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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Blood Red in Books

May 19, 2022  
Blood Red
Blood Red
Sherri Leigh James | 2019 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Blues in the Dark in Books

Apr 24, 2026 (Updated Apr 24, 2026)  
Blues in the Dark
Blues in the Dark
J. R. Sanders | 2026 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Trying to Find a Kidnap Victim
It’s 1939, and Nate Ross’s latest client is Audrey Chase, one of the biggest movie stars. Her sister has been kidnapped, and the ransom demand is small. Audrey paid it, but her sister wasn’t returned as promised, and now she wants Nate to find her sister and return her safely. Given that this is Hollywood, Nate is wondering if this is more of a publicity stunt than a real crime, but the pay is good, so he takes the case. He quickly finds that, if he gets it wrong, this case will have deadly consequences. Can he figure out what is really going on?


This is another fun book in a series I always enjoy. It hues close to my impression of PI novels from the 1930’s. Nate and the few series regulars are fun, and the new characters did a good job of keeping me engaged. The plot included plenty of surprises, and I could not wait to get to the logical climax. While not focused on the studios of the era, I still felt like I was back in 1930’s Los Angeles. Now comes the wait for Nate’s next case.
  
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Crossing at Blaisdell Park in Books

Apr 9, 2019  
The Crossing at Blaisdell Park
The Crossing at Blaisdell Park
Marta Tandori | 2019
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Finn Butler is an amazing director in Los Angeles. His wife Diane is a well accomplished actress in soap operas. After the success of The Crossing at Blaisdell Park, he is now in the process of shooting the sequel. Finn and Diane are also in the process of selling their house, when a dead woman is found by the realtors right before the broker's open. More and more people are turning up dead all over the city and the common denominator in each case is Diane Butler. How is she connected to each of these murders? Will the police be able to find the killer before someone else turns up dead?

I had a lot of mixed emotions about this book. While the story was very interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end, I didn't find myself running to pick up the book and read it. The beginning of the book started out slowly. After the half way point it picked up a lot more and the end was much better than the beginning. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this book, that will have you saying WHAAT? But overall the book was just OK for me. I would be interested to read more from this author.
  
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Dana (24 KP) rated And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1)
And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1)
Kiersten White | 2016 | History & Politics
6
6.9 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I was listening to this audio book when I was driving to and from Los Angeles area and I've got to say, I found myself drifting my thoughts a lot when listening. I didn't want to stay focused on the plot because it was kind of boring.

I think the biggest problem I had with this book is the lack of female characters. Like, there was one. That's it. Really? I understand this being based on "historical facts" but surely there were females in history. And the fact that this is a fictionalized version of this history makes it more irritating that she didn't add in more females. I don't know, I guess I am just wanting more female representation.

Yes, the main female character was strong, but she was presented in a way that makes femininity seem like it's a weakness, not another kind of strength. She shows love as a hindrance, not as something that can help you want to protect the people you love. I think the message of the book was a little skewed in that respect.

I don't know if I am going to pick up the next book or not. I don't know if I want to keep trying. Yes, the writing style was pretty good, but I don't know if I like the story direction enough to keep going. We shall see.