My Review of “Tarnished Remains”, second book in Pat Jager’s “Shandra Higheagle Mysteries"

I just finished “Tarnished Remains”, second book in Paty Jager’s “Shandra Higheagle Mysteries”. A Big 5 Stars!
This story is a murder mystery set in Idaho on Shandra Higheagle’s farm. Shandra grew up with little memory of her father who died in an accident when she was a small child. Thanks to her grandmother she grew up understanding her Native American heritage. This is a part of the story I really liked, after her grandmother’s death, her grandmother still visited Shandra in her dreams. Shandra accepted that she dreamed of her grandmother and the visits seem to help her through the rough patches in her life, which includes solving murder mysteries, but she still feels the visits are actually her mind‘s own way of working through the issues.

Well, it seems Shandra has a knack for finding dead bodies. In Tarnished Remains Shandra unearths a body while digging on her own property to retrieve the clay needed to fashion her pottery. Can you imagine just digging away in your garden and unearthing an old boot with the foot still in it?! 

Detective Ryan Greer is the first person to come to her mind as the person to call. If you haven’t read book one in the series, she and the detective worked together before. Shandra was his main suspect in book one. This is mentioned in book two and flows with the story. Tarnished Remains is a complete story and stands on its own. So don’t worry if you haven’t read book one, it is not necessary to understand the second book.

Tarnished Remains kept me on my toes. Just when I thought I knew who the murderer was, I changed my mind. I just loved the small town atmosphere and all the corky people living there. I reminded me of the small town I grew up near and went to school in. I swear, everyone in this book looked at least a little guilty at some part of the story. It had me guessing till the very end and when the true culprit was revealed it made perfect sense.

I give Tarnished Remains 5 stars. It is a small town murder mystery with a hint of budding true love. There is also the dream visiting grandmother, I always love a touch of super natural, a big, lovable, and a scared of his own shadow dog, I have one of those and I Love her, Love her, Love her! A mysterious Crazy Lil, and there are corky, cranky townsfolk. What else could you ask for? I loved it.

It is a stand alone story so you don’t have to read them in sequence, but if you haven’t read book one it would be great fun to read it first.


Pick up your copy here!
http://www.amazon.com/Tarnished-Remains-Shandra-Higheagle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00T83F3XE/ref

McClintock’s Reluctant Bride by Caroline Clemmons

A delightful story of growing trust and love. I give McClintock’s Reluctant Bride 5 Stars

 

This is a heart-warming story. McClintock’s Reluctant Bride is book 3 in the McClintock series and is every bit as good as the books before. I love Ms Clemmons’ attention to detail and historical accuracy. The characters are well developed, the storyline well-plotted, and the ending totally satisfying.

The story opens with handsome rabble-rouser, Josh McClintock, celebrating his 24th birthday with family and friends.  Josh is a son of the successful McClintock ranching family. He is handsome, rich and self-assured. He suffers no loss when it comes to finding feminine companionship whenever he wants it. Everything is going his way. That is until he wakes up, half dressed, and being dragged out from under the bed of beautiful Nettie Clayton. In a drunken stupor he had mistaken her house for another, left his horse in plain sight in the front yard, climbed up to the second floor, crawled into Nettie Clayton’s window and onto her bed! Worse, when he wakes he is staring up at her extremely angry father. 

Yep, you guessed it, shotgun wedding, loss of freedom to carouse and basically live the ideal life of the most eligible bachelor in town. However, not all is lost. Nettie Clayton may be high-tempered and demanding, but she is also unquestionably beautiful. 

Nettie Clayton’s life is finally coming together.  Her family no longer lives in the coal mining town of Lignite, Texas. They now lived in McClintock Falls where her parents live in a modest, but beautiful home and her brother is free of the expectation of a lifetime of working coal underground. Nettie looks forward to her new position as a teacher in the local school. All is right with her world, or that was what she thought before Josh McClintock climbed into her room through a window and then passed out on her bed.

A delightful story of growing trust and love. I give McClintock’s Reluctant Bride 5 Stars

Amazon http://amzn.com/B011LGDP8U

Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B011LGDP8U

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011LGDP8U

Amazon in Deutschland  http://www.amazon.de/dp/B011LGDP8U

Amazon Australia http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B011LGDP8U

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mcclintocks-reluctant-bride-caroline-clemmons/1122296093;jsessionid=55F2EC55DF788F41BD04EB496DE920AD.prodny_store03-5?ean=2940152252132

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/mcclintock-s-reluctant-bride

Google Play Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Caroline_Clemmons_McClintock_s_Reluctant_Bride?id=fNsoCgAAQBAJ&hl=en

Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1019315302

Charm: An Amazing Story of a Little Black Cat by Leyla Atke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charm: An Amazing Story of a Little Black Cat
This is an emotional story about a beloved pet. Love and loss and healing are lessons we all must learn. This story covers all three in a way that any child or adult can appreciate. I am impressed by the way Leyla Atke expressed the painful feeling of sadness, loss and guilt to finally acceptance and forgiveness and then love for a new pet. The loss of beloved pets is something every child and parent must face. This touching story can help in the process of acceptance and recovery.

Pick up you copy at Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/Charm-Amazing-Story-Little-Black-ebook/dp/B00NL7Z63K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr&qid



View all my reviews

My Review of Winter Bride by Caroline Clemmons

Winter Bride is Caroline Clemmon’s latest addition to her Stone Mountain Texas Series. I read this book in one sitting. Winter Bride is not a short story, it is just that absorbing! I could not put it down!
Winter Bride (Stone Mountain, Texas)

The story opens with Sheriff Butch Parrish rushing to the livery to save a woman from a brutal beating by her husband. Her husband is gone by the time Butch arrives to find a gruesomely battered Glenna Tucker.
Despite the poor woman’s seriously injured condition, she manages to tell him her husband is likely on his way home where her sister and children are trapped with no transportation and without food. She begs the sheriff to help them.
Sheriff Parrish packs supplies and hurries out to the small farm the family is leasing from Zach Stone.
If you have read the Men of Stone Mountain stories, you will remember handsome Zach Stone from Book Two.
HIGH STAKES BRIDE (A Stone Mountain Texas Book 2)

Okay… I digress! Back to the story.

 The sheriff is unable to track down the scoundrel on his way to the farmhouse and is shot by the villain. In spite of his injuries, he does rescue Glenna Tucker’s sister, Kendra, eight-year-old Caleb, and his two younger sisters, Mittie, and Abby. Every man in Kendra’s life has been no better than her brother-in-law. This lack of fatherly support, though it molded her into a strong, dependable, independent woman, sadly also caused her to have a distrust for all men.

Kendra loves her nieces and nephew and is determined she will open her own business and provide for her family. Her fear is her brother-in-law will return to steal away his son and murder anyone standing in his way.

Sheriff Parrish is there to give her the support she needs and unbidden her trust for the handsome sheriff grows. Butch Parrish still mourns the loss of his wife. He is not ready to love again. Yet the three children touch a place in his heart that he cannot ignore and his attraction to Kendra is simply undeniable. As he supports Kendra in purchasing a business and home for her family as well as watching over the family’s well-being and keeping the peace in town, his admiration and love for her grows. I do not want to put in any spoilers, but I do have to say if you enjoy Caroline’s books, you will love this one. Ms. Clemmon’s writing style is unmistakable. Her stories are filled with a love and warmth that leaves you running to Amazon to look for more of her work, and there are many to choose from. Author Caroline Clemmons knocked another one out of the park with Winter Bride. This story is filled with personal growth, budding love and the hometown and family interaction that I so enjoy in her books. I would give Winter Bride an easy 5 Stars.