Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (742)

Content

Garden Living: Designing Outdoor Spaces to Gather, Cook, Play, and Relax

Jonathan Adler and Judy Kameon

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Gardens should be spaces that invite gathering, entertaining, and relaxing. Gardens are for living....

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Wedding Bear Blues in Books

Dec 30, 2020

Wedding Bear Blues

Meg Macy | 2020 | Mystery

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A Killer Walk Down the Aisle

Sasha Silverman and her sister Maddie are involved in the Valentine’s weekend wedding of a local friend. However, between the demands the bride is making and the fact the wedding party doesn’t get along, it is turning out to be anything but fun. Still, Sasha wasn’t expecting one of the members of the wedding party to turn up dead at the rehearsal dinner. When her bridesmaid duties suddenly include finding the real killer, can she figure out what happened?

Because we meet the members of the bridal party in a couple of group scenes, I had trouble keeping them all straight early on, but as the book progressed, I found it easier to remember their relationships. The plot is strong, with some nice red herrings that kept me confused until we reached the climax. Helping things out are some fun sub-plots, although one of them stretched credibility a bit too far for me. I’ll believe that Sasha can solve the murder but not how this sub-plot played out. I think that may be on me. We do get updates on Sasha’s larger group of family and friends, but they mostly stay in the background, which helps us get to know the suspects better. This is a wonderful winter time cozy, so snuggle in with a blanket and your favorite hot beverage and enjoy.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Death On Demand (Death On Demand, #1) in Books

Sep 15, 2020

Crime Writer Murdered

Annie Lawrence has inherited the Death on Demand mystery bookstore on Broward’s Rock off the coast of South Carolina. She has allowed the bookstore to continue to be used by a group of mystery writers on Sunday nights. On this particular Sunday night, one of them is murdered, and Annie becomes the chief suspect. Good thing that her not-quite-ex, Max Darling, is on the island to help her clear her name. But can they do it?

While I’ve read other books by the author, I have yet to dive into this series. I’m glad I finally took the plunge. The mystery is complex with a good puzzle and lots of twists before everything is resolved. Annie and Max are strong and fantastic lead characters. The suspect could have been a bit stronger, although they got better as the book went along. The references to other mystery authors and novels was a lot of fun, although occasionally it did feel like it was a bit much. There was more foul language than I am used to in a cozy mystery. The setting, essentially a resort community, was fantastic. This book came out in 1987, so some things were dated, but just keep that in mind when you pick up the book and you’ll be fine. Now that I’ve visited the store, I will definitely be back.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Christmas Cupcake Murder in Books

Dec 12, 2020

A Fine Short Story Stretched

There is a stranger in Lake Eden, and no one knows who he is – including the man himself. Hannah and her mother find him one day mostly starved, and get him to the hospital. When he is revived, he doesn’t remember his name, but asks to be called Joe Smith instead of John Doe. Hannah makes it her mission to find out who he really is. Can she help him recover his memory?

This book takes us back in time to the early days of the series, and it is fun to see some of those relationships knowing what has happened to the characters since then. The plot is definitely different for a cozy, but I liked it for the variety. Unfortunately, the plot is drowned out by talk of food. I skimmed parts of the book, and I didn’t miss any part of the plot. The plot does get stronger as the book goes along, and I liked the way the story finished. This series always has an abundance of recipes, and this book is no exception with twenty new treats to try, including seven cupcakes. If you are a fan of the series and set your expectations accordingly, you’ll be fine. But otherwise, there is no need to read this book.