Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (2087)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2682 KP) rated Gilt Trip in Books

Jan 3, 2025  
Gilt Trip
Gilt Trip
Diane Vallere | 2025 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Samantha Must Find the Gilt-y Party
Samantha Kidd’s husband, Nick Taylor, is up for an award, and Samantha is doing all she can to support him. Unfortunately, her efforts to get a table for family and friends at the awards banquet have turned out to be filled with people who are angry with her for one reason or another. But the evening takes a horrible turn when Samantha finds the body of the toastmaster in a closet of the hotel where the event is being held. With a blizzard keeping the police from arriving, Samantha must try to solve the crime. Can she do it?

This book is fun since it all takes place in one night. In lesser hands that could have been a bad thing, but in this case, it worked well. I was engaged the entire time and kept guessing until we reached the logical climax. Yet we still got plenty of time for the subplots to play out. We still see plenty of the regulars, and I liked the growth we saw in Samantha. We also go plenty of laughs and discussion of junk food. If you want a light mystery, this series is definitely for you. And if you are a fan who hasn’t gotten to this book yet, you are in for a treat when you do.
  
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2682 KP) rated What Comes Around in Books

May 22, 2025 (Updated May 22, 2025)  
What Comes Around
What Comes Around
Annette Dashofy | 2024 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
We’ve Been Waiting for This
This book opens just days after book twelve ended, which makes sense. Helpless ended with Zoe deciding to finally stand up to Dr. Charles Davis publicly. But before she can line everything up to fire him, Pete and Zoe are called to scene of a homicide. A woman has been brutally murdered in a hotel room. The surprise is that the victim was Davis’s ex-wife who came to the area to tell Zoe something. What was it?

Because this storyline has been brewing in the background for multiple books now, I was hooked from the moment I picked up this one, always have a hard time putting it down. I didn’t expect the ending, but it made perfect sense when Zoe figured it out. As always, the characters are entertaining, new and old alike. Zoe and Pete split the point of view character duties, and the shifts are always clear. This series is darker than the cozies I often read, but don’t let that stop you from reading these books. Sadly, this is the final book (sob!), at least for now. Fortunately, the author is working on other things to entertain us. If you are already a fan of Zoe and Pete, you’ll love this book. If you aren’t yet a fan, dive in today. You’ll be hooked in no time.
  
40x40

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Mar 13, 2022  
Read part of the first chapter from the Christian historical romance novel THE SPARK OF LOVE by Amanda Cabot on my blog. Be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win all three books in the Mesquite Springs series, a keychain, and reader stickers.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/03/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-spark-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
She's determined to start a new life in the West . . . if only the old one would leave her alone.

When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be, as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra carves out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.

But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe, an investigator, is searching for proof that her father is a swindler.

With so much to lose--and hide from one another--Alexandra and Gabe will have to come together if they are ever to discover whether the sparks they've felt from the beginning can kindle the fire of true love.
      
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2682 KP) rated The Drop (Harry Bosch #17) in Books

Jul 26, 2022  
The Drop (Harry Bosch #17)
The Drop (Harry Bosch #17)
Michael Connelly | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bosch Has Two Cases Dropped on Him
LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is excited when he and his partner get handed a hot lead on a cold case from 1989. DNA from a blood sample has identified a suspect. The problem? He was eight-years-old when the murder happened. Before they can figure out what is really going on, they are handed a fresh case. Councilman Irvin Irving’s son died when he fell out of a hotel balcony. The question is, did he jump or was he pushed. Despite their previous history, Irving specifically requested Bosch work the case. Can he avoid the politics and solve both cases?

I was immediately intrigued with both of the cases presented here. Between the two, the story was always moving forward, and I had a hard time stopping before I reached the logical climax. One aspect was left opened, but it was small. One of the storylines goes pretty dark, and overall this is a darker book than I typically read, but as long as you know that, you’ll be fine. I do like Bosch, but some of his behavior to his partner was frustrating here. On the other hand, I enjoy watching his relationship with his daughter continue to grow. This is another strong entry that will please fans of the series.