The Book Was Better

The Homefront Sleuths are at it again, this time with their own church on the line. While Evie and Nigel travel on a dangerous over-channel mission to rescue an old ally, it's up to Harry and the rest of the gang to keep Crofter's Green safe from a bomb threat.  One of the things I love most about this series is the way multiple perspectives and clues all seem to meld into one story in the end. For some reason, this one just never quite came together the same way for me. The team seemed to lack their normal cohesion and the plot felt a little disjointed. In some ways, I almost felt that Harry and Nigel swapped roles; and the ladies (except Evie, of course) seemed more ornamental than useful in this case.  Nigel and Evie continued to be my favorite power duo, but Katherine and Blake felt a little flat this time. I loved the addition of Alfie's perspective. As usual, the vast historical knowledge was on full display, but not in an overwhelming or unnatural way. Any visit to C...

  In this latest Haven brothers tale, we get Theo's story. After a football career-ending injury, Theo is home in Tilikum, coaching and teaching at the local high school alongside his work bestie, Penelope. But when work friends become roommates, and the two conspire to solve a mystery, sparks start to fly.  I was excited to return to Tilikum -- home of the Baileys and the Havens -- and more excited to get Theo's perspective, since he was the brother I felt like I knew the least. But even after plowing through this book, I still feel like I don't know him all that well. Contrary to her normal style, Kinglsey's characters felt a little flat in this edition. I appreciate that she weaves a good mystery into her stories, but this one felt like more of an afterthought and was fairly anticlimactic.  The friends to lovers trope worked well and the characters were likable -- just not very deep. The squirrels were MIA, as were many of the beloved characters from the other books,...