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I don’t remember when I discovered the Challah recipe but I’m so glad I did. It’s from my favorite bread cookbook, Secrets of a Jewish Baker. It makes the most amazing sandwich bread. I don’t make it in the traditional way – a braided loaf – but I do still braid it. I just pop it into a loaf pan so that I have bread that is perfect for slicing. This bread also makes the most heavenly French toast when it gets dried out. I save the ends in a bag in the refrigerator and when I have enough I cut them into cubes for stuffing or croutons.

Challah as Sandwich Bread

Makes 3 loaves

1/2 cup warm water
3 packages active dry yeast (2 heaping TBS)
1 cup ice water
1 egg lightly beaten
4 egg yolks lightly beaten
6 TBS olive oil
7 TBS sugar
6 to 6 3/4 cups bread flour
1 TBS salt
oil for coating bowl

1 egg lightly beaten mixed with 1 TBS water for egg wash

In a stand mixer with the paddle attached add the warm water and the yeast. Let it sit for a minute or so until the mixture is a bit foamy. Add the egg, egg yolks, olive oil and sugar. Mix well. Add 6 cups of the flour, the salt and the ice water. Mix until it just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  If the dough seems soft add the remaining flour a bit at a time. This should not be a stiff dough..

Insert the dough hook and knead for 15 minutes. Remove the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place free from draft until doubled in bulk – an hour to an hour and a half depending on conditions.

In the summer my dough rises in 45 minutes in the winter it takes the hour and a half. Remove the dough from the bowl to a clean counter. My counters allow me to work without flour. If you need to sprinkle a little flour. Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Grease three 10″ loaf pans and have them ready. Cut the down in thirds and cut each third into thirds again. Take three pieces at a time and roll them into 12″ strips.

To braid the strips start in the middle and braid to the bottom. Pinch the three pieces together. Carefully flip the braid over and braid the rest to the end. Pinch the pieces together. Repeat these steps with the other two sets of three.

Place the braids in the greased loaf pans, cover and let rise in a warm place free from draft for an hour to an hour and a half. I get similar rising results as with the first rise.  About 15 minutes before the bread is done rising preheat your oven to 350° so it is hot in time for baking. Prepare the egg wash by mixing the egg with the 1 TBS of water – whisk with a fork so it is well combined.

Just before baking use a pastry brush to add the egg wash to the risen dough. Bake for about 10 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Bake for 10 more minutes and check. If the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it, it is done.  If not bake for up to 10 minutes more. (mine are usually done at about 20 minutes.) If desired you can remove the bread from the pan for the last 5 minutes  if you want to harden the outside crust. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don’t. Remove the bread from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes and then take them out of the pans if you haven’t done so already.

Remove the bread from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes and then take them out of the pans if you haven’t done so already.

As I mentioned above this bread freezes beautifully so once it is cooled I generally pop it into a bread bag and into the freezer. I will keep one loaf out and it doesn’t last long! It’s great for sandwiches and oh, the toast! It makes fantastic toast.

How Was the Challah as a Sandwich Bread?
I had some leftover pork from when the hubby’s friend came to visit so I made myself a delicious pork, pickle and lettuce sandwich. Mmmmm. The fresh bread, the garden lettuce and the pork which is a treat around here in the world of chicken and venison made for a heavenly lunch. It’s also delicious with an egg and avocado salad on it.

I love Challah for its rich eggy taste and to me it’s the perfect bread for a sandwich. Of course it’s not the only bread I bake on a regular basis. I also try to keep homemade bagels on hand – they freeze very well too. If I am making burgers I will either make Floury Baps or Pretzel Buns for them, it depends on my mood that day. When summer is here and I have access to all of the fresh veggies, especially cucumbers so I can make tzatziki, I love to have pita on hand so I turn to my recipe for Batbout (a Moroccan pita recipe). They are so easy to make and are so tasty. They never last long!

