in their 2 cents to help solve the case and protect Abigail.

I love tea and find tarot interesting, so this is the type of shop I would like to visit.  Abigail is making tarot themed teas and the recipes sound delicious.  I’m not sure I would make them since that isn’t my expertise, but if I could buy them somewhere I certainly would.  I won’t even go into the scones….I think I gained 5 lbs just imaging them in my mouth!

As I mentioned above, we get to know a bit more about Razzzor other than he plays a Nazi Zombie game with Abigail online.  He is a bit eccentric and maybe that is due to his wealth and protecting himself at all costs.  In this book, he ropes Abigail into helping him figure out who is counterfeiting his wine.  Abigail is a true friend and doesn’t know how to say no to anyone.  So she lands in the middle of another case trying to protect Razzzor from being charged with murder and almost ends up dead herself.  There are a few suspects and when the true killer was revealed I was very surprised because I did not suspect this character.  I had it pinned on someone else.  My suspect wasn’t totally innocent but was not the killer.

Abigail’s relationship, such as it is, with Brik is expanded upon and there are a few scenarios that might bring these two together in the near future.  Hyperion seems to have his eyes set on Detective Tony Chase and the feeling might be reciprocated.  Only future books will delve more into this potential relationship.

I have really enjoyed this series so far and look forward to more tea and tarot books.  We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.

Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Tea and Tarot, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth, and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.

Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter

 

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Synopsis

 

Tea, tarot, and trouble.

Abigail Beanblossom’s dream of owning a tea room in her California beach town is about to come true. She’s got the lease, the start-up funds, and the recipes. But Abigail’s out of a tearoom and into hot water when the realtor turns out to be a conman… and then turns up dead.

But not even death puts an end to the conman’s mischief. He rented the same space to a tarot reader, Hyperion Night. Convinced his tarot room is in the cards, Night’s not letting go of the building without a fight. Steamed, Abigail realizes the only way to salvage her tea room is to join forces with the tarot reader, even if he isn’t her cup of tea.

But they must work together, steeping themselves in the murky waters of the sham realtor’s double dealings, in order to unearth the truth – before murder boils over again.

Steeped in Murder is the first book in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Buy the book to start this hilarious caper today.

 

 

 

Review

 

This new series is steeped in tea, mystery, and murder.

Things are going well for Abigail when she discovers that the building she has rented for her tea room is not valid.  I can’t even imagine her frustration and disappointment, especially when it was doubly rented to a tarot card reader with quite an unusual name, Hyperion Night.  While their relationship gets off to a rocky start, I was happy to see a friendship develop even though Hyperion is a bit eccentric.  Perhaps it goes with reading tarot cards?

Abigail does have her grandfather that is behind her tearoom, along with Tomas, a retired lawyer that uses his skills to assist Abigail in a few situations.  There is a hunky new neighbor, Brik, that could be a potential love interest for Abigail.  The police detective on the case is a Texan that happens to be a germaphobe.  A few situations with him gave me a chuckle.

There is a wide variety of characters in this book and trying to decipher who might have had cause to murder the fake real estate agent took some doing.  While I suspected several of the characters, the reality wasn’t too far from my grasp.  While I had my suspicions about this character, the why surprised me.

I enjoyed reading this first in the series and expect it will be a fun series to follow.  There is much more to learn about the various characters and the addition of Peking the pet duck was genius because it made for some cute scenes especially when Hyperion’s cat because the duck’s best bud.

We give this 4 paws up and have the 2nd book to read and see where things develop from there.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.

Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Tea and Tarot, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth, and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.

Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter

 

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A Deadly Inside Scoop (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Berkley (May 12, 2020)
Paperback: 384 pages

 

Synopsis

 

This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop—with a fabulous cast of quirky characters.

 

Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family’s ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she’s going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.

To make matters worse, that evening, Win finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Win’s father is implicated in his death. It’s not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Win is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she’ll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown…

 

 

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Review

 

How can a new cozy series that features ice cream be bad?  It can’t!  In fact, it is downright delicious and the recipes at the end will have you pulling out an ice cream maker to make some for your own home.

