The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

 The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman is Book 4 in The Thursday Murder Club series.  When I first started this series a couple of years ago I immediately fell in love. I thought book 3 was my favorite. But now I'm not so sure...maybe I need to go back and reread the other 3?

The crime solving, eccentric quartet of seniors known as the Thursday Murder Club are back and hoping to ring in the New Year with no mysteries or murders to solve. But, of course, that doesn't happen. The murder of a close friend on the 27th sends the four on the hunt through the world of heroin smugglers and antiques. But also, there is even more going on in the background. 

Stephen's dementia is getting worse and Elizabeth is left to decide how to care for him. Ibrahim is still seeing Connie as a patient, and as she points out, maybe not helping her come off the criminal path as well as he could. Ron is having problems in his new relationship. And with Elizabeth distracted, Joyce finds herself stepping into a leadership role. Bogdan, Donna and Chris are back, as well. And even though it's on 350 pages (give or take a couple), the book is so full of page turning goodness that it keeps you enthralled right up to the last page. 

I loved this book. However, it has a much more somber feel for a lot of it. There is still the usual humor and chemistry of all the characters. And you do laugh quite a lot. You can still feel the somber mood creeping in though. And it's done so well that you almost don't notice it. I found myself slowing down reading it and realized I was avoiding what I knew was coming. I didn't cry as it got closer but I felt my heart getting heavier with sadness and dread. And that's what's so beautiful about it because in a lot of ways that's how it is in life. The sadness is there, waiting and you can't avoid it. 

It's a wonderful mystery. A tale of four friends coming together to help their own and learning how to take control of the plan when Elizabeth needs a break. If you have loved the previous three books you will not be disappointed by this one. If you haven't read any of The Thursday Murder Club novels, what are you waiting for?

Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score

 Books were my second passion (We can call it my third if you want because I have always had an affinity for bossing people around my brother, Sam, and my oldest friend, Emma can both back me up here). Animals came first but when I learned to read and discovered that I could escape the humdrum of school and everyday by visiting new worlds in a book I was hooked. My son has inherited both of those passions from me and on a day when I was at a baby shower and he was with his dad, they went to the book store and he insisted on buying me a book with a dog on the cover. He knew I would like it, he said, "because it's a book and it has dog on the cover." And he was right. I loved it. 

Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score is a love story. But it's also a story about making room and taking the steps to change who you are for the better and for yourself. 

Maggie Nicols is a strong-willed, intelligent, independent and beautiful Youtuber. She doesn't stay in one place long, flipping one house and moving onto the next with her partner, Dean. Then she meets Silas Wright and his dog Kevin, in the town of Kinship, Idaho. Silas is also strong-willed, but he is also some who was brought up in a family where it was okay to ask for help from others as long as you remembered to give back. He is also passionate, funny, and, as the author makes sure to remind us multiple times, HOT. His dog, Kevin, who is the perfect dog to lighten the mood when things get too sappy or too serious, is a gray, therapy school flunky. He was too stubborn to be a therapy dog. Mastering the tools but only using them when the urge suits him.

In Kinship, Maggie gets more than she bargained for with Silas and his family, her own family and past coming out of the woodwork to force her to make decisions about her life, she isn't sure she can handle. It's hard to find books for adults, about adults that handle adulthood problems well. This book reminds us that money and work aren't the only problems people over 27 face. 

If you are looking for a passionate, funny, emotional story this book is for you. If you want it with a side of treasure hunting and a LGBTQ+ story, as well, this also has you covered. And if you are a sucker for a book about found family and finding your place, even in your thirties, pick this book up. You won't regret it.

Gaming Articles

 Hello everyone,

One thing that I have been wanting to do more of is writing professionally. And I was given that opportunity recently by Gamer Decide. They asked me to write five articles for them and I want to share them here with you! I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

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[Top 20] Stardew Valley Best Mods For A New Experience