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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2593 KP) rated In the Spirit of French Murder in Books
Apr 29, 2026 (Updated Apr 29, 2026)
Nine Bluets Gathered for Dinner
One March afternoon, Tabitha Knight is returning home from Julia Child’s when she sees a strange woman leaving the house where Tabitha lives. It turns out that she is a medium, and her warning to Grand-pere has left him shaken. But the next night, when Tabitha’s messieurs are hosting a dinner for the seven other members of their old resistance network, the evening ends with a murder. Should Tabitha be taking the warning seriously?
I tend to avoid the paranormal in the books I read, and I was disappointed to see it was a major part of this book. Worse yet, it really slowed down the beginning of the mystery. Fortunately, we did get a decent mystery with some good twists and a nice climax. And the book, at least the ARC I read, could never decide which part of March the story was set in. However, I was interested to see what happened to the characters next. And I appreciated the look at what life was like in the resistance in Paris during World War II. All told, this was a mixed bag that fans of the series will still appreciate.
I tend to avoid the paranormal in the books I read, and I was disappointed to see it was a major part of this book. Worse yet, it really slowed down the beginning of the mystery. Fortunately, we did get a decent mystery with some good twists and a nice climax. And the book, at least the ARC I read, could never decide which part of March the story was set in. However, I was interested to see what happened to the characters next. And I appreciated the look at what life was like in the resistance in Paris during World War II. All told, this was a mixed bag that fans of the series will still appreciate.
Merissa (14050 KP) rated Darksider (Reveler #3) in Books
May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
This story focuses on Harlen and Sera (short for Serafina). Sera has been having trouble sleeping for over a year as a stalker has been entering her dreams. She has been able to deal with it for so long but now exhaustion is catching up with her and she also sees her stalker in 'real' life. So she decides to call in Harlen, a man from her past who she used to travel in the Darkside with. Harlen still has feelings for her and is not impressed with her stubbornness in not contacting him straight away but puts that aside as he tries to help her.
Rook and Jordan, Coll and Maisie all make an appearance here as the overall story arc continues. Erin Kellison has managed to give Harlen and Sera a story as well as continuing with the others.
This is part of a series and as such, you will need to read the other books in order to get the benefit from them. However, this series is just getting better and better so I can definitely recommend you give them a try.
August 11, 2016
This story focuses on Harlen and Sera (short for Serafina). Sera has been having trouble sleeping for over a year as a stalker has been entering her dreams. She has been able to deal with it for so long but now exhaustion is catching up with her and she also sees her stalker in 'real' life. So she decides to call in Harlen, a man from her past who she used to travel in the Darkside with. Harlen still has feelings for her and is not impressed with her stubbornness in not contacting him straight away but puts that aside as he tries to help her.
Rook and Jordan, Coll and Maisie all make an appearance here as the overall story arc continues. Erin Kellison has managed to give Harlen and Sera a story as well as continuing with the others.
This is part of a series and as such, you will need to read the other books in order to get the benefit from them. However, this series is just getting better and better so I can definitely recommend you give them a try.
August 11, 2016
Debbiereadsbook (1777 KP) rated Kelvin (Tangled Tentacles #5) in Books
Jan 15, 2023
A fitting end!
Independent reviewer for Archeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 5 in the Tangled Tentacles series, and you really MUST read the other books before this one. There is an on-going story arc that is not fully recapped here. And you know, cos I said so!
And what a way to finish out the series! We get to the bottom of Andromeda, and just how long that's been going on.
We catch up with the other brothers, and I loved that.
But mostly, this is about Magnus and Kelvin finding each other, and finding Magnus' sister. I loved that Magnus and Kelvin talk about the baby situation, beforehand. The other brothers just jump straight in and worry at their peril!
Oh I loved the birthing scene and the surprises that brings.
We are introduced to new characters, and that epilogue! Oh, that's a cliff hanger I did not see coming!
So, while we have all 5 Thalassa brothers mated and happy, with or without children (yet) we are left hanging as to what comes next! Who, is not in question, just the WHAT! And I can't bloody wait!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 5 in the Tangled Tentacles series, and you really MUST read the other books before this one. There is an on-going story arc that is not fully recapped here. And you know, cos I said so!
