Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated Murder in the Tattoo Parlor in Books
Jul 30, 2025
Murder Leaves a Permanent Mark
Francine and Charlotte have agree to go with Joy to her appointment to get a tattoo. Yes, it’s on Joy’s bucket list, but she’s not so sure she’ll actually follow through. They show up for the late-night appointment only to find the tattoo artist dead. The new police chief wants them to stay far away from the case, but Francine can’t help but start investigating. Her biggest surprise is that none of her friends seems that interested in helping with the case since they all have their own distractions. Can Francine figure out what happened?
I thought this series had concluded years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the authors have self-published a couple of additional entries. I’d forgotten about a storyline that enters the paranormal realm that I wasn’t a fan of, yet I’m curious where it is going in the next in the series. While the plot started well, Francine spends a lot of time going in circles. Parts are obvious early, yet the climax still feels rushed. On the other hand, I still enjoy the characters and liked spending time with them again. I’ll probably pick up the next just to see where the story is going. The authors do have me curious about that.
I thought this series had concluded years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the authors have self-published a couple of additional entries. I’d forgotten about a storyline that enters the paranormal realm that I wasn’t a fan of, yet I’m curious where it is going in the next in the series. While the plot started well, Francine spends a lot of time going in circles. Parts are obvious early, yet the climax still feels rushed. On the other hand, I still enjoy the characters and liked spending time with them again. I’ll probably pick up the next just to see where the story is going. The authors do have me curious about that.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated Murder Most Scenic in Books
Oct 16, 2025
Meet Jim and Sally in These Short Stories
This volume collects the six short stories that Liz Milliron wrote with her Laurel Highlands characters before the first novel came out. This is where we first meet Trooper Jim Duncan and assistant district Attorney Sally Castle. And this is where they first meet as well, so we get to watch as their relationship slowly develops. Along the way, they find the killer of a politician’s wife, figure out who killed a baseball player, and solve the case of a brewery contestant murdered the day before the contest. There’s also one story that focuses on Deputy Coroner Tom Bruns, a supporting player in the series.
I don’t read short stories often enough, so it was nice to do so with this collection. A couple of them were a little obvious, but several of them fooled me with the final twist as well. I was glad to finally get the backstory to Jim and Sally and watch the early stages of their relationship. Do keep in mind these aren’t the cozies I often read. Fans of the novels who want to see how the characters first met will be glad they picked up this book. And if you haven’t met the characters yet, don’t wait. Now’s the time to jump in.
I don’t read short stories often enough, so it was nice to do so with this collection. A couple of them were a little obvious, but several of them fooled me with the final twist as well. I was glad to finally get the backstory to Jim and Sally and watch the early stages of their relationship. Do keep in mind these aren’t the cozies I often read. Fans of the novels who want to see how the characters first met will be glad they picked up this book. And if you haven’t met the characters yet, don’t wait. Now’s the time to jump in.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated The Ghostway in Books
Oct 30, 2025
A Hunt That Takes Chee to Los Angeles
It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee.
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee.
Murder at Cottonwood Creek
8.0
Rate It
Book
Far from England and their beloved Morrington Hall, Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst and his American...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Taking in Books
Apr 7, 2024
67 of 220
Book
The Taking
By Dean Koontz
⭐️⭐️
On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Niel Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain. It has haunted their dreams through the night, and now they find an eerily luminous and golden downpour that drenches their small Californian mountain town. As hours pass they hear news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. An obscuring fog turns once familiar streets into a ghostly labyrinth. By evening, the town has lost all communication with the outside world. First TV and radio go dead, then the Internet and phone lines. The young couple gathers together with some neighbours, sensing a threat they cannot identify or even imagine. The night brings strange noises, and mysterious lights drift among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn but a moody grey-purple twilight prevails. Within the misty gloom the small band will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to the world -- something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency.
I really liked how this started and it was doing ok then I got bored by the end I was glad it was ending. Someone told me this was one of his best books it kinda puts me off reading anymore if that’s the case.
