Death at the Sign of the Rook

 Death at the Sign of the Rook, by Kate Atkinson was for me a very confusing mystery novel.  This is the nest in a series of books that feature the detective Jackson Brodie.  He is now an ex-detective from the police department. He still ends up working with his previous partner though now she is relunctant to get involved with him, Reggie.

From what I could follow there are two mysteries involving missing artwork removed from the wall of two difereent country homes.  Each thief seems to have ben a caregiver to an elderly lady dowager who is now dead.

Could there be enough evidence to prove the two thieves are one and the same? Reggie starts to look into the possibilities, reluctantly helping Jackson.

Now involve quite a number of ancillary characters to muddle the works and a snow storm. It is a complicated and confusing plot to follow.

I did not enjoy it

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah

 Jean Meltzer has a come up with another loveable romance novel in The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah.

This is the newest of Jean Meltzer's romance novels.  She has taken the genre by storm and built a wonderful Jewish romance following.  I have never been a romance fan, but Jean has captured my attention with her delightful novels.  She has perfected the novels by including Jewish connection to the stories in just the right balance.  This time it is a take off on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens bringing eight ghosts to her work-a-holic protagonist, Evelyn is visited by eight ghosts leading up to the TV special she is producing while reconnecting with her ex husband.  Can she see the error of her ways before the end of Hanukah and rekindle the candles of true love?