Haunt Sweet Home

At twenty-something Mara’s parents have put some pressure on her to return to college. Currently working as a barista and helping her cousin manage a small apartment complex is not exactly her life’s dream but she has no idea what is. Born into a large close knit family full of talented artists and musicians Mara, the youngest, often feels completely left out in the cold. One day her cousin Jeremy offers her a job as a production assistant on the hit reality show he currently hosts called Haunt Sweet Home. Mara figures she has nothing to lose and accepts. Given she will be the lowest worker on the totem pole, Mara is the yes girl for whatever anyone needs on the night shift. As they choose old creepy Victorian homes with brand new owners about to renovate, it is not difficult to place some eerie sounds and fog late at night sending the contestants into panic mode. Mara is often so tired she can barely keep her eyes open, often confusing her surroundings with some of the special effects. Then she meets Jo. And suddenly there is an extremely fine line between the ghosts and reality. Sparking fear and curiosity, the idea of spirits lingering among us captures the imagination. This spooky supernatural novella is perfect for the Halloween season. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Chicken Sisters

It has taken Mae Moore six long years to reinvent herself. Here she is, in Brooklyn, with two gorgeous children and a successful husband, Jay. She is a self made organizational guru working on reality tv and doing well with her first book. But down in Merinac, Kansas her mother’s restaurant Chicken Mimi’s desperately needs her. Or at least they need her conniving manipulating determination. Apparently her sister Amanda, who works for Chicken Frannie’s, their arched enemy, applied to be a contestant on Food Wars. This uber popular food competition has a prize worth $100,000. Both chicken restaurants are badly in need of the cash. Mimi’s and Frannie’s have been competing for decades but when Amanda switches teams and shockingly marries the son, Frank Pogociello - it was the straw that broke the chicken’s back. Mae escaped this small town and never looked back. Well, now her mother desperately needs her help and frankly she is still furious at Amanda. It doesn’t take long for the conniving producer to pit the sisters against each other spilling recipes, lies and deep dark secrets. The whole town gets swept up in the rivalry, battling to crown the best restaurant. But in the end, it all comes down to a fairly simple choice and the sisters must figure out what matters more to them — family or fowl! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Poisonous Palate

One day Hayley Snow, our favorite Key Zest Food Critic/Amateur Sleuth receives an email from a woman named Catherine Davitt. She is in town writing a novel about Hemingway’s toxic love affairs. But Catherine has another motive, she has never given up on finding out what happened to her friend in the late 1970’s. The two young women had come down to the Keys seeking freedom and adventure. They wound up joining an eclectic group camping out in Big Pine. When the beautiful Veronica went missing the group dispersed and for decades Catherine has longed for answers to her friend’s supposed disappearance. We all know that Hayley Snow cannot resist a good mystery. Together with her faithful and funny sidekick, Miss Gloria, and against her husband’s better judgement, the detective work begins. The women start by tracking down Catherine’s old group of friends, researching records at the Sheriff’s department and generally being an excellent pair of nosey bodies extracting alibis from an array of dubious characters. As the unlikely secrets begin to unravel, the cold case looks more and more like murder. Fabulous local author Lucy Burdette serves up another cozy mystery that will leave you hungry for more—Key West has never tasted so deadly! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Trade Off

Bea has always been a standout, a genius with numbers who consistently topped her class. With a mind that effortlessly calculates and visualizes patterns, she excelled in the stock market like it was second nature. After attending Hunter college most women were getting married but Bea dreamed of becoming a stock broker. In the 1920’s women didn’t work on Wall Street and even though Bea was more than qualified the banks shunned her. Weaseling her way into a position in the wire room Bea was convinced she could prove her value. But the Abramovitz family was struggling. Living in the Lower East Side with her immigrant parents and twin brother was not easy. While her father managed a fruit and vegetable cart, her charming brother was a handful. Bea was expected to marry and stop this silly nonsense of a career. But she loved the rollercoaster ride of the fast paced market and it didn’t take long for the men at the bank to depend on her skills. Unfortunately, the promotion she never appeared. Bea would always be poor and a woman with no connections. As she watched the rich get richer, the poor continued to struggle. All Bea ever wanted was to help her father establish his own grocery and give her mother a bit of the glamour she left behind in Russia. It didn’t take long for Bea and Jake to come up with a plan. He could easily slide into the banking world with Bea as his secretary. She would funnel information making him an instant superstar. As Jake’s career soared, their wealth grew beyond anything their family had ever imagined. Yet Bea never stopped seeing the patterns. In 1929, what she foresaw was catastrophe—but who would listen to a woman? This masterful work of historical fiction transports readers to another era with a richly developed cast of characters, intriguing stock market history, and plenty of family drama. A must-read for fall! Highly recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