And what a way to finish out the series! We get to the bottom of Andromeda, and just how long that's been going on.
We catch up with the other brothers, and I loved that.
But mostly, this is about Magnus and Kelvin finding each other, and finding Magnus' sister. I loved that Magnus and Kelvin talk about the baby situation, beforehand. The other brothers just jump straight in and worry at their peril!
Oh I loved the birthing scene and the surprises that brings.
We are introduced to new characters, and that epilogue! Oh, that's a cliff hanger I did not see coming!
So, while we have all 5 Thalassa brothers mated and happy, with or without children (yet) we are left hanging as to what comes next! Who, is not in question, just the WHAT! And I can't bloody wait!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (14050 KP) rated The Skriker (Pitch & Sickle #3) in Books
Sep 28, 2022
THE SKRIKER is the third book in this ongoing series and starts where book two finished. Pitch and Sickle are licking their wounds and recovering from their fight with the Verderer. However, even though his body appears to be mending, Pitch's mind is nowhere near healed. He pushes Silas away and, eventually, Silas goes.
For the majority of the book, Pitch and Sickle have their own separate 'adventures' and, although necessary, I wanted them to get back together. To me, it was pretty obvious who would be able to heal Pitch and I was all 'woohoo, it's finally happening!' only for it to stutter to a stop and we're back to square one. Gah!
The overall story arc is definitely picking up the pace and I look forward to Pitch and Sickle's upcoming adventures. I just wish they'd sort themselves out a bit more. They take the miscommunication or lack of talking trope to new extremes!
Still a great read and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
For the majority of the book, Pitch and Sickle have their own separate 'adventures' and, although necessary, I wanted them to get back together. To me, it was pretty obvious who would be able to heal Pitch and I was all 'woohoo, it's finally happening!' only for it to stutter to a stop and we're back to square one. Gah!
The overall story arc is definitely picking up the pace and I look forward to Pitch and Sickle's upcoming adventures. I just wish they'd sort themselves out a bit more. They take the miscommunication or lack of talking trope to new extremes!
Still a great read and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (14050 KP) rated Sim 299 (I Am Sleepless #1) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
Aiden is a 12-year-old Prime, who doesn't fit in with his peers because he has two gifts. Most Primes only have one. Being a Prime isn't all fun and games, and death is a very real probability. There are usually twelve in a coterie, but in Aidan's, there is only him and two others. The other coteries don't like him as they fear his multiple gifts. However, things are about to happen that will involve other people with other abilities.
This was a wonderful and gripping story, with in-depth descriptions of the various abilities and what the people look like. The rivalry jumps off the page at you, and you will feel how unfair it may be! With an overall series arc that only gets told towards the end of the book, this is a science fiction novel to enjoy, which will immerse you in the story and leave you wanting more.
With more to each character than originally meets the eye, this is a science fiction novel I have no hesitation in recommending.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 10, 2016
This was a wonderful and gripping story, with in-depth descriptions of the various abilities and what the people look like. The rivalry jumps off the page at you, and you will feel how unfair it may be! With an overall series arc that only gets told towards the end of the book, this is a science fiction novel to enjoy, which will immerse you in the story and leave you wanting more.
With more to each character than originally meets the eye, this is a science fiction novel I have no hesitation in recommending.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 10, 2016
Merissa (14050 KP) rated Earth Witch (Witches of Westwood Academy #4) in Books
Jun 21, 2023
EARTH WITCH is the fourth book in the Witches of Westwood Academy and we return to the Academy as Jade is recovering from a mishap in Earthquake class - yep, that's a thing!
As with all the other books, this is a quick read and focuses on both the overall story arc and Jade herself. Arlo is on hand to help her with her self-esteem issues although his constant use of 'Sweet Jade' felt over the top to me. Jade liked it though, which I guess is all that counts.
There was a part in here that didn't make much sense to me OR Jade, and that was why her ex turned up at the Academy to bully her. Maybe I missed something, or maybe it will become clear in later books. One thing that did become clear are the six types of witches and, what do you know, we've got the whole bingo card!
