Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books That Need a Sequel

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

This week's topic is such a rabbit hole through which to travel. There are so many great choices. Since time is limited, I will stick with my top three.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough spands sixty years, so one could argue what else is there left to say? For me, I always felt Justine got the short end of the stick. A sequel told from her point of view or taking her from the end of this book through her own life would be interesting.

Admittedly, I haven't fully read Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy yet, for no other reason than lack of time. What I think would be a great sequel for McCoy to tackle is a story about Matthew Cuthbert. He tends to be the forgotten one, but I feel he could be a fascinating character in his own right. 

The Rocky Bluff P.D. books by F. M. Meredith are already a series. Though I know it won't happen, I would love to see a Gordon Butler spinoff. Gordon has long been my favorite character, and it would be wonderful to see his story continue. 

Looking forward to seeing what you shared. 

Book Review: Reversal of Fortune by F. M. Meredith

 The Rocky Bluff P.D. is back investigating its latest murders in Reversal of Fortune by F. M. Meredith.

Beth Milligan and Kayla Duval stumble upon the body of the  town's fortune teller. Detective Doug Milligan and his partner, Detective Felix Zachary, arrive to investigate. Reviewing the woman's long list of clients, it soon becomes apparent more than one person could have a reason for wanting Bernadette Wolfort dead. 

When the body of one of their prime suspects is discovered on the fortune teller's property, Doug and Felix know the two murders are related. But who wanted both of them dead? And why? 

It is so wonderful to be back in the small beach town of Rocky Bluff, where the understaffed and overworked members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. live. Having followed this community for years, it is always good to catch up with what is going on in my favorite characters' lives. 

As Doug and Felix investigate these murders, the personal lives of the Rocky Bluff P.D. unfold in the background. Meredith does a fabulous job of sprinkling in a bit of backstory and bringing readers up to date with our favorite Rocky Bluff P.D. members, with one or two of those personal stories unfolding as subplots during the investigation. In Reversal of Fortune, Kayla Duval, the mayor's daughter and Beth's best friend, is dealing with a pushy aunt who has got it in her mind that the girl's deceased mother would prefer Kayla live with her in Los Angeles instead of staying with the father she didn't even know until her mother was diagnosed with cancer. The other subplot is that trouble could be brewing for Gordon Butler and his wife Lizette. 

Reversal of Fortune, like other books in the series, stands alone as an engaging and easy read. You can sit down and read a book in one or two sittings and feel totally satisfied with the outcome when done. I am not sure what is up next for the Rocky Bluff P.D., but I know I will keep reading as long as Meredith keeps writing.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XLQCNZB
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (April 9, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8449705860

I received a paperback copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

F. M. Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, has had 48 books published as well as two short stories, most are mysteries, but also a few Christian horror, a roman with supernatural elements, and a cookbook. She’s taught writing in many venues including for Writers Digest and many conferences. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra with her husband. 

You can visit her website at http://fictionforyou.com/ or her blog at https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

First Chapter Review: Reversal of Fortune by F. M. Meredith

 

Reversal of Fortune, the latest Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery by F. M. Meredith, came out in April. The author is currently on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book. My full review will appear at this blog on June 27. 

BLURB: A fortune teller is murdered in the small beach town of Rocky Bluff, California. The RBPD’s investigation uncovers several suspects—all with motives and opportunity. But which one killed her? The body of a suspect is discovered on the fortune teller’s property. Clearly, the two killings are related, but how? And who killed them?

Meanwhile, the mayor’s daughter, Kayla, whose best friend is Detective Doug Milligan’s daughter, is upset because her mother’s sister wants her to leave Rocky Bluff to live with her in Los Angeles. Can her friends convince Kayla’s aunt to leave her there with her father?

COVER: One of the things I like about this cover is that it follows the rest of the series (16 other books) with a solid background, the police shield, crime scene tape, and same font. This makes it easily recognizable to fans. 

FIRST CHAPTER: Beth Milligan calls her father when she and her best friend Kayla stumble upon the body of a fortune teller, which kicks off a new investigation for Detective Doug Milligan and other members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. 

KEEP READING: You know that answer is yes. I've read all the books in this series. I loved it from book 4 and went backwards and then forwards following the members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. and their families. As Meredith does with her other popular series, this police procedural follows the professional and personal lives of the local police force. 

In the first chapter, we meet several familiar characters and get a tiny bit of backstory sprinkled in so the reader can understand the characters even if this is the first book of the series they have read. Meredith manages to amaze me with her ability to keep the reader in familiar territory, yet create fresh storylines with each new book. 

I look forward to sharing my full review on June 27.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XLQCNZB
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (April 9, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8449705860
• 
  

I received a paperback copy from the author. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - July 12

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome back to Monday. For our family, it is also welcome home! After driving straight through, we are home from the Outer Banks. What a great time we had. Tropical Storm Elsa brought us a bit of wind and rain, but it didn't interfere with our plans too much. 

