Welcome to Litsy!

May issues of Real Simple have been read! April issues have been stashed away for…later. June issues are taunting me. #monthlymagazineblitz

I‘ll be donating these two little cat/yoga books. They‘re cute, but they can delight someone else now. Likewise the tagged book. It‘s the ninth book in a series I‘m just about to start, and I‘m sure that once I get that far I‘ll be able to find it in a public library or a bookstore. #readordonate

Book 70 of the year for me and I think I‘ve read almost all the Vera series by Ann cleeves def worth checking out. I want to watch the tv versions now the see how close they are to the books!

This was so long and boring, won‘t be buying Anne cleeves again

#serieslove2023
Another good outing with Vera. Don‘t think I‘ve ever guessed the murderer!
This is book 9 in the series and 10 has not long come out so I‘m nearly up to date.

I really enjoyed this book especially the characters- those we are already acquainted with but get to know better and the interesting group we are introduced to who surround the murder that Vera is trying to solve.

The 9th novel in Cleeve's Vera Stanhope series doesn't disappoint. In fact we see more character building for Holly, a member of Vera's team, than we have previously. We also get a glimpse into the shrouded past of Hector's (Vera's late father) family. It's a good book, but I did pick out the murderer at about halfway through, although I did get the method and motive wrong. You really can't go wrong with a Vera novel, really.

#cozy #ominousoctober @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

#maymoms #missing @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Another great Vera story. Now I‘m caught up wih the series until the new book comes out in the fall!

#ithadtobeyou #snowbound @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
I‘ve enjoyed this novel lots!

Em loves to snuggle!
Highly recommend book.Ingenious plot.Set in winter, with snow,winds,&intense cold.One scene when Vera is waiting with a dead body for the forensic team during the dead of night,in the dark,eerie forest,amidst piles of snow,exemplifies the bitter cold & darkness permeating the novel.We see Vera‘s vulnerability as she ponders Hector‘s legacy&new found family. So many to choose as murderer.Growth in Vera & Holly‘s relationship.

#coffeeandbooks #cuptour

One of our family road trips we took one summer was to Hersey, Amish country, & Gettysburg.My dad was a history buff, so most of our trips centered on historic sites. All 10 of us piled in our Country Squire station wagon and hit the road. We read, played road games(a favorite seeing who could find state license plates first),sang,squabbled.When I get together with my sibs we still share our vivid memories of our trips.

Settling in on this cold night with a little boost from Irish Creme, and Ann Cleeves. It‘s 8 degrees at the moment. Fun fact: it is just 30 degrees where my brother lives in Kenai, Alaska.
#joyousjanuary #readathon #day1

#coffeeandbooks #mugtour

While not a mug, this tea cup is reminiscent of my mother. So many mornings drinking coffee together. Sometimes tea in the afternoon. Sometimes just us; sometimes with others. Times of conversation, times of quiet. Times of laughter; times of tears. Thousands of memories in just one cup.

The kitties just had to join in.

Not the darkest evening but the coldest…11 degrees now; going down to 5 degrees while I sleep. Winter has finally come…
Starting this library book.

#falltreasures #slowburn @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
This is a slow burn kinda book for me.

A brilliant book by a brilliant author. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

While this is the ninth in the series, The Darkest Evening, is a fine stand alone novel. This is an enjoyable read that checks all the categories of an engaging crime novel.
I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheDarkestEvening

If you haven‘t read Ann Cleeves, you really need to, especially if you love atmospheric, well-plotted and character driven mysteries. I‘ve read the entire Shetland series as well as the first in her newest series, The Long Call. I‘ve watched every episode of the BBC series Shetland and Vera. However, this is my first Vera book. What an idiot I am, it‘s excellent! Believe me, I‘ll be reading the Vera backlist posthaste!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Over the last few months I‘ve devoured all of Ann Cleeves‘s books: all 8 Shetland novels, 8 of the Vera Stanhope novels, and the first in her new series. I‘m halfway through the latest Vera, #9. The audiobooks of all are excellent!

This was the first time I read a Vera book. I loved her Shetland series. I liked this one, this involves some of Vera's distant relatives and of course murder. Vera is such a great character and of course in the tv show which I also watch, she is brought to life brillianty. #crimebooks

I liked this police procedural which is the 9th centering on detective Vera Stanhope. I‘m intrigued enough to go back and read more about Vera. I had no idea who the killer was, so the author did a good job. It‘s a British novel, and one aspect I started to wonder about. Everywhere the police go, all day, they are offered tea or coffee. I know England has tea in the afternoon but it started to feel excessive. Odd observation 🤣 #petsoflitsy #dogs

Another good read from Ann Cleeves. I love that I can hear the TV Vera as I read. A gentle well written murder mystery. #2020joybooks
@MrsMalaprop

Peter May and Ann Cleeves at Bloody Scotland. Until the sound got dodgy this was a very interesting discussion.

And miles to go before I sleep.

Thanks to Netgalley for this enthralling read! I‘ve enjoyed the story and midway I realised I‘ve been guessing ‘who did it?‘ Incessantly😅 How annoyed I was when it turns out to be the one person I never thought of! It did reminded me of Agatha Christie‘s style of writing but this one is more detailed. I liked Vera‘s persona and honesty😊

Very much enjoyed the latest Vera Stanhope novel by Ann Cleeves. The ninth book in the series, it has a bit more about Veras back story & her estranged family. It follows a very “Dame Agatha” type storyline with a snowy ancestral home, a dead body & an abandoned child with lots of false leads & red herrings laid along the way. I‘m just stoked to get some reading done, I‘m having some Reno‘s done which has slowed gardening & boosted reading time!

This book started out strong. It had great potential and was a somewhat good story. I had a few problems though. 3/5 stars

Full review here: https://lsmoore49.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-darkest-evening-by-ann-cleeves.html

9th book of Vera series. Ann Cleeves‘ books are very hard-to-solve mysteries. Works as a standalone but start with book 1 and get to know the characters. Vera finds a toddler in a car. Brockburn is nearby. It is the home where her father, Hector, grew up. A woman‘s body is also found on the grounds. Brockburn holds many secrets from the past. Plot fast-paced, characters believable. Holly is my favorite. Looking forward to the next book. recommend.