BLACKLANDS - Belinda Bauer

Darkly chilling tale of a boy in search of the bones of his dead uncle who was killed by a serial murderer of children. The killer is in prison, but bodies are unaccounted for. Steven wants answers. And he goes to the source by writing to Arnold Avery. The correspondence begins between the two passing cryptic notes to bypass censors.
Steven wants to help his grandmother get closure. His life is dreary, but he makes do with what he has.
Amazingly atmospheric and I will read more by this author.

PEAS, BEANS & CORN: Sovereign Series Book 2 - Jennifer Wixson

Everything in its place and time and order. That's sort of the theme in the book. A gentle, rather lovely story of some of the people in the town of Sovereign, Maine. Bruce Gilpin, an Army Guard veteran returns from his long tour of duty to what he hopes will be a quiet life. He's not sure what he wants to do, but he knows where....and on the bus home..he knows with whom. He meets Amber Johnson and is smitten pretty much immediately.
There are bumps in the road to their happiness. Like each one's mother has other mates in mind.
Not my usual fare, but so glad I requested and won this book.

Blooms on Sunday - 23 June 2013

 Peace Rose in front berm

 Achillea 'Moonbeam'

 Pineleaf Penstemon 'Mersea Yellow'

 Maltese Cross

First hollyhock bloom

Blooms on Sunday - 16 June 2013

 Achillea "Strawberry Dream"

 Penstemon

 Cranesbill

 Crazy tea rose on the way back patio

Maltese Cross

MERCY FALLS: Cork O'Connor Mystery #5 - William Kent Krueger

So good! I need to bump up the next in the series on my wishlist on Simply Audio. I need to know what's going to happen to Cork and his family.
A murder victim is found in Cork's jurisdiction not long after someone takes a shot at Cork and his deputy when they answer a domestic violence call on the reservation. His deputy is shot and put in the hospital and it is soon clear that Cork was the target.
Then a bomb is found in Cork's vehicle, the vehicle that Cork's daughter was about to drive. This makes Cork send his wife and kids to Chicago to get safely away. Or are they?
The story goes a bit retro so we get a glimpse of Cork and his wife's past. I liked this peek a lot as much as I loved the suspense of this mystery.
Such a superb series!

WHEN DEMONS WALK: Sianim #4 - Patricia Briggs

I do enjoy authors who write several different series and each one is unique. Patricia Briggs is one of those authors.
Sham lives in a world where magic exists, but not everyone believes in it. Sham does since she is both a thief and a sorceress. Her land was taken from her people and she is doing what she can to take it back where she can from the nobility.
A killer is running amok and killing the nobility. There seems to be a pattern, but she can't quite see it.
The Reeve of the land asks her for her help, so she poses as his mistress to help. He is one of those who doesn't believe in magic, so when she tells him it's a demon doing the killing....
Sham is street smart, so she can get the job done. She just has to keep from being tempted to do what she's been doing with her stealing from the rich.
This is number 4 in the series, but I didn't feel like I'd missed anything by not reading the first three in the series. But I am now intrigued enough to go looking for them.
A very neat mixture of a mystery, fantasy, and a wee bit of romance.
Highly recommendable.

Blooms on Sunday - 9 June 2013

 The only peach-colored iris in the garden

 Another cactus in bloom

 Shasta Daisy in the front berm

 Achillea "Paprika" in the front berm

 Snapdragons that reseed themselves each year

Alchemilla - Lady's Mantle in the front shade garden

Blooms on Sunday - 2 June 2013

 Jupiter's Beard

 Baptisia/False Indigo

 Cranesbill

 Aquiligea/Columbine

Shasta Daisty