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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Death by Hot Cocoa in Books
Nov 8, 2022
Escape from a Killer
Krissy Hancock has been talked into doing a Christmas themed escape room by her friend Rita. The game starts out with the participants being placed in separate rooms, but when they all meet up in the second room, they find the body of their host, Lewis, lying in a pool of spilled hot cocoa. Is Krissy locked in a room with a killer? Can she figure out the clues to the crime and the clues to escaping the room?
Since it had been so long since I read the first book, I really didn’t remember much about the characters in the series, but that is okay because almost the entire story takes place at the escape room. With Krissy trapped in a room with all the suspects, it is easy to get to know them. I hadn’t tried any escape rooms yet when I read this story, but I appreciated how this modern trend was used to update the locked room staple of the mystery genre. It was well done with the clues to both parts of the mystery layered in to the events. This one definitely kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Christmas Cocoa Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
Since it had been so long since I read the first book, I really didn’t remember much about the characters in the series, but that is okay because almost the entire story takes place at the escape room. With Krissy trapped in a room with all the suspects, it is easy to get to know them. I hadn’t tried any escape rooms yet when I read this story, but I appreciated how this modern trend was used to update the locked room staple of the mystery genre. It was well done with the clues to both parts of the mystery layered in to the events. This one definitely kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Christmas Cocoa Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
A Shadowed Livery (Inspector James Given Investigations #1)
7.0
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The first book in a page-turning historical mystery series! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie,...
Historical Fiction Pre-World War 2
Bakeries and Buffoonery (Magical Mystery Book Club #4)
10.0
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It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to...
Paranormal Mystery
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Murder of King Tut in Books
Apr 27, 2018
THE MURDER OF KING TUT—THE PLOT TO KILL THE CHILD KING (Audio Book) by James Patterson and Martin Dugard, read by Joe Barrett
Genre: non-fiction thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: James Patterson tells a story in three parts—one part, the mysterious death of King Tut, the second part the discovery of his tomb by Carter, and the third part his writing, own exploration, research, and discovery of the elusive history of the boy king.
Thoughts: This is one of the best James Patterson books I’ve ever read (listened too). JP has taken an age old mystery and solved it. Yes, it appears as though the mystery of Tut is mystery no more. This book is very alive, even though the plot revolves around a murder. I felt like I was standing right there, watching it all take place. At times, I felt like the characters themselves. This was an amazing escape from reality.
Characters (5/5): Characters should be relatable for a book to be enjoyable, and the characters in Tut’s world were wonderful. They were highly developed right away, and were the kind that either you routed for or hated with a passion.
Writing (4/5/5): James is an awesome writer. I always love reading his work because it’s so lyric. His words flow smoothly and he doesn’t overuse too many phrases (though several “waves” of various things did “wash over” many people).
Content (4/5): There was barely any language in this book, which was a nice change of JP’s work. It wasn’t necessary, either. It just goes to show that the point can be made—and made well—without filthy language. There was a little bit of sex but it wasn’t too graphic, nor was it frequent.
Reader (4/5): I really liked the voice of the reader for this book. I’ve heard some pretty awful ones before, I’ll say that much right now! But Joe’s voice was perfect for this book. The only thing I didn’t like were the voices he put with the characters—the accents were pretty lousy, and when he put on a “fake” voice for the child characters, it just sounded a little silly. I was glad when Tut got old enough that he didn’t have to do that anymore!
Recommendation: Ages 16+ to lovers of fiction, history, nonfiction, thrillers, mystery, or to any James-Patterson-addict.
Genre: non-fiction thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: James Patterson tells a story in three parts—one part, the mysterious death of King Tut, the second part the discovery of his tomb by Carter, and the third part his writing, own exploration, research, and discovery of the elusive history of the boy king.
Thoughts: This is one of the best James Patterson books I’ve ever read (listened too). JP has taken an age old mystery and solved it. Yes, it appears as though the mystery of Tut is mystery no more. This book is very alive, even though the plot revolves around a murder. I felt like I was standing right there, watching it all take place. At times, I felt like the characters themselves. This was an amazing escape from reality.
Characters (5/5): Characters should be relatable for a book to be enjoyable, and the characters in Tut’s world were wonderful. They were highly developed right away, and were the kind that either you routed for or hated with a passion.
Writing (4/5/5): James is an awesome writer. I always love reading his work because it’s so lyric. His words flow smoothly and he doesn’t overuse too many phrases (though several “waves” of various things did “wash over” many people).
Content (4/5): There was barely any language in this book, which was a nice change of JP’s work. It wasn’t necessary, either. It just goes to show that the point can be made—and made well—without filthy language. There was a little bit of sex but it wasn’t too graphic, nor was it frequent.
Reader (4/5): I really liked the voice of the reader for this book. I’ve heard some pretty awful ones before, I’ll say that much right now! But Joe’s voice was perfect for this book. The only thing I didn’t like were the voices he put with the characters—the accents were pretty lousy, and when he put on a “fake” voice for the child characters, it just sounded a little silly. I was glad when Tut got old enough that he didn’t have to do that anymore!
Recommendation: Ages 16+ to lovers of fiction, history, nonfiction, thrillers, mystery, or to any James-Patterson-addict.
