Golden Bond (Pleasure Palace #1)
10.0
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I came to the sacred island to pay my family's debt. I never expected to lose my heart. My name...
Fantasy MM Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2591 KP) rated The Bush Tea Murder (A Caribbean Island Mystery #1) in Books
Apr 24, 2026
The premise and setting appealed to me, so I decided to give this one a try. Sadly, the structure let it down. We get a series of short stories that tie in to the overall mystery only slightly. They feel like side quests. We also have a framing story of Naomi talking about all of this to executives of her TV network. When I realized how different the structure would be, I tried to give it a fair shot, but it truly didn’t work for me. On the other hand, I loved the characters and the setting, and the writing brought them both to life wonderfully. Also, keep in mind that there’s a bit of foul language for what I would have otherwise considered a cozy. If the next in the series has a more traditional structure, I would definitely read it.
Black Cake
8.5
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In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2591 KP) rated Gone but Not Furgotten in Books
Aug 17, 2022 (Updated Aug 17, 2022)
This book can almost be divided into two parts. Unfortunately, the first half is rather weak. While a few threads of the mystery are set up, the focus is on rescuing the cats. Meanwhile, some of the characters, including Maddie, over react to what they find. Yes, the situation was bad, but their reactions were over the top. However, the book gets stronger in the second half as the mystery becomes front and center. There are some good twists and a logical solution even if a few pieces set up early don’t seem to quite be paid off. Also, a bit of character development is rushed. I do see that I’m in the minority in my reaction to this book, so if you are a fan of the series, give it a chance. But if you haven’t started it yet, try some of the earlier books before jumping in to this one.
The Honour of Rome (Cato and Macro #20)
7.0
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A stunning novel of courage, camaraderie and deadly enemies from the Sunday Times bestselling author...
The Devil Inside (The Lachlan Maclean Thriller Series # 2)
7.0
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There’s bodies raining from the sky and the city is tearing itself in two...’ A decade after...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2591 KP) rated Grounds for Murder in Books
Feb 23, 2022
After a bit of a slow start, this book picks up and presents some interesting twists along the way to a logical conclusion. There are plenty of suspects, and they are well-drawn enough to keep us guessing. I did wish that we learned a little less about Fab’s love life and that Lana’s attraction to the police chief were turned down a notch, but both are minor issues overall. I feel like we have a small core of regulars here, but I really like them. As a non-coffee drinker, I didn’t find the talk of coffee went too far, and I’m sure that coffee lovers will find this book makes them reach for their favorite mug. This is a fun debut, and I hope to visit Lana again soon.
The Drowning Sea
5.0
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For the first time in her adult life, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is...
Hammer (The Iron Between #1)
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Genonn’s tired and dreams of a remote roundhouse in the Cuala Mountains. However, sudden...
Epic Historical Fantasy
The Ostin Heir (Isle of Ostin #1)
8.0
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Seventy years ago, Theo Ostin witnessed his family murdering a town of humans. He also watched as...
Paranormal MM Romance Vampires