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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Condition in Books

Feb 13, 2018  
TC
The Condition
Jennifer Haigh | 2008
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was a bit disappointed by this novel, having thoroughly enjoyed Haigh's <i>Mrs. Kimble</i>. I just couldn't empathize with the characters and things seemed to drag on. Redeemed itself a bit at the end, but still, not as good or as captivating as I'd hoped.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2196 KP) rated Mrs. Pollifax Pursued (Mrs. Pollifax, #11) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
MP
Mrs. Pollifax Pursued (Mrs. Pollifax, #11)
Dorothy Gilman | 1995
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The last thing Mrs. Pollifax expected to find that day was a young woman hiding in her closet. Kadi is afraid of the men who have been driving by in a van for the last couple of days, and Mrs. Pollifax’s efforts to sneak her out of the house end with both of them on the run. A call to Carstairs at the CIA leads them to an unusual safe house and another mystery. Are the two related?

This is a bit of an unusual entry in the series since it takes place mostly in the US and Carstairs plays a much more active part in the story. However, I like it for that change of pace. The plot relies a bit more on coincidence than is normal for the series (which is saying something), but all the various threads do wind up playing a part in the end. Overall, another great entry in the series.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-mrs-pollifax-pursued-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2196 KP) rated The Fog Ladies in Books

Aug 25, 2021  
The Fog Ladies
The Fog Ladies
Susan McCormick | 2019 | Mystery
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Plot Got Fogged In
When Sarah James moves to San Francisco to do her medical residency, she moves into a building in Pacific Heights and begins making friend with her older neighbors. One she struggles to like is Mrs. Bridge, her neighbor who lives directly across the hall, since Mrs. Bridge is always complaining about something. When Mrs. Bridge dies unexpectedly, Sarah thinks it is a sad accident. However, some of the other residents begin to see a pattern with other deaths in the building. Was Mrs. Bridge’s death an accident? Or will Sarah find something more sinister going on?

I was excited about this book and looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver. I was a bit overwhelmed by the characters at first, but as we got to know them, I was able to keep them straight. Sadly, that was because some of them never rose above their initial stereotypical caricatures, and they were annoying caricatures at that. The plot was slow to start with then all but vanishes in the middle third before coming back for a descent resolution. Too many sub-plots really detracted. A couple parts of the book seemed off to me, including a sub-plot involving a character discovering Starbucks thanks to countless coupons in the paper. It’s a shame because I did really enjoy a few of the characters, but the rest was bad enough that I will give the rest of the series a pass.