Bronwyn Crewse, AKA Win, is our protagonist and amateur sleuth.  She has recently returned to Chagrin Falls from NY and is reopening her grandparent’s ice cream shop.  This shop has a history in that town and many have fond memories of her grandparents and the ice cream.  The relationship with PopPop is heartwarming since he has been waiting for Win to come back and run the shop.  Win’s parents are a bit overprotective of her since she is a girl and the baby of the family.  It isn’t too surprising to see that trait from her parents or even her older brothers – and there are three of those!

Win is not on her own, she has two close friends – Maisie and Riva.  Riva is a no-nonsense type of gal and you better watch out if you get on her bad side.  Maisie is something of a free spirit and I’m not really sure what to make of her character and I think she is something of a loose cannon.  She tended to jump in feet first without thinking things through and could potentially put them in harms way.  I think this line from the book sums up Maisie quite well and is the thoughts of one of Win’s brother, James:

 

“He thought Maisie was a bundle of fireworks hovering over an open flame. He said no one would ever know when her fuse would catch fire or what direction she’d take off in. She was festive, he said, but potentially dangerous.”

 

The mystery is well thought out and while there are several characters to suspect of being the killer, the true killer might come as a surprise.  I know I didn’t suspect this person but thought there was something strange about their actions.  Now we know why!

I enjoyed the nod to the original Pink Panther movie with characters using some of their names like Peter Sellers and David Nivens.

There is a potential budding romance with a former police officer turned law professor who goes by the nickname O.  He has his eye on Win and I think she might have some interest in him too despite her protests.  I am anxious to see how this might play out.  I also wonder about the police detective and if he might be interested in Win or if he was just working with her to get information?  Only time will tell.

The only thing I thought was really odd was that Win called her parents mommy and daddy.  Most people I know shorten it to mom and dad especially as they get older.

This is an enjoyable start to a new series and I suggest giving it a whirl.  I am tempted to try the recipes at the end of the book as they all sound delicious!  I just need an ice cream maker.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Wall Street JournalBestselling Author Abby Collette loves a good mystery. Born and raised in Cleveland, it’s even a mystery to her why she has yet to move to a warmer place. Author of the two Southern cozy mystery series Logan Dickerson Mysteries featuring a second-generation archaeologist and a nonagenarian who is always digging up trouble, and the Romaine Wilder Mysteries, set in East Texas, it pairs a medical examiner and her feisty auntie who owns a funeral home and is always ready to solve a whodunnit. Abby spends her time writing, facilitating writing workshops at local libraries, and spending time with her grandchildren, each of which is her favorite.

 

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Seas the Day (A Seafood Capers Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (April 21, 2020)
Hardcover: 282 pages

 

Synopsis

Caterer River Holloway cooks like a dream and is known on Shell Island as a “finder” of things. Which is why a desperate mother begs River to track down her grown son, Chili Bolz, who’s vanished.

Deputy Lance Hamlyn can’t find the missing man, so he teams up with River. The missing person case boils over into something frightening when Chili’s mother falls victim to a brutal assault. Worse, her dying words incriminate River’s friends in both kidnapping and, now, murder. River soon finds herself caught in an unsavory recipe for disaster.

Despite catering events and the return of her absentee boyfriend, River finds the number of suspects growing longer than her food shopping list. Along the way she befriends a black cat who becomes her crime-solving partner. River must locate Chili and discover who killed his mother before her own goose is quite literally cooked.

Maggie Toussaint serves up a fun and captivating read in Seas the Day, the first in her Seafood Capers series.

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

Wonderful start to a new series.

River is one tough, smart, and dedicated woman. She believes in supporting friends and family no matter what and has a kind heart as we learn during a discussion with Pete about what she would do if she had a million dollars. It is obvious how much she values friendships when she starts looking for Chili, a pseudo big brother at the behest of his mother, Estelle. What River doesn’t realize is that she will be put into some precarious positions in her search.

There is an interesting mix of characters, some are from River’s past since this is a small island, and some are new to the island. While the “bad guy” character becomes obvious due to the character’s words and actions, the culprit could have been anyone and I had a few characters in mind to pin the deed upon. Not all characters are as they seem and there are a few surprises when it comes to her family friends – Estelle, Chili, and Kale. (I did chuckle at their names, how did they get named after foods?!)

River and Pete have an interesting relationship and I feel like there is so much we don’t know and at times I wondered if this might be a spinoff book where these characters were introduced somewhere else. Hopefully, future books will share more of their history so we can better understand them.