That Librarian

Amanda Jones is a librarian in a small town located in Louisiana. Raised in this parish, Amanda and her family go to church every week, look out for their neighbors and always have the best interest of community at heart. Amanda has worked at the local middle school and currently as the school librarian. She is passionate about books and how they expand and affect everyones lives from the moment you learn to read. In 2022, Amanda decided to attend a local hearing where “book content” was on the agenda. She knew from the sensationalized media that this was a key word for certain groups aiming to censor book collections and restrict availability to the public. Amanda prepared a short statement on the value of a diverse collection and the processes already in place when material is challenged. There were some unfamiliar faces at that meeting. Looking back she learned a small group strategically seated and vocal were not even members of their community nor did they have children attending the schools or libraries later attacked. It was only after Amanda’s personal Facebook page blew up with derogatory lies and dangerous slander that she realized this group was political. Their motives were carefully hidden and the welfare of the local children was the least of their concern. An educator, not an activist, Amanda’s entire reputation was destroyed. With alarming speed and accuracy, Amanda became the target of a viscous movement aimed at censorship and banning books. Without going through the normal measures this group put pressure on the system by placing a target on the librarian’s back. Emotional, harmful and terrifying these women and men, most of whom have a masters degree in library science have been quieted. Part memoir and manifesto, Amanda stands strong, gaining allies across the nation and opening our eyes to the current socio-political climate regarding books in America. Both informative and inspiring, banning books is just another form of bullying. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What Does It Feel Like?

Five kids is a lot, but Eve is lucky to have a wonderful husband who shares the work, allowing her the flexibility needed to write. As an award winning novelist Eve often imagines her life is simply too good to be true. Until one day she awakens in the hospital feeling very confused. With Nick at her bedside Eve can barely form the words floating through her mind. Slowly she learns that she has survived an intensive eight hour brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor, stage 4 glioblastoma. As Eve struggles to put her life back together she endures endless hours of therapy relearning basic tasks while her short term memory damage leaves her repeating the same questions over and over. Determined to fully get her life back, Eve remains hopeful, accepting help from her support team of professionals, family and friends. Learning to manage endless physical difficulties while suffering the emotional rollercoaster of cancer, Eve lives honestly and openly, accepting every moment as a blessing. Normally an author of light, fun comedies, this autobiographical fiction is quite different for author Sophie Kinsella, a beautiful soul who remains positive, gracefully sharing the most terrifying story of her life. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Here We Are

The Shahani’s came to the U.S. with three young children. Having left India long ago, they lived in many countries and spoke multiple languages. The children were born in Morocco, next stop Queens, New York, a melting pot within a melting pot. With little savings her parents would do any work necessary to give their children a better future. Their green cards were slow to arrive but as this was the early 1980’s, not impossible. Her capable, intelligent father found himself with menial labor jobs while her mother sewed and got involved in their small, diverse community. As they settled in, so did Aarti. She had the great fortune and obvious intelligence to be plucked out of public school and enter the world of Brearley, an all girls academy on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Through high school Aarti, a scholarship student, met the type of girls she only saw on television. They had country homes, walk in closets and vacationed around the world. They were polite and well spoken, only the best would do. But she also realized the racism that existed was on a whole different level. Her skin would always be darker, her family poor. The Shahani’s moved to a home in NJ. Her father was running an electronics business with moderate success. They would have a yard and a dog, the American dream. Until it wasn’t. Aarti’s father was unknowingly implicated in a criminal investigation regarding money laundering of one of his customers. Embarrassed and with little understanding of the U.S. justice system he and his brother made a deal that would become the crux of their lives, affecting every member of their close knit family. With deep respect and affection, Aarti becomes their voice and leader. Learning that justice is not always just - even at the highest levels - she becomes an activist battling the systemic inequities throughout the U.S. immigration system. As hard and complicated as things become for her father,  Aarti never leaves his side, searching for a place he can finally call home. I could not put down this beautifully written memoir of a plucky, tenacious young woman who would do whatever it took keep her family together. Today Aarti Shahani is an award winning journalist at NPR. There is no doubt her father would be achingly proud. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Christmas with the Queen

No-one expected young Elizabeth to be the monarch so soon. But when her beloved father King George VI unexpectedly passes away, she becomes a 25 year old queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries. With Philip by her side she raises four children and lifts England out of the ashes of war. Her father’s famous Christmas Day speech must be given and the normally calm, assured Queen is a bundle of nerves. Christmas at Sandringham House is decorated to the nines and a few privileged journalists are invited to report on the royal holidays. Young Olive Carter has the opportunity of a lifetime. Her long standing nemesis has fallen ill and she will cover the events at the palace. Ready to make a name for herself and become more journalist than a secretary, Olive’s gregarious persona and a little luck set her directly in the Queen’s path. Meanwhile, the royal chefs are busy preparing a feast when Olive stumbles upon handsome Jack. Even though many years have passed these old friends still carry undeniable chemistry. Both in the middle of their own personal difficulties, Olive and Jack slowly rekindle their friendship while Olive remains tortured by the burning secret she carries. As these two worlds collide Olive and Jack consider their flourishing careers and discover new hope for the future.  Absolutely recommend this perfect holiday treat! ⭐⭐⭐⭐