Good Day! Here are some upcoming new cozy mysteries that you might be interested in pre-ordering or adding to your wish list. A Design to Die For by Kathleen Bridge will be out on July 2. It is the 5th A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery. Candy Slain Murder by Maddie Day is out September 29. Thread and Dead by Elizabeth Penney publishes on August 25. It is the 2nd novel in The Apron Shop Series. Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle will be out on December 1. It is the 8th A Fixer-Upper Mystery. Is there a cozy you cannot wait to read?
Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner has Betty Sweet becoming a widow at forty years of age in 1963 in
LaFontaine, Michigan. She met her
husband, Norman when she was fourteen and they married after graduating from
high school. Unfortunately, the couple
never had children. Betty loves spending
time with her rambunctious twin nephews.
Betty is surprised when her estranged sister, Clara arrives one evening
with her five-year-old son, Hugo. She
can tell that the pair have gone through a journey and she happily settles them
in her guest rooms. Clara seems to do
nothing but sleep leaving Betty to care for a frightened Hugo. People look at them suspiciously when they
walk together with Hugo’s little light brown skinned hand enclosed in Betty’s
larger white one. Hugo is frightened of losing
his mother and Betty helps him overcome his nightmares with stories that she
has created. There will be difficulties
ahead, but the family can get through them if they have each other.
Stories That Bind Us is one of
those books that lingers with you after you finish it. I thought it was well-written and captured the
era. Significant historical events are included in this book including the assassination
of JFK, Martin Luther Kings “I Have a Dream” speech, and an elephant that rampaged
a city. The author touches upon the
difficult subjects of depression, death, and racism. I thought she handled these sensitive topics
very well. The present is interspersed with stories and
memories of the past. We learn about Betty’s
growing up years, how she met the Sweet family, her marriage to Norman, how much
Mama Sweet meant to Betty, and other memories.
It all comes together into one lovely tale. The Sweet family is realistic with their joys
and struggles. They have a bakery in a
small town where a chain bakery is trying to run them out of business. Pops Sweet is getting older and Albert still
pines for Clara. Marvel and Stan are
raising their mischievous twin sons who are kind to their grieving aunt. The stories that bind people together are
their memories of loved ones and friends.
I like how Betty’s make-believe stories fit into the book and how they
help a frightened little boy. They
formed a bond between Betty and Hugo. Hugo was such a sweet little fellow. I had to
laugh along with Betty and Marvel when Hugo jumped into the mud pool with the
twins. I thought the Stories That Bind
Us is timely considering what is currently going on in our country. Stories That Bind Us is a heartwarming tale filled
with hope, love, special memories, and family.
Stories That Bind Us is available from Amazon*. You can find other novels by Susie Finkbeiner here. Thank you for reading my review today. On Sunday, I am featuring The Diva Spices It Up by Krista Davis. It is the 13th A Domestic Diva Mystery. I was unable to share this cozy when it was released so I worked it into my June schedule. I hope that you have a congenial day. Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
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