There were a couple of books I read at the end of last year that I meant to talk about a bit more but you know how that goes. So I thought I’d write a quick wrap up summary of each one.

Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau

Charlotte Brody is hoping to put the past behind her and make a fresh new start in Cordova, a frontier town in the Alaska Territory. She is lucky to have her brother Michael to show her the ropes in but she’s eager to find her own way too.

While there are sidewalks, local businesses and boarding houses, Cordova is still a rough place and no sooner has Charlotte gotten settled when she becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of a local prostitute.

Along the way Charlotte will learn more about her brother’s own life in Cordova, she’ll meet a charming deputy marshall and of course manage to offend the sensibilities of some of the more well to do families in Cordova.

I thought Charlotte was definitely a character I would love to visit with again. She’s a woman ready to be more than a socialite. She wants to write newspaper articles, experience life and seeks equality for women.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Sara’s correspondence with Amy had led her to make the decision of finally doing something daring. She’s quit her job and has left Sweden for Broken Wheel, Iowa to meet her pen pal. Unfortunately when Sara arrives in Iowa she finds out that Amy has died.

The townspeople though take on Sara as the town’s guest. They set her up in Amy’s house, drive her to and from and help her get adjusted. They find her a bit odd, a young woman who is quiet and reads too much, but if Amy was her friend then they’ll take care of her.

For Sara, she feels like she already knows a lot of the townspeople as Amy made them come alive through her letters. And, rather than heading back home immediately, Sara decides that what Broken Wheel needs is a bookstore filled with Amy’s treasures. She knows that there is a book out there waiting for everyone.

Before too long everyone in town feels like Sara is one of theirs and Broken Wheel suddenly doesn’t seem like the sleepy little town anymore.

I thought I would love this book with its main character who loves books and the quirky characters that a small town is sure to have but while I enjoyed the quirky characters and their stories, I found one aspect of the book seemed forced and that was Sara’s relationship with Tom but overall this did make for a light, pleasant read.

Source: NetGalley Advance Reading Copies

I’m finally joining in on Teaser Tuesday hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. I’ve been meaning to but you know how that goes. Anyway, here are the rules: grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

This is going to be a teaser for you and me because I haven’t started this book yet but will be doing so in a day or two.

“As she departed to the kitchen, I watched the sinuous play of her hips within her loose green gown. When I bought her long ago at the slave market in Alexandria, it had not been for her cooking. Her cooking had never improved, but in many other ways she was beyond perfection.”

Next teaser from the same book (I did jump to a different page):

“I never knew their names. He stared into the fire. But I remember the Etruscan’s face when my sword cut open his entrails and he looked up at me, gasping and unbelieving.”

From The House of the Vestals by Steven Saylor.

I see lots of action and perhaps some romance in my upcoming read. I’ve not read any books by Steven Saylor so I’m looking forward to getting to know the characters. This is book six in his Roma Sub Rosa series and it’s the book chosen by my mystery book group for our discussion next week.

How about you have you read any of his books? Would you be intrigued by the teasers?