[tasty-recipe id=”28458″]

About Shadow of War:

From the bestselling author comes the story of rising conflict between the super-powers that gripped the world, a global war that almost happened: The Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1961, the new president John F. Kennedy, inherited an ill-conceived, poorly executed invasion of Cuba that failed miserably and set in motion the events that put the U.S. and the Soviet Union on a collision course that nearly started a war that would have enveloped much of the world.

Extensively researched and vividly imagined, The Shadow of War brings to life the many threads that lead to the building crisis between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1962.

Told from a multitude of perspectives and voices, from the Russian engineer attempting the near impossible task of building the missile launch facilities in Cuba, to the U.S. Navy commanders who ships are sent to “quarantine” Cuba, to the Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, desperately trying to maintain a challenging balancing act between the conflicting demands of various powerful forces, to the brothers Kennedy (Bobby and JFK) who can’t allow Russia to land nuclear missiles in Cuba, or to appear weak in confronting Khrushchev, but keenly understand how close they are dancing to the edge of war.Shaara brings to life all the action and actors, famous and little known, that embodied a war that almost happened, the Cuban Missile Crisis.

About the Author:

The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara (The Killer Angels), Jeff Shaara completed his father’s Civil War trilogy with Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, and went on to earn acclaim as an author of historical novels that document and dramatize the events that formed the foundation of our country.

You can purchase The Shadow of War on Amazon.com

ALL AMAZON LINKS BELOW ARE AFFILIATE LINKS WHICH MEANS IF YOU BUY ANYTHING THROUGH THEM I WILL RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION (AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE TO YOU)

Winter Fruit Pie

8 small apples preferably different types – I used gala, green. and red delicious
8 small pears
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup brown sugar
1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
pinch of salt
2 TBS flour
For the Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBS cold, unsalted butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 – 3 TBS ice water
1 TBS milk
sugar in the raw, optional
For the Crumbs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 TBS granulated sugar
one large dash cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm
3/4 cups all purpose flour
large pinch salt
Confectioner’s Sugar

Make the pie crust – or you can use pre made.
In a small bowl mix together the flour, sugar and salt.
Add the butter and shortening – cut it in with a pastry blender or two knifes until the mixture resembles small crumbs
Add the apple cider vinegar and 2 TBS of ice water and mix gently with a fork. If the dough comes together continue. If it needs more water add it a little at a time until the dough does come together. Just don’t add too much.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead three or four times.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for an hour.

While the dough is resting prepare the fruit:
Peel and core the apples and pears and slice into wedges about 1/4″ thick.
Add the fruit to a bowl and mix in the lemon juice to keep from browning too much. Occasionally stir the fruit to distribute the lemon juice.

When you have finished cutting the fruit add the brown sugar, the cinnamon, cardamom, dried cranberries and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Make the Crumbs:
Add the sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt to a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter and mix until combined. Set aside.
After the dough has rested remove it from the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 400°

Roll the dough out, carefully put it in the pie dish and trim. Make a decorative edge.
Roll out the trimmings and cut out small leaves, hearts or whatever shape you would like to cover the top of half of the pie.

Add the flour to the fruit mixture and gently stir until combined

Add the fruit to the pie crust in the pie dish.

Cover half of the pie with crumbs, the other half with the decorative cut outs. Brush the pie crust cut outs with the milk and sprinkle with sugar in the raw if using.
Cover the edge of the pie with foil or a silicone edge protector.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350° and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the edge protector and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the pie and let cool on wire rack.

Before serving dust the crumb side with confectioner’s sugar.

How Was the Winter Fruit Pie?

This was one delicious pie. It wasn’t a sweet pie and that was just fine by me. The taste of the apples and pears really came through instead of it being all about the sugar. I had made this pie with apples and pears picked from my neighbor’s trees in the past but it’s just as good with fruit from the store.

