dancingpony

Rich Girl by Julie Mulhern

One secret. Two decades. And a body on the patio.

A whirlwind marriage to a French count who wanted her father's money more than he ever wanted her? It's a secret Libba has kept for twenty years.

She's never told anyone. Not even Ellison.

But secrets can be deadly — and this one is revealed with a knife in his side on Ellison's back patio.

Ghislain de Fevre is dead. Quite obviously murdered. And the police think Libba might have killed him.

The truth is tangled in two decades of lies, heartbreak, and unsigned divorce papers.

To clear her name, Libba will have to do something she's assiduously avoided — face the worst mistake of her life.

Fortunately, she has Ellison, a sharp lawyer, and a pitcher of martinis. Unfortunately, the killer isn't finished.

This is a newly published entry in Julie Mulhern’s The Country Club Murders series. The Country Club Murders should sound at least a little familiar to anyone who reads my reviews, since I re-read the entire series to date — twenty books — in 2025.

Challenge words: clash, freight, ostracise, pocket, tongue, understanding

Napoleon’s fists clenched in his trouser pockets. He hated seeing anyone ostracized unfairly, but his new partner deserved a hero’s welcome not bitter tongues and cold shoulders.

He glared at several of the worst offenders as the two agents made their way through the crowded corridors. The sling supporting Illya’s arm, courtesy of a clash with Thrush at the New York freight station, only made the attitude of their fellow UNCLE employees more despicable.

“Don’t let them upset you,” the Russian said, understanding the reason for the CEA’s ire. “They’ll become accustomed to having a godless communist in their midst.”

********

A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde

When nineteen-year-old Jill Moss goes missing near the Utah-Arizona border, everyone has an opinion. Only Norma Gallagher, a search and rescue volunteer, knows the real story.

Norma’s already found Jill, huddled in a cave and terrified that her abusive boyfriend, Jake, will kill her. If he ever sees her again. To protect Jill from a dangerous man, Norma quietly delivers the girl to her grateful parents in California, even though she’s conflicted. Keeping Jill safe and hidden from Jake, the press, and the public will be their secret. But secrets can’t last forever.

Five years later, the disappearance stirs a new media frenzy when Jake is arrested for the murder of Jill Moss—and Norma knows he didn’t kill her. As Jake is about to stand trial, lust for retribution inflames public opinion and Jill’s family refuses to come forward, forcing Norma to make a life-changing decision.

What are the consequences if she stays silent? And what are the risks if she dares to finally tell the truth?

The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island by Scott Dawson

For over 400 years, the mystery of Roanoke’s “Lost Colony” has puzzled historians and spawned conspiracies—until now. New discoveries link the lost colony of Roanoke to Hatteras Island The legend of the Lost Colony has been captivating imaginations for nearly a century. When they left Roanoke Island, where did they go? What is the meaning of the mysterious word Croatoan?

In the sixteenth century, Croatoan was the name of an island to the south now known as Hatteras. Scholars have long considered the island as one of the colonists’ possible destinations, but only recently has anyone set out to prove it. Archaeologists from the University of Bristol, working with local residents through the Croatoan Archaeological Society, have uncovered tantalizing clues to the fate of the colony. Hatteras native and amateur archaeologist Scott Dawson compiles what scholars know about the Lost Colony along with what scholars have found beneath the soil of Hatteras.

Challenge words: blow, convict, fish, imbibe, profuse, support

“A jury would never convict me, darling.” Angeique leaned into him provocatively. “There’s no evidence I was involved.”

“I know better,” he ground out, resisting the urge to blow away the platinum hair tickling his nose.

“Don’t be such a cold fish. You look like you’ve imbibed lemon juice, not my best cognac.” She ran a scarlet nail down his cheek. “All I’m asking is a little emotional support in exchange for betraying my employer.”

“My profuse apologies for my lack of chivalry.” He batted her hand away, curling his fingers around her throat. “Now tell me where Napoleon is.”

*******

No Place to Be Single  by Felicia Kingsley

Love and conflict come unexpectedly for old friends reuniting in Tuscany in a sparkling and witty romantic comedy about wine, second chances, and new horizons that has become a bestselling sensation in Italy.

In the lush Italian wine region of Chianti is the small town of Belvedere where nothing ever happens. Especially for single women.

So when financial investor Michael D’Arcy returns after sixteen years to claim his late grandfather’s estate, the handsome and eligible bachelor is in the crosshairs of every swooning mother, daughter, and sister in town. Save for vintner Elisa Benetti. Once Elisa’s cherished childhood friend, Michael has morphed into an arrogant, dismissive, money-mad businessman who only wants to settle his inheritance and hightail it back to London.

Where, behind that cold heart and those chiseled features, is the joyful boy Elisa used to know? Okay, true, she’s not quite the girl with wistful dreams that Michael remembers either. Funny how things change. Who knows? Maybe it’s not too late to fulfill old promises and get to know each other all over again. It could be an adventure in second chances that Elisa and Michael didn’t even realize they were looking for.

Challenge words: baby, bracket, detector, jump, pudding, spirit

“In the spirit of interagency cooperation, UNCLE has agreed to take temporary custody.” Waverly spun the tabletop, delivering a photo to his top agents.

“Which one, sir?” Kuryakin asked, studying the image through dark-framed glasses.

“The blond bracketed by brunets.” Waverly harrumphed. “He comes to us with a quite unnecessary warning not to be deceived by his small stature and pudding-faced appearance.”

“Similar to baby-faced in American slang, but more derogatory,” Kuryakin interpreted for his partner.

“Ah.” Solo nodded. “They’ve interrogated him?”

“A lie detector test was indeterminate. They’ve left further questioning to us, so let’s jump to it, gentlemen.”

.