The Shadow Hunter

The Shadow Hunter (Abby Sinclair and Tess McCallum Series) by Michael Prescott

So I was first introduced to this series when I picked up a copy of Next Victim at a library book sale.

It’s been a while since I read and before I look at it again I decided it was time that I started the series from the beginning.

So the first thing that surprised me about this book is that it is all about freelance security consultant, Abby Sinclair.

There is no FBI Agent Tess McCallum, the protagonist from Next Victim.

Looking at Goodreads, it looks as if the two meet up in later books so maybe the first two are introductory novels to the characters? Or two books that were combined to create a series. I guess I’ll have to do some research.

So the book starts out with a flashback. Abby’s firm has a different way of going about protecting their client from stalkers and other potential threats. Instead of being around the client, she instead places herself in the perpetrator’s world: befriending the stalker/threat, living next to them, discovering their secrets, and judging whether they are actually going to act on their fantasy or whether it is just bluster.

Abby has been assisting a case on a case of a famous rock singer. To her chagrin, he won’t listen and remain in seclusion, but insists on going to a club.

Of course his stalker followed and were she goes Abby does too.

After many drinks, Abby leaves to conduct standard protocol and notify her team that they should come in, the stalker is nearing red light warning status. But as she is making the call, the stalker kills the client.

It’s been a year later and that incident has caused trouble for many. Abby left the firm, and the firm has suffered from bad press. The once flourishing company has been culled back to the barest of bones.

But Paul Travis, head of the company, is a forgiving guy and calls Abby back in to help with a new case. Abby is eager to help as she feels horrible and guilty for not only being unable to save the rock star, but for damaging her boss/”boyfriend”‘s business.

The new client is the beautiful news anchor, Kris Barwood. Kris was the only one to not blame the company for the death of the rock star, so Travis and Abby are in some real pressure to do right on this. If they succeed in stopping her stalker, it could set everything right. But if they fail, completely demolish them both.

Kris’ husband doesn’t believe in Travis’ company and thinks they should finds someone else to assist them. Kris, however, chooses to ignore him as she no longer trusts her husband, knowing that he is out cheating on her with younger women.

Kris has been stalked by Raymond Hickle. Everyday he grows more and more intent on reaching Kris and killing her. While he starts planning, a new neighbor moves in: Abby Sinclair.

Abby begins working on Raymond and his apartment, getting closer and closer to him. Just as she has made incredible progress, Raymond receives a note from his partner. Yes, it seems that someone anonymous wants Kris dead and is using Hickle to get rid of her.

This partner has just let Raymond know the truth about Abby, and put her life in danger.

Who is this mysterious person? Which of the people in Kris’ life are trying to kill her? And will Abby make it out?

Thoughts After Reading:

I thought this book was pretty good.

It was a tough crime novel that gave an interesting perspective into stalkers’ minds.

I liked the character of Abby, although at times she was a little dense at judging people. Choosing to trust the untrusty over the worthy, but then again that’s is pretty realistic.

I thought the the twist ending of who Hickle’s partner was, was done excellently.

It is obvious who it is, but Prescott did a wonderful job at smoke screening it so that you thought it was another or doubted you judgement.

I give it three out of five stars

***Spoiler Warning***

 

The only thing I really didn’t like was how Abby could not see that Paul was the bad guy. The way he acted so closed off, his emotions/personality; how could she not tell that he hated her and wanted him gone.

I knew it was him.

I didn’t put the pieces together why he wanted Kris dead and thought that was a great twist. And the way he set the husband up? Excellently planned for his character.

For more stalkers, go to The Postman Always Purls Twice

For more undercover tales, go to A Change of Fortune

For more mysteries, go to Bake Until Golden

 

Chicken Cashew Wrap

Gung Hay Fat Choy or Happy Chinese New Year!

Today marks the new year, the year of the Rooster. Roosters are trustworthy, with a strong sense of timekeeping and responsibility at work. Some famous Roosters are Donny Osmond, Dolph Lundgren, and Jennifer Lopez. Roosters are best with Oxen and Snakes; but should avoid Rats, Rabbits, Horses, and Pigs.

In honor of this being the year of the Rooster, I have decided what better way than to have a chicken recipe.

Thoughts Before Cooking:

This recipe is from Bake Until Golden, the wraps Lisa Leann makes when they are in a hurry to get to the airport. I’ve never made wraps before, but have always wanted to try, so I give this a look.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/4 Cup of Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons of Honey Mustard
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
•  A dash of Pepper

Meat Mixture:

• 1.5 Cups of Chicken
• 1 Cup of Celery, Chopped
• 1/4 cup of Cashews, Chopped
• Flour tortillas (I used wheat)
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/8 cup of Onion, Chopped

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, create the dressing by stirring the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. Next: add the chicken, celery, cashews, and onion to the dressing.
3. Stir well.
4. Warm the tortillas on the stove.
5. Scoop some of the chicken mixture into the tortilla.
6. Sprinkle cheese on top.
7. Roll it up like a burrito.

