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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated Seams Like Murder in Books

Oct 4, 2022 (Updated Oct 4, 2022)  
Seams Like Murder
Seams Like Murder
Dorothy Howell | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Abbey Sew Up a Murder?
When her life in Los Angeles falls apart, Abbey Chandler heads up the California coast to the town of Hideaway Grove where she spent many happy summers as a child visiting her aunt. Abbey’s hardly arrived before she catches a glimpse of a hit and run behind her aunt’s bakery. Now, instead of trying to figure out what to do with her life, Abbey is trying to figure out who killed the town’s new librarian. Everyone seemed to love the victim. Who wanted her dead?

This book gets out to a quick start, but then the pacing becomes uneven. There is lots of set up for future books in the series here. I enjoyed seeing Abbey reconnect with old friends and making new ones as well as discovering a love of sewing, but it did slow things down. Don’t misunderstand, there is a good mystery here, and I like how things came together at the end. I also really liked most of the characters, although the sheriff was shockingly clueless. There are many scenes in the aunt’s bakery that will have you drooling, but this is a crafting cozy series, so our extra is a guide to creating pillowcase dresses. If you are looking for a promising new series, this is one to check out.
  
Murder by Natural Causes [Audibook]
Murder by Natural Causes [Audibook]
Helen Erichsen | 2023 | Crime
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Overall, a pretty successful audiobook which was, for me anyway, mostly down to the narrator who was excellent and really brought the characters to life.

The book is told entirely from Cilla's point of view and tells the story of how she got to be who she is and the now. I wouldn't say it is full of action or thrills and spills which, from the synopsis anyway, I did assume would be the case but rather a detailed look into how a child with certain traits can be shaped and moulded to become a successful killer and the cunning and skills she used when plying her trade and which she is now using to try and change her life.

As I said, it's not full of action and whilst there is some suspense, this mainly comes towards the end and this was, for me, a little disappointing - it's a little too slow and lacking in oomph! I did however like getting to know Cilla and whilst at first I found her hard to 'like', she did grow on me in the end.

Overall, a little underwhelming and although I did finish it, I was left with a sense of "was that it?". My thanks go to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Murder by Natural Causes.
  
The Surrogate (Brennan & Esposito #1)
The Surrogate (Brennan & Esposito #1)
Tania Carver | 2009 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
4 of 250
Book
The Surrogate ( Brennan & Esposito book1)
By Tania Carver

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

A shocking double-murder scene greets Detective Inspector Philip Brennan when he is called to a flat in Colchester. Two women are viciously cut open and laying spreadeagled, one tied to the bed, one on the floor. The woman on the bed has had her stomach cut into and her unborn child is missing. But this is the third time Phil and his team have seen such an atrocity. Two other pregnant women have been killed in this way and their babies taken from them. No-one can imagine what sort of person would want to commit such evil acts. When psychologist Marina Esposito is brought in, Phil has to put aside his feelings about their shared past and get on with the job. But can they find the killer before another woman is targeted?



This is definitely a strange one for me! How I got through it I will never know I had to keep putting it down and regather my thoughts. Several times I asked myself do I want to keep going! This is not me taking anything away from the authors as the book was very well written, fast paced with short but well packed chapters. This was difficult for so many reasons dealing with delicate issues. Murder of both women and babies, mutilation , sexual and physical abuse, mental illness on so many levels as well as a few more I missed. The book had this draw to it you didn’t want to go on but you needed to go on! For the first book I. A series it kicks you in the gut straight away! A few times I thought I would physically throw up. So many emotions packed into 438 pages! I needed that last chapter I needed to see him get his woman I think after everything you go through you need that ending!!

Would I recommend this book? Without a doubt but it needs a trigger warning and it’s definitely NOT for the faint hearted!!
  
The Roanoke Girls
The Roanoke Girls
Amy Engel | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
8.0 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
A well written book with a dark theme.
This book is one of those that's not going to be for everyone. The subject matter is heavy, and for some may well be triggering.

It features child abuse, incest, suicide and murder. It's deeply unsettling and at times made me feel really uncomfortable. I don't think there's a character in this book who isn't very messed up.

However it is very well written, I'm not sure if enjoyed is the right word to use but I was completely drawn in, I had to stick with it. I liked the way the author interweaves the flashbacks with the current story. Often, I don't enjoy flashbacks in books, they can make a story feel too disjointed for me, but it worked in The Roanoke girls.

I don't feel like it sensationalises the subjects it deals with, it sets them out as the stomach churning matters that they are.
It's definitely a story that will get you thinking.

I don't usually read the reading group questions at the end of a book, but I did with this book because I was curious, and I feel that there's definitely plenty for discussion, so perhaps it would be a good book club book.

An example of the reading group questions.

"Do you think gran is right when she says mothers are judged more harshly than fathers? Why do you think that might be? Is it a fair standard?"

Overall I enjoyed this book.
  