Other Sweet Desserts:

Vanilla Cake with Salted Chocolate Mousse

Turtle Cheesecake

Chocolate Tart with Caramel Mousse

Any purchase links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I receive a small commission (at no additional charge to you)

[tasty-recipe id=”28862″]

All Amazon purchase links are affiliate links which means if you buy anything through them I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Makes 15 – 18 medium muffins

2 cups all purpose flour preferably organic
1 cup quick cooking oats
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large apple – peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar in the raw

Optional: 1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400°
Prepare a muffin tin either by greasing the cups or lining them with paper cups and spraying with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking power, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Add the apple pieces (and raisins if using) and toss to coat.
In a medium bowl mix together the buttermilk, canola oil, orange juice concentrate, maple syrup, brown sugar and egg.
Stir well until the sugar dissolves.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Using a large scoop or spoon add the batter to the prepared muffin tin.
Sprinkle the top with the sugar in the raw.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

How Were the Apple Oatmeal Muffins?

I love these muffins. The pieces of apple don’t cook to mush so they still have a bit of texture which is a lovely surprise in the muffin. The cinnamon adds nice flavor and would be great in a breakfast basket with cherry, chocolate and pistachio muffins and honey roasted strawberry muffins.

[tasty-recipe id=”38175″]

I have a favorite pie crust recipe but I wanted to play with it a little as I wanted to play with my filling a bit. I’ve been really enamored with the flavor of bourbon and apples lately so I thought that complementing those flavors with a bit of cornmeal in the crust would be interesting.

It was….

Apple Pie – with a Twist

Please note I have the crust ingredients listed twice. I’ve tried doubling this recipe but it doesn’t work. It needs to be made one batch at a time.

For Bottom Crust:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
3 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 TBS cold butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
4 – 5 TBS ice water

For Top Crust:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
3 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 TBS cold butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
4 – 5 TBS ice water

For the Pie Filling:
8 apples, peeled cored and sliced
1 cup brown sugar
3 TBS bourbon
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS butter
1 egg mixed with a bit of water
sugar in the raw optional

Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Cut the cold butter into chunks and add it and the shortening to the flour. Cut it in with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles small crumbs.
Add the cider vinegar and 3 TBS of ice water. Stir the mixture with a fork. If it seems dry add another tablespoon of water. Gather the dough together and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead it a few times until it comes together. Form it into a disc, wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for an hour.
Repeat for top crust.
Preheat oven to 400°
Cut the apples into slices and add to a bowl.

Add the brown sugar, lemon juice, bourbon, cinnamon and flour. Mix well.
Take one disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out for a 9″ pie pan. trim.
Add the apples to the prepared pie pan.
Take the second disc from the refrigerator and roll it out to cover.
Dot the top of the apples with the 2 TBS of butter.
Cover with the top crust. Seal with the edge of your choice.
Cut some slits for steam to escape.

Brush with the egg wash.
Sprinkle with sugar in the raw if you choose.
Cover the edge of the pie to prevent over browning for the first half hour of cooking.
Bake at 400° for 15 minutes then lower the temperature to 350° and bake for 45 – 50 more minutes or until the juices are bubbly and the crust is nicely browned.

Cool on a wire rack.

This was a tasty pie! The filling was very good – I used four different apples and I always find that helps to make for a delicious pie. The brown sugar and bourbon added delightful depth of flavor and the cornmeal in the crust added a wonderful crunch.

[tasty-recipe id=”28658″]

About Kate’s War:

Twenty-year-old Kate is poised to launch into a long-anticipated life of independence when Britain declares war in 1939. After that announcement, her dream of escaping the London suburb she grew up in and pursuing a singing career is quashed: she must stay put with her family and prepare for bombing and possible invasion by Germany.

Living in these anxious times, Kate strives to achieve balance in her life, though a speech disability interferes with her singing and a failed romance adds to her distress. But when a young Jewish girl whose parents have been deported comes to her for help, Kate’s goals change.

Taking on a responsibility she never could have imagined, she learns that freedom and survival cannot be taken for granted–and as new responsibilities outweigh earlier goals, she learns that assisting others to escape unspeakable evil requires new perspective, as well as courage she didn’t know she had.

