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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Six Feet Deep Dish in Books
Dec 14, 2023 (Updated Dec 14, 2023)
Delilah Finds Some Deep Trouble at Her Opening
Delilah O’Leary is delighted to be opening her new deep dish pizza restaurant in the resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. However, the day of her soft opening/grand opening party doesn’t go well. First, she gets into a fight with her fiancé, who is financing everything, and he storms out. Then, in the middle of the party, she sees her aunt standing over a dead body holding the murder weapon; a weapon she admits is hers. With the official opening on hold, can Delilah figure out what is really going on?
I’ll admit the first chapter had me a bit worried, giving us lots of background on the characters. But the data dumps didn’t last for long, and we soon had a great mystery on our hands. The plot had plenty of twists and didn’t fall into a familiar plot pattern, something the author pulled off well. The climax answered all my questions. Delilah might have been an annoying character in less capable hands, but I really liked her right off, and that only grew as I got further into the book. The rest of the regulars are great, and I already love the community that Delilah is building. The setting is charming, and I wish I could visit in person. All the talk about pizza made me crave it. If that’s you, too, you’ll be happy with the recipes at the end. This debut left me hungry for the next course.
I’ll admit the first chapter had me a bit worried, giving us lots of background on the characters. But the data dumps didn’t last for long, and we soon had a great mystery on our hands. The plot had plenty of twists and didn’t fall into a familiar plot pattern, something the author pulled off well. The climax answered all my questions. Delilah might have been an annoying character in less capable hands, but I really liked her right off, and that only grew as I got further into the book. The rest of the regulars are great, and I already love the community that Delilah is building. The setting is charming, and I wish I could visit in person. All the talk about pizza made me crave it. If that’s you, too, you’ll be happy with the recipes at the end. This debut left me hungry for the next course.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Cheddar Off Dead in Books
Apr 27, 2022 (Updated Apr 27, 2022)
This New Series is Off to a Cheddar Start
Willa Bauer is thrilled to be opening her new cheese shop, Curds & Whey, in the town of Yarrow Glen in the Sonoma Valley. She’s hoping to make her dream a huge success, and part of that is a good review from local food critic Guy Lippinger. However, Guy has a reputation for being harsh, and when he shows up to the shop, things don’t go well at all. Hours later, Willa finds Guy’s dead body in the alley next to her shop with a knife from her shop as the murder weapon. With the police looking at her as the killer, Willa begins to try to find alternative suspects. Can she solve the crime?
While the cheese drew me to the book, I loved the setting since I grew up in Sonoma County myself. I appreciate how the background we needed on Willa was doled out instead of being dumped on us at the beginning. The result is a mystery with a steady pace and several secrets to be uncovered before we reach the logical ending. I really liked the cast of characters, both potential series regulars and suspects. In fact, I wanted to see more of them, but I’m sure that will come in later books. If this book leaves you craving cheese (it sure did for me), you’ll be happy to see the recipes at the end of the book. I’ll definitely be back to check in on Willa in the future.
While the cheese drew me to the book, I loved the setting since I grew up in Sonoma County myself. I appreciate how the background we needed on Willa was doled out instead of being dumped on us at the beginning. The result is a mystery with a steady pace and several secrets to be uncovered before we reach the logical ending. I really liked the cast of characters, both potential series regulars and suspects. In fact, I wanted to see more of them, but I’m sure that will come in later books. If this book leaves you craving cheese (it sure did for me), you’ll be happy to see the recipes at the end of the book. I’ll definitely be back to check in on Willa in the future.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Generation 18 (Spook Squad, #2) in Books
Mar 20, 2022
50 of 230
Book
Generation 18 (Spook Squad book 2)
By Keri Arthur
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS
A serial killer strikes every twelve hours. A vampire takes lives at random. At first glance, these tragic incidents seem unrelated. But Special Investigations Unit agents Sam Ryan and Gabriel Stern trace them both back to a military base known as Hopeworth. Is the murder spree part of a cover-up? And are the vampire killings less by chance and more methodical?
The investigation takes an eerie, personal turn when Sam discovers a connection between herself and the victims—and a clue to her own mysterious origins. With the violence escalating and the danger drawing closer to home, the stakes are raised and the mission changes from seeking justice to ensuring Sam and Gabriel’s own survival. And the one person who seems to hold all the answers—about Hopeworth, about Sam’s past—is a mystery man she isn’t sure she can trust. They share a psychic link through her dreams, and he once saved her life, but he may just be the greatest enemy humankind has ever known.
