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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated A Little Class on Murder in Books
Apr 7, 2022
Annie Finds Murder in College
When Annie is asked to teach a class on The Three Grand Dame of the Mystery for the journalism department at the college in Chastain, she quickly warms to the idea. Her enthusiasm is only dimmed slightly when she sees the tension in her fellow faculty members and who decides to crash her class. However, when the student paper starts printing stories that lead to deaths, Annie and her new husband, Max, begin to investigate. Can they figure out what is going on?
This is the book where the series seems to finally be finding the right mix. There is plenty of humor, and I laughed quite a bit. The characters are still on the thin side, but they work to keep us engaged and entertained. We get plenty of references to other writers and characters, mostly the three authors Annie is teaching in her class (Christie, Sayers, and Rinehart), but they never overwhelm or feel like a list dropped into the story. And the mystery weaves all around, keeping us guessing until the end. There is still more foul language than in a typical cozy, but as long as you know this, you’ll be fine. I hope this mix continues as the series goes forward.
This is the book where the series seems to finally be finding the right mix. There is plenty of humor, and I laughed quite a bit. The characters are still on the thin side, but they work to keep us engaged and entertained. We get plenty of references to other writers and characters, mostly the three authors Annie is teaching in her class (Christie, Sayers, and Rinehart), but they never overwhelm or feel like a list dropped into the story. And the mystery weaves all around, keeping us guessing until the end. There is still more foul language than in a typical cozy, but as long as you know this, you’ll be fine. I hope this mix continues as the series goes forward.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Blood Red in Books
May 19, 2022
Promise in the Book, but Needed Another Edit
When her husband disappears and their assets are frozen, Cissy has to return to her career as an interior designer to the rich and famous in Los Angeles to pay the bills. Fortunately, it’s a job she loves. Her current client is renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Martin, but when she appears at his mansion for a meeting, she finds him shot to death in the library. Turns out, he wasn’t as rich as he pretended, and now Cissy might not get paid. In order to free up his estate, she starts looking into his murder. Can she solve it?
I picked up this book thinking it was a cozy, but the language in it kept that from being the case. Fortunately, it did lessen (although not go away completely) as the book went along. The plot was decent and came to a logical conclusion, but it needed another edit and a bit more focus. The story really wanders and takes it’s time getting to the solution. It’s a shame because I enjoyed the characters quite a bit. I am curious where a few threads introduced here go, but I doubt I will be back for Cissy’s next adventure.
I picked up this book thinking it was a cozy, but the language in it kept that from being the case. Fortunately, it did lessen (although not go away completely) as the book went along. The plot was decent and came to a logical conclusion, but it needed another edit and a bit more focus. The story really wanders and takes it’s time getting to the solution. It’s a shame because I enjoyed the characters quite a bit. I am curious where a few threads introduced here go, but I doubt I will be back for Cissy’s next adventure.
ClareR (5874 KP) rated Peach Blossom Spring in Books
Feb 13, 2023
Peach Blossom Spring is the beautifully told story of three generations of a Chinese family as they experience love, war, migration and their driving need to belong.
Meilin leaves her home in order to protect her son Henry, and find somewhere safe for him to grow up. But without passports or papers to isn’t easy. She relies on her own abilities to survive along with the help she gets from others.
Henry goes to America to study at university and ends up staying on to work. He marries, gets a good job, and tries his best to be a good American. This is at a time of fear and suspicion of communists and everything either Chinese or Russian. Henry is terrified that he’ll draw the wrong kind of attention, and deprives his daughter of learning his language or traditions.
I felt so sorry for Meilin, left behind in Taiwan, so far from her son and unable to join him in America. I also felt for Henry, limited by his fear. But Henry’s daughter provides the bridge for Henry to return to his homeland.
I loved everything about this book - the settings, the history, the characters. And the fact that this is semi-autobiographical was just the icing on the cake.
A wonderful novel.
Meilin leaves her home in order to protect her son Henry, and find somewhere safe for him to grow up. But without passports or papers to isn’t easy. She relies on her own abilities to survive along with the help she gets from others.
Henry goes to America to study at university and ends up staying on to work. He marries, gets a good job, and tries his best to be a good American. This is at a time of fear and suspicion of communists and everything either Chinese or Russian. Henry is terrified that he’ll draw the wrong kind of attention, and deprives his daughter of learning his language or traditions.
