You Belong to Me

You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark is my book for Y in the alphabet challenge and for Triller in the Literary Challenge.

Dr. Susan Chandler has a radio show and she is having a week about why women should be safety conscious in social situations.  She invites a psychiatrist, Donald Richards, who wrote a book called Vanishing Women which is about cases he was involved in.  Susan decides to bring up the Regina Clausen disappearance as she used to watch her on CNBC.  Ms. Clausen disappeared after disembarking from a world cruise.  What Susan does not know is that Regina's killer had the radio on and he heard the promo for Susan's show.

Susan receives a call from a Karen who met someone on a cruise who gave her a ring and she was going to fly to Tangiers with him but her husband called and she decided to give their marriage another chance.  The ring was engraved "You belong to me".  From the sound of the caller's voice, Susan was sure that was not her real name and asked her to come to her office the next day.  Unfortunately, the caller is hit by a car - the police do not know if it was an accident or not.  But, one woman says she saw someone push her.  Dr. Susan is not aware of this.  The witness is killed and it is not the last murder.

Susan does all she can to find out what happened to Regina.  She gathers clues and even winds up ordering pictures from two ships looking for the man that was next to Regina.  While she is doing this she uncovers the fact that Mrs. Jane Clausen, Regina's mother is being scammed by her lawyer, Douglas Layton.  Susan finds out that she may know the killer and that she may also be a target.

This book is very easy to read.  We do not know who the killer is until Susan finds out.  There are many possibilities along the way.  It is very easy to make the connection to the song "You Belong to Me" before Susan does as we get to follow the killer's search for the feathers that have scattered in order to cover his tracks.  It is one of the most interesting books I have read.

The Virgin and Zach Coulter

I am using the Virgin and Zach Coulter as my Z book for the A-Z book Challenge as I do not like zombies.

Cynthia Deacon comes home to deal with her Uncle's estate after leaving her last job because her boss wanted to get her horizontal.  She was not used to being unemployed as she had worked since she was sixteen.  She meets Zach Coulter on the street when he rescues her from another man.

Zach has inherited the family lodge which has been neglected for many years.  He decides to renovate and then re-open it.  He learns that Cynthia has experience in managing boutique hotels and decides to hire her.  They discuss salary and she decides to take the job.

The two of them try to maintain a professional relationship even though they both feel something for each other.  Unfortunately, when the work is finished there is trouble with getting a permit to open.  Zach has to help clear her name so they can open the lodge.

This is a Harlequin book and Zach does make love to Cynthia when she is ready.  She had told him she was a virgin and he educates her.  The descriptions are good and I love the way her horseback ride is described.  If I were single, I think I could fall for Zach, also.

Killer in Crinolines

 

Killer in Crinolines is the 2nd book in Duffy Brown;s Consignment Shop Mysteries.  Reagan Summerside is asked to bring a bow-tie to a wedding.  She certainly did not expect to find the groom in the wedding cake with a cake knife in his back.  Duffy's friend Chantilly had motive and opportunity so she is arrested for murder.  Naturally, Reagan has to help her friend by finding the real murderer.

Aunt KiKi is still quoting from Cher but she throws in some Richard Castle.  Walter Boone seems to show up when Reagan needs him most.  Bruce Willis (the dog) is now a permanent resident at Reagan's and there is a handsome doctor thrown in to take her out to dinner.

Reagan keeps eliminating suspects until she is almost killed by the real culprit.  This is much action along the way.  Business picks up when it is suggested that a percentage of sales be donated toward a new cannon thaqt the Daughters of the Confereacy wanted to buy.  I must admit that I would love to try a Snikers Martini.

I loved ever thing in this book, from the acknowledgement to Duffy's Street Team (of which I am a member) to the ending.  I must admit that I would love to have some of the baked goods from the Cakery Bakery in addition to that Martini.  Old Black Magic ice cream also sounds interesting.  Beside the descriptions of food, there is the weather inSavannah, Georgia and the places in the city that are described.  A visit to the Prissy Fox to go shopping would not be bad either. 

This book should be a must for anyone who loves a good mystery.