You can purchase Kate’s War on Amazon.com

About the Author:

Linda Stewart Henley was born in Liverpool, UK, and grew up in Surrey. She attended school in Carshalton, just south of London, before moving to the United States, where she completed her education. She is the author of two other novels, Estelle and Waterbury Winter. She now lives in Anacortes, Washington, with her husband.

You can read my review of Estelle

Any purchase links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I receive a small commission (at no additional charge to you)

About the Book:

As Josie Belle Gore, daughter of a Louisiana train engineer and Texas seamstress, journeys with her itinerant family through the deserts of the boom-and-bust American West and revolutionary Mexico, she learns that in her life, two things are constant: water is precious, and her role in her family is to save it.

When unforeseeable events force the separation of her family, Josie begins an odyssey that takes her from New Mexico’s Jornada del Muerto to Bisbee, Tucson, Los Angeles, and finally post-WWI San Francisco—experiencing betrayal, pandemic, and survivor’s guilt, as well as the compassion and generosity of friends and strangers, along the way.

Once she lands in San Francisco, like a river meeting the sea, Josie has nowhere else to run—and she realizes that she must make peace with the past and good on her promise to the family she loves. Inspired by the author’s family lore, The Ways of Water is a lyrical tale of loss, hope, and forgiveness set in the rugged beauty of the turn-of-the-century Southwest that, like Josie, is growing up in fits and starts.

About the Author:

Teresa H. Janssen is a career educator, essayist, and author of short fiction whose writing has appeared in a variety of literary journals, including Zyzzyva, Catamaran, and Chautauqua. The Ways of Water is her debut novel. She attended Gonzaga and the University of Washington where she received an M.A. in Linguistics. She resides on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula. 

You can purchase The Ways of Water on Amazon.com

2023 Best Book Awards Winner in Fiction: Western

“Reading this book is like reading a diary, with each cherished location and character lovingly described. The reader is immersed in the harshness of living an itinerant life and is shown the quiet beauty that exists in the desert and that can be found even in the most dysfunctional of families.”
—Booklist

“…Josie is a sharp, perceptive lead….Nostalgia overlays the eloquent family saga The Ways of Water, in which a girl is hastened toward independence by tragedy.”
—Foreword Reviews

“Janssen writes in Josie’s voice, which allows readers to get to know her as a brave, complicated woman, and witnessing her growth as a confident person is an engaging experience…Janssen creates a believable West.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“This story flows with twists and turns much like those of a river…The authentic voice, rich sensory imagery, and often lyrical, poetic language create an emotional and descriptive feast.”
—Chanticleer Book Reviews, 5/5 STARS

“Teresa H. Janssen’s beautifully written historical novel captures your heart. With its vivid description, sensuous and poetic detail, you are at one with Josie Belle on every curve and dip of her path. You feel the sting of desert sand on your face and smell the sweet lavender in a baby’s bath. But mostly, you are touched by the strength of Josie’s family and their bond of love which holds them close, if not always in space but in heart. This is a breathtaking story, exquisitely told, that you will not forget.”
—Anne Brooker James, author of The Marsh Bird

“Janssen’s love of her subject radiates in every line of this immersive coming-of-age tale. Spanning the dizzying cycles of boom and bust in the early twentieth century Southwest, the novel is packed with historical detail. . . . Like a riverbed that dries up and refills, the Gore family must first be torn asunder before it can be made whole again. A precarious life is limned with great care and great heart—and with prose that often verges on the poetic.”
—Laurel Davis Huber, award-winning author of The Velveteen Daughter

“From its captivating beginning to its redemptive end, Teresa H. Janssen’s immersive debut, The Ways of Water, weaves a tale of heartache and joy based on family history set in the American Southwest in the early 20th century. Josie Belle Gore embodies every young girl’s fears, curiosities, and dreams as she navigates an often-hostile environment and often-volatile family life. One can’t help but cheer for her as she overcomes hardships and failure, time and again, on the road (or the rails) to maturity.A five-star debut.”
—Ashley E. Sweeney, author of Hardland