Really looking forward to the next instalment and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 21, 2023
As with all the other books, this is a quick read and focuses on both the overall story arc and Jade herself. Arlo is on hand to help her with her self-esteem issues although his constant use of 'Sweet Jade' felt over the top to me. Jade liked it though, which I guess is all that counts.
There was a part in here that didn't make much sense to me OR Jade, and that was why her ex turned up at the Academy to bully her. Maybe I missed something, or maybe it will become clear in later books. One thing that did become clear are the six types of witches and, what do you know, we've got the whole bingo card!
Really looking forward to the next instalment and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 21, 2023
Swift for Programmers
Harvey Deitel and Paul J. Deitel
Book
The professional programmer's Deitel(R) guide to Apple's new Swift programming language for the...
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Marriage Pact in Books
Oct 6, 2017
Now, this was a strange one, interesting but a bit wacky in its concept.
The marriage pact by Michelle Richmond was surprisingly good, The author has found a unique idea and evolved it from there.
With some surprising twists and turns that I didn't see coming this was a refreshing contribution to the psychological genre and I only had minor issues and niggles that pulled this down slightly for me.
So the marriage Pact involves newlywed's Jake and Alice who receive an enticing gift from one of Alice's Clients at the law firm she works at.
"The Pact"
It is designed to keep couples happy and fulfilled in their marriages, the rules seem to make sense and The Pact seems harmless in its intentions.
Initially impressed Alice and Jake start to realise there is more at stake than they realise as their dreams start to evolve into nightmares.
And no one leaves "THE PACT" ever.
So let me break this down for you first three-quarters of The Marriage Pact I loved, the story flowed, it was well written and my only minor criticism would be sometimes Jake could waffle on a tad too much with his inner monologue and I found this a touch irritating and longwinded.
Then came the last quarter, not sure what happened here but I really was not feeling it, the whole visit Orla at her home seemed unnecessary and a bit boring to me.
I would have really preferred another direction to be taken and a bit more of a pro-active stance applied here rather than talking.
Then came the ending, this is where my main issue lies, it was just so anti-climatic and blah and after all Jake's moralistic stances he just walks away, leaving the corruption behind for someone else to deal with.
I'm not saying he's wrong to do this, I just find it mildly surprising after listening to Jakes Inner moral compass throughout The Marriage Pact that he just abandons all his principles and jumps ship.
I would also have liked to see inside Alice's head as well, she was such a diverse character with so much to offer and I felt we didn't get to know her properly in her entirety.
So this was such a page-turner and even with the issues I've described, I have to give this a Four star as It was such compelling reading.
This was such an interestingly unique story that I would definitely recommend Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the Author Michelle Richmond for providing me with an Arc of The Marriage Pact, this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
The marriage pact by Michelle Richmond was surprisingly good, The author has found a unique idea and evolved it from there.
With some surprising twists and turns that I didn't see coming this was a refreshing contribution to the psychological genre and I only had minor issues and niggles that pulled this down slightly for me.
So the marriage Pact involves newlywed's Jake and Alice who receive an enticing gift from one of Alice's Clients at the law firm she works at.
"The Pact"
It is designed to keep couples happy and fulfilled in their marriages, the rules seem to make sense and The Pact seems harmless in its intentions.
Initially impressed Alice and Jake start to realise there is more at stake than they realise as their dreams start to evolve into nightmares.
And no one leaves "THE PACT" ever.
So let me break this down for you first three-quarters of The Marriage Pact I loved, the story flowed, it was well written and my only minor criticism would be sometimes Jake could waffle on a tad too much with his inner monologue and I found this a touch irritating and longwinded.
Then came the last quarter, not sure what happened here but I really was not feeling it, the whole visit Orla at her home seemed unnecessary and a bit boring to me.
I would have really preferred another direction to be taken and a bit more of a pro-active stance applied here rather than talking.
Then came the ending, this is where my main issue lies, it was just so anti-climatic and blah and after all Jake's moralistic stances he just walks away, leaving the corruption behind for someone else to deal with.
I'm not saying he's wrong to do this, I just find it mildly surprising after listening to Jakes Inner moral compass throughout The Marriage Pact that he just abandons all his principles and jumps ship.
