Search
Search results
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated SYNK! in Tabletop Games
Apr 27, 2021
I like to think of myself as a somewhat intelligent person. I can occasionally ‘win’ a game of Jeopardy while watching on tv…..ok, so maybe it’s just during Kids Week, but that’s gotta count for something, right?! Anyway, word games and trivia have always entertained me. So when I heard about Synk! – a game that involves both of those elements – I knew I had to try it out. Does this party game really put your knowledge to the test, or does it sink to the bottom of the stack? Keep reading to find out!
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of SYNK! for the purposes of this review. The components you see pictured might not be the finalized version, and could change after a successful Kickstarter campaign. -L
SYNK! is a party card game in which players will be mixing their knowledge of wordplay with a bit of trivia. The game is played over a series of rounds until one player has earned a total of 3 cards to win. Here’s how you setup the game: put the deck of cards facedown within reach of all players. Yep, that’s it. How you play is a little more involved…
First thing first – pick a starting player. That person will draw a card from the deck. On said card there will be a secret word, as well as its definition. Next, the player will reveal the first letter of the secret word. All others will then think of any word that begins with that first letter. When someone thinks they’ve come up with a good option, they say, “I’ve got it!” and will take a moment to describe their word to the group – giving the definition, providing an example, relying on someone’s specific knowledge, etc. Once another player thinks they know what word is being described, they will shout out “Synk!” These two players will countdown from 3 and say their words together, in hopes that they match. If their words do indeed match, then the keeper of the secret word will reveal the next letter. The process starts again, but now players must think of words that begin with the first AND second letter of the secret word. The round continues in this fashion until a player manages to guess the secret word and Synk it with another player. They win the card, and become the next secret word keeper.
What happens if you don’t Synk with someone? Then the next letter is not revealed, and the process starts again with the same letter(s) as before. If ever the game reaches a standstill and nobody has any ideas, the secret word keeper must reveal the word’s definition. Once the definition has been read, any player can shout out “Synk!” and guess the word immediately – you only get one guess though, so make it count! That all seems great for the players, but what about the secret word keeper? There’s a twist in the game to keep them engaged too! At the end of a Synk countdown, the card keeper is allowed to guess the described word too. If their guess is correct, no new letters are revealed. And as an added bonus, if another player guesses the correct secret word, but doesn’t Synk it with someone else, the card keeper wins the round and keeps that card for themselves! Play keeps going as described until one player has collected a total of 3 cards, thus winning the game.
I know that sounds like kind of a lot, but I promise that the gameplay is pretty intuitive and simple once you get going. And actually, although the physical gameplay may be simple, Synk! stretches your brain quite a bit. At the beginning of a round, with only 1 or 2 letters revealed, coming up with words is a piece of cake! But as the round progresses and more letters are revealed, it becomes more challenging than you might think to come up with words that use those specific letters in that specific order. And remember, this is a game after all – so speed is of the essence! Think too slowly and you’ll get left in the dust. As the secret word keeper, you get off the hook a little bit, since you don’t have to come up with words. But the ability to guess another player’s word at the end of a countdown allows the card keeper to stay engaged throughout the entire game. A neat little twist that adds another layer of strategy to the game.
To touch on components – this game is literally a giant deck of cards. Again, I am not sure if this is a finalized version of the game, but the quality of the box and cards is pretty great. There really is no artwork, but this isn’t that type of game, so it doesn’t detract at all from the gameplay. The text is large and clear, making for quick reading and understanding. All in all, already a great quality game.
Where does Synk! sit on my list of party games? Well, it depends on the group of players. This game has a suggested age of 14+, and I think that’s appropriate. Players have to have some decent knowledge of words/spelling to play, but aren’t expected to have a MENSA-level IQ. Some people love wordplay, and others don’t. But with the right group of gamers, I would absolutely pull this out on occasion. Synk! is more of a ‘thinky’ party game, and I really have never played a party game like it before. It fills a hole in my collection, and it will definitely be played with the right group. If you’re into word games, but are looking for something a little more fast-paced, consider backing Synk! on Kickstarter! The campaign goes live on May 18th, 2021!
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of SYNK! for the purposes of this review. The components you see pictured might not be the finalized version, and could change after a successful Kickstarter campaign. -L
SYNK! is a party card game in which players will be mixing their knowledge of wordplay with a bit of trivia. The game is played over a series of rounds until one player has earned a total of 3 cards to win. Here’s how you setup the game: put the deck of cards facedown within reach of all players. Yep, that’s it. How you play is a little more involved…
First thing first – pick a starting player. That person will draw a card from the deck. On said card there will be a secret word, as well as its definition. Next, the player will reveal the first letter of the secret word. All others will then think of any word that begins with that first letter. When someone thinks they’ve come up with a good option, they say, “I’ve got it!” and will take a moment to describe their word to the group – giving the definition, providing an example, relying on someone’s specific knowledge, etc. Once another player thinks they know what word is being described, they will shout out “Synk!” These two players will countdown from 3 and say their words together, in hopes that they match. If their words do indeed match, then the keeper of the secret word will reveal the next letter. The process starts again, but now players must think of words that begin with the first AND second letter of the secret word. The round continues in this fashion until a player manages to guess the secret word and Synk it with another player. They win the card, and become the next secret word keeper.
What happens if you don’t Synk with someone? Then the next letter is not revealed, and the process starts again with the same letter(s) as before. If ever the game reaches a standstill and nobody has any ideas, the secret word keeper must reveal the word’s definition. Once the definition has been read, any player can shout out “Synk!” and guess the word immediately – you only get one guess though, so make it count! That all seems great for the players, but what about the secret word keeper? There’s a twist in the game to keep them engaged too! At the end of a Synk countdown, the card keeper is allowed to guess the described word too. If their guess is correct, no new letters are revealed. And as an added bonus, if another player guesses the correct secret word, but doesn’t Synk it with someone else, the card keeper wins the round and keeps that card for themselves! Play keeps going as described until one player has collected a total of 3 cards, thus winning the game.
I know that sounds like kind of a lot, but I promise that the gameplay is pretty intuitive and simple once you get going. And actually, although the physical gameplay may be simple, Synk! stretches your brain quite a bit. At the beginning of a round, with only 1 or 2 letters revealed, coming up with words is a piece of cake! But as the round progresses and more letters are revealed, it becomes more challenging than you might think to come up with words that use those specific letters in that specific order. And remember, this is a game after all – so speed is of the essence! Think too slowly and you’ll get left in the dust. As the secret word keeper, you get off the hook a little bit, since you don’t have to come up with words. But the ability to guess another player’s word at the end of a countdown allows the card keeper to stay engaged throughout the entire game. A neat little twist that adds another layer of strategy to the game.
To touch on components – this game is literally a giant deck of cards. Again, I am not sure if this is a finalized version of the game, but the quality of the box and cards is pretty great. There really is no artwork, but this isn’t that type of game, so it doesn’t detract at all from the gameplay. The text is large and clear, making for quick reading and understanding. All in all, already a great quality game.
Where does Synk! sit on my list of party games? Well, it depends on the group of players. This game has a suggested age of 14+, and I think that’s appropriate. Players have to have some decent knowledge of words/spelling to play, but aren’t expected to have a MENSA-level IQ. Some people love wordplay, and others don’t. But with the right group of gamers, I would absolutely pull this out on occasion. Synk! is more of a ‘thinky’ party game, and I really have never played a party game like it before. It fills a hole in my collection, and it will definitely be played with the right group. If you’re into word games, but are looking for something a little more fast-paced, consider backing Synk! on Kickstarter! The campaign goes live on May 18th, 2021!
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated In a Cottage In a Wood in Books
May 16, 2018
Published first on <a href="http://theghastlygrimoire.com/"; target="_new">The Ghastly Grimoire</a>
In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green releases tomorrow and I definitely look forward to seeing what my fellow Littens have to say about the title when they get their hands on it. For myself, I’m still a bit mixed. There are some things that Green does really well in this book and there are others that, quite simply, take far too long to unfold.
The main character in In a Cottage in a Wood is Neve Carey. After her relationship fails, she finds herself in a tenuous relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, who she’s been living with for a bit. Her fairy godmother appears in the form of a woman moments before she commits suicide, which begs the question: why? Thus readers follow Neve along as she stumbles through her sub-par life, whilst wearing her victim name-tag proudly.
Personally, I don’t care for Neve. Everything that has happened to her is a direct consequence of her own actions. In many rays, she reminds of me of The Girl on the Train‘s Rachel. A person cannot make poor life choices and then blame everyone around them for what follows – but Neve appears to do just that. And then, magically, she gets what she needs: a creepy cottage in the middle of nowhere. Because that is totally how life works. (Actually, I guess it kinda is. In many ways, those that need help can’t get it and those that don’t end up with more.) Her neighbors and family aren’t much better, and for that I must applaud Green’s ability to write some absolutely horrid individuals.
If you’re looking for an edge of your seat thriller, In a Cottage in a Wood is not what you want; however, if you want a slow simmer that builds up to an incredibly frustrating, heartrending finale, this is your book. While there are times where it feels as if the plot simply drags on, Green’s command of suspense is just enough to keep a reader hooked until the last page. The final twenty percent of the book flies by incredibly fast, revealing revelation after revelation. When it comes to plot twists, I’m not an easy person to take by surprise and yet Green has done just that.
It’s hard to decide what I want to rate this title. I’ve teeter-tottered between three and four stars, but ultimately I feel there is a lot of potential that isn’t quite met. There are things that I think would have made excellent additions to the story and while I’d love to share them, I can’t unless I want to give out spoilers. Without that, I think I’ll settle on three. It’s definitely a title I’d buy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing me with an advance copy of this novel for the purpose of unbiased review.
In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green releases tomorrow and I definitely look forward to seeing what my fellow Littens have to say about the title when they get their hands on it. For myself, I’m still a bit mixed. There are some things that Green does really well in this book and there are others that, quite simply, take far too long to unfold.
The main character in In a Cottage in a Wood is Neve Carey. After her relationship fails, she finds herself in a tenuous relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, who she’s been living with for a bit. Her fairy godmother appears in the form of a woman moments before she commits suicide, which begs the question: why? Thus readers follow Neve along as she stumbles through her sub-par life, whilst wearing her victim name-tag proudly.
Personally, I don’t care for Neve. Everything that has happened to her is a direct consequence of her own actions. In many rays, she reminds of me of The Girl on the Train‘s Rachel. A person cannot make poor life choices and then blame everyone around them for what follows – but Neve appears to do just that. And then, magically, she gets what she needs: a creepy cottage in the middle of nowhere. Because that is totally how life works. (Actually, I guess it kinda is. In many ways, those that need help can’t get it and those that don’t end up with more.) Her neighbors and family aren’t much better, and for that I must applaud Green’s ability to write some absolutely horrid individuals.
If you’re looking for an edge of your seat thriller, In a Cottage in a Wood is not what you want; however, if you want a slow simmer that builds up to an incredibly frustrating, heartrending finale, this is your book. While there are times where it feels as if the plot simply drags on, Green’s command of suspense is just enough to keep a reader hooked until the last page. The final twenty percent of the book flies by incredibly fast, revealing revelation after revelation. When it comes to plot twists, I’m not an easy person to take by surprise and yet Green has done just that.
It’s hard to decide what I want to rate this title. I’ve teeter-tottered between three and four stars, but ultimately I feel there is a lot of potential that isn’t quite met. There are things that I think would have made excellent additions to the story and while I’d love to share them, I can’t unless I want to give out spoilers. Without that, I think I’ll settle on three. It’s definitely a title I’d buy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing me with an advance copy of this novel for the purpose of unbiased review.
Alarm Security System DELUXE Version for iPhone & iPod Touch
Entertainment and Lifestyle
App
★DELUXE VERSION OF THE BEST RATED ALARM APP ON SALE FOR VERY LIMITED TIME ★YOU COULD RECORD YOUR...
Revenge of gangsters shooting 2016– Real Sniper shooting story
Games
App
Show your fury & Get ready to take revenge this time as a gangster from police. It’s enough for...
Colorimetry PRO
Lifestyle and Education
App
Colorimetry PRO is the first assistant to image consultants and professionals related to the world...
Rachel (48 KP) rated The 13th Black Candle in Books
May 27, 2017
Great Characters, Great Story. Great book!
For the first fifteen or so pages I kept thinking "I'm not going to like this". The character of Simon Stacey didn't seem particularly sympathetic nor believable in his reaction to a huge, devastating event in his life.
I am so glad that I persevered with this book. There are a lot of side characters but they are all very fleshed out, apart from one or two that couldn't be until the end of the novel.
Although Simon Stacey is the central character, who I did become to really like and 'get', there are some brilliant characters in the parallel story - the police working the case.
You get to see them all grow and change, there are no stereotypical "This is who they are, this is how they will act regardless of what happens" which seems to be the case a lot of the time when it comes to police characters in novels/TV etc.
This really gives credence and a sense of reality to the story. Some elements are very out of the ordinary and you get to see how an actual person would deal with them!
The storyline itself is intriguing. Parts of it are kept shadowy, which had to be done, and other parts are right in your face from the beginning. What seems like a tiny detail actually turns out to be hugely important and vice versa.
As I said - some aspects are esoteric and unusual but Mr Goodwin manages to keep it utterly believable. I think that is because the mundane elements of life are also included.
The ending was skillfully done. What could have turned into a farce was kept under control and the tension was built in exactly the right way.
The only criticism I have is that I couldn't entirely remember who one or two of the characters actually were once they were revealed. This would definitely be partly my fault though. For various reasons I didn't get to read for three days so memory of the first half of the book wasn't what it should have been.
The only thing I would suggest to the author is that a few more reminders of who some of the lesser characters were would have helped.
There are also a few hints that, perhaps, some people aren't what they seem. Could that be paving the way for a sequel? If it is then that is something I would very eagerly read.
I would recommend this book to most people as it has so many elements to it. It's rather hard to pin down just one genre!
I am so glad that I persevered with this book. There are a lot of side characters but they are all very fleshed out, apart from one or two that couldn't be until the end of the novel.
Although Simon Stacey is the central character, who I did become to really like and 'get', there are some brilliant characters in the parallel story - the police working the case.
You get to see them all grow and change, there are no stereotypical "This is who they are, this is how they will act regardless of what happens" which seems to be the case a lot of the time when it comes to police characters in novels/TV etc.
This really gives credence and a sense of reality to the story. Some elements are very out of the ordinary and you get to see how an actual person would deal with them!
The storyline itself is intriguing. Parts of it are kept shadowy, which had to be done, and other parts are right in your face from the beginning. What seems like a tiny detail actually turns out to be hugely important and vice versa.
As I said - some aspects are esoteric and unusual but Mr Goodwin manages to keep it utterly believable. I think that is because the mundane elements of life are also included.
The ending was skillfully done. What could have turned into a farce was kept under control and the tension was built in exactly the right way.
The only criticism I have is that I couldn't entirely remember who one or two of the characters actually were once they were revealed. This would definitely be partly my fault though. For various reasons I didn't get to read for three days so memory of the first half of the book wasn't what it should have been.
The only thing I would suggest to the author is that a few more reminders of who some of the lesser characters were would have helped.
There are also a few hints that, perhaps, some people aren't what they seem. Could that be paving the way for a sequel? If it is then that is something I would very eagerly read.
I would recommend this book to most people as it has so many elements to it. It's rather hard to pin down just one genre!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Walking Baltimore: An Insider's Guide to... in Books
Sep 7, 2017
A walking guidebook for central Baltimore
So this is a series of walking tours of Baltimore. I’ve only been on two of these walks so far, but I plan to take many more of them. It’s just been SO. HOT. And I’m not a person who likes walking much to begin with! But Pokemon Go makes walking a lot more fun. (Go Team Mystic!) That little bit of motivation of “well, I’ll walk to that Pokestop. Alright, there’s another Pokestop two blocks away, I can make it to that one. Maybe a little further to that next Pokestop. OOoo there’s a Tangela nearby!” It makes it just enough fun that I walk a lot more before I’ve even realized it..
Walking Baltimore gives me general guides for walks so I’m not just wandering Pokestop to Pokestop until I get lost! It has very detailed instructions – turn left at this corner, cross the street here so you can see this monument, then look up at the architecture in front of you – it’s really well done. My only wish is that there was an appendix that rated the walks in order of difficulty – each walk has a rating, from easy to moderate to strenuous – but there’s no way to see all of the difficulties side by side. With 33 walks all over Baltimore, with all levels of difficulty and lengths, there’s definitely something here for everyone, and the history and points of interest covered by the walks are fascinating.
The two that I’ve actually walked are half of #4, Inner Harbor Promenade, and #11, The Civil War Trail: Path of the War’s First Bloodshed. Both are mostly on the Inner Harbor, where my husband works, so I hitched a ride down with him, walked, and caught Pokemon until he got off work and we came home. (We live outside Baltimore City limits.) I’d been down in the area many times, but had no idea the Civil War’s first bloodshed occurred when a mob waylaid Union troops travelling through Baltimore! There are medallions laid in the sidewalks commemorating some of the events of the Civil War march, and most of those are Pokestops too.
Currently I have this book out from the library, but I think this is one I’ll be adding to my personal library soon. I want the walking guides! The author has also written 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Baltimore and Best in Tent Camping: Maryland. So he knows his stuff.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Walking Baltimore gives me general guides for walks so I’m not just wandering Pokestop to Pokestop until I get lost! It has very detailed instructions – turn left at this corner, cross the street here so you can see this monument, then look up at the architecture in front of you – it’s really well done. My only wish is that there was an appendix that rated the walks in order of difficulty – each walk has a rating, from easy to moderate to strenuous – but there’s no way to see all of the difficulties side by side. With 33 walks all over Baltimore, with all levels of difficulty and lengths, there’s definitely something here for everyone, and the history and points of interest covered by the walks are fascinating.
The two that I’ve actually walked are half of #4, Inner Harbor Promenade, and #11, The Civil War Trail: Path of the War’s First Bloodshed. Both are mostly on the Inner Harbor, where my husband works, so I hitched a ride down with him, walked, and caught Pokemon until he got off work and we came home. (We live outside Baltimore City limits.) I’d been down in the area many times, but had no idea the Civil War’s first bloodshed occurred when a mob waylaid Union troops travelling through Baltimore! There are medallions laid in the sidewalks commemorating some of the events of the Civil War march, and most of those are Pokestops too.
Currently I have this book out from the library, but I think this is one I’ll be adding to my personal library soon. I want the walking guides! The author has also written 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Baltimore and Best in Tent Camping: Maryland. So he knows his stuff.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Doll House in Books
May 15, 2018
Slowly but surely, I’m getting caught up on my NetGalley reviews. (I’m waaaay behind.) This time around, I finished reading The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan. It’s a slow simmer with a bit of predictability and a lot of unnecessary information, but in the end, Morgan manages to redeem the book through fast-paced, constant action.
The plot is a bit all over the place for the majority of the book, but, like The Roanoke Girls, this seems to be a technique used to drive the story forward. That said, the chapters end with a bit of suspense before the jump to another character. (Also, it should be mentioned that I HATE how Morgan switches between first and third person.) Unfortunately, the first 80% of the book feel like a drag. There’s little to no action, with the most exciting parts being an apparent flashback to the antagonist’s past. The last little bit of the book picks up drastically, which was a nice relief from what came before.
I said earlier that it’s a slow burn, and The Doll House really is. Morgan leaves enough clues throughout the book that a reader can pick up on something awful culminating at the end, but its done in a manner that is simply alright. For instance, the conflict between Ashley and her husband is unnecessary. The title, The Doll House, is a bit of a misnomer because aside from a few parts of the house showing up and a few references to it, the dollhouse is very rarely mentioned. (Also, let’s take a moment here to point out that the dollhouse on the cover of the book is white and it’s made extremely clear that the actual dollhouse is pink. That would have been a simple photoshop fix.)
Now, the characters in The Doll House are really something else. Personally, my favorite is Ashley, the self-conscious, overweight mom of three whom I feel is quite realistically depicted. Corinne is more skittish than my Dad’s dog, which is pretty impressive. Which… it amazes me that she keeps her job with how much she calls out in the book alone. The male characters are alright, albeit apparently quite handsome. Andy is a pig, but you’d have to read the book to see why.
Overall, I didn’t hate or love this book to death. It’s a pretty solid three out of five, which is better than some of the other stuff I’ve read lately. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.
The plot is a bit all over the place for the majority of the book, but, like The Roanoke Girls, this seems to be a technique used to drive the story forward. That said, the chapters end with a bit of suspense before the jump to another character. (Also, it should be mentioned that I HATE how Morgan switches between first and third person.) Unfortunately, the first 80% of the book feel like a drag. There’s little to no action, with the most exciting parts being an apparent flashback to the antagonist’s past. The last little bit of the book picks up drastically, which was a nice relief from what came before.
I said earlier that it’s a slow burn, and The Doll House really is. Morgan leaves enough clues throughout the book that a reader can pick up on something awful culminating at the end, but its done in a manner that is simply alright. For instance, the conflict between Ashley and her husband is unnecessary. The title, The Doll House, is a bit of a misnomer because aside from a few parts of the house showing up and a few references to it, the dollhouse is very rarely mentioned. (Also, let’s take a moment here to point out that the dollhouse on the cover of the book is white and it’s made extremely clear that the actual dollhouse is pink. That would have been a simple photoshop fix.)
Now, the characters in The Doll House are really something else. Personally, my favorite is Ashley, the self-conscious, overweight mom of three whom I feel is quite realistically depicted. Corinne is more skittish than my Dad’s dog, which is pretty impressive. Which… it amazes me that she keeps her job with how much she calls out in the book alone. The male characters are alright, albeit apparently quite handsome. Andy is a pig, but you’d have to read the book to see why.
Overall, I didn’t hate or love this book to death. It’s a pretty solid three out of five, which is better than some of the other stuff I’ve read lately. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Water for Elephants in Books
Feb 11, 2019
This is one of those books that I read because I loved the movie first. So, I was quite surprised when I read how the book begins - with the murder of one of the main characters. When I further realized that August does not own the Benzini Brothers, I began to see the movie as its own story separate from the book.
Jacob is by far the most interesting character of the book, especially since he tells the story as an old man in a nursing home - and has the wisdom and experience to go with his age. His emotions are infectious and I longed to sit down with him and listen to all of his stories in person way before I finished the book.
August is the kind of villain that is confusing in his evil deeds - he has schizophrenia - which makes it somewhat unfair to dislike him so much. His irrational behavior has been exploited for the almighty dollar by Uncle Al - but the real villain tends to fade into the background.
Marlena is beautiful to the point of angelic, very little of what she does can be considered wrong in any way, as she is a victim struggling for freedom for most of the book. She approaches August's mood swings with the same caution due a wild animal, and remains faithful to him despite her personal feelings, and does not leave until he first betrays her. Considering how women today will leave their husbands for any reason, I admire her strong morals.
The background is set during the Great Depression, which made for many intense situations as the circus struggled to profit, as well as the survival of the cast of characters. Though I studied this period in American history, the direct experience gave me a clearer idea of the desperation of people alive during this time - how easily morals could be put on hold for the sake of another mouthful of food or another coin in the pocket. So many men of the circus would work without pay for the promise of another meal and unending hope that life could still improve.
Rosie, the elephant, is also one of the most fascinating characters in the book. She proved to be only one example of how animals were exploited to the point of cruelty for profit. I could not help wondering where the animal activists were.
Needless to say, this book sparked many conversations and inspired many moments of personal contemplation for me. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it.
Jacob is by far the most interesting character of the book, especially since he tells the story as an old man in a nursing home - and has the wisdom and experience to go with his age. His emotions are infectious and I longed to sit down with him and listen to all of his stories in person way before I finished the book.
August is the kind of villain that is confusing in his evil deeds - he has schizophrenia - which makes it somewhat unfair to dislike him so much. His irrational behavior has been exploited for the almighty dollar by Uncle Al - but the real villain tends to fade into the background.
Marlena is beautiful to the point of angelic, very little of what she does can be considered wrong in any way, as she is a victim struggling for freedom for most of the book. She approaches August's mood swings with the same caution due a wild animal, and remains faithful to him despite her personal feelings, and does not leave until he first betrays her. Considering how women today will leave their husbands for any reason, I admire her strong morals.
The background is set during the Great Depression, which made for many intense situations as the circus struggled to profit, as well as the survival of the cast of characters. Though I studied this period in American history, the direct experience gave me a clearer idea of the desperation of people alive during this time - how easily morals could be put on hold for the sake of another mouthful of food or another coin in the pocket. So many men of the circus would work without pay for the promise of another meal and unending hope that life could still improve.
Rosie, the elephant, is also one of the most fascinating characters in the book. She proved to be only one example of how animals were exploited to the point of cruelty for profit. I could not help wondering where the animal activists were.
Needless to say, this book sparked many conversations and inspired many moments of personal contemplation for me. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it.
Midge (525 KP) rated Murder from Scratch in Books
Mar 18, 2019
A Delightful Cozy Mystery!
MURDER FROM SCRATCH is book four in the series of the Sally Solari Mysteries of which I look forward to reading more. It’s a delicious mixture of mystery, family, and irate chefs and a fun, fast and interesting read. I haven’t read the other books in this series yet, however, I don’t think that this spoilt my enjoyment of this novel. That said, there is nothing more exciting than picking up a book that is the first in a new series.
Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari’s life is difficult enough at the busy Gauguin restaurant. So she’s worked up when her dad persuades her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose mother has just died of a drug overdose.
But Evelyn proves to be lots of fun and she’s a terrific cook. Back at the house she’d shared with her mum, Evelyn’s heightened sense of touch tells her that various objects - a bottle of cranberry juice, her grandfather’s jazz records - are out of place. She and her mum always kept things in the same place so Evelyn could find them. So she suspects that her mother’s death was neither accident nor suicide, no matter what the police believe.
The cousins’ turn detective and Sally and Evelyn are thrown into the world of male-oriented kitchens, and the cut-throat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs. With a long list of suspects in the frame, will Sally be able to find the perpetrator or end up getting burned?
Leslie Karst’s delightful writing style is well-paced and complemented by some interesting characters, some of whom were annoying but helped to make the story as good as it was. There was some romantic and spicy love entanglement, too. Written in the first-person narrative and sharing Sally’s innermost thoughts, Leslie Karst includes some wonderfully amusing moments and vivid descriptions especially of some of the food, such as fall-off-the-bone pulled pork and salmon with habanero-lime butter. An ex-lawyer, the highly organised and extremely likeable Sally demonstrated admirable sleuthing techniques and her cousin Evelyn, although with her own problems, exuded warmth and friendliness.
The book had a natural, steady pace and I was kept guessing right until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining, MURDER FROM SCRATCH is a quick, light, highly recommended read for all cozy mystery fans.
{Thank you to #NetGalley, #Crookedlanebks and Leslie Karst for the free copy of #MurderFromScratch and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari’s life is difficult enough at the busy Gauguin restaurant. So she’s worked up when her dad persuades her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose mother has just died of a drug overdose.
But Evelyn proves to be lots of fun and she’s a terrific cook. Back at the house she’d shared with her mum, Evelyn’s heightened sense of touch tells her that various objects - a bottle of cranberry juice, her grandfather’s jazz records - are out of place. She and her mum always kept things in the same place so Evelyn could find them. So she suspects that her mother’s death was neither accident nor suicide, no matter what the police believe.
The cousins’ turn detective and Sally and Evelyn are thrown into the world of male-oriented kitchens, and the cut-throat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs. With a long list of suspects in the frame, will Sally be able to find the perpetrator or end up getting burned?
Leslie Karst’s delightful writing style is well-paced and complemented by some interesting characters, some of whom were annoying but helped to make the story as good as it was. There was some romantic and spicy love entanglement, too. Written in the first-person narrative and sharing Sally’s innermost thoughts, Leslie Karst includes some wonderfully amusing moments and vivid descriptions especially of some of the food, such as fall-off-the-bone pulled pork and salmon with habanero-lime butter. An ex-lawyer, the highly organised and extremely likeable Sally demonstrated admirable sleuthing techniques and her cousin Evelyn, although with her own problems, exuded warmth and friendliness.
The book had a natural, steady pace and I was kept guessing right until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining, MURDER FROM SCRATCH is a quick, light, highly recommended read for all cozy mystery fans.
{Thank you to #NetGalley, #Crookedlanebks and Leslie Karst for the free copy of #MurderFromScratch and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}