Homeschooling Can Be Murder

Title: Homeschooling Can Be Murder - The Talbot Family Mystery 1 Author: Susan Lyttek Published: 7-13-12 Publisher: Pelican Book Group/Harbourlight Books Pages: 179 Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Sub Genre: Christian Fiction; Inspirational; Cozy Mystery ISBN:  9781611161854 ASIN:  B008N3GPU Reviewer: DelAnne Reviewed For: NetGalley    
.  Jeanine Talbot is dragging her feet in packing up her home and selecting a new home in the area where her husband is being transferred to.  As an Army wife she knew it was coming but hates leaving her friends and memories.  As she procrastinates James goes and finds a home which Jeanine approves sight unseen.  When she finally put the finishing touches to closing her life in Georgia,  says goodbye to her Dad and arrives in Gentle Springs.  It seems James forgot to mention one tiny thing about the gem of a home to Jeanine.  The home is located right next to a cemetery.  Shortly after arriving Jeanine,  Josie her daughter, and the family dog Jelly are awakened by strange moaning sounds and glowing lights coming from the graveyard.  When James is sent off for special training, Jeanine and her children, Justin age 10 and Josie age 8, stay behind to settle in.  After a particularly disturbing night Jeanine lets Jelly out and finds the gate left open.  Following him to the cemetery she finds him by the grave of the town's local hero.  Laying on the grave is the body of a man who has ties to the home the Talbots just bought.  Jeanine and the kids decide to look into the name of the man who's grave the body was found on.  And investigate the history of their home and the man killed.

This is definitely a Christian Cozy that will grab your interest from the first paragraph and keeps it to the climactic ending.  There are plenty of twists and turns and also a subtle message of God's love for us even as we fight Him and His plan for you.  Fast moving with a gripping tale of murder, revenge, secrets someone is willing to kill to keep buried and suspense.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008N3FGPU/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0  
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/homeschooling-can-be-murder-susan-lyttek/1112170054?ean=2940014980005  
  Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17827845-homeschooling-can-be-murder

The Reading Room link:  https://www.facebook.com/The-Reading-Room-Cozy-Romance-Mysteries-And-More-With-Reviews-165170576957775/#

This was a nice story. We meet Jeanine who is an army wife. Being an army wife means moving every few years. That can upend everything, but Jeanine and her family rely on their faith to get through the tough times. Jeanine is reluctant to leave the town they have been in for the past few years because her kids and family are so involved in the community so when her husband gets orders to move she sends him on to look for a house without her. Only the house he tells her about he leaves out one tiny detail, it's next to a civil war graveyard. Jeanine does NOT like being next to a graveyard, even though in my opinion, they can be the quietest neighbors you could ever ask for!

Well, this graveyard isn't quiet come night when there are lots of noises and lights floating around that scare her, the dog and the kids. The next morning she lets the dog out to do his business and finds the gate open. Jelly, the dog, goes to the graveyard and when Jeanine goes to get him he is guarding a dead body. Only this one is fresh!

I was given an ecopy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jeanine Talbot is no stranger to moving.  Being an Army wife, she is used to having to move every two to four years.  However, as the kids have gotten older, leaving Georgia has become harder.  So while she drags her feet in wrapping up the life they have lived, her husband goes ahead and finds a new home.  She approves it sight unseen.  However, when Jeanine finally arrives at her new home, James has failed to include one thing in the description of the house.  It is right next door to a cemetery.  Shortly after the arrival, she, her daughter, and the dog are woken by strange lights and noises coming from the cemetery.  Are the occupants trying to tell them something?  Jeanine feels that she must find the answers before they can really settle.

I enjoyed that the family was home schooling their children,  We could really relate to the idea of curriculum and using life as a learning tool.  The characters were well thought out and developed.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Uprooting your home-schooled kids, ages 10 and 8, when the Army decides your husband of 15 years is being reassigned to Gentle Springs isn't as easy to do as it was 4 years before when they moved to Georgia.   

Letting James find a home and close the deal sight unseen seemed like a good idea - until Jeanine Talbot finds they are living beside a Civil War cemetery!  

Shortly after the family moves in, James is temporarily assigned to California leaving Jeanine has to deal with the middle of the night activity in the graveyard and the daytime discovery of a recent body Jelly their bulldog has found.    

Not all the neighbours are welcoming, especially Sheriff Daniel Selkirk who is Josie's new BFF Megan's Dad.

Watching Jeanine deal with adversity is a reminder that we all have busy times when we forget about our daily walk with God but He always come through for us when we ask.  

Her home schooling methods are positively inspiring. The Civil War history-mystery made a good school work assignment.

