Books I've Read - November 2024

 

Hello friends and happy November.

I read a book last month and only two books this month.  I'm into reading light reads right now.  I bought one of the books over the summer at a book shop at the Jersey Shore.  I read the other books from the library using the Libby app.  I'd love to share these books with you.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

I've read this first book in the Housemaid series The Housemaid by Freida McFadden.  There are three books in this series and I would like to read them all.  I loved this book and I couldn't put it down.  I thought it was scary and full of surprises.  This book will be made into a movie starring Sydney Sweeny and Amanda Seyfried.  I can't wait to see the movie!      

Death on Windmill Way by Carrie Doyle

The Hamptons are known for beautiful beaches, luxurious living, millionaire mansions, and now…murder! Antonia Bingham, a renowned chef and the new owner of East Hampton's Windmill Inn, escaped to the Hamptons to get away from a harrowing past. Yet she finds herself in more danger than ever when she learns about a curse that haunts the inn—all previous owners have died suspiciously.

When she's not cooking sumptuous meals for her guests Antonia digs into the investigation to uncover who's behind the curse. Could the culprit be a guest at the inn, or is there a killer on the road? And the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to being the next victim—will she solve the case in time to save herself?

I enjoyed reading this book that takes place in the Hamptons, Long Island.  This is book one of a four-book series.  The chef and owner of her inn tries to solve the mystery of a death at her inn.  This a light read and I can't wait to read more of the books in this series.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murder by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to. 

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer. 

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?

This is book one in the Vera Wong series.  I enjoyed this book about a lady who owns a tea shop and she tries to solve the case of man found dead in her tea shop.  I can't wait to read the next book in this series Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping.  

Have you read any good books lately?

I will share this post at the monthly book link-up party Share Your Shelf.  It's held on the first Thursday of each month.  It's run by these bloggers:

Slices of Life

Memphis Bridges

Overflowing With Thanksfulness

The Other Side of the Road

Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.

Julie