There are some recipes at the end of the book that sounds delicious and this comes from someone that doesn’t eat seafood! But I bet I could make some substitutions and have a delicious meal.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes cozy and paranormal mysteries, romantic suspense, and dystopian fiction, with twenty fiction novels published. A three-time finalist for Georgia Author of the Year, she’s won three Silver Falchions, the Readers’ Choice, and the EPIC Awards. She’s past president of Mystery Writers of America-Southeast chapter and an officer of LowCountry Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows.

 

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Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Taylor and Seale Publishing LLC (November 18, 2019)
Paperback: 255 pages

 

Synopsis

 

In ancient Greece, the chimera was a bad omen. In WHY ME?, it’s a motive for murder. Bryn Baczek, a Seattle consultant, is vacationing in Scotland, hiking alone in a downpour, surrounded by midges, when she sees a body at the bottom of a ravine. Before she can return to the scene with the mountain rescue team, the body disappears. She learns that he was a scientist and that his laptop containing his cutting-edge research has disappeared. Rumors that Bryn has the laptop make her a target.

 

 

Amazon – B & N – IndieBound

 

Review

 

This is a delightful and quirky new mystery and it will definitely keep you on your toes.

Bryn stumbles across a dead body while on vacation in Scotland and she never could have imagined what would happen when she returned home.  Some bad people think she took something from the dead man’s backpack and they want it back.  Sadly, she doesn’t have it but these people will stop at nothing to retrieve the item(s).

We are introduced to some engaging characters that keep the story interesting.  Bryn has two good friends, Sophie and Logan.  Logan lives on a boat near hers with his partner Judd.  The good thing about this partnership is that while Logan is a bit of a wildcard, Judd manages to balance his personality and ground him.  Sophie is a good friend, but a bit of a flake IMHO.  She bailed on a trip for a guy that she just met?  Then there is Ben, a hunky detective that I think might have a thing for Bryn but only time will tell.  There is a wildcard – Keith.  He is rather suspicious with some of his actions, but is he a bad guy or a good guy?

The author does a great job of throwing many red herrings into the mix.  While I kinda suspected the killer, I didn’t have a lot to go on and it was more of a gut feeling.

I think this is going to make an interesting series and I can’t wait to see what is on tap next for Bryn and the gang.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and survived being the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.

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Synopsis

 

Claire DeNardo finally has her own detective agency, DeNardo and Son. The son, being her beloved dog, Charlie. Their first client is the wife of a wealthy Cleveland power broker who hires Claire to find her missing daughter. But Claire soon discovers her client’s family is hiding more secrets than there are sprinkles on Aunt Lena’s doughnuts—secrets that result in several murders.

This dangerously spicy case leads Claire to uncover a widespread criminal enterprise in which the names are changed to protect the guilty. Her easy-to-look-at fiancé, Police Detective Brian Corrigan, and his annoyingly stunning new partner, Abby, warn Claire to drop the investigation. But Claire is driven to uncover the truth and prove her client’s innocence, even if it puts her and her trusty sidekick, Charlie, in danger.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

Claire is a tough woman that isn’t afraid to get in there and solve the crime.  It’s a good thing she is a PI because that grants her a little more latitude with potential suspects.  They don’t think twice about answering her questions about the victims or potential murderers.  It doesn’t matter that her fiance is a police detective, he doesn’t like her poking her nose into his cases despite the fact that she is able to unearth details or clues that will help them solve the crime.

This is the first book that I have read in this series and I will say, start with book 1.  While the crime/mystery stands alone, there are details about her relationship with Brian and even the mob that isn’t fully explained in this book.  Setting that aside, I still enjoyed getting to know Claire, Brian, Ed, Lena, and the rest of the gang.  The mystery was well written and while the killer was someone I suspected, I didn’t read anything that really gave it away that it was this character.  There are several different situations happening throughout the book and I liked seeing how it all tied together in the end, or mostly anyway.

There is a character that is somewhat of a threat to Claire and Brian’s relationship, but not too much if these two lovebirds recognize her games and act accordingly.

Overall we thought this was an interesting book but would suggest starting with the first book to understand the relationship between all of the charcters.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Carole is the author of the new cozy mystery series, The Terrified Detective. She has also written a number of stories for Chicken Soup for the Soul and other similar anthologies. She’s published several books of short stories. She currently lives in Dallas, Tx.

