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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Once Upon a Wardrobe in Books

Nov 13, 2024 (Updated Nov 13, 2024)  
Once Upon a Wardrobe
Once Upon a Wardrobe
Patti Callahan Henry | 2021
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mixed Journey of Self-Discovery
Megs’s younger brother George has a heart defect that keeps him in bed reading. It’s 1950, and he’s just discovered The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and he wants to know where Narnia came from. Since Megs is at Oxford, she goes to ask the author himself. But will C.S. Lewis’s answer help Megs and George?

I’ve been a Narnia fan since I first read the books in 3rd grade, so the premise of this book intrigued. However, it didn’t work for me. It felt too scattered, with too many storylines. It’s part biography of C.S. Lewis with vignettes about his life. It’s part coming of age story for Megs. I see where the author was trying to combine them thematically, but it didn’t quite work for me. I needed a bit more focus on something. Plus, some events in the story really strained what I could believe. But I did enjoy the characters, and I found myself tearing up a time or two. If the premise really intrigues you, check it out. Otherwise, give this one a pass.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated At Death’s Dough in Books

Dec 18, 2025 (Updated Dec 18, 2025)  
At Death’s Dough
At Death’s Dough
Mindy Quigley | 2025 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Frozen Valentine’s Day
It’s the beginning of February, and Delilah O’Leary is finding the quiet season is quieter than she planned on. She’s hoping for a full restaurant on Valentine’s Day to help carry her through to tourist season again. On one of the restaurant’s days closed, Delilah and her great aunt go out ice fishing, and they make an unexpected discovery - a dead body under the ice. The victim was dressed for scuba diving, but who would dive in the lake in the middle of the winter?

The premise definitely caught my attention, although I found the pacing was uneven. Yes, I could tell the story was being set up, but it felt a bit random to me for a while. Once things really got going, I was hooked, with plenty of excitement, especially in the final quarter. And we did reach a logical conclusion. The characters continue to shine, and I especially appreciated seeing Delilah growing while building her relationship with her boyfriend. And we get another four recipes to enjoy at the end. If you enjoy culinary cozies, you’ll find yourself grabbing all the slices in this series.
  
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Midge (525 KP) rated Buried Secrets in Books

Jan 31, 2019  
Buried Secrets
Buried Secrets
T.J. Brearton | 2017 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plenty of action (3 more)
Genius characterisation
Plenty of twists
Brilliant conclusion
An Action-Packed Thriller!
I picked up a copy of "Buried Secrets" as it was chosen for our Book Club monthly read and I am so glad that I did because it transpired to be an amazing roller-coaster read and I didn’t want it to end.

First, we meet Brett Larson and his wife Emily who have recently moved into their first home, a beautiful, rural, yellow, farmhouse. When Brett finds human remains on their property and a mysterious note hidden in a box, he immediately starts his own investigation with no thought about what he might be getting himself into, that soon starts to land him in a great deal of trouble. We are then introduced to James Russo who is in prison awaiting trial and his cell-mate, Nate Reuter, who appears to be obsessed with the developments in the local tabloids of the discovery of the remains on the Larson property. Told in alternating chapters, I couldn’t read this exciting novel fast enough, so keen was I to know how the two stories would relate to each other.

T.J. Brearton has done a fantastic job in "Buried Secrets" with the characters. Emily and Brett are just like any other newly-weds, having just moved into their first home together and the excitement of Emily discovering that she is pregnant. I can only imagine their unease at the discovery of the bones and yet Brett couldn’t just leave matters for the police to investigate. For his part, Russo, who was an equally important character in the story, is a likeable bad guy, trying to keep out of trouble but kept finding himself in desperate situations. I found myself continually rooting for him as he kept trying to do what he thought was the right thing. I was left wondering exactly what choices I would make if I were to ever find myself in similar situations to Russo. "Buried Secrets" is a thought-provoking book because of that.

In the second half of the book, Brearton really picks up the pace, and I was kept guessing what was going to happen next the whole time I was reading this crime novel. The twists kept on coming at me right until the very end.

The way in which T.J. Brearton brings everything to a conclusion is just fabulous and I haven’t got anything negative thing to say about this book. I loved it and it has left me eager to read more from this author. "Buried Secrets" is an exciting and action-packed thriller that I highly recommend.