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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Sowing Malice in Books

Jul 15, 2020  
Sowing Malice
Sowing Malice
Wendy Tyson | 2020 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reaping Another Great Mystery
When the von Tresslers moved to town, they didn’t make the residents of Winsome, Pennsylvania, very happy. They’ve mostly kept to themselves except when they were pushing to do things their way. Now, David von Tressler has died, and most of the mourners are from out of town. That includes three women that Megan Sawyer runs into at the local nursery. Shortly after Megan meets them, one of the women disappears. Then a body turns up at Megan’s farm. What is going on?

I was thrilled to see another entry in this great series, and I wasn’t disappointed. The mystery is strong. It starts quickly and there are plenty of twists and turns before we reach the end. The characters continue to be wonderful. We got updates on the series regulars and the new characters were well developed. There’s nothing here that spoils previous books in the series, so you could jump in here, but to fully appreciate the character growth, I do recommend reading the series in order. This series is more of a traditional mystery than a lighter cozy, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. I definitely recommend this book and the entire series.
  
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Millie (22 KP) rated Duck the Halls (Meg Langslow, #16) in Books

Jan 27, 2020  
Duck the Halls (Meg Langslow, #16)
Duck the Halls (Meg Langslow, #16)
Donna Andrews | 2013
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, I started this book around Christmas and am just now finishing it. I think that was a result not so much of the book itself - it wasn't poorly written or anything, I just kept picking up other books instead. Overall, it was a nice, fluffy, cozy mystery that I probably would have enjoyed more if I had read the whole thing at Christmastime. Yes, there were a lot of religious undertones, but I sort of expected that with a Christmas book. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a book to get into the Chistmas mood.


*Although I did receive this book for free through Goodreads First Reads, all of my thoughts and opinions are my own.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated The Last Line in Books

Aug 16, 2025 (Updated Aug 16, 2025)  
The Last Line
The Last Line
Scott Lyerly | 2024 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder in a Teacup…Live on Stage!
The latest production at the theater Ellie Marlow owns is Murder in a Teacup. Unfortunately, the lead is Reginald Thornton IV, who seems to be going out of his way to alienate everyone. His character is supposed to die as part of the play, but opening night, he really dies. While the state detectives are quick to judge it natural, something doesn’t sit right with Ellie. Can she figure out what happened?

I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Tourette’s, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, I’d be interested in revisiting the characters.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Olive and Let Die (Greek to Me Mystery #2) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
OA
Olive and Let Die (Greek to Me Mystery #2)
Susannah Hardy | 2015
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Georgie’s mother abandoned her 20 years ago, and Georgie has not heard from her since. Naturally, she is surprised when the woman walks back into her life, having reinvented herself as soap star Melanie Ashley. Before the two women can talk, however, they find a dead body. Melanie quickly identifies the victim as her cousin Doreen. Did Melanie’s return to town have something to do with Doreen’s death? What secret is Melanie hiding?

This is another fun, fast paced mystery. It did seem to wander a bit at the beginning, but everything comes into play before the climax. The climax is a little different for a cozy, and I thought it worked very well. The characters, old and new, are both really strong. Unfortunately, a few minor editing issues annoyed me, but they didn’t affect the plot or solution to the mystery in any way.

NOTE: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/11/book-review-olive-and-let-die-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Sue (5 KP) rated Murder at the Art Gallery (Pet Portraits Mystery, #1) in Books

Aug 13, 2018  
MA
Murder at the Art Gallery (Pet Portraits Mystery, #1)
Sandi Scott | 2017
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having kicked cancer to the curb, 60 something year old Georgie is ready to pursue her dream career of painting pet portraits. An opportunity opens up at an art gallery that expressed interest in doing a show of her artwork and Georgie takes twin Aleta along for the ride. What they didn’t expect was a murder taken placing and dashing Georgie’s hopes of having a gallery opening. Can Georgie and Aleta find the murderer before they become the next victims?

Georgie is the flirty, bold, and living life to the fullest twin. In contrast, accountant Aleta is more reserved and tries to keep Georgie balanced. It is the combination of their relationship and the hijinks they get themselves into that will keep you reading until the very last page.

This is a cozy mystery at its finest! With fun-loving amateur sleuths, a cast of characters including an ex-husband who is a police detective, and loads of mystery & some comic relief, like me you will want to immediately get the next book in the series.