View from our street

Enjoying frozen yogurt at The Surfin' Spoon

They actually have three books out now

The Elizabethan Gardens

The Elizabethan Gardens

Elizabeth II replica

Beach time

Beautiful sky on the way back from Raleigh

Rainbow after a shower on Wednesday.

Theo isn't much of a car fan

Brought these home for me from The French Door in Nags Head and Mermaid's Purse in Manteo.

While we were away, the 14th anniversary of The Book Connection happened. I really should keep track of these things. 

Thankfully, vacation means time to read. I caught up on the Rocky Bluff P.D. series and a young adult fantasy novel that was overdue for me to review. 

Read my review here

Read my review here

Read my review here

Read my review at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection 

I want to finish this one up, because it has been on my Kindle for a while. 

I am also reading this one, though I might have to break off since I have new books to review for book tours.

These are virtual book tour ones--you know, the virtual book tours I said in January I was cutting back on--coming up in August and September. 

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

We stopped back in at Book Warehouse in Nags Head. Books at a bargain make me happy. 

I picked up these four historical mysteries by Kerry Greenwood for my mother-in-law. 

Then I grabbed this one for me.

I snagged this Kindle freebie yesterday.

That's it for me this week. Not sure how much reading I will get done since I start back to work early tomorrow. Hopefully, I can keep up a decent pace. 

What are you reading this week? Hope you'll share in the comments below.

Book Review: Not As We Knew It by F. M. Meredith

 

A missing woman, a fatal fire, and a pandemic... oh, my! Not As We Knew It by F. M. Meredith is the latest book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Set in current times, this series follows the lives of the Rocky Bluff P.D. and their families. 

Doug Milligan investigates the disappearance of Geneva Portman, Lizette Butler is responsible for training the new hire, and Abel Navarro looks into a fatal fire. When Chief Taylor hears rumblings of protests nearby, she must put together a plan to keep the residents of Rocky Bluff safe.

I had wondered if the recent pandemic would play a role in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. I'm glad the author decided to "go there." Though possibly risky, I'm not sure she could ignore it and keep the current timeline.

One definite advantage is that the Rocky Bluff P.D. was challenged in ways it never had been before. Yes, they have dealt with earthquakes, dense fog, wildfires, being perpetually understaffed due to tight budgets, and crimes big and small, but the pandemic created issues and strong emotions no one could imagine that impacted every person in some way or another. I applaud Meredith for having the guts to take this on. 

Not As We Knew It stands alone, but these books are all short reads, so you could easily start at the beginning. I would really love to see this book series picked up as a TV series. Having followed it for years, the recurring characters have become some of my favorites, and I would love to see this community transition to the small screen. 

What other challenges might the Rocky Bluff P.D. face? I guess we will have to wait and see.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08NDT3FW5
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (November 14, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 183 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8564552684

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Bones in the Attic by F.M. Meredith

 

Halloween is coming to Rocky Bluff. Beth Milligan and other students are turning a city-owned property into a haunted house to benefit their art class. That is until one of the students finds a skeleton in a trunk in the attic. Now, all their plans might be ruined. Meanwhile, Officers Butler and Ayala are performing a wellness check on a resident whose neighbors say he hasn't been seen in a while.

Welcome back to Rocky Bluff, where the understaffed police department stays busy investigating crimes big and small in their beach community.

Bones in the Attic by F. M. Meredith is another great installment in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Continuing to follow favorite characters and new residents that play a role in individual stories, this police procedural reflects the day-to-day actions of law enforcement where personal lives and professional lives intersect. Some characters introduced in earlier books become recurring characters like Beth Milligan, Kayla Duvall, and Devon Duvall. It is interesting to watch them and their relationships develop in future books. 

Like in previous books, various subplots happen alongside the main plots. Some carry over book to book, with the author providing small bits of backstory so the reader is not lost if they pick up a book in the middle of the series. As with all the books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, Bones in the Attic stands alone, but I bet you will want to start with the first book and follow along.

I can't wait to see what comes next for the Rocky Bluff P.D. and their families.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aakenbaaken & Kent (August 28, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1938436970
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1938436970

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Tangled Webs by F. M. Meredith

 

Return to Rocky Bluff where the local police department is busy solving a murder with numerous suspects, a new officer puts the moves on a colleague's wife, and Doug's teenage daughter becomes secretive and moody.

Tangled Webs by F. M. Meredith starts with a neighbor discovering the body of local daycare teacher, Melody White. People knew someone had been stalking the woman, but the investigation shows her ex-husband and one of her co-workers might also have a motive. 

Officer Gordon Butler--one of my favorites--is training the latest new hire, but he can't understand why his wife doesn't like him. He brushes Dakota Ayala's actions off as being overly eager, just like he was when he first started. Could there be something more?

