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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2611 KP) rated Deadly Summer Nights in Books

Sep 15, 2021  
Deadly Summer Nights
Deadly Summer Nights
Vicki Delany | 2021 | Mystery
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Relaxing Summer Murder
Elizabeth Grady is starting the second summer running the Haggerman’s Catskills Resort, which her mother has inherited. She is hoping things will go smoothly this year, but that’s before she finds the body of one of their guests floating in the lake. The local sheriff thinks the victim was a communist. With rumors swirling around the resort, and guests threatening to leave, Elizabeth has to step in and figure out what really happened before the resort is ruined. Can she do it?

As much as I loved the book, I found the mystery to be rather week. We get too much about life at the resort for it to have the time to be fully developed. However, it’s hard to complain since resort life sounds fabulous. I’m not ready for summer to be over, and I enjoyed dreaming about spending time on the lake with nothing to do. The book is set in the 1950’s, and I felt like I was transported back in time as well. The characters are as charming as the setting, and I want to see more of them. I enjoyed this book enough that it won’t be my only visit to Haggerman’s.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2611 KP) rated Once Upon a Murder in Books

Feb 21, 2024  
Once Upon a Murder
Once Upon a Murder
Samantha Larsen | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not as Strong as the First Book
It’s 1784, and spinster Tiffany Woodall is hoping to put the chaos and intrigue of the last few months behind her. However, when she finds a dead body on her way to work at the castle one morning, she knows that isn’t going to happen. When the local bookseller, the man Tiffany loves, is accused of the crime, she can’t help but get involved. Can she figure out what happened?

The first book in this series was one of my favorites of last year. This book wasn’t as good, but it was still enjoyable. As with the first book, the mystery takes a backseat at times. However, here the other storylines weren’t as compelling. This is especially true of the romance. I was glad it wasn’t dragged out too much and I bought it in a way I wouldn’t in other series, but I wasn’t as invested in it. When the murder really kicks in during the second half, I was more fully on board, and I love how that was resolved. Likewise, I still loved all the characters and did enjoy seeing what happened to them. Fans of the first will want to pick this up. If you missed the first, you’ll definitely want to start there.