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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Spy School Goes North in Books

Feb 5, 2024  
Spy School Goes North
Spy School Goes North
Stuart Gibbs | 2023 | Children
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kidnapping in Alaska
Ben and the rest of the gang are in Alaska, training in secret after the events of the previous book. But they aren’t as secret as they thought they were when someone kidnaps Cyrus. Naturally, they spring into action to save him, but even if they do, what plot might they uncover?

I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is beginning to feel a little too familiar. It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move on to some new stories. Additionally, there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I agreed with the characters. There’s also a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels. From a story standpoint, this relationship felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much. It just wasn’t earned. On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning pages. Here’s hoping that the next will take things in a fresh direction.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Death on Cozumel Island in Books

Apr 30, 2026  
Death on Cozumel Island
Death on Cozumel Island
Cindy Quayle | 2023 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Is This a Series Debut to Dive into?
Claire O’Keefe is planning a destination bachelorette party of her best friend to Cozumel, hoping to get some diving in around the pre-wedding festivities. But her diving is less than ideal thanks to an obnoxious fellow diver. When someone kills him after a dive, Claire is surprised to learn a dive guide she really likes is the suspect. Can she find evidence to clear his name?

Being a lover of all things aquatic, this book attracted my attention when I first heard about it several years ago. But I just got a chance to read it. Sadly, it needed another couple of drafts to polish things up. The pacing was way off until we reached the final third of the book. Claire was pretty selfish at times, and her actions didn’t always make sense. The writing was rough at times as well. However, the descriptions of the diving were enough to make me want to plan a trip myself. Hopefully, the series gets better as it goes along.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Fatal Fried Rice in Books

Mar 20, 2026 (Updated Mar 20, 2026)  
Fatal Fried Rice
Fatal Fried Rice
Vivien Chien | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Murder
Lana Lee has decided to do something about not being able to cook Chinese food by signing up for a class at a local continuing education school. She is hoping to keep her class a secret, but that becomes much harder when she returns after class to find the instructor stabbed in the back. With the detective assigned to the case certain that Lana is responsible, she must figure out what happened. But with the victim a stranger, can Lana learn anything about her?

The problem with this book is that Lana really has no connection to the victim. It takes quite a while before we start getting any leads on suspects and motives. Once that happens, the book picks up, and we reach a logical climax. Fortunately, Lana and the rest of the regulars are their normal charming and entertaining selves. I enjoyed checking in with them as always. Fans will still be glad they picked up this book.