Beth has made great strides since moving in with the Milligans. So, when she starts acting strangely, Doug and Stacey are worried. They hope they can discover what's going on with her.

Meredith's trademark style of blending personal and professional lives of law enforcement is fully evident in the fourteenth installment of the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. I've so enjoyed watching these characters develop book after book. Ryan and Barbara Strickland, Abel and Maria Navarro, Felix and Wendy Zachary, Doug and Stacey Milligan, Gordan Butler and more have gone through numerous professional and personal changes over the years. The introduction of a new police chief several books back also brought some changes for everyone as well. Because the author has stayed true to exploring how the job affects personal lives and vice versa, the reader truly gets to feel like these characters are friends they get to know. 

As with other books in the series, there are subplots that play out alongside the other main plots. This helps the reader keep up to date with the goings on of minor characters, too. 

A police procedural that makes you feel like you are part of this community is what you find in Tangled Webs.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08C475W13
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 30, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8660060618

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Unresolved by F. M. Meredith

 

Two murders stretch the resources of the Rocky Bluff P.D. to its limits in Unresolved by F. M. Meredith.

In the 13th book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, the body of Mayor Leland Asher is found at a construction site, and an elderly resident of the town dies under mysterious circumstances. The investigation is slow going while the list of suspects keep growing.

Frustrations abound within the Rocky Bluff P.D. community as they attempt to solve two murders. Award-winning author Marilyn Meredith, writing as F. M. Meredith, weaves a story where there are tons of questions and not enough answers. 

In Unresolved, we meet several new characters alongside many fan favorites. I wonder which ones will play roles in future books. Even though I had some idea how this one would end, the conclusion wound up satisfactory and the last page drops a hint of what the reader may see in the future for some characters. 

If you like police procedurals without gory details or sex, then Unresolved is an excellent choice. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08C4G8D9Q
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 30, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 250 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8657624595

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: A Crushing Death by F. M. Meredith

 

When a body is found under the condemned pier, the manner of death causes lots of questions. Meanwhile, Beth Milligan is facing an issue and Chief Taylor is being pursued by someone she once arrested for violent attacks on women.

A Crushing Death by F. M. Meredith follows the various members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. and their families. The twelfth book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. follows a plot and several subplots as it continues to explore the personal and professional lives of the local police force.

This is one of my favorite series. Meredith never ceases to amaze me with how she keeps the series fresh, while continuing the stories of my favorite characters. 

One storyline that truly touched home was Abel Navarro and his family being faced with how to best help his aging parents. As many of you know, this is something that our family has been dealing with for the last several years. It is never easy to figure out what to do and family members can have differing opinions.

There were some twists and turns to this one that I didn't expect, which is always fun. I am so glad I ordered these together so I could read them one after the other. Looking forward to more Rocky Bluff P.D. adventures.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08B2ZZRSZ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 11, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 225 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8653019791

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Violent Departures by F. M. Meredith

 

Another engaging police story awaits you in Violent Departures by F. M. Meredith.

When a local college student goes missing, the Rocky Bluff P.D. is called in to investigate. Officer Gordon Butler already has a lot on his mind. He is training the recent new hire and still hoping to spend time with his fiancée to plan a wedding date and location. Meanwhile, Doug and Stacey Milligan are planning a move to a new home. Doug's daughter, Beth, will be coming to live with them, so they need more space. He is sure he's found the right place at the right price, but Stacey isn't so sure.

I am so thrilled to be back reading this superb series. I have missed it!  In Book 11, we see many of the regular members of the Rocky Bluff Police Department, a new member of the force, and some new residents of the town. 

Meredith continues to find that perfect balance between personal and professional in her stories. In addition, she creates a story that has a main plot and numerous subplots, which rings true to life. Characters face crises big and small along the way, allowing for great character development. I personally look forward to watching the future development of Beth. Her role in Violent Departures makes me think we will see a lot more of her. Fingers crossed.

If you like police procedurals or stories where the characters come together to create a community, you will enjoy Violent Departures. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08B7LNPQC
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 15, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 265 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8654246790

 This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - June 21

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Well, well, well, how are you all doing? I hope the dads out there had a nice Father's Day. We took my husband out to breakfast and he relaxed most of the day; a very well-deserved treat. 

My work schedule hasn't allowed for a lot of blogging or reading time, but I managed to finish off this great true crime story. You can read my review here. 

I am in the middle of these three as well.

 

I am packing up books for vacation this week. 

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

I did something I never do... bought a whole bunch of books just for me. I've kept from buying books because I have so many unread ones here, but I really wanted to catch up on the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. It will be good to see what Detective Milligan and Officer Gordon Butler have been up to. 

That's it from me. Hope you have a nice week.