“In the vein of William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land, Teresa H. Janssen seamlessly transports readers into an expertly crafted yesteryear of her grandmother, Josie Belle Gore. As the rivers, creeks and streams flow throughout this land, so too, does Janssen’s narrative, recreating the remote, untamed beauty of a region, and the harsh and oftentimes difficult way of life long-past. Janssen honors her grandmother with this exceptional account of the triumph and bravery of a singular young girl who grows into a woman as she makes her own way in the American Southwest.”
—Donna Everhart, author of The Saints of Swallow Hill

  “Teresa H. Janssen draws a riveting story that I could not put down. It is reminiscent of Jeannette Walls’s Half Broke Horses and Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds. The prose is exceptional… The imagery is breathtakingly vivid. …But it is the fully fleshed-out characters that will grab the reader and refuse to release them, even long after the reading is complete. I look forward to more from this exciting debut author.”
—Adele Holmes, M.D., author of Winter’s Reckoning

“The enlightening story of a courageous young woman, Josie Belle Gore, and her family as they struggle to survive in the early 1900’s of the America West, where “moving from place to place seemed as natural as the motion of the sun and the moon,” as they searched for the next possibility of home. Engrossing and unsettling, this riveting and beautifully told story held my attention from the first vivid page to the last. The Way of Water is a stunning debut!”

—Anna Quinn, author of The Night Child and Angeline  

“Building on family lore and deep research, Teresa H. Janssen’s The Ways of Water is a young woman’s poignant coming-of-age story that reveals a fascinating slice of early 20th century life in the American West.”
—Margaret Rosenberg, author of Finding Napoleon: A Novel

“Teresa H. Janssen’s lyrical writing style, narrative voice, and impressive powers of description offer a slice-of-life history lesson that, like all good story-telling, never feels like a lesson. Though faced with daunting hardship, the novel’s protagonist, Josie, never loses her determination or sense of self, offering a character worth rooting for. A compelling read for anyone who enjoys thoughtful, well-researched historical fiction.”  

—Suzanne Moyers, award-winning author, ‘Til All These Things Be Done

“In this highly emotional and intimate story, the reader is fully engaged in Josie’s personal life and exploits, with numerous negative twists and positive turns.”
—Historical Novel Society

I have written before about how much I love ButcherBox – in one post I made an easy meatball pita dinner that we very much enjoyed. In another I shared a recipe for Maple Barbecue Ribs – we enjoyed them so much I made them again when this box arrived.

What can I say – they were that good. But not to worry. I will have other recipes in the near future with some of the other wonderful meats in my box…. you can see everything I received here.

So now I have to decide what I want to make next. Hmmmm. Maybe a wonderful chicken dinner. That’s it! So stay tuned. I’ll soon be back with a recipe for chicken tenders that will be quick, easy and don’t forget – delicious.

You can get your very own ButcherBox and I suggest you do. I have never been disappointed in anything I have received. Everything has been tasty, of very high quality and it is always in great condition when it arrives.

The latest box sent to me contained the below:

Since it’s just the two of us we sent the turkey to the local food bank with some money to complete the meal. Also inside were chicken tenders, strip steaks, hamburger and beef chunks. Good dinners are coming my way. And they can dome your way too!

I have EXCITING NEWS!!!! For all NEW MEMBERS who sign up for ButcherBox through 11/12 you too will receive a FREE TURKEY!!! How fun and tasty is that??!!

So good meats and saving money. What more can you ask?

Any purchase links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I receive a small commission

(at no additional charge to you)

About The Stark Beauty of Last Things:

The Stark Beauty of Last Things is set in Montauk, the far reaches of the famed Hamptons, an area under looming threat from a warming climate and overdevelopment. Now outsider Clancy, a thirty-six-year-old claims adjuster scarred by his orphan childhood, has inherited an unexpected legacy: the power to decide the fate of Montauk’s last parcel of undeveloped land.

Everyone in town has a stake in the outcome, among them Julienne, an environmentalist and painter fighting to save the landscape that inspires her art; Theresa, a bartender whose trailer park home is jeopardized by coastal erosion; and Molly and Billy, who are struggling to hold onto their property against pressure to sell. When a forest fire breaks out, Clancy comes under suspicion for arson, complicating his efforts to navigate competing agendas for the best uses of the land and to find the healing and home he has always longed for.