 

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A Small Town Can Be #Murder (Whistle Stop Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Skye Bridge Publishing (December 21, 2019)
Paperback: 196 pages

 

Synopsis

 

You have all heard the story: big-city girl moves to small town and lives happily ever after. That’s not the forever-after Angel Delaight found when she moved to Whistle Stop, Minnesota. First her realtor is found dead in her new house, which is also rumored to be haunted. Then homeless animals began showing up at her door, along with a bevy of townspeople who seem to know what she is doing at all times. Not to mention a secret journal turning up during renovation, revealing more secrets hidden in this small community.

Will those secrets from the past put Angel’s life and those of her friends and family in danger? When the big-city girl meets a small town, it can be murder.

 

 

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Review

 

This book is not light on mysteries to solve!

Angel decides to leave the big city of Chicago and make her home in a small town.  She doesn’t expect to find herself in the middle of a murder investigation where her realtor is found dead by Angel herself and then the realtor’s brother is found dead.  To top it off, in the midst of remodeling her new property she finds diaries of someone that was held captive in the carriage house, but no one knows who she is which is kind of strange for a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.  And to further add to the story, a mother and her two daughters are on the run from an abusive husband/father.  And of course, you have to have a budding romantic relationship to round out the story.

I really enjoyed the complexities of this story.  I never felt like there were lulls in the story and while I didn’t guess the killer, I did have some suspicions about a few of the town residents.  There are quite a few subplots that rounded out the story and additional characters will make for interesting reads in future books in this series.  I love small towns and the camaraderie that they have with each other.  This town will be no different.

At the end is some history on Whistle Depot that was fascinating, so make sure to read the author’s notes.

Overall we enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next in the series.  We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

A Bit About Me As An Impassioned Writer

As human beings, we are always a work in progress. From birth to death we live, hurt, laugh, cry, feel, and with all of those emotions we grow as people, as family members, and as friends. I am a dreamer and feel blessed to have the opportunity in my writing to pass those dreams on to others. I believe you are never too old to dream and to turn those dreams into a creative endeavor. I live in rural Minnesota and I am a wife, mother, and grandmother.

I have worn many hats throughout my life such as working as a waitress, nursing home activities person, office manager and finally a computer repair person eventually owning my own computer sales and repair business. I never forgot my love of writing and quit my computer business in 2012 after signing a contract with Cozy Cat Press for Granny Hooks A Crook, the first book in my Fuchsia, Minnesota Series.

Adding five more books to the Fuchsia Series, adding a Brilliant, Minnesota Series and writing a column for local newspapers feeds my writing creativity. This year the Whistle Stop series was born. Small towns have my heart and I hoped to convey that in my new series.

I also dabble a bit in watercolor painting and hope to eventually add pictures to my children’s book series, Granny’s In Trouble.

Oh, and did I tell you I like to be a little bit silly.

 

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Synopsis

 

Step into True Colors — a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late?

On Blackwell Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving.

With her late father’s fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. Do any of Edyth’s friends care that she disappeared?

At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?

 

 

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Review

What a combination – historical romance and true crime!  The true crime is based on Nelly Bly’s secret admission to an insane asylum in the late 1800s to reveal the truth behind the conditions and how women were treated.  Let’s just say I’m glad I didn’t live during that time frame because men really thought women were fragile and not sane.  Frightening is really the word.

When this book first starts, it is like most other romances.  Edyth is a woman of means despite the fact that her Uncle controls the pursestrings.  She is in love with her fencing instructor and has been for many years.  He doesn’t see her as more than a friend until a party when her cousin helps her dress for a ball and is a sight to behold.  This is where the story gets interesting.  Edyth and Bane admit their attraction for one another and Bane has decided to court her.  Her Uncle has discovered a loophole in her parent’s will and decides that Edyth needs to be diagnosed as insane.  What happens from there is where the story really gets interesting.  Edyth tries to escape the asylum with the help of a few friends.  Bane is trying to find her because she has just vanished and he doesn’t believe the stories he is being told by her Uncle.