Had I realized when I picked it up that this was the 4th book in a series, I would have looked for the first book to start at the beginning. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything starting at this point in the story, however. The relationships between characters were either evident or explained well enough that you can easily read or listen to this book without having read the previous books, and not feel lost.

A lot of Swedish crime fiction has a particular melancholy feel to it, and The Hidden Child is no exception. The author did injected occasional brief moments of humor into the story that helped lighten the mood, however, and they kept it from feeling too dark.

The story is told in both in the present, and through flashbacks, in the time around WW2. It follows the police investigation into the murder of a local historian, as well as the family drama unfolding as Erica Faulk digs into her mother’s past. The two series of events turn out to be more intertwined than anyone could have imagined, and even though I could see where it was going, the story didn’t give everything away at once and I didn’t really know what had happened until the end.

If you are a fan of police procedural and / or historical mysteries, give this one a try!
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated A Murder Most French in Books

Apr 25, 2024 (Updated Apr 25, 2024)  
A Murder Most French
A Murder Most French
Colleen Cambridge | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder Most Rare
When this book opens, Julia Child is excited about a demonstration that a famous chef is going to be doing that afternoon at Le Cordon Bleu, and she insists that her friend and neighbor, Tabitha Knight, go with her. However, the demonstration ends abruptly when the chef dies after taking a sip of a rare and expensive wine he’d received just before the event started. Despite vowing to stay out of it, Tabitha can’t help but wonder what is going on. Can she figure it out?

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but wonder why the characters, who are speaking French, are throwing French words into every line of dialogue. But that writing quirk aside, this was another great book. I loved getting to visit the characters again, and Tabitha was just as smart and resourceful as in the first book. Meanwhile, the new characters lead us on a merry chase in a well-constructed mystery. I was satisfied when everything was explained. As with the first book, there is a smattering of foul language. Once again, Paris in post the World War II era came to life, and I enjoyed this look at the time period. Don’t read this book hungry since all the talk of food will make your mouth water. I enjoyed getting to spend more time with Tabitha and Julia and look forward to their next adventure.
  
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Linda Gaine | 2020 | Horror
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The book has a beautiful setting. (0 more)
Fails to live up to its promise of being a horror story (0 more)
Meh book
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Linda Gaine is a mildly creepy story perfect for a fall night. It gave me that uncomfortable feeling that is not quite fear from time to time making me want to insure that doors were locked and the lights were on.

 Nothing interesting ever happens in small towns. Especially in those so small that most of the residents know each other. In a town that small the murder of a young woman is big news. When this single murder turns into a string of murders that appear to be the work of a serial killer the entire town is put on edge. Everyone, specifically women are encouraged to travel with others and avoid being out at night. Unfortunately not everyone listens.

 Amanda is a young woman who has grown up in this small town. She meets her husband at a local bar and they buy a large house in the mountains on the outskirts of town. Too bad a house in the mountains is not an ideal place for a young woman and her child to be living alone. Yet that is exactly what would have happened when Amanda’s husband ends up in the hospital if it wasn’t for Amanda’s best friend. The house my be isolated but that is little comfort to Amanda when the serial killer seams to be showing a special interest in her.

 I enjoyed the setting of the book. From the quiet town to the large house up on the mountain. Everything is just so peaceful and lovingly thought out in the town. I was actually able to feel just how unsettling the house on the mountain was for everyone as well. It would have been nice to see dinkus (the there asterisks used to divide chapters into sections) being used. The main negative thing I noticed about this book was it jumping form one person to another without warning. The story became very confusing because of the lack of breaks. Large time jumps also became an issue.

 I would not recommend this book for those hoping for horror. Instead this book is better suited for those who enjoy murder mysteries and dramas. Young adults and adults alike should enjoy this book although both should be aware of extremely mild adult content. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Sadly this book did not live up to the promise it seemed to give out. While the book started out moderately creepy it was not able to maintain that feeling. Other than that the book itself was good and had an interesting plot line. The book seems to play more on the human fear of being alone and of close personal tragedies more than anything else.
  
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Jamie (131 KP) rated Little Lies in Books

Jul 26, 2017  
Little Lies
Little Lies
Heather Gudenkauf | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
2
2.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Short with an intriguing premise (0 more)
Extremely predictable (2 more)
Unlikeable main character
Poor representation of social workers
The worst social worker ever
What bothered me the most about this book was how poor of a representation Ellen Moore is of a social worker. Just think, if it was you or your own children that were involved in a case, would you want the CPS worker talking to other people idly about it? Carelessly giving personal information out even years after the case has been closed? Of course not. It would go against the code of ethics. A considerable portion of the story involved Ellen discussing a previous case involving a now grown child to multiple people, some that were involved in the case and some not. Then there’s the added bonus that Ellen ends up investigating a murder right along with buddy cop, adding her own opinions and speculations on the case without doing any actual police work. One of her theories involved said child from a previous case, which is quite frankly ridiculous and a serious violation of the code. I personally found this portrayal of social workers to be incredibly irresponsible.