I would also have liked to see inside Alice's head as well, she was such a diverse character with so much to offer and I felt we didn't get to know her properly in her entirety.
So this was such a page-turner and even with the issues I've described, I have to give this a Four star as It was such compelling reading.
This was such an interestingly unique story that I would definitely recommend Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the Author Michelle Richmond for providing me with an Arc of The Marriage Pact, this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Accountant (2016) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: The Accountant starts as we see Christian Wolff at a young age struggling to deal with autism but with the correct tuition Christian (Affleck) has turned his math savant skills to help small town people manage their accounts. He is distant from people but always helps those who need it.
On the other side of the story we meet head of the treasury department Ray King (Simmons) who blackmails a young agent Marybeth Medina (Addai-Robinson) into investigating this mysterious accountant that has been working with the biggest names on the terrorists list, that accountant is Christian under an alter-ego.
Christian’s latest accountancy job is sorting 15 years of accounts for Lamar Black (Lithgow) Living Robotics company that have been working on defence contracts. While Christian gets on with his latest job we see how Brax (Bernthal) goes about cleaning up other questionable actions from the bankers. While Christian must deal with the junior accountant Dana Cummings (Kendrick) being too talkative for his own liking.
As the story continues to unfold we continue to learn just how dangerous Christian really is and what his bigger plan is. As Brax cleans up what Christian discovers his desperate need for completion explodes but what he discovers could expose the fraud going on.
The Accountant is one of the most complete action thrillers of recent years. The story does borrow elements from recent ideas with myself seeing a mix of John Wick and Dexter going on throughout. Where this story stand head and shoulders above most other films is the way the whole story gets completed. Another huge plus point for this film is that every character gets a full development and we see their story arc go full circle.
Ben Affleck gives a brilliant performance in this leading role where we get to see him have the full emotionless character that is intense to level most action character could only wish for. Jon Bernthal continues to shine through supporting roles in films after his time on television. J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson work excellently together again with a perfect story arc to their character. The only negative in this film I found was the character Dana just feels added to the story while this doesn’t mean Kendrick is bad it was the character didn’t quite fit the full story.
This is easily one of the films of the year that I can fully expect everyone to enjoy and even at over two hours long you barely notice the time being used in this film.
Overall: Brutal action, story with heart and perfect story telling throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/12/12/the-accountant-2016/
On the other side of the story we meet head of the treasury department Ray King (Simmons) who blackmails a young agent Marybeth Medina (Addai-Robinson) into investigating this mysterious accountant that has been working with the biggest names on the terrorists list, that accountant is Christian under an alter-ego.
Christian’s latest accountancy job is sorting 15 years of accounts for Lamar Black (Lithgow) Living Robotics company that have been working on defence contracts. While Christian gets on with his latest job we see how Brax (Bernthal) goes about cleaning up other questionable actions from the bankers. While Christian must deal with the junior accountant Dana Cummings (Kendrick) being too talkative for his own liking.
As the story continues to unfold we continue to learn just how dangerous Christian really is and what his bigger plan is. As Brax cleans up what Christian discovers his desperate need for completion explodes but what he discovers could expose the fraud going on.
The Accountant is one of the most complete action thrillers of recent years. The story does borrow elements from recent ideas with myself seeing a mix of John Wick and Dexter going on throughout. Where this story stand head and shoulders above most other films is the way the whole story gets completed. Another huge plus point for this film is that every character gets a full development and we see their story arc go full circle.
Ben Affleck gives a brilliant performance in this leading role where we get to see him have the full emotionless character that is intense to level most action character could only wish for. Jon Bernthal continues to shine through supporting roles in films after his time on television. J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson work excellently together again with a perfect story arc to their character. The only negative in this film I found was the character Dana just feels added to the story while this doesn’t mean Kendrick is bad it was the character didn’t quite fit the full story.
This is easily one of the films of the year that I can fully expect everyone to enjoy and even at over two hours long you barely notice the time being used in this film.
Overall: Brutal action, story with heart and perfect story telling throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/12/12/the-accountant-2016/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Avalon Rising (Metal & Lace, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Compared to <i><a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-camelot-burning-by-kathryn-rose/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camelot Burning</a>,</i> the sequel definitely surpassed most, if not all, of my expectations.