Told from multiple points of view, The Stark Beauty of Last Things explores our connection to nature—and what we stand to lose when that connection is severed.

You can purchase The Stark Beauty of Last Things at Amazon.com

About the Author:

Céline Keating is an award-winning writer and author of two novels: Layla (2011), a Huffington Post featured title, and Play for Me (2015), a finalist in the International Book Awards, the Indie Excellence Awards, and the USA Book Awards. Her short fiction and articles have been published in many literary journals and magazines.

For many years a resident of Montauk, NY, Céline continues to serve on the board of environmental organization Concerned Citizens of Montauk. She is the coeditor of the anthology On Montauk: A Literary Celebration. She lives in Bristol, Rhode Island, and New York City.

“ … lush, elegiac … in stunning prose [it] highlights loss, the transience of home, and the impermanence of human affections.”
—Foreword Reviews

“Keating’s characters are engaging and complex, portrayed in a story that is captivating and relatable … the perfect read for personal enjoyment, as well as for a book club.”
—The Montauk Sun

“In painterly prose, [Keating] wraps a tale of intertwined relationships and the bonds of family and friendship into the landscape of Montauk….[Her novel] shows the human side of the complexities of preserving land and the prospect of coastal retreat.”
—The East End Beacon

“An intelligent, psychologically astute, and beautifully written tale about the relationship of man  and nature with not one predictable or cliched sentence or situation in sight.”
—Baum on Books, NPR

“In vivid, memorable prose, Keating evokes the beauty and fragility of Montauk and its residents. The work speaks to the pressing issues of our time, especially the loss of wild places.”
—Tucson Festival of Books 

“I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. The characters, the twisty plot, the detailed descriptions, and the setting of Montauk, a place of great natural beauty, all drew me in completely. When I miss being by the ocean—all the time—I will from now on have The Stark Beauty of Last Things to turn to for passages that take me there. This is a rare and special book to keep on the bedside table.”
—Alice Elliott Dark, author of Fellowship Point and In the Gloaming 

“Readers will be packing their bags for the Long Island shoreline in this atmospheric tale of love and healing. Keating’s characters prove to be as formidable as the threats to their historic Montauk coastline.”
—Suzanne Simonetti, author of USA Today best-selling The Sound of Wings  

“Keating tells an intricately woven tale of the people of a small fishing town beset by land developers and reckoning with its future. Keating tells the story of multiple characters with great sympathy and insight, as they struggle not only with the town’s future but with their own places in the world. A finely written, highly readable book that is vivid and real.”
—Edward J. Delaney, author of The Acrobat

“Céline Keating’s deft storytelling, keen ear for dialogue, and evocative descriptions of landscape come together in this suspenseful novel about a fishing village on the brink of irreversible change. Keating has woven together a vibrant tapestry of characters — including Montauk itself — with sensitivity and insight, informed by local history and real concerns about what seems to be in store for this still-magical place.”
—Mia Certic, Executive Director of the Montauk Historical Society   

“This novel embraces Montauk is many ways, especially its fragile physical beauty. The characters have to negotiate their relationship to that endangered beauty as well as their own relationships. The author’s love for Montauk is evident on the pages readers will turn quickly.”
—Tom Clavin, author of Dark Noon: The Final Voyage of the Fishing Boat Pelican

“The Stark Beauty of Last Things brilliantly explores the symbiotic relationship between nature, the community, and characters driven to exploit or co-exist with each other and the environment. Keating writes about Montauk—the last spit of wild land on Long Island—with great depth of observation and feeling, delivering a cast of characters who spring from the page as vibrant and complex as anyone you might meet in the village itself. In the conflict between land developers and community environmentalists, the novel shows how nature itself—and a little luck—can become the deciding factor. This is a wise and often astonishing debut novel.”
—Robert Eversz, author of the Nina Zero novels

