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The Boy: Broussard and Fourcade Book 2
The Boy: Broussard and Fourcade Book 2
Tami Hoag | 2017 | Crime, Thriller
7
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
2nd novel in Tami Hoag's Broussard and Fourcade series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The Boy by Tami Hoag is the 2nd novel in her series about Broussard and Fourcade, a husband and wife team who are detectives in Bayou Breaux, a little town in Louisiana. I often read detective fiction and enjoyed the pairing of Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. The novel focuses mostly on their police pairing but does have some sections about their home life. The dynamics of the relationships of the people surrounding the investigative team are well formed but not the main focus of the story. The boy is. Well, the murder of the boy is.

Hoag shows her characters' flaws but she does not make them the focus of the characters. Broussard and Fourcade are like every married couple and have difficult days. Again, Hoag does not make those days the focus of the story. The boy is. The story has twists and turns. Some of the reveals were expected but not all of them. Hoag surprised me with several details.

I have had Tami Hoag on my "want to read" list for years but never got around to reading any of her work. After reading The Boy, I am disappointed I have not read her sooner.

Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
  
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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) Mar 28, 2019

Great review! I've been reading Tami Hoag for years; hers are books I always look forward to. I feel like it took FOREVER for this one to come out. ?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs | 2013 | Children, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.9 (128 Ratings)
Book Rating
I enjoyed this book. I think it was a great set up for what is to come in the rest of the series. Working with a world that is so complex, like this one, is very difficult and requires a lot of world building which I think this book did very well.

The pacing was slow at parts, but even in those moments, it was enjoyable.

The characters were all very interesting and well thought out. I hope that in the next books there is more building on the relationships of the characters and reactions to the consequences of what they had done. I want to learn more about their Peculiarities and how they work as well.

I wish we could get more background on how the mechanics of the Home works, but I think we may get that in the next books.

I loved the integration of the images in with the story. I think it worked very well in this book, something that does not always reign true with all books set up like this.

I was lucky enough to meet Ransom Riggs at Yallwest in 2015 and he is so nice! I am so glad I finally read the book after owning it for a few years!

I would love to pick up the next two books to continue the series! I can't wait to see what they are going to do with the movie as well!
  
The Elite (The Selection, #2)
The Elite (The Selection, #2)
Kiera Cass | 2013 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.9 (31 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Selection has narrowed down to just six girls. Who will win the Prince and the crown?

**Please be aware of SPOILERS if you have not read The Selection**

Tensions rise as the selection is narrowed down. True motives are shown and more than one heart is broken. The intensity dramatically increases in The Elite. Rebel attacks become more frequent and violent. Passion is heightened and the stakes are higher than ever. Who will stay and who will be sent home?

"It wasn't like I made his world better. It was like I was his world. It wasn't some explosion; it wasn't fireworks. It was a fire, burning slowly from the inside out." - The Elite Page 298

I found The Elite even more engrossing than The Selection. An excellent continuation of the series. Kiera's writing improves with this book and I was very impressed. Little things in the dialogue from The Selection were ironed out in The Elite. As America's diplomatic training progresses, so does the writer evolve with her. Excellent!!! While the passion is slightly intensified, it remains "clean". Nothing goes farther than passionate kissing. Again, parents please use your own discretion for your kids. Already started The One...And I was smart this time...I also have The Heir in my possession. The Crown is the fifth and final book in the series, and is due to be released in May. I can NOT wait!!!
  
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The Heart (Ice Dragons Hockey, #2)
RJ Scott | 2017
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Heart is the second book in the Ice Dragons Hockey series, and we reunite with Alex, aka Simba. Some time has passed since the end of The Code and the Dragons are on a losing streak. Alex calls for a meeting which goes on until early hours of the morning. On his way home, he and Ryan spot a car accident, and Alex is able to save both the baby and her father, although he is injured in the process. Jo is a firefighter on probation and the one who saves Alex.

