The last time I chatted about All You Need is Fudge, and I’ve finished reading it. The book was pretty good, a nice cozy mystery featuring fudge and Mackinac Island. There were some unfinished story lines which was a little unusual, because things should be nicely tied up by the end of the book. Next on my reading list was Gone, Daddy, Gone by Cheryl Bradshaw, and it was shorter than her previous novels in the series. Still a gripping read, a page turner. I could barely put it down. Now what I’m reading is Ukulele Deadly by Leslie Langry.
Disclosure: if you click on some of the links in this article, you will be taken to Amazon, and if you make a purchase I’ll receive a small commission for the referral.
I’m nearly finished reading Ukulele Deadly and it’s book 7 in the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries. The series takes place on Kauai around the fictional Aloha Lagoon Resort. So many murders for such a small town! The books can be read in any order, except I’d recommend reading Ukulele Murder before reading Ukulele Deadly. The reason is because Ukulele Murder is the first book in the series and introduces the readers to Nani and Nick. Their ongoing romance is continued in Ukulele Murder. The other books in the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries are written by a variety of authors and feature different characters. Each book might contain a reference to a character introduced in a previous novel, but those are mostly small mentions. The bumbling Detective Ray does appear in every novel.
The only book in the series I didn’t enjoy was book 3 Deadly Wipeout, by far the weakest book in the series. I doubt the author has even visited Kauai or any of the other Hawaiian Islands. The book was plagued with little errors, mostly mentioning things that wouldn’t be a normal way to speak in the states. You won’t be missing anything if you skip this book in the series.
In Ukulele Deadly, Nani keeps being on scene when murders are committed. So far the body count is 3. I’m nearly finished reading the novel and I think I’ve figured out whodunit and I’m hoping the big reveal will include why the murders happened. So far there doesn’t seem to be anything connecting the victims. I love Hawaii and reading cozy mysteries that take place in a tropical resort is a big treat for me.
Also at the same time I’m reading The Wealthy Barber Returns. It’s a money guide to being financially independent, written with a little humor. I can’t find it on Kindle, and it’s written by a Canadian, so I’m not far enough along to figure out if the financial advice will be country specific. I received the book from Tangerine, an online bank, and they sent electronic copies to their customers. I often read a financial or self-help book at the same time I’m reading fiction.
What’s up next for me? I haven’t bought the next book in the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries yet because it’s not released for a few more days. It’s Bikinis and Bloodshed and I’m looking forward to that one. Take me away to Kauai! Hanging around in my Kindle library are a couple of books I bought over the past week or so. And they’re both collections. One is called the Triple Chocolate Murder books 1,2, and 3 and the other is The Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series books 1 – 4. I love chocolate and I love reading books that take place in Florida, so I’m looking forward to it. I’m not sure which to tackle first or where I’ll fit in the next Aloha Lagoon Mysteries.
What are you reading these days? Do you have a great summer read you want to share with us?