I found the story to be engaging and fascinating and I liked the tie to an actual event in history.  The author even discusses what she changed to make it fit the actual events.  I”m now intrigued to read the book about Nelly Bly’s time in the asylum and what she encountered.  I can’t believe women were treated this badly a century and more ago, but I know it did happen.  It makes me appreciate what I have now in this time and how far women have come in this world.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Grace Hitchcock is the author of The White City and The Gray Chamber from Barbour Publishing. She has written multiple novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son.

 

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The Missing Sister
Thriller
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (April 1, 2020)
Paperback: 299 pages

Synopsis

 

In Paris, her twin sister has vanished, leaving behind three chilling words: Trust no one.

Shayna Darby is finally coming to terms with her parents’ deaths when she’s delivered another blow. The body of her estranged twin sister, Angela—the possible victim of a serial killer—has been pulled from the Seine. Putting what’s left of her life on hold, Shayna heads to Paris. But while cleaning out Angela’s apartment, Shayna makes a startling discovery: a coded message meant for her alone…

Alive. Trust no one.

Taking the warning to heart, Shayna maintains the lie. She makes a positive ID on the remains and works to find out where—and why—her missing sister is hiding. Shayna retraces her sister’s footsteps, and they lead her down into Paris’s underbelly.

As she gets closer to the truth—and to the killer—Shayna’s own life may now be in the balance…

 

 

Amazon – B&N – IndieBound

 

 

Review

This book is great for those that appreciate a good suspense/thriller novel.

Shayna receives a call that her twin is missing and might be dead, so she ventures to Paris to discover that maybe not all is as it seems.  Especially when she finds a note written to her in their childhood secret language.  It says to “trust no one” and that shakes Shayna to her core.

There are various characters in this book that seem suspicious, can she trust any of them?  Do these characters have ulterior motives that they believe Shayna can assist in finding answers?

This book is fast paced since it takes place over a week.  Shayna delays her trip home to try and find the answers to the serial killer roaming the streets of Paris and to find her sister.  Shayna has to be intelligent to get into med school, but some of her actions had me questioning that intelligence.   While she knows not to trust anyone, she doesn’t make wise decisions with her actions.  I also wonder about her sister, Angela, especially as the book is coming to the conclusion and we learn things about where she has been over the last few weeks.  I don’t want to give any spoilers but it seems like Angela could have done more to save herself.

I enjoyed learning some of the history of Paris and the catacombs and brothels that played a part in Angela’s studies and the search for her.  The fact that you can do a tour and there are bones in the catacombs is eery to me.  I may have been like Shayna and not really wanted to see that part of Paris.

At various places in the book, Shayna seems to be rambling.  Maybe she is tired and hasn’t had enough sleep, or perhaps it was filler for the story.  I do think that this time gives both sisters a chance to work out issues from when their parents died and perhaps grow closer again.

I really enjoyed Madame Chang’s character.  She is an intriguing woman and has done so much in her life and merits her own book.

The book does seem to leave questions unanswered and I wonder if there will be a followup book that answers those questions.  I don’t think there will be because I can’t imagine what the next story would include unless it picks up from Madame Chang’s perspective and her story.

Overall we enjoyed this book and give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Originally from Sacramento, Elle Marr explored the urban wilderness of Southern California before spending three wine-and-cheese-filled years in France. There she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris. Now she lives and writes outside Portland, Oregon, with her husband and one very demanding feline. When she’s not busy writing her next novel, she’s most likely thinking about it.

 

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Postcards from Lonnie

How I Rediscovered My Brother on the

Street Corner He Called Home

 

 

by

Lisa Johnson

 

 

Biography / Photo Journal / Poverty

Publisher: Rand-Smith LLC

Date of Publication: January 14, 2020

Number of Pages: 200

 

 

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It all started on Christmas Day 1993. Lisa and Lonnie were sitting on their mom’s rickety yard swing, when Lisa’s curiosity took over. She asked Lonnie questions about his life on the street, about being homeless. To her surprise, he answered honestly, humorously, and thoughtfully.

That conversation continued throughout the next four years as Lisa wrote questions on postcards addressed to herself, then mailed them in packets to Lonnie at the flower shop on his corner. He wrote his answers and mailed them back. Lonnie answered a lot of questions and even asked a few, too. His detailed, matter-of-fact responses gave Lisa an unfettered view of a population living on the fringes of society and the issues they face every day.

