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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2572 KP) rated Death on the Causeway in Books

Sep 19, 2025  
Death on the Causeway
Death on the Causeway
Caleb Wygal | 2023 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Chance Encounter Embroils Clark in Another Murder
Clark Thomas is stuck in Memorial Day weekend traffic when he sees a woman obviously upset on the side of the road. When he goes to help her, he finds her fiancé abandoned her a few hours earlier. As the two set out to find him, will they figure out why he took off? And how does the dead body they find along the way complicate things?

While the premise intrigued me, I found the pacing way off. Early on it was repetitive. And I figured out what was going on early. Still, I do like Clark and the rest of the gang, although I wasn’t happy with how his love life developed here. The setting makes me want to go visit in real life. And we get a new clue on the death of Clark’s wife. Those looking for a light read will enjoy this series, but don’t start here.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2572 KP) rated The Big Boat to Bye-Bye in Books

Feb 20, 2026 (Updated Feb 20, 2026)  
The Big Boat to Bye-Bye
The Big Boat to Bye-Bye
Ellis Weiner | 2005 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Blackmail and Murder in the World of Puppets
Pete Ingalls has a new client - the producers of a puppet TV show for kids. Someone has gotten a hold of the very adult gag reel and is blackmailing them. As Pete investigates, he finds a dead body. Can he solve both crimes?

This is a different series since Pete is not who he thinks he is. All that is set up in the first book, and we don’t get the background here. It does play into the philosophizing we get in the book, but that should have been cut back. The main plot is good with some great twists. The ending is a bit convoluted, but it does work. The book has a lot of humor, which made me laugh at times and made me cringe at others. Overall, I’m glad I finally pulled this off my shelves and read it.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2572 KP) rated Kilned at the Ceramic Shop in Books

Feb 18, 2025  
Kilned at the Ceramic Shop
Kilned at the Ceramic Shop
Donna Clancy | 2024 | Mystery
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Broken Debut
Tammy Wright is taking time this summer to help her Aunt Clara run her ceramics shop. But she’s only been in town a few hours before she learns about a real estate agent who is pressuring Clara to sell. A murder and a disappearance only up the stakes. Can Tammy figure out what is going on?

Yes, the ceramics is what caught my eye here, although that’s not the official hook for the series. It reminded me of the few months I did some with my grandma and how much she enjoyed that hobby for decades. But that was where the good ended for me. The writing was poor throughout the book. The pacing was off with events substituting for investigation. And the characters were weak, although I did like them. There was definitely promise here, but the book needed a good edit. Others seemed to enjoy this book more than I did, but I won’t be moving forward with this series.