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Clever Gut Diet Cookbook: 150 Delicious Recipes to Help You Nourish Your Body from the Inside Out

Clare Bailey

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“Now readers can implement a diet plan and understand why it's going to work." —Dr. Barry...

health and fitness

Balance Benders™ Beginning

Education and Games

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App

Logic and algebraic reasoning puzzles - More fun & addictive than Sudoku! Move over Sudoku, here...

Runner

Patrick Lee

4.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Sam Dryden, retired special forces, lives a quiet life in a small town on the coast of Southern...

Shattered

Jason Richards

10.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Her murder was the first. It won’t be the last. PI Drew Patrick is determined to catch the killer....

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Dead Man's Hand in Books

Nov 29, 2023 (Updated Nov 29, 2023)

Dead Man's Hand

Penny Warner | 2010 | Mystery

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The Chip in the Dead Man’s Hand

The cold, snowy weather that Flat Skunk, California is having this January doesn’t hide a dead body, especially since the body is found hanging in front of one of the stores in town. While it would be easy to rule it an obvious suicide, the sheriff finds evidence that leads him to believe it is murder. Naturally, Connor Westphal sees the chance to get a big news story for her paper, but she can’t get a handle on the story. What is the meaning of the chip from the nearby Indian casino found in the victim’s hand? Or does the victim’s drug dealing have anything to do with his death?

This book didn't have quite the feel of the other books in the series, and some of the regulars were absent or weren't around much. Having said that, I did still enjoy seeing Connor one last time. She makes an interesting and strong main character. I also enjoyed getting to see more of her service dog. The plot was strong and I didn't see the ending coming at all. I enjoyed seeing how things had changed for deaf people even in the short time between when the series started and this book, which came out in 2007. There is much more foul language than is typical for a cozy. This is the final book in the series, and I really liked where Connor wound up. I'm sure that other fans of the series will be happy as well.

Kudos

Tulle Death Do Us Part

Diane Vallere

9.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Polyester Monroe, quirky amateur sleuth and proud owner of Material Girl, the most colorful fabric...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Mother-Daughter Murder Night in Books

Jul 5, 2024

I Enjoyed the Book, but I Wanted to Like It More

When Los Angeles based real estate mogul Lana Rubicon is diagnosed with cancer, she moves to the central California coast so her daughter, Beth, and granddaughter, Jacqueline (aka Jack) can take care of her, a scary prospect since Lana doesn’t necessarily get along with them. But when a kayak group that Jack is leading discover a dead body, Lana jumps into the case to help her granddaughter. Will this prove to be the distraction and bonding agent that three of them need?

I really wanted to like this book, and there were things I did. While a bit slow, especially at the beginning, the mystery did drawn me in. On the other hand, I figured out the killer pretty early. Lana has some rough edges, and it took quite a while to warm up to her. Since most (but not all) of the book is told from her third person point-of-view, that was an issue. It helped that I liked Beth and Jack and their relationship. I was also pretty discouraged by how most of the men in the story were portrayed. The setting came to life, and I enjoyed spending time there. Overall, the book has a serious tone and is more a traditional mystery than a cozy. It’s definitely not a thriller. As I said, this was a mixed bag. I’m glad I read it, but I will hesitate before I pick up anything else from this author.