Book Review: Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

Author: Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

Title: Scandalous Women

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography

Format: paperback

Pages: 304

Published: January 4, 2011

Where I got It: My shelf (I honestly can't remember...I think it was at the Flint book sale....or given to me....)

Summary: 

Throughout history women have caused wars, defied the rules, and brought men to their knees. The famous and the infamous, queens, divorcées, actresses, and outlaws have created a ruckus during their lifetimes-turning heads while making waves. Scandalous Women tells the stories of the risk takers who have flouted convention, beaten the odds, and determined the course of world events.

Review:

I love to read a couple of nonfiction books a year. I like learning, and it helps my brain reset in some strange way. 

Here, we have a collection of biographies about "scandalous" women throughout history. We get little snips about the lives of these women. 

The author had a decent selection of women. They all made a splash somehow, and it was interesting seeing them hold their own in a male-dominated world. From spies to seductresses to divorcees to geniuses. It was nice. 

The tone made it interesting. It wasn't some stuffy and boring historical textbook. There was flair, and I appreciated it!! It made it fun. 

I would've liked a little more depth. I like the fluffy and light, don't get me wrong, but I would've liked maybe an analysis or something at the end of each section, or something. 

Also, I think I would've liked to see more women from different countries. We had the atypical US, UK, France, etc. And the time period was roughly the same for these women. Yes, we did get Cleopatra and a few medieval, but it seemed the majority seemed to be women between 1820 to 1920. Sure, some sprinkles, but I would've liked other stories too from women in other countries and time period that are looked over in our history. 

Other than that, I did like it. It was quick and informational. It was nice reading about women who didn't live their lives by the status quo of the time. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Movie Review: The Sheep Detectives (2026)

Title: The Sheep Detectives

Length: 1h 49m

Released: 2026

Genre: Comedy, Family, Mystery
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Drive-In Theater

SUMMARY:

Every night a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I've been wanting to watch this movie since I saw the very first trailer. How freakin' adorable and funny! AND THERE ARE SHEEEP!!!!

Every night, George, the shepherd, reads aloud a murder mystery to his flock. He likes to pretend that the sheep can understand him, but he knows they are just sheep. Little does he know that they have been listening and understand him. When he is found dead one day, the sheep realize they are the only ones who can solve the crime, so they vow to help the local cop. 

This had everything. Cuteness, humor, sadness, mystery, and thought-provoking moments. I really adored it. 

The mystery was nicely done. I totally called it ;) I wasn't sure HOW it was possible, so I didn't get the how. I'll take it as a win. 

OMG THE WINTERLAMB! GIMME!!!!!! I want to snuggle the heck out of that baby. 

The cast was great. 

The ending had me in happy tears. 

I can't wait to watch this again. 

5 stars. 

Audiobook Review: An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

Author: Helene Tursten

Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Title: An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good

Series: Äldre dam #1

Genre: Mystery, Humor, Novella
Format: Audiobook
Published:  January 1, 2013
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and…no qualms about a little murder.

Ever since her darling father’s untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family’s spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father’s ancient armchair. It’s a solitary existence, but she likes it that way.

Over the course of her adventures—or misadventures—this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud’s apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a murder in her apartment complex, will Maud be able to avoid suspicion, or will Detective Inspector Irene Huss see through her charade?

Review:

Randomly came across this while digging through some audios on my Libby app. The cover...the title....the summary....come ON! I had to check it out. 

Maude seems like your A-typical old lady, but there is so much more. She has no family or friends. She loves to travel. She also likes a splash of murder. Murder only happens when it needs to....pesky neighbors, foil the engagement of her good-for-nothing ex, and so forth. Will she be able to avoid suspicion, or will the nosy Detective Irene Huss see through her charade?

I had a lot of fun with this. It had humor and murder. What more can a gal ask for?

The narrator was lovely. She did an excellent job with the different ages. She was perfect for the role. 

There is more, and I want to check it out one day! Maude is good at what she does. I'm curious to see who her next victims are and if Huss will be able to uncover her and expose her. Nice little cat-and-mouse coming up, methinks. 

Short, fun, and perfect for a listen. 5 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #20

- Library Love #12

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Paved With Good Intentions by Peter McLean

Series: War for the Rose Throne (#5)

Format: 265 pages, Paperback

Published: January 15, 2026 by Arcadia

Fantasy/own

This takes place after the previous books, and yes I did miss Priest. But you do not have to have read those to understand this one. It is a new chapter.

Eline kills her husband because he was a controlling, abusive ahole. But then she also realises that she killed her husband and this is bad. The Queen's Men show up and offer her a deal and it is a bad deal, but it is better than being hanged.

Take a job at a local brothel and solve who killed a Duke.

Little bit of mystery, thriller in a dark fantasy setting. The world feels very bleak. But Eline is tougher than she thinks and grows a lot in this book.

I liked it.

Eline is a mother, a wife, and a survivor. But her life is about to change dramatically. Following an act of horrific - if righteous - vengeance, Eline is blackmailed into the service of the Queen's Men. She knows it will be a hard life of violence and fear. But Eline will do what it takes to survive, and to protect her children . . . and if she's lucky, she won't die in the process.

But the Queen's Men aren't just asking her to risk herself. They're asking her to risk everything she knows and loves. And if she fails . . . civil war and the deaths of everyone she loves will be just the beginning.