I also wasn’t digging the pseudo romance between Ellen and the police officer. Ellen is supposed to be happily married with children, yet keeps going back to how she’s sure that mister cop is sweet on her, and how awkward it is even though they’re close friends. I rolled my eyes when she felt guilty not telling her husband about the not date at a diner to look at crime scene photos and discuss a case. This extra bit of fluff just made Ellen’s character more of an annoyance to me.

The plot tries really hard to set up a classic bait and switch in order to throw readers off the trail and make the reveal at the end that much more surprising and exciting, but it was so painfully obvious it just seemed amateurish. A let down, really, considering how much I loved one of Gudenkauf’s previous works, The Weight of Silence. This story felt so shallow in comparison. Taking it as an introduction to the characters in Little Mercies, well, I’m not sure if I’d want to pick up the full length novel after reading this and that’s a shame. Overall, this little novella was disappointing and could easily be skipped.
  
Good Me, Bad Me
Good Me, Bad Me
Ali Land | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Book Rating
Read my review here: http://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/

AVAILABLE NOW!

<b><i>I promised to be the best I could. I promised to try… Forgive me.</b></i>

Wow. This book was far, far better than I was expecting it to be. I had left it in my library for so long that I had forgotten what it was even about when I picked it up to read. <i>Be warned,</i> there are <b>triggers</b> to note in this book (sexual, physical and emotional abuse of a child, self harm and child murder) but Land is decent enough not to delve too deeply into any of these topics.

The plot for this was new to me, I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with a similar plot line, though I may be forgetting (I won’t be forgetting about this one)! Annie, whose name is changed to Milly for protection reasons, is the daughter of a serial killer. And while her mother's trial looms, Milly is trying to move on, forget her old life and fit in with her foster family but nightmarish nighttime visits and a constant inner voice from her mother don’t make any of this easy. Stuck in a battle of nature and nurture, Milly is terrified of what she might become. Fighting with herself daily to be the “good me” is tough, because afterall, she is her mother's daughter.

The writing style of this novel is incredible. It was snappy, fast paced yet added to the mystery of the plot. It kept me wanting to know more, which is exactly why I read the novel in under 24 hours. My only, <i>tiny</i>, gripe with the writing, was sometimes, <i>very occasionally</i>, sentences were structured in a way that made it sound like Milly was Yoda... but I only noticed it a couple of times throughout the entire thing.

<b>Twisted, shocking, unputdownable and unforgettable.</b> This is set to be one of the best debuts of 2017 and is by far one of the best debuts I’ve read this year (I finished this in late 2016, not early 2017!!). I’m excited to see what other books Land can produce.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
  
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/the-scholl-case-by-anja-reich-osang

<i><b>He smiles, but he doesn’t show what he has in his heart.</i></b>

I really enjoyed this book, but for reasons I can’t really pinpoint. It wasn’t like any other true crime book I’ve read, it was more like a memoir of Heinrich Scholl’s life. It was certainly a very dry read in parts, in terms of the actual crime, but I just quite liked reading about how well Heinrich succeed in his life. By the time we got the trial, I was actually very excited to see how it all played out, and I was really rushing through the pages (in a good way). The one big downfall with this book was that I don’t know enough about the history of Germany - the war and the fall of the Berlin wall etc - so a lot of the relevance to these events and Scholl’s life were a little lost on me.

Heinrich was abused mentally as a child and by his wife - even after all his successes in life, so it was kind of unstandable for him to fall into these relationships, with the lady from the town hall and with Nani. and call it “love”. Because he was never loved beforehand. It’s sad really. And his desperation to succeed as an older man was also very upsetting. But he was also wrong to string his wife along for years and years, if he was really unhappy, he should have tried harder to leave her.

Heinrich’s wife, Gitti, was a horrid woman! I understand the marriage they had was pretty much a complete sham, but she treated her husband like dirt. Another reason it’s no surprise Heinrich went looking for other relationships. But I also feel sorry for Gitti, not just because she was murdered, She lost all her family in the most depressing of ways and because she obviously had some troubles of wanting and not succeeding to have the perfect life, and this clearly damaged her. She clearly had some mental issues that made her flit between cursing Heinrich, wanting Heinrich back, and killing herself.

The crime of Brigitte Scholl’s death is certainly a strange one. Everything points to Heinrich as the murderer, but then it also doesn’t. I’m not sure I believe it was calculated murder. Manslaughter? Maybe. But murder, no. I actually find it hard to believe he did it at all, but maybe that’s because I have so much pity for him.

This book just leaves you wondering around with your own thoughts. It comes to a conclusion, the charge of murder, but it doesn’t lead you to any final decision. The choice is yours to make; is Heinrich Scholl guilty of murdering his wife and dog?

Thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.