Thoughts After Cooking:

These were really good! I had a hard time stopping:

I like making them in the morning or night before and taking them to work with me.

For more Potluck Catering Club recipes, go to Happy Trail Mix

For more Chicken recipes, go to Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

For more “sandwiches”, go to Ham and Cheese Monte Cristos

For more Holidays, go to Potato Chip Omelet

For more recipes, go to C is for Chocolate Oat Crackles

Bake Until Golden

Bake Until Golden (The Potluck Catering Club #3) by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson

In the third installment of the Potluck caterers the women are flying high from their win; being interviewed everywhere and treated like royalty.

They also are excited about the improvements being made to the church and the anniversary that they will be catering. But as life always does, they find that things do not go as planned.

Jack has been doing well since he had his surgery, but when Goldie returns from a TV interview, she finds him dead. Poor Goldie is heartbroken at the loss, and even more dismayed when she discovers a birth certificate stating that Jack has a son with someone else.

Donna has decided that she needs to leave the past in the past and dumps Wade, dating David exclusively. When David shares that his friend Bobbie is coming to town, Donna is excited to meet him; that is until it turns out to be a her and David’s ex-fiancé.

Lizzie, the high school librarian, is working with  group of kids after school to create a play for the anniversary of Founder’s Day. As they start researching the event and the minister; they also have the story of the hidden gold in mind. They start looking into it and trying their hand at solving the mystery.

Meanwhile, Donna’s mother Doreen, who left her when she was four and returned last year, has been drinking again and caused a scene knocking Evangeline over. Evangeline goes to talk to her later and tries and convince her to go to rehab. Doreen starts yelling at first but calms down and says she will think about the idea.

The next day Doreen is found dead

And Evangeline is accused of the murder,

Donna being the one anxious to strap her in chains.

When she is arrested and arraigned for the murder, Evangeline finds herself praying for help and proof of her innocence.

Vonnie is horrified at what happened with the reveal of Bobbie and that such a horrible girl is after David. She tries to be there for Donna, as ever since Doreen’s leaving, Vonnnie has been a surrogate mother. But then one day Vonnie is going to market to pick up one item, and leaves her dog in the car. When she returns she finds him missing!

Later Vonnie receives a ransom note that is actually a trap to kidnap her. Why would anyone want the dog or Vonnie?

Lisa Leann and Henry are still having issues, despite his proposal to renew their vows.

When their son-in-law is injured in Egypt, their daughter goes out of the country leaving her baby with Lisa and Henry. They care for their grand baby and try to help with everything that is going on. Then a person breaks into Lisa’s bridal shop.

When the potluckers start looking into why, they discover that the shop is connected to the old legend of the missing gold.

WHAT!

Donna and the crew find themselves in the middle of a triple mystery. Who really killed Doreen? Who is trying to kidnap Vonnie? And where is the gold? And how is this all connected?

Thoughts After Reading:

For me this is the weakest of the series all because of one person, Donna.

I really liked Donna in the other books, but in this one I found her annoying. She was horrible to Evangeline, acting like a five-year-old girl instead of a grown woman.

I also thought it was incredibly stupid how she instantly wanted to arrest her. Seriously, Donna why would she do it? No motive at all. She has nothing to gain from Doreen’s death and there is nothing that Doreen could do to make Evangeline be in a terrible rage; it made no sense at all.

The gold was a little thrown out of left field, but I like the characters and enjoy reading about them.

For more on Potluck Catering Club, go to A Taste of Fame

For more catering mysteries, go to Catering to Nobody

For more Christian books, go to The Oath

For more book reviews, go to C is for Corpse

Ham and Cheese Monte Cristos

Thoughts Before Cooking:

I received this book as a Christmas present one year and was astounded at all the things you could make with Kellogg’s products.

I had heard of Monte Cristos before, but they always had jelly and cheese which sounds really gross to me.

This was jelly free so I thought I would test it out and see.