Homeschooling Can Be Murder  This is a cute story where Jeanine is a busy mother whose schedule is cram packed. All at once her husband receives orders and they must move. She sends her hubby ahead to find a house and he does....next to a Civil War graveyard.

Even though this is a quiet location during the day, at night there are noises and lights which scare her, the kids and the dog. The next morning, the dog discovers a fresh dead body and the adventure begins. This was so cute and a very quick read.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Pelican Books in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.. My daughter homeschools, so I was intrigued by the title.     Imagine, if you will, your life is busy, satisfying and you don't want to change it. Unfortunately, since hubby is military, it will change.  Jeanine Talbott  doesn't want to leave and puts off looking for a house, in fact she leaves house hunting to her husband. What was she thinking!  He finds this wonderful house, that needs fixing up, and, oh, by the way, it's next door to an old Civil War cemetery.
  Shortly after he goes TDY, the dog escapes and she encounters a body in the grave yard - a fresh one.  Then there are lights and noises, the cops don't want to come out there. Apparently, there have been numerous complaints from previous owners. The kids get decide they want to do some sleuthing themselves.  The suspects are great, but which one is it. Can you figure out the right one?

http://saraslibrary.blogspot.com/2016/05/homeschooling-can-be-murder.html

I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this book.  I was hooked when I read the Jeanine allowed her husband pick out their new home.  I enjoy the bit of history in book as well as following Janine as she settles into a new town.  Quirky neighbors and friends made the read even more fun.  I would love to see more from this author.

Jeanine, "Neenie" as her husband calls her, is an army wife. Being an army wife means moving often, but this time, Jeanine is reluctant to upend her children from the town they have been in for the past few years. Her children and family are so involved in the community, that when her husband gets orders to move she sends him on to look for a house without her. He finds the house of their dreams, her says, but forgets one detail, it's next to a civil war graveyard. Jeanine does NOT like being next to a graveyard, in fact her father mentions her aversion to cemeteries at one point in the story. Adding to Jeanine's frustration is the fact that James, her husband, is sent out of town for training almost right after they arrive and move into the new house. Normally you would expect a graveyard to be quiet, but not this one. At night, there are lots of noises and lights floating around that scare her, the dog and the kids. The next morning she lets the dog out to do his business and finds the gate open. Jelly, the slobbering bulldog, heads off into the cemetery and when Jeanine reluctantly goes after him she finds him guarding a dead body. Only this one is not buried, he is newly dead. Can they solve the mystery of the dead man? What is causing the moaning and the lights at night? Jeanine and the kids find themselves in the midst of a great mystery involving treasure hunters and town secrets.

This was a relatively quick read. It is definitely a Christian story as the characters pray, attend church, etc. as a major part of the storyline. There were some instances of misuse of pronouns as well as omitted words. One thing I noticed which always bothers me, is the use of "on accident" instead of "by accident". I guess they just slipped through, but I expect published works to be more flawless. 

I did enjoy the story and the characters, especially the children and the Folgers, the people they bought the house from. There are two more books in this series that I will need to check out.

The book cover attracted my attention, I found an original plot and the characters are fresh and intriguing. There are several subplots that ramble on and not joined together making it hard to concentrate. The husband is in the army and has been transferred to another Base Jeannie Talbott. is not ready to move. She sends her husband ahead to locate the house and move their belongings. Sheis shocked to find the house he chose is next to a centenary. The first night they are awakened by their dog barking , moans, and other noises occur. Jeannie calls the police, only to have her call to cancel  when she gives the address. The subplots are all finished but do not hang together. There are a number of turns in the story . Jeannie must find answers to save her children from harm. The family's bulldog plays a major role. The Christian references did not bother me.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Pelican Book Group through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

As a homeschooling mom, the title captured me.  I wasn't expecting LITERAL murder!  The story finds the family making a move that they don't particularly WANT to make.  But their house and their neighbors are totally unexpected.  A quick and fun read!

This book was a good cozy mystery.  I really enjoyed the humor and I loved Jelly the dog.  Some of the book was a little repetitive, but there were some surprises, both good and not so good.  All in all, this was a pretty good book.

Army wife and homeschooling mom, Jeanine Talbott has a busy week scheduled, so when her husband’s transfer orders come through, she decides to let him pick out the new house and move their goods while she and the kids slowly wrap up the life they’ve grown to love.

As she pulls up to their new residence, she discovers her darling bought a charming fixer-upper complete with rather unexpected neighbors—a graveyard full of Civil War veterans.  As the family, gets settled in Gentle Springs, Jeanine hears strange noises coming from next door.  

Book Reviews 
I really liked this book  There were a few things that were off, hence the 4 book reviews, but ON  the whole I highly recommend reading this book.  I think that you will enjoy it.  Those of us who are military spouses will really enjoy the book!!