“With lush and sensory prose, this incandescent novel offers a glimpse into a wild place in turmoil. Residents of Keating’s Montauk, both locals and outsiders, face seemingly impossible choices between financial survival and environmental stability of their fragile community. The natural world—its palate, its odors, the rhythms of sunset and daybreak, of storm destruction and delicate growth—is the scaffolding and the heart of this unforgettable story.”
—Ellen Meeropol, author of The Lost Women of Azalea Court  

“The Stark Beauty of Last Things is suspenseful and satisfying. Céline Keating is a wonderful storyteller, with a keen sense of place and compassion for the people who inhabit it.”
——Hilma Wolitzer, author of Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket

Any purchase links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I receive a small commission (at no additional charge to you)

About The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm:

On a beautiful September afternoon, a hike through the pristine wild of Still Waters Chasm become a path of mystery and deadly danger for Gabriela Domenici and her boyfriend, Daniel Red Deer. First, they take a side trail to an inexplicable construction site in the middle of the woods, where every tree has been cut down and a huge truck bearing strange-looking equipment is parked in the middle. As they continue their hike to the lake, they find a man convulsing with his last breaths, not far from the lifeless body of a woman. After going for help, Gabriela and Daniel return to the scene—only to find the two people and their canoe and gear are gone. It seems impossible that two bodies could revive and leave on their own, but there is no other explanation.

When she conducts a library outreach program in the rural Town of Livery, near Still Waters Chasm, Gabriela discovers a community that is both curious and suspicious. There, she meets Lucinda Nanz, an herbalist whose encyclopedic knowledge of plants for help and harm is both fascinating and troubling, and Wendy Haughton, a young woman who desperately wants to sell an old drawing of unknown origin so she can escape her abusive husband. Despite the state police’s warnings to stay out of the investigation, and Daniel’s urging to not get involved, Gabriela cannot stay away from Livery and Still Waters Chasm—which puts her on a collision course with yet another murder and people who will stop at nothing to prevent her from getting too close to the truth that could destroy chasm.

About the Author:

Patricia Crisafulli is an award-winning New York Times best-selling author. She received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Northwestern University, where she received the Distinguished Thesis Award in Creating Writing. She is launching the Ohnita Harbor Mystery Series with The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor. Connect with her at www.FaithHopeandFiction.com

“Patricia Crisafulli holds us spellbound as her… librarian-protagonist, Gabriela, stumbles onto a mysterious crime scene and is determined to find answers. As Gabriela’s amateur sleuthing leads her into spine-chilling danger, you’ll be up reading until all hours of the morning.” —Nancy Crochiere, Author of Graceland: A Novel

“If Crisafulli keeps setting… mystery thrillers in Ohnita Harbor (and I hope she will), that fictional little Upstate New York town… will be as famous as Louise Penny’s Three Pines or even Agatha Christie’s St. Mary Mead–and justifiably so.”  —Jean Zorn, Publisher, Persimmon Tree

You can purchase The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm on Amazon.com

My Opinion:

I will first note that I did not read the preceeding novel in the series but this was no deterrent to my enjoyment of this installment. Each can be read standalone but I did note some commentary that reading them together can create a more thorough experience in regards to better getting to “know” the charactors. Take that as you will. I did enjoy the book, this notwithstanding.

The two main protagonists, Daniel and Gabriela are on a hike when they encounter a dying man and a dead woman. By the time they return with help – the bodies have disappeared and the mystery has begun.

There is, of course, evil afoot but of what kind? For what is a mystery without it? In this case there are a couple of dueling interests, major and minor and they intertwine delightfully to present the reader with an thought provoking read about man’s ability to harm the environment in pursuit of gain and anyone who might get in the way.

Gabriela is an unusual and wonderful main character and an absolute delight of a main character. She holds true to her beliefs no matter what pressures come at her. She has the support of a wonderful man along the way.

I loved both the adventure scenes and the scenic descriptions. It’s a book that keeps the pages turning until the very last, compelling page.

Rating:

5