Ingredients:

• 5 Cups of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
• 3 Large Egg Whites
• 3/4 Cup of Fat-Free Milk
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt, or to Taste
• 12 Slices of Day Old White or Wheat Bread
• Approximately 1/4 Cup of Dijon Mustard, or to Taste
• 6 Medium Thick Slices of Smoked Ham
• 6 Medium Thick Slices of Swiss, American, or Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon of Butter (Melted) or Olive Oil
• Butter or Nonstick Cooking Spray

Directions:

1. Place the Rice Krispies in a resealable bag. Seal the bag, and using a rolling pin, lightly crush the cereal to make a medium crumb.
2. Open the bag and measure the crumbs, there should be 2 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
5. Place the egg whites, milk, and salt in a shallow bowl. Using a whisk, beat until foamy.
6. Place the six slices of bread on a flat surface. Using a spatula, coat the bread with mustard-as thin or as thick as you like.
7. Place a piece of ham and then a slice of cheese on top of each piece. Top with remaining slice of bread.
8. Working with one at a time, dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Quickly press each side into the crumbs, pressing down to insure that the crumbs adhere to the bread.
9. Place the coated sandwiches in the prepared baking pan. When all the sandwiches are in the pan, give a light drizzle of melted butter, or olive oil, to each one.
10. Bake in the preheated oven, without turning for about 15 mins, or until crisp and golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven and serve with additional mustard if desired.

Thoughts After Cooking:

I loved it.

It was just delicious!

For more Rice Krispies recipes, go to Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Banana

For more recipes, go to C is for Chocolate Oat Crackles

The Oath

The Oath by Frank Peretti

Thoughts Before Reading:

I am a huge fan of Frank Peretti, and this book was just another in a long line of greats. I started reading it and couldn’t stop, it was phenomenal.

Plot Synopsis:

Steven Benson heads to Hyde’s Peak to research what killed his younger brother Cliff.

A biologist, specializing in bears, he at first believes it to be a rogue grizzly. That is until he catches the bear and finds no evidence that it killed his brother.

In fact, when he sent the saliva found in the few remaining pieces of his brother, they discovered the attacker was reptilian.

WHAT!

Deeply intrigued, but in a town where all have taken an oath of silence, Steve is determined to find out who or what killed his brother.

He teams up with the hot deputy, Tracey,

Smirkity smirk smirk

and finds himself relying more and more on the town crank, Levi, a man convinced this beast or creature is not physical but spiritual.

Thoughts After Reading:

This book was unbelievably amazing.

I became so entranced with it:

From my sister blog JaneAustenRunsMyLife.wordpress.com

Peretti is just a master!

 

For more Christian mysteries, go to A Taste of Fame

For more not in a series mysteries, go to Death Comes to Pemberley

For more Bible Verses, go to The Harlot’s Tale

C is for Chocolate Oat Crackles

I know today is scary

But don’t worry, I got this.

Check out my sister blog, JaneAustenRunsMyLife.wordpress.com

Thoughts Before Cooking:

So my niece was learning about Japan and wanted to cook some Japanese food. She’s extremely picky so I had a hard time finding something she would enjoy.

Looks like we just caught a break.

I finally found this recipe from thedailyenglishshow and thought that with its chocolatey-ness it should be a hit.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Rolled Oats
• 1/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Cup of Oil
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 1 Cup of Milk or Soymilk

Directions:

1. Mix the oats and cocoa powder.
2. Heat the oil, sugar, and milk or soymilk.
3. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for two minutes.
4. Add the liquid to the oats.
5. Roll into balls or place in tupperware and when cool, cut into squares.

Thoughts After Cooking:

This wasn’t that good.

The mixture never hardened it was always damp and tasted weird.

I don’t know what went wrong.

For more chocolate-y recipes, go to Orange Chocolate Cake

For more desserts, go to Pumpkin Spice Cake

For more Friday the 13th recipes, go to Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups

For more oat recipes, go to No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

C is for Corpse

C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone #3) by Sue Grafton

Thoughts Before Reading:

I love my mysteries to challenge me, I love it when an author has completely bamboozled me. The truth being there the whole time, but I was too busy following a red herring to figure it out.

Now if a book cannot surprise me, they must bring my admiration instead through their amazing characters.

This book falls into the second category.

In this book I figured out very quickly who the murderer was, but I didn’t care. I liked Kinsey Millhone and I so enjoyed these writings of Grafton that I continued reading all the way to X.

Plot Synopsis:

So in this book, Kinsey is still recovering from the events that occurred in B is for Burglar. Part of her physical therapy and improvement is going to gym and working on her arm.

One day she meets a young man in his ’20s, Bobby Callahan. Bobby was in a horrible accident; being covered in scars, and his face and body misshaped. He tells Kinsey that he doesn’t remember anything that happened in that time period. However, he does have this feeling of urgency that he knew something and someone was after him. He believes the car accident was an attempt on his life.

