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Home is Where the Murder Is
10.0
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From author Rosalie Spielman comes a clever small town mystery that will leave you guessing until...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated Scone Cold Dead in Books
Jul 23, 2019
Can Natalie Find a Scone Cold Killer?
It’s late spring on Cranberry Island, but the beautiful weather is doing nothing for the tensions building. Something is going on with the lobstermen on the island. There are rumors of illegal activity, but no one seems to have any proof. Natalie Barnes is concerned about that, but she is also concerned that her bed and breakfast doesn’t have reservations like in years past. Fortunately, she does have some guests thanks to the new artists commune her niece, Gwen, has opened. But when the tension on the island leads to murder, will Natalie figure out what happened?
It’s always a pleasure to visit Cranberry Island, and this book is no exception. The characters are old friends by this point, and there are a couple of sub-plots that focus on them that helped pull me into the book early. Not that the mystery itself wasn’t compelling, and the sub-plots and mystery weave in and out of each other expertly. There are several good fully developed suspects we meet and plenty of turns before we hit the suspenseful climax. Natalie is working on recipes for a scone competition, so it is no surprise that three of the recipes at the end of the book are scones. Fans of the series will be happy with our latest visit to the island, and this book is fun enough to hook new fans as well.
It’s always a pleasure to visit Cranberry Island, and this book is no exception. The characters are old friends by this point, and there are a couple of sub-plots that focus on them that helped pull me into the book early. Not that the mystery itself wasn’t compelling, and the sub-plots and mystery weave in and out of each other expertly. There are several good fully developed suspects we meet and plenty of turns before we hit the suspenseful climax. Natalie is working on recipes for a scone competition, so it is no surprise that three of the recipes at the end of the book are scones. Fans of the series will be happy with our latest visit to the island, and this book is fun enough to hook new fans as well.
The Monogram Murders
Agatha Christie and Sophie Hannah
6.0
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The new Hercule Poirot novel - another brilliant murder mystery that can only be solved by the...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated Murder in Murray Hill in Books
May 19, 2021 (Updated May 19, 2021)
Investigating a Murder as Life Changes
New York City Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy gets a new case when a man walks into police headquarters wanting to report his daughter missing. Henry Livingston has no clue where Grace might have gone, but Frank quickly figures out that she has been responding to lonely hearts ads in the newspaper trying to find herself a husband. While she might have eloped with someone, all signs point to something much worse. Is Grace still alive? Can Frank and Sarah Brandt find her?
This book is darker than some of the others in the series, but it deals with that darker subject sympathetically, and there aren’t any details we don’t need. The darker subject of the mystery is balanced out by lighter sub-plots involving Sarah and Frank’s future plans. (And if you aren’t up to date on the series, know that this one spoils some major events from the end of the previous book.) I love the characters, so it was wonderful to check in again with them and find out what is happening in their lives. The mystery is twisty; just when I thought I knew where things were going, something would happen to confuse me again. The world of 1890’s New York City is brought to life expertly without slowing the story down at all. This is another page turning entry in the series.
This book is darker than some of the others in the series, but it deals with that darker subject sympathetically, and there aren’t any details we don’t need. The darker subject of the mystery is balanced out by lighter sub-plots involving Sarah and Frank’s future plans. (And if you aren’t up to date on the series, know that this one spoils some major events from the end of the previous book.) I love the characters, so it was wonderful to check in again with them and find out what is happening in their lives. The mystery is twisty; just when I thought I knew where things were going, something would happen to confuse me again. The world of 1890’s New York City is brought to life expertly without slowing the story down at all. This is another page turning entry in the series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated Shucked Apart in Books
Feb 25, 2021 (Updated Feb 25, 2021)
Hunting for the Oyster Seed Thief
Julia Snowden should be focusing on getting the last-minute tasks done to open the summer season of her family’s clambake, but when her boyfriend asks her to help his friend, Andie, Julia can’t resist. Andie runs an oyster farm not too far away, and someone has just stolen $35,000 worth of new inventory from her. Andie seems reluctant to give Julia any suspects, however, so it isn’t that surprising that Julia hasn’t made much progress when she finds a dead body. Is the robbery connected to the murder?
This book does a great job of introducing us to oyster farming without slowing down the mystery itself. I learned quite a bit while also getting the foundation for the plot. The pace does build as Julia gets closer to figuring things out, and the climax wraps everything up for us perfectly. This series is often on the slim side, and this is no exception. While the suspects are strong and the mystery complex, the supporting players aren’t as prevalent as they might be. While I did miss them and wouldn’t have minded a sub-plot that could have included them, it’s a minor issue. The book leaves us with five recipes that seafood lovers will want to try. As always, this book left me anxious to find out what will happen to Julia next. Fans won’t be disappointed.
This book does a great job of introducing us to oyster farming without slowing down the mystery itself. I learned quite a bit while also getting the foundation for the plot. The pace does build as Julia gets closer to figuring things out, and the climax wraps everything up for us perfectly. This series is often on the slim side, and this is no exception. While the suspects are strong and the mystery complex, the supporting players aren’t as prevalent as they might be. While I did miss them and wouldn’t have minded a sub-plot that could have included them, it’s a minor issue. The book leaves us with five recipes that seafood lovers will want to try. As always, this book left me anxious to find out what will happen to Julia next. Fans won’t be disappointed.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Camino Winds in Books
Aug 20, 2020
This was a typical Grisham quick read. It builds on the first book, but focuses mainly on Bruce. We see little of Mercer, a main character in book one, which was unfortunate. But Bruce is a blustery star, who can easily dominate both in his life and a novel. He has a huge group of friends, literary and "normal" alike. One is Nelson Kerr, a former lawyer with a big firm in San Francisco. He ratted out a client, a defense contractor who was illegally selling high-tech military stuff to the "bad guys." Nelson settled his case and fled to the island after a divorce. He's been working on another book and we learn quickly that his work may have gotten him killed.
It's easy to feel the storm and its tension through Grisham's picturesque writing. Leo hits quickly and the devastation that follows is bad. The post-hurricane feeling on a nearly abandoned Camino Island seems oddly aligned to the pandemic--at least when I read this in May--or it's easy to read that sense into everything I read.
Still, despite the hurricane and the murder and other various killings, this is actually a fun read. Grisham gives us an engaging mystery, and I love his "good versus evil" formula. It always works so well for him and this is one of his breezier presentations. While there isn't much depth, it's a fast read with interesting characters and a snappy mystery. 3.5 stars.
It's easy to feel the storm and its tension through Grisham's picturesque writing. Leo hits quickly and the devastation that follows is bad. The post-hurricane feeling on a nearly abandoned Camino Island seems oddly aligned to the pandemic--at least when I read this in May--or it's easy to read that sense into everything I read.
Still, despite the hurricane and the murder and other various killings, this is actually a fun read. Grisham gives us an engaging mystery, and I love his "good versus evil" formula. It always works so well for him and this is one of his breezier presentations. While there isn't much depth, it's a fast read with interesting characters and a snappy mystery. 3.5 stars.
The Body in the Garden (Lily Adler Mystery #1)
8.0
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Perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander and Rhys Bowen, Katharine Schellman's debut novel is sure to...
Historical Mystery
Past Due for Murder
6.0
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Has a curse fallen on the small town of Taylorsford, Virginia? After a young woman goes missing...
Fiction Mystery Cozy
Death in Her Hands
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While on her daily walk with her dog in a secluded woods, a woman comes across a note, handwritten...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated Murder at Morrington Hall in Books
Nov 20, 2021 (