Another brilliant book from one of my favourite authors. I really like this series although I’m getting so frustrated with Gabriel he needs to deal with his issues! I love the Sam Ryan I really feel for her and the way she’s treated. Hopefully she won’t be so lonely for too much longer. The thing with Keri Arthur is you just become so immersed into her worlds no Mary what series you’re reading.
Book
Generation 18 (Spook Squad book 2)
By Keri Arthur
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS
A serial killer strikes every twelve hours. A vampire takes lives at random. At first glance, these tragic incidents seem unrelated. But Special Investigations Unit agents Sam Ryan and Gabriel Stern trace them both back to a military base known as Hopeworth. Is the murder spree part of a cover-up? And are the vampire killings less by chance and more methodical?
The investigation takes an eerie, personal turn when Sam discovers a connection between herself and the victims—and a clue to her own mysterious origins. With the violence escalating and the danger drawing closer to home, the stakes are raised and the mission changes from seeking justice to ensuring Sam and Gabriel’s own survival. And the one person who seems to hold all the answers—about Hopeworth, about Sam’s past—is a mystery man she isn’t sure she can trust. They share a psychic link through her dreams, and he once saved her life, but he may just be the greatest enemy humankind has ever known.
Another brilliant book from one of my favourite authors. I really like this series although I’m getting so frustrated with Gabriel he needs to deal with his issues! I love the Sam Ryan I really feel for her and the way she’s treated. Hopefully she won’t be so lonely for too much longer. The thing with Keri Arthur is you just become so immersed into her worlds no Mary what series you’re reading.
Seams Like Murder
8.0
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From USA Today bestselling author Dorothy Howell, a brand new cozy mystery series featuring...
A Peculiar Combination
10.0
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The first in the Electra McDonnell series from Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver, set in England...
Tulle Death Do Us Part
9.0
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Polyester Monroe, quirky amateur sleuth and proud owner of Material Girl, the most colorful fabric...
A Slay Ride Together with You
5.0
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The slay bells are ringing in this festive seventh installment of national bestselling author Vicki...
Shock and Paw
7.0
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The eighth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast...
Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn in Books
Jul 23, 2021
The Lane women are so genuinely interesting, I keep coming back for more.
The Book Magic Mystery series is such a splendid way to spend a couple of hours. It starts with a curse; the women in the family are doomed to die in childbirth and their men doomed to be taken by the sea. Add in the special power the women sometimes have as bibliomancers, that in itself makes this series intriguing. What avid reader wouldn’t want to be able to do that?
In Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn, Pippin and her brother Grey are the latest descendents of the Lane family. Pippin is desperate to find a way to break the family curse if only to save her brother from his seemingly preordained fate. She has turned the house they inherited from their parents into a bed and breakfast and she has her hands full with the grand opening. It is bad enough that one of her guests has turned up dead, but as Pippin gets pulled into investigating, it turns out that the woman may have known something about the curse that has been following the Lanes for the past two millennia.
Melissa Bourbon knows how to tell a story. Honestly, that is all that needs to be said.
There is so much going on in the 250+ pages of this book. Pippin has picked up her father’s investigation into her lineage and is learning to have confidence in her role as a biblimancer. That narrative alone is fascinating. I could read a 500 page book on that aspect of the story alone. The Lane women are so genuinely interesting, I keep coming back for more.
I truly enjoyed the tidbits of archeology and history laced into the plot. With a budding archaeologist in the house, I admit to being just a little too excited to read about optically stimulated luminescence in the course of a mystery novel. I mean that doesn’t just pop up in a typical conversation. I also love that I didn’t see whodunnit until it was explained. When Pippin figured it out, I was hoping she was wrong because I just didn’t want to believe it, but of course it was there in the clues the whole time. How did I miss it? Simply put, the clues are so subtly woven into the story that it is easy to forget that we, as readers, are here to help Pippen solve a mystery.
I do think this reads well as a stand alone if this is your first experience with the series. Still, book 1 and its prequel are so worth the effort. The story isn’t all told yet, so I will be back for more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
In Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn, Pippin and her brother Grey are the latest descendents of the Lane family. Pippin is desperate to find a way to break the family curse if only to save her brother from his seemingly preordained fate. She has turned the house they inherited from their parents into a bed and breakfast and she has her hands full with the grand opening. It is bad enough that one of her guests has turned up dead, but as Pippin gets pulled into investigating, it turns out that the woman may have known something about the curse that has been following the Lanes for the past two millennia.
Melissa Bourbon knows how to tell a story. Honestly, that is all that needs to be said.
