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Homicide Hérault (Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery #6)
Homicide Hérault (Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery #6)
Bluette Matthey | 2022 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!


Hardy Durkin is on a bicycle tour around France with his group. As they are following a delightful path a couple of the group decide to have a little splash in the water so one of the group goes behind a rock to change and ends up getting the fright of her life, 2 skeletons. Hardy contacts his friends who are in the know and discover a lot more!


I have enjoyed this story it is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. There is a lot of good information which is very interesting to read. I had an issue with one of Bluette's previously and was a bit apprehensive as I didn't want to upset her if I didn't like the story or style of writing, but there were no issues at all with that she has done a fantastic job and made it legible and exciting. Well done, Bluette, a fantastic job.


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. *
  
The Castle of Thorns
The Castle of Thorns
Elle Beaumont | 2021 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE CASTLE OF THORNS is a fantasy story loosely based upon Beauty and the Beast. Gisela has epilepsy, but no one understands (or knows) her illness. Luckily for her, a witch knows which herbs to use to treat her. All that is good until her supply runs too low for the usual trip by sea. Instead, they will have to go through the forest where a man-eating monster-fox lives.

This is a sometimes dark story with plenty of death before Knorren realises the error of his ways. Gisela also has a couple of sisters that really should be in Cinderella rather than this story! Jana is sweet with her, but she still coddles Gisela, making her think she is weaker than she is.

Some of the supporting characters didn't do anything for me and actually left me wondering what their purpose was. It is fast-paced, especially near the end when it wraps up with a hop, skip, and a jump.

This was an enjoyable read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

** 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!
  
Charlie Thorne and the Curse of Cleopatra
Charlie Thorne and the Curse of Cleopatra
Stuart Gibbs | 2022 | Children
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Charlie’s Following Cleopatra’s Footsteps
Charlie Thorne is once again on her own, and she’s decided to find out what Cleopatra left behind over two thousand years ago. To do so, she needs to slip into the apartment of a rich Egyptian playboy. Naturally, things don’t go as planned, and Charlie finds herself being chased by not only the man’s security, but several different countries’ agents. Can she dodge them and still find what Cleopatra left behind?

This series has a couple of issues for me. One is Charlie, who can come across as a perfect character for far too long. Eventually, we do see some weaknesses, but it takes a while. I suspect this is something that adults will pick on more than kids do. Then there’s the data dumps. We need some of that information to have the context for the action, but it can get to be a bit much. However, overall, I do like these books, and this one in particular. There are plenty of action sequences and twists. I’m curious where the series is going to go from here. I like the core cast, yes, even Charlie. And I mentioned the action, right? Fans of good stories will enjoy this book.
  
Raven (Raven Series #1) [Audiobook]
Raven (Raven Series #1) [Audiobook]
Heather Atkinson | 2022 | Crime
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
As soon as I started to listen to this book, I was hooked. I am a sucker for an assassin story and even more so when that assassin is a female and this didn't disappoint.

Raven is a strong woman who can more than hold her own against the male of the species but she is tested to the limit when someone is stealing her jobs and ruining her reputation. Raven finds herself struggling to trust anyone and when her rival is revealed, the situation becomes increasingly personal and more complicated.

This is a long 'listen' and I had to take an enforced break for a couple of weeks when I was half way through but I was able to get back into the story seamlessly and I was soon engrossed again.

The narrator did an excellent job and despite there being a lot of characters, she was able to use her voice to distinguish between them all.

With strong characters, a great story, loads of action and violence but with some humorous moments, this is a series that I am looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into and I must thank W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to Raven and share my thoughts.
  
Apprehend Me No Flowers
Apprehend Me No Flowers
Diane Vallere | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Flowers for the Murdered
It’s May 2019, and Madison is dealing with a lot. Not only has her idol, Doris Day, recently died, but her business is closed while she deals with a lawsuit. However, a picnic dinner with her boyfriend, police captain Tex Allen, provides distraction, and not in a good way. Madison finds a dead body stuffed in a trash can; meanwhile, hikers find another on the other side of the park. Can Madison figure out what is going on? Or will she cause more harm than good?

Since Doris Day has been such a large part of the DNA of the series (in a completely fictional sense), I appreciated that this book took the time to address how her death was impacting Madison. It’s part of her growth in this book, which I enjoyed. I also appreciated the plot, which includes several different things and kept me entertained until the logical climax. Unfortunately, I did feel there were a couple of editing snafus, but they were minor overall. There is a recurring character who continues to surprise me, and that happened here again as well. I very much want to see where that relationship is going. All told, this is another winner that will please series fans.
  
Death by Haunted House
Death by Haunted House
Lee Hollis | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Haunted Flashback
This novella flashes back ten years to 2009 and a time when series protagonist Hayley Powell was still married. A new family has moved to town and moved in next door to Hayley and her young family into a long-abandoned house that is rumored to be haunted. When they move in, they are unfriendly and obviously keeping secrets, and Hayley’s husband, Danny, is certain that they are hiding something. When a dead body turns up in the woods behind their neighborhood, Danny is certain they are involved. Is he right?

I found the story here very entertaining, although I did guess a couple plot points early. Still, the solution to the mystery was a surprise, and I had to laugh at some of the events along the way. On the other hand, I found Danny extremely selfish and annoying, and Hayley does something extremely stupid, with is ironic since she complains about Danny’s behavior at times.

NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Haunted House Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Halloween trip to Maine.
  
RB
ReSet: Be Good, Your Life Depends On It
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Good plot (1 more)
Well developed characters
cliff-hanger ending (0 more)
A one-night read
I picked up ReSet at the request of a friend as the story sounded rather like the YA dystopian novels of my teens. I started reading it before I went to bed and finished it before I went to sleep. It's a pretty quick read, and a pretty good story.

The plot's interesting, though it's a little surprising how easily the unsuitable people are eliminated. I think I only actually liked a couple of the characters; however I don't think we were necessarily meant to as these are fairly normal people (for the most part) dealing with an extreme and abnormal situation. The fellow in charge, Greyson Jeffers, who made this situation happen, keeps a close eye on the people he allows to form towns with the help of microchips implanted in them. Each town is allowed so many "bad" actions before it is "reset" aka destroyed. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but doing something about it is hard with the close surveillance. The end of the book felt a bit like a cliff-hanger to me, but I am hoping the author is able to publish book 2 soon.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 19, 2022  
Sneak a peek at the cozy mystery THE FLOWER ENIGMA by Breakfield and Burkey on my blog. If you like what you see, the eBook is only $0.99. Be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/08/book-blitz-and-giveaway-flower-enigma.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Imagine a romantic getaway in the Texas Hill Country

JJ, a cyber guru, whisks his girlfriend, Jo, away for a vacation. No paparazzi. Magnolia Bluff is the perfect destination. Flower B&B is prettier than the pictures on the website.

The evangelizing podcast creators are demanding answers about the town’s newest resident, Mateo Hernandez. The enormous wall he erected has convinced the ladies he’s hiding nefarious activities behind a dubious attorney. Local authorities don’t believe laws are broken and discount the women as meddling gossips.

When the couple checks in to Flower, the podcast show-in-progress is interrupted by a cyberattack. JJ, the techno-geek, can’t resist helping. At each subsequent event in the series, he uncovers more serious issues than cyberwarfare.

JJ and Jo can’t avoid this roving series maelstrom. It gets personal when they’re attacked and warned to leave town. No one can conceive the depth of the crimes behind Mateo’s walls.