Book
The Taking
By Dean Koontz
⭐️⭐️
On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Niel Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain. It has haunted their dreams through the night, and now they find an eerily luminous and golden downpour that drenches their small Californian mountain town. As hours pass they hear news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. An obscuring fog turns once familiar streets into a ghostly labyrinth. By evening, the town has lost all communication with the outside world. First TV and radio go dead, then the Internet and phone lines. The young couple gathers together with some neighbours, sensing a threat they cannot identify or even imagine. The night brings strange noises, and mysterious lights drift among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn but a moody grey-purple twilight prevails. Within the misty gloom the small band will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to the world -- something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency.
I really liked how this started and it was doing ok then I got bored by the end I was glad it was ending. Someone told me this was one of his best books it kinda puts me off reading anymore if that’s the case.
ClareR (6037 KP) rated Dead Animals in Books
May 26, 2024
Dead Animals by Phoebe Stuckes tells of an unnamed young woman who wakes up the morning after a party, covered in bruises. Over a period of time, she realises that she was sexually assaulted. Whilst trying to deal with the repercussions of this, we learn that she’s a zero hours waitress in an upmarket restaurant, specialising in offal - and she’s a vegetarian. She’s bullied because she doesn’t eat meat, and is tricked into eating it on a couple of occasions (they’re really unpleasant people).
She lives in a tiny flat that appears to be plagued with mould that only worsens after the attack. Whether this is real mould or a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil and distress is uncertain, but when she meets Hélène, a fellow sufferer of her attacker, she takes her up on the offer of moving in with her.
Hélène seems perfect at first, but the main character takes her unease and weird occurrences with her to the new flat. Hélène comes across as manipulative and controlling. In fact there’s a feel of the main character having no control of her own life at any point in this story - right up to the devastating end.
This was a really tense, creepy audiobook, read so well by Anna Burnett - her narration increased the feeling of unease!
A short but really hard-hitting listen.
She lives in a tiny flat that appears to be plagued with mould that only worsens after the attack. Whether this is real mould or a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil and distress is uncertain, but when she meets Hélène, a fellow sufferer of her attacker, she takes her up on the offer of moving in with her.
Hélène seems perfect at first, but the main character takes her unease and weird occurrences with her to the new flat. Hélène comes across as manipulative and controlling. In fact there’s a feel of the main character having no control of her own life at any point in this story - right up to the devastating end.
This was a really tense, creepy audiobook, read so well by Anna Burnett - her narration increased the feeling of unease!
A short but really hard-hitting listen.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated Three Strikes – You're Dead! in Books
Jun 28, 2024
Give This Collection a Sporting Chance
This is a collection of 14 crime fiction short stories with a sports theme. And there are plenty of unique sports here. The collection starts out with one of three baseball stories as the hero of a playoff game winds up dead moments after scoring the winning run. We’ve got a bounty hunter who is trying to bring in an ultimate Frisbee player. A college swimming coach is found dead at practice one morning. A woman plans to avenge her brother’s death in the bull riding ring. A biathlete is kidnapped. And a tennis coach finds himself in grave danger.
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated London Calling in Books
Feb 20, 2025 (Updated Feb 20, 2025)
Family Found Finally?
This book starts with Annie in Istanbul. Thanks to things her mom has drilled into her, she realizes someone is following her and manages to give them the slip before she sends out a cry for help. A cry that the City Spies get and immediately jump into action. You see, Annie is the daughter of Mother, their leader. But the spies are already on assignment protecting the fiancée of one of the princes before their royal wedding. Can they find Annie and rescue her while keeping their current assignment on track?
If you haven’t yet started this fantastic series, don’t start here since it will spoil many of the twists of the previous books. But fans will be highly satisfied when they finish the book since it gives us many of the answers we’d been waiting for. A couple things were glossed over, but that’s minor. Along the way, we get all the twists and excitement that fans expect. We also get to spend time with characters we love. They are so great at working together, and it is a joy to watch. While this book does wrap up quite a bit, it leaves the door open for further adventures - ones I hope we get. If you are a fan, pick up this book today.