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated Death Never Sleeps in Books
Sep 6, 2017
This is a really good book. It has all kinds of twist and turns. I enjoyed the fact that it has an element of mystery in the book. It has murders in it. It also has some adventures. How can a dead person give answers and help out his own brother from the grave? Is Michael's brother Alex alive or dead? You get swept up with this question and so many more. Alex actually communicates with his brother. Michael wants to help solve the mystery of his older brother's murder.
Why does someone want Michael and his whole family dead? Why does this person want to have them all dead? Why did this person want Alex dead? Alex seems to be able to communicate with his brother and talk to him like he is alive? The plot is good. The places that Samantha and Michael visits start to get more enjoyable to read. The adventures starts to happen once they go on trips. Is death like that where you can be anywhere and communicate with family friends only if you are in a virtual world that could be connected to a world before technology and a world after technology?
Why does someone want Michael and his whole family dead? Why does this person want to have them all dead? Why did this person want Alex dead? Alex seems to be able to communicate with his brother and talk to him like he is alive? The plot is good. The places that Samantha and Michael visits start to get more enjoyable to read. The adventures starts to happen once they go on trips. Is death like that where you can be anywhere and communicate with family friends only if you are in a virtual world that could be connected to a world before technology and a world after technology?
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated A Deadly Éclair (A French Bistro Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Mimi Rousseau is just months into her new venture of a French bistro and hotel in the heart of Napa County. This weekend, she is hosting her first event, the wedding of Angelica Edmonton, noted TV talk show host and the niece of Bryan Baker, Mimi’s benefactor and mentor. However, when tension at the pre-wedding dinner on Friday night leads to a dead body on Saturday morning, Mimi finds herself looking into the murder. What is going on?
It’s fun to find a series set in Napa County that doesn’t focus on wine, although wine is certainly present. The French food will definitely leave your mouth watering as you work your way through this good first mystery. The initial chapter has a bit of a data dump in it, but once beyond that, the mystery picks up and the pace never slows down again. The characters are outstanding, and the relationships between the series regulars is already strong. I’m looking forward to seeing that grow as the series progresses.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-deadly-eclair-by-daryl-wood.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
It’s fun to find a series set in Napa County that doesn’t focus on wine, although wine is certainly present. The French food will definitely leave your mouth watering as you work your way through this good first mystery. The initial chapter has a bit of a data dump in it, but once beyond that, the mystery picks up and the pace never slows down again. The characters are outstanding, and the relationships between the series regulars is already strong. I’m looking forward to seeing that grow as the series progresses.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-deadly-eclair-by-daryl-wood.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Murder in Court Three (Flick Fortune and Baggo Chandavarkar, #3) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I received a free review copy of this book from NetGalley***
The body of Farquhar Knox, QC, has been found in courtroom number three, pierced through the heart with an arrow. It's up to DI Flick Fortune and her team to find the killer. Things are made all the more difficult when a Chief Superintendent shows up on their suspect list, and the local paper implies that the very pregnant Flick and her department may not be up to the task at hand.
This was a very enjoyable read. It's the third in a series of traditional police procedurals from author Ian Simpson, but the first one that I had read. I was worried after seeing the long list of characters included at the beginning of the book that I might feel lost or have trouble keeping everyone straight, not having read the two previous books. This was not the case, however, and Simpson does a good job of making his characters distinct and recognizable. A very well-written mystery with several sub-plots and lots of red herrings, I would recommend Murder in Court Three to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
The body of Farquhar Knox, QC, has been found in courtroom number three, pierced through the heart with an arrow. It's up to DI Flick Fortune and her team to find the killer. Things are made all the more difficult when a Chief Superintendent shows up on their suspect list, and the local paper implies that the very pregnant Flick and her department may not be up to the task at hand.
This was a very enjoyable read. It's the third in a series of traditional police procedurals from author Ian Simpson, but the first one that I had read. I was worried after seeing the long list of characters included at the beginning of the book that I might feel lost or have trouble keeping everyone straight, not having read the two previous books. This was not the case, however, and Simpson does a good job of making his characters distinct and recognizable. A very well-written mystery with several sub-plots and lots of red herrings, I would recommend Murder in Court Three to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
Undermajordomo Minor
7.0
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Lucien (Lucy) Minor is the resident odd duck in the bucolic hamlet of Bury. Friendless and loveless,...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Better Late Than Never in Books
Jun 26, 2020
A Late Clue
Lindsay Norris has declared an overdue book amnesty day for the Briar Creek Public Library, but even she is surprised when a book that was checked out twenty years ago is returned. Further research indicates that it was checked out by Candice Whitley on the day she was murdered – a crime that remains unsolved. Why was this book returned now? Will it help solve this cold case?
I was intrigued by the premise of this book as soon as I learned what it was. I was rewarded with a well-executed mystery that provided clues and red herrings that kept me guessing until I reached the suspenseful climax. The romantic triangle that has been going on for the last few books appears to have wrapped up here, but it looks like everyone will be staying in town, which I am very happy about since I just love these characters. We got a few new regulars here, too, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better. This book included plenty of laughs and grins, so if you are looking for a light, fun murder mystery, this is the book to check out.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book as soon as I learned what it was. I was rewarded with a well-executed mystery that provided clues and red herrings that kept me guessing until I reached the suspenseful climax. The romantic triangle that has been going on for the last few books appears to have wrapped up here, but it looks like everyone will be staying in town, which I am very happy about since I just love these characters. We got a few new regulars here, too, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better. This book included plenty of laughs and grins, so if you are looking for a light, fun murder mystery, this is the book to check out.