Postcards from Lonnie is a dialogue between Lonnie, who speaks through the postcards, and his sister, who not only learns a lot about her brother but also about herself. Intimate and revealing, this is a unique family memoir and a universal story of love, respect, family, and ultimately hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About 3 years ago, I watched a documentary called Signs of Humanity that addressed the homelessness situation across the country.  It really opened my eyes to those that are homeless and their situation.  No two people are the same and their reasons for living on the streets vary.  This book shines a light on one man’s story and how living on the street impacted him and his family.

Lonnie’s story could be the story for many of those that are homeless.  He had a family – parents, a sister – many that loved him.  But through various circumstances, he found himself living on the street.  But this is a life he chose and he made it work.  He still had a relationship with his family and once a year would visit them.  This was when Lisa had the brainstorm to work with Lonnie to tell his story through postcards.  She would pose questions to him and he would answer them and that became the framework to share his life with us.

There are 94 postcards in all and the answers and comments from Lonnie range from the simple to complex.  He even drew pictures on some of the cards.  I appreciated that the postcards were included in the book because it really put his story into perspective and gave me an insight into Lonnie’s mind.  The one thing that never wavered was Lonnie’s faith in a higher power and doing what was right to protect children and those that were weaker around him.  Lonnie may have been living on the street, but he never shunned his family or lost touch with them, even if that communication was sporadic.  Lisa recounts various stories from their childhood until his passing of the good times they had together.  Not everything was great and there were some dark days for Lonnie, but he persevered throughout it all.  I would challenge anyone reading this book to think about the question that is posed to Lonnie and how you might answer the question yourself.  Would you be as selfless, open, and caring as Lonnie?

It is easy to become jaded in this world when we see people on the street begging for money since some are not in need and are just out for an easy buck.  But those that are truly homeless might just have an interesting tale to tell as I discovered in this book.  And it wasn’t just Lonnie’s story, but Lisa’s as well.  Her journey through life wasn’t easy but the thought to work with Lonnie to understand his story was genius.  I’m sure she is glad that she went through this effort over the four-year timeframe and that she learned much about Lonnie, his life, and his thoughts on life.  They say we should ask our parents for the family history before they pass away and that is just what Lisa did with her brother.  Now his life is here for us to understand and appreciate.

This book might open your eyes to those around you and that maybe there is more to the story than you could even imagine.

This book touched my heart in various ways and I am sure it will touch your heart too.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Johnson was born in Middletown, Ohio, at Middletown Hospital, where her brother, Lonnie, was born almost five years earlier. Two years after Lisa was born, they settled in Houston, Texas. In a couple more years, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Before Lisa started elementary school, they moved again, to Atlanta, Georgia. Lonnie was in fifth grade and was starting to misbehave in his classroom, not “applying himself.” A new first-grader, Lisa applied herself big time, and, once she got a taste of the praise and affirmation that came with high grades, she was hooked for life.

 

By the time Lisa was in junior high, they had moved again, to Topeka, Kansas, and as she started high school, they moved back to Houston.

 

Lisa went to college, Lonnie got married. Lisa got married, Lonnie’s daughter was born. Lonnie got divorced, Lisa got divorced. Lonnie’s daughter drowned in the bathtub. Lisa graduated from college, went to graduate school (where she got a good taste of misbehavior but lived through it). Lisa moved to Houston to mooch off their parents for a year or so. Lonnie remarried. Lisa moved to New York to teach at Queens College, CUNY, but soon found her dream job as a copywriter in a large New York ad agency.

 

Lonnie got divorced and disappeared onto the streets of Houston. Lisa moved to Atlanta. Their dad died. One Christmas Day, Lonnie and Lisa dreamed up an idea for a book. She started sending Lonnie questions on postcards, and he answered every one.

 

Lisa quit the advertising business to go to seminary — loved seminary, hated being a church-based chief executive officer. She returned to Houston, where their mom still lived. Lonnie died. Lisa found a job writing corporate stuff for a large oil-related company.

 

Then Lisa finished the book she and her brother had dreamed up: Postcards from Lonnie: How I Rediscovered My Brother on the Street Corner He Called Home.

 

 

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Signed copy of Postcards from Lonnie 

March 19-March 29, 2020

(US ONLY)

 

 

 

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