If you haven’t yet started this fantastic series, don’t start here since it will spoil many of the twists of the previous books. But fans will be highly satisfied when they finish the book since it gives us many of the answers we’d been waiting for. A couple things were glossed over, but that’s minor. Along the way, we get all the twists and excitement that fans expect. We also get to spend time with characters we love. They are so great at working together, and it is a joy to watch. While this book does wrap up quite a bit, it leaves the door open for further adventures - ones I hope we get. If you are a fan, pick up this book today.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated Ranch Dressing in Books
Apr 4, 2025
Murder Down on the Ranch
Samantha Kidd’s father-in-law is interested in buying a dude ranch in New Jersey, so Samantha joins him and her husband on a trip to meet the current owner and check it out in depth. She is so out of her element that she must borrow jeans for the trip, but she is doing her best to be supportive and stay in the background. Their first night there, Samantha finds the owner dead in the barn. Can she get the rest of the staff to warm up to her enough to solve the crime?
This book really builds on the growth we’ve seen in Samantha over the last couple of books, which I appreciated. You could jump in here without any spoilers, but you won’t appreciate the character arc as much. I also appreciated that this allowed Samantha’s relationship with her husband to really shine. Meanwhile, the new characters were entertaining. The mystery kept me confused until we reached the logical climax. I laughed as always as I was reading. Trixie Belden fans will enjoy an Easter egg in this book. Now that I’ve caught up on this enjoyable series, I can’t wait for the next book to come out. If you aren’t caught up yet, now’s the time to fix that. You’ll enjoy the time spent doing so.
This book really builds on the growth we’ve seen in Samantha over the last couple of books, which I appreciated. You could jump in here without any spoilers, but you won’t appreciate the character arc as much. I also appreciated that this allowed Samantha’s relationship with her husband to really shine. Meanwhile, the new characters were entertaining. The mystery kept me confused until we reached the logical climax. I laughed as always as I was reading. Trixie Belden fans will enjoy an Easter egg in this book. Now that I’ve caught up on this enjoyable series, I can’t wait for the next book to come out. If you aren’t caught up yet, now’s the time to fix that. You’ll enjoy the time spent doing so.
Merissa (13495 KP) rated Unlocked and Unlost in Books
May 6, 2025
UNLOCKED AND UNLOST is a standalone as far as I can tell, although I'm guessing there's a crossover somewhere because most of the side characters seem to have stories of their own that have already been told.
Kingston is a raccoon shifter locksmith who is laid up with a sprained ankle, caused by a client's young daughter. Ethan is the client's answer to helping Kingston out of a mess. Ethan is a squirrel shifter, complete with the hyperactivity you would expect. In their world, you don't recognise your fated mate unless you're shifted.
To be honest, I didn't really get them as a couple. Kingston couldn't cope with Ethan having 5 million tabs open in his brain (and neither could I!) and was quite rude about it in places. And Ethan? Well, it seemed as though he'd just be happy someone wanted him. There was a lot in his past with his father and grandmother, but I never really got to see much of it firsthand; it came as flashbacks or memories from Ethan most of the time.
Cute and lighthearted, I enjoyed this read but definitely wanted more.
** 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!
May 6, 2025
Kingston is a raccoon shifter locksmith who is laid up with a sprained ankle, caused by a client's young daughter. Ethan is the client's answer to helping Kingston out of a mess. Ethan is a squirrel shifter, complete with the hyperactivity you would expect. In their world, you don't recognise your fated mate unless you're shifted.
To be honest, I didn't really get them as a couple. Kingston couldn't cope with Ethan having 5 million tabs open in his brain (and neither could I!) and was quite rude about it in places. And Ethan? Well, it seemed as though he'd just be happy someone wanted him. There was a lot in his past with his father and grandmother, but I never really got to see much of it firsthand; it came as flashbacks or memories from Ethan most of the time.
Cute and lighthearted, I enjoyed this read but definitely wanted more.
** 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!
May 6, 2025