I found <i>Avalon Rising</i> to be a lot more enjoyable than its predecessor. There aren't as many technical terms this time around, as Vivienne seems to be more focused on the mission the Lady of the Lake left for her near the end of the first book and helping Camelot's remaining refugees rebuild after the war with Morgan Le Fay. Soon, Vivienne finds out that some of the knights, including her brother and Marcus, have been missing for several weeks on their quest to find the Holy Grail and Avalon. She also finds out that Jerusalem, where the alchemist Azur resides, is attacked by the Black Knight and his men. Wanting to offer her help, Vivienne decides to leave earlier than what the Lady of the Lake originally planned, finding out that in doing so, she may have placed Marcus's life in danger.
The second <i>Metal & Lace</i> novel is a lot more adventurous than the first one - Vivienne teams up with the castle blacksmith to find the missing knights, which is eventually intercepted by Merlin (who tends to be more of an obstacle this time around rather than actually helping Vivienne). They are then sent to free the Fisher King in the Perilous Lands, which actually results in several fantastic tests/trials for Vivienne to try and prove her worth to free the Fisher King and reveal the coordinates to Avalon. The trials that Vivienne goes through in <i>Avalon Rising</i> to find the knights and to reveal Avalon's coordinates almost felt like a female version of Percy Jackson in a medieval-esque world.
Vivienne also underwent a few changes as a character. She seems more temperamental, but is definitely extremely determined to accomplish what she wants to accomplish. A fantastic quality in a heroine, since Vivienne probably would have spent her time running away from pursuers who also want the coordinates to Avalon rather than doing something extremely interesting (like trying to resist using magic despite the pull).
<i>Avalon Rising</i> was a fantastic companion to <i>Camelot Burning</i> - I definitely look forward to reading the next book with the major cliffhanger Kathryn Rose leaves us with. Might I ask to review-nap this until the next book come out?
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-avalon-rising-by-kathryn-rose/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Compared to <i><a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-camelot-burning-by-kathryn-rose/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camelot Burning</a>,</i> the sequel definitely surpassed most, if not all, of my expectations.
I found <i>Avalon Rising</i> to be a lot more enjoyable than its predecessor. There aren't as many technical terms this time around, as Vivienne seems to be more focused on the mission the Lady of the Lake left for her near the end of the first book and helping Camelot's remaining refugees rebuild after the war with Morgan Le Fay. Soon, Vivienne finds out that some of the knights, including her brother and Marcus, have been missing for several weeks on their quest to find the Holy Grail and Avalon. She also finds out that Jerusalem, where the alchemist Azur resides, is attacked by the Black Knight and his men. Wanting to offer her help, Vivienne decides to leave earlier than what the Lady of the Lake originally planned, finding out that in doing so, she may have placed Marcus's life in danger.
The second <i>Metal & Lace</i> novel is a lot more adventurous than the first one - Vivienne teams up with the castle blacksmith to find the missing knights, which is eventually intercepted by Merlin (who tends to be more of an obstacle this time around rather than actually helping Vivienne). They are then sent to free the Fisher King in the Perilous Lands, which actually results in several fantastic tests/trials for Vivienne to try and prove her worth to free the Fisher King and reveal the coordinates to Avalon. The trials that Vivienne goes through in <i>Avalon Rising</i> to find the knights and to reveal Avalon's coordinates almost felt like a female version of Percy Jackson in a medieval-esque world.
Vivienne also underwent a few changes as a character. She seems more temperamental, but is definitely extremely determined to accomplish what she wants to accomplish. A fantastic quality in a heroine, since Vivienne probably would have spent her time running away from pursuers who also want the coordinates to Avalon rather than doing something extremely interesting (like trying to resist using magic despite the pull).
<i>Avalon Rising</i> was a fantastic companion to <i>Camelot Burning</i> - I definitely look forward to reading the next book with the major cliffhanger Kathryn Rose leaves us with. Might I ask to review-nap this until the next book come out?
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-avalon-rising-by-kathryn-rose/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>