There is so much going on in the 250+ pages of this book. Pippin has picked up her father’s investigation into her lineage and is learning to have confidence in her role as a biblimancer. That narrative alone is fascinating. I could read a 500 page book on that aspect of the story alone. The Lane women are so genuinely interesting, I keep coming back for more.
I truly enjoyed the tidbits of archeology and history laced into the plot. With a budding archaeologist in the house, I admit to being just a little too excited to read about optically stimulated luminescence in the course of a mystery novel. I mean that doesn’t just pop up in a typical conversation. I also love that I didn’t see whodunnit until it was explained. When Pippin figured it out, I was hoping she was wrong because I just didn’t want to believe it, but of course it was there in the clues the whole time. How did I miss it? Simply put, the clues are so subtly woven into the story that it is easy to forget that we, as readers, are here to help Pippen solve a mystery.
I do think this reads well as a stand alone if this is your first experience with the series. Still, book 1 and its prequel are so worth the effort. The story isn’t all told yet, so I will be back for more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Yvonne (12 KP) rated The House of Secrets (The Sarah Bennett Mysteries, #2) in Books
Jun 11, 2019
A good addition to the series
The House of Secret by Terry Lynn Thomas
Published by HQ Digital on 11th April 2019
252 pages
Following on from Sarah Bennett’s father’s murder trial, Sarah gets given a job working with psychiatrist Dr Matthew Geisler. With his fascination into the supernatural, Sarah sees it as a chance to escape the public eye.
Whilst I have read The Spirit of Grace, you don’t have to, to enjoy this story. Anything that was relevant from book 1 was explained in detail, without spoiling the flow. I liked that Sarah was still inquisitive and even having suffered a life-threatening accident, it didn’t stop her trying to help Minna, who was having a really bad time at the Geisler’s Institute. Although there were times that Sarah was put under a lot of pressure from Zeke, Dr Geisler and even Alysse, she was still determined to find out who was behind the threats.
Whilst Zeke being housed in the hospital for his injuries pleased Sarah, as he was so close to her, there were moments that she doubted the real reason he was there. At times it did get annoying as Sarah knew what Zeke did for a living and should have understood that there were occasions that she could not be his No1 priority. However, this did not detract from the mystery and they did work well together.
Whilst the story centred around the characters already mentioned, there were some other characters, that had their own story to tell. Mr Collins, an accomplished pianist, Cynthia Forrester whilst being Sarah’s friend was also a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle and Aunt Lillian, an eccentric older lady who was Cynthia’s aunt.
The supernatural element was stronger in this story as Sarah was adjusting to her gift and it helped that she had a fan in Dr Geisler. The mystery was well plotted and whilst I had my suspicions who was behind the threats, I could not work the reasons behind them. The story built up to a dramatic ending, with everything explained in detail.
This series can keep going and I hope there will be more to come. If you like historical fiction with an element of supernatural then this is a series for you.
Published by HQ Digital on 11th April 2019
252 pages
Following on from Sarah Bennett’s father’s murder trial, Sarah gets given a job working with psychiatrist Dr Matthew Geisler. With his fascination into the supernatural, Sarah sees it as a chance to escape the public eye.
Whilst I have read The Spirit of Grace, you don’t have to, to enjoy this story. Anything that was relevant from book 1 was explained in detail, without spoiling the flow. I liked that Sarah was still inquisitive and even having suffered a life-threatening accident, it didn’t stop her trying to help Minna, who was having a really bad time at the Geisler’s Institute. Although there were times that Sarah was put under a lot of pressure from Zeke, Dr Geisler and even Alysse, she was still determined to find out who was behind the threats.
Whilst Zeke being housed in the hospital for his injuries pleased Sarah, as he was so close to her, there were moments that she doubted the real reason he was there. At times it did get annoying as Sarah knew what Zeke did for a living and should have understood that there were occasions that she could not be his No1 priority. However, this did not detract from the mystery and they did work well together.
Whilst the story centred around the characters already mentioned, there were some other characters, that had their own story to tell. Mr Collins, an accomplished pianist, Cynthia Forrester whilst being Sarah’s friend was also a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle and Aunt Lillian, an eccentric older lady who was Cynthia’s aunt.
The supernatural element was stronger in this story as Sarah was adjusting to her gift and it helped that she had a fan in Dr Geisler. The mystery was well plotted and whilst I had my suspicions who was behind the threats, I could not work the reasons behind them. The story built up to a dramatic ending, with everything explained in detail.
This series can keep going and I hope there will be more to come. If you like historical fiction with an element of supernatural then this is a series for you.