I felt so sorry for Meilin, left behind in Taiwan, so far from her son and unable to join him in America. I also felt for Henry, limited by his fear. But Henry’s daughter provides the bridge for Henry to return to his homeland.
I loved everything about this book - the settings, the history, the characters. And the fact that this is semi-autobiographical was just the icing on the cake.
A wonderful novel.
Finding You (Bewitching Women #3)
8.0
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Book
Forty days with brooding Mayor Rome D’Amore shouldn’t be too difficult, right? Becca Spencer has...
Paranormal Romance
Pyromancist (7 Forbidden Arts #1)
8.0
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Book
When you play with fire, you get burned. At the same time as mysterious fires commence to rage...
Adult Paranormal Romance
Aeromancist (7 Forbidden Arts #3)
10.0
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Passion always comes with a price. All he could offer was thirty days of passion. He condemned...
Adult Paranormal Romance Breath Play
Life in Distortion: Surviving life with Bipolar and PTSD disorders
Book
Life in Distortion is the true story based on the traumatic life of a young girl and her family that...
bipolar PTSD disorders BookBuzz
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Luminous Republic in Books
Jan 21, 2024
15 of 220
Book
A Luminous Rebublic
By Andres Barba
⭐️⭐️⭐️
One day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Crist�bal. Aged between nine and thirteen, the children are covered in dirt and hungry. They beg food, commit small acts of vandalism, play games that don't seem to have any rules, and communicate with each other in a strange language. No one knows where they come from or where they disappear to each night. And then, they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. Thus begins a fearsome and thrilling modern morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civilised and the wild, and drags our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.
This is a strange little story of 32 children who mystery turn up in a subtropical town in called San Cristobel. These children have come from nowhere and they disappear just as quickly. These children cause mayhem round the town. Things take a turn when In a supermarket raid people end up dead and then the “normal” children start to disappear too. I’m not sure still how I actually feel after finishing it very odd.
Book
A Luminous Rebublic
By Andres Barba
⭐️⭐️⭐️
One day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Crist�bal. Aged between nine and thirteen, the children are covered in dirt and hungry. They beg food, commit small acts of vandalism, play games that don't seem to have any rules, and communicate with each other in a strange language. No one knows where they come from or where they disappear to each night. And then, they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. Thus begins a fearsome and thrilling modern morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civilised and the wild, and drags our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.
This is a strange little story of 32 children who mystery turn up in a subtropical town in called San Cristobel. These children have come from nowhere and they disappear just as quickly. These children cause mayhem round the town. Things take a turn when In a supermarket raid people end up dead and then the “normal” children start to disappear too. I’m not sure still how I actually feel after finishing it very odd.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Murder Italian Style in Books
Jun 18, 2025 - 5:20 AM
Samantha Sleuths in Style on a New Continent
Samantha and her husband thought his father was treating them to a vacation to visit family friends in a small Italian village over New Years. When they arrive, however, they learn that Samantha’s ability to solve crime has been requested. Twenty-six years ago, a murder occurred in the village, and their hostess’s boyfriend has been serving time for the crime ever sense. While reluctant at first to figure out what happened, Samantha soon becomes intrigued. Can she overcome the language barrier to find the truth?
Since we are out of the country, we don’t see most of the usual gang, but the new characters make up for it. We come to care for them enough to make us care about the outcome of this cold case. There are a couple of small things that could have used a little more explanation, but the main questions are answered satisfactorily. We may be in a foreign country, but we still get Samantha’s usual wit and breezy narration. And her love of snack foods takes an Italian turn, which left me hungry. Fans will enjoy this trip abroad. Pack your bags for another fun mystery.
Since we are out of the country, we don’t see most of the usual gang, but the new characters make up for it. We come to care for them enough to make us care about the outcome of this cold case. There are a couple of small things that could have used a little more explanation, but the main questions are answered satisfactorily. We may be in a foreign country, but we still get Samantha’s usual wit and breezy narration. And her love of snack foods takes an Italian turn, which left me hungry. Fans will enjoy this trip abroad. Pack your bags for another fun mystery.
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