He and Kinsey become friends and he hires her to investigate, doing a retrograde crime with very little to go on.

Kinsey begins and meets his family; a stepsister who is a drug addict, anorexic, and probably has a ton of other issues;

a stepfather that doesn’t know how to father and is bland;

and his mother, a real powerhouse but also control freak.

Three days later Bobby is dead.

Split on whether accident or suicide, Kinsey becomes even more intent on searching for the murderer and to bring justice to Bobby.

Thoughts After Reading

*Contains Spoilers*

So I thought this was well written, but was really sad.

I loved Bobby. I hate when authors introduce such great characters but then kill them off. Lillian Jackson Braun is another writer that always seems to do that. They just love breaking our hearts.

I also thought that Kinsey was a little slow on the ball here. If we know the woman who was having an affair with Bobby’s secret, it being that she and her lover killed her previous husband; hid it to look like a burglary, and he is now threatening to expose the gun used with her fingerprints: well then, I think it is safe to assume that as she remarried, she probably married her lover of the time.

And as that lover is her husband, then you shouldn’t trust the husband.

I still enjoyed the book though and think it is a great read.

For more Kinsey Millhone mysteries, go to B is for Burglar

For more mysteries with female private investigators, go to Snagged

For more mysteries with female private investigators, go to  A Study in Scarlet

For more mysteries involving mysterious car accidents, go to Cape May Court House: A Death in the Night

Arugula Salad with Olive Oil, Lemon, and Parmesan Cheese

Thoughts Before Cooking:

So Sunday I posted that recipe Potato Chip Omelet, well in the article I cut the recipe from it said to serve the omelet with a baguette and an arugula salad. I had never made an arugula salad, so I went searching on Pinterest and found Arugula Salad with Olive Oil, Lemon, and Parmesan Cheese from Tyler Florence on Food Network.com

It sounded easy and I had all the ingredients, so I thought I would make it.

Ingredients:

• 2 Bunches of Arugula, washed & dried
• 1/4 Cup of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Lemon, Juiced
• Sal
• Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. In a serving bowl, drizzle the arugula with the olive oil.
2. Squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Shave thin slices of Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top.
4. Serve.

Thoughts After Reading:

You know what, I realize that I don’t like arugula.

I don’t care how much Vincent ‘Vinnie’ Antonelli (Steve Martin) likes it.

I think it is gross.

I mean the salad tasted good except the arugula, It is just not my favorite vegetable.

For more Pinterest recipes, go to Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Banana

For more salads, go to Caesar Salad

For more arugula, go to Arugula-Walnut Pesto

For more Food Network recipes, go to Orange Chocolate Cake

For more low calorie dishes, go to Lemon Scones

For more vegetarian recipes, go to Orecchiette with Red Onions, Almonds, and Green Bell Pepper

For more recipes, go to B is for Blueberry Smoothie

The Man in the Queue

The Man in the Queue (Inspector Alan Grant #1) by Josephine Tey

Thoughts Before Reading:

This book was published in 1929 and is the first of Britain’s Inspector Alan Grant mysteries by Elizabeth MacKintosh, aka Josephine Tey. This was the first book Tey ever wrote, doing so to enter a competition.

Plot Synopsis:

Everyone is in line to see the amazing Ray Marcable in her last show in Britain. After tonight she will be heading to America to Hollywood.

One man decides to help a man who has fallen, and it turns out that the guy has been murdered.

Everyone freaks out and wants to leave, but the police come round and take people on for questioning.

Supposedly no one saw anything, so it is up to Inspector Grant to find out who killed this man, and why Ray Marcable seems to be in the middle of it.

Thoughts After Reading:

I didn’t like this book at all.

I thought the style it was written in was horrible and made it hard to connect to.

I thought Inspector Grant was good, but the rest of the characters not so much. The mystery was boring and easily solvable.

For more mysteries about police solving crimes, go to Ashes to Ashes

For more English mysteries, go to Death Comes to Pemberley

For more mystery reviews, go to B is for Burglar

Potato Chip Omelet

Happy New Year!

I hope you all have a blessed year!

So last year I did a breakfast food post and I thought that it would be fun to keep that tradition going!

Thoughts Before Cooking:

I found this recipe in a Good Housekeeping magazine, I don’t remember which one, and it intrigued me. Potato chips in an omelet? Will that taste good?

But that’s what this blog is about! Covering the written mysteries and the food mysteries!

Ingredients:

• 8 Large Eggs, beaten
• 3 Cups (about 4 oz.) of Potato Chips, Crushed
• 1/4 Cup of Fresh Parsley, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of Oil (I used Olive Oil)
• 1 Small Onion, Chopped
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Smoked Paprika (Can substitute with Cayenne Pepper)
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the eggs, potato chips, and parsley.
2. In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium-low.
3. Add the chopped onion and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Stir slowly, until the edges start to set. Cook undisturbed until top is mostly set.
5. Cover with a large lid and carefully flip. (If your skillet has no lid, use a large plate or platter without a rim.)
6. Slide the omelet back into the pan and cook 5 minutes, or until set.
7. Sprinkle with paprika.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with an arugula salad and a baguette.

Thoughts After Cooking:

I loved it.

I thought it was surprisingly delicious and it was only 365 calories, a calorie for every day of the new year.

For more New Year posts, go to Best-Ever Blueberry Muffins

For more omelets, go to Breakfast Omelet

For more breakfast posts, go to Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Banana

For more Good Housekeeping recipes, go to Arugula-Walnut Pesto

For more recipes, go to B is for Blueberry Smoothie

In other news, let’s have a quick year review.

So last year I published 110 posts!

Out of those 110 posts, I’ve reviewed 54 mysteries. Which you should definitely check out.

The Black Sheep Knitting Mystery Series (5 books), A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery (1 book), Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery (1 book), Death on Demand (1 book), The Dresden Files (3 books), Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery (1 book), A Greek Island Mystery (1 book), Hatter’s Cove Gazette Mystery (1 book), Hannah Swenson Mysteries (7 books), A Hemlock Falls Mystery (2 books), Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (2 books), A Kovac and Liska Mystery (1 book), Ladies of Distinction (2 books), A Midwife Mystery (3 books), Miss Marple (1 book), Nellie Bly (1 book), A Plain Jane Mystery (1 book), Potluck Catering Club (1 book), Regan Reilly Mystery (2 books), Sherlock Holmes (1 book), A Southern Sewing Circle (1 book) and Ultimate (1 book)

And with independent mysteries: The Book of Madness and Cures: A Novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, Fangs But No Fangs, The Girl on the Train, The Italian Wife, Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters, Sleeping Beauty, Ticker, Where Are You Now?, and The Winter People: A Novel

And the true crime books: Cape May Court House: A Death in the Night and The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City & Sparked the Tabloid Wars.

Along with the biography, Agatha Christie: The Woman and Her Mysteries and the short story “The October Game” from Long After Midnight.

With cooking I reviewed 55 different recipes; 1-2-3-4 Peanut Butter Cookies, A is for Applesauce Cake, Apple Orchard Bars, Arugula-Walnut Pesto, B is for Blueberry Smoothie, Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes, Best-Ever Blueberry Muffins,  Breakfast Omelet, Breakfast Puffin Muffins, Brioche French Toast, Broken Lasagna with Zucchini-Tomato Sauce, Brussels Sprouts Turkey Sausage & Pesto Pizza Casserole, Bulghur Salad, Caesar Salad, Caprese Salad, Caraway Rye Bread, Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread, Chocolate Covered Cherry Delights, Christmas Cheese Rounds, Cocoa M&M Cookies, Crasins Scones, Garden Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, Green Tea Frappuccino, Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups, Happy 4th of July Triple Berry Salad, Happy Trail Mix, Harlem Tea Room Baking Powder Scones, Harlem Tea Room Cheddar-Thyme Scones, Harvest Pumpkin Scones, Irish Soda Bread, Italian Wedding Soup, King Arthur Carrot Cake or Cupcakes, Lemon Bars, Lemon Scones, Mini Lemon Pancake Cookies, Mozzarella Tomato Toast, No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies, Orange Chocolate Cake, Orecchiette with Red Onions Almonds and Green Bell Pepper, Oven-Crispy Creole Seasoned French Fries, Pasta with Prosciutto Cherry Tomatoes and Asiago, Pesto Parmesan Popcorn, Pigs in a Blanket, Pizza Siciliana, Polka Dot Macaroni and Cheese, Pumpkin Spice Cake, Ratatouille, Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Banana, Scandinavian Spuds, Schooner’s Summertime-Only Strawberry-Raspberry Pie, Simple Pasta Salad, Sour Cream Lemon Pie, Vegetable Soup, White Bean and Barley Soup with Tomatoes and Greens, and Wookie Cookies.

This blog was viewed 2668 times last year.

The busiest day of the year was December 10th and the post Scandinavian Spuds

The top five posts of this year were:

5) Breakfast Omelet from Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

4) Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

3) No Limits by Lori Foster

2) Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

1) Scandinavian Spuds from Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke

Wow

So what will the next year hold? You’ll just have to follow me to find out!