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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 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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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 KP) rated Hollywood Kills in Books

May 28, 2026 (Updated May 28, 2026)  
Hollywood Kills
Hollywood Kills
Alan Orloff, Adam Meyer | 2025 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stories for a Good Cause
This book, put out to raise funds to help victims of the 2025 Los Angeles wild fires, contains sixteen stories set in and around Hollywood. Over the course of the series, we meet just about everyone who works in the entertainment business from writers to character actors to caterers to directors to casting directors. Unfortunately, for all of these people, they are about to find themselves playing some deadly games. And yes, we do occasionally leave the Southern California area to find murder and mayhem on location.

Being an LA resident, I wanted to get this book to support the cause. And I enjoyed the stories by Ellen Byron and Wendall Thomas the most, no surprise since I like their books in general. But, when read back-to-back, these stories overall have a sameness to them. Not every story, but the majority. This isn’t to say the stories are poorly written or bad. I was engaged by the characters as the entertaining plots unfolded. I think if I had spaced these stories out a bit more, I would have enjoyed the book overall. So, my recommendation is that you pick up this book and do just that.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 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.