This is a great story, with a humorous start in the kitchen between Jo and Alex. Jo has her own reasons for not wanting a relationship, the same as Alex does, but that doesn't stop them from being attracted to each other, and wanting more. There is an air of suspense with this book too as Jo has to deal with different situations all connected by a bomb. With additional stories involving Gooley, and the twins, there is definitely something here for everyone.

Very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, this is a wonderful addition to the series. Definitely recommended by me, and I'm looking forward to Gooley's story which is coming next.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Dan Lacey (7 KP) rated The Stranger in TV

Feb 26, 2020  
The Stranger
The Stranger
2020 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Acting (2 more)
Storyline
Bingeworthy
Bingeworthy (0 more)
A genuine masterpiece.
I want to start with the trailer to this Netflix original. Whilst flicking through the vast abyss that is the Netflix catalogue I stumbled upon this and allowed the trailer to play in full. It painted a picture of a bit of a mystery caper and I found it quite captivating.

Now I wont lie to you, my wife and I watched all 8 episodes over 2 nights not through choice but through what we deemed at the time (1am to be exact) a necessity. Every episode ended on a perfect cliffhanger.

Now I'm going to keep this spoiler free but I do want to talk about the story in general. I like to think of myself as someone who can normally guess early on 'who dunnit' why they 'dunnit' and any general twists and turns along the way, but the whole series I sat second guessing myself coming up with general theories that would feel at home with someone wearing a tin foil hat. And the moment I thought I'd worked it all out was the moment it was revealed to me some 5 seconds later.

This is the series you will recommend to your family, your friends and maybe even.... a stranger ( yep I just said that).

I emplore you to take a few hours grab the popcorn and give this a watch I promise you will not regret it.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Hillside in Books

Mar 17, 2020  
Hillside
Hillside
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Based on a real place and a real period of history, Jordan Elizabeth imagines fictional characters living in the settlement of Hillside, New York in the 1890s. The main character, Viola, is a young school teacher at a one-roomed school where nothing out of the ordinary happens. That is until she learns her dying Aunt Helen is harbouring a huge secret.

Aunt Helen revealed she abandoned a daughter and Viola decides to surprise her by finding her long lost daughter, Bessie. But in finding Bessie, Viola discovers the reason Aunt Helen ran away from home, putting everyone who lives in Hillside in grave danger.

Although short, Jordan Elizabeth packs in romance, family, murder and historical fiction into her novella Hillside, the second instalment of theEchoes of New York series. The story does not follow on from the previous book, however, it is set in the same area. The amount of research the author has done to create an accurate setting is clear from the authenticity of the story.

A tiny element of the supernatural appears inHillside, although not as much as in the previous book in the series. This is by no means a bad thing, however, since it does not detract from the storyline and historical accuracy.

Personally, I did not think Hillside was one of Jordan Elizabeth's best books but it is a good story to read when you need something to pass a short time.
  
Murder by Page One
Murder by Page One
Olivia Matthews | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder of a Debut Author
Marvey Harris has recently relocated to Peach Coast, Georgia, to take a job in the local library. Among her new friends is Jo Gomez. Jo owns the local bookstore, and this Saturday, Marvey is at the store to support Jo, who is hosting a book signing for the local authors group. When one of the authors fails to return from the storeroom, Jo and Marvey find her dead body on the floor. With the police looking at Jo, Marvey steps in to figure out what really happened. Can she find the killer?

This may be the first in the series, but I already feel right at home. Peach Coast sounds like a great town, and I love Marvey, Jo, and Spence, the third member of their trio. We never meet the victim alive, but I liked how well we got to know her as the story progressed. The rest of the cast could be a little better defined, but I’m sure that will come as the series progresses and they get more page time. The story starts quickly, but the pacing does slow a little in the middle. Still, the climax is logical and suspenseful. There’s a recipe for peach cobbler at the end. While not a culinary cozy, you’ll definitely be craving it by the time the book is over. I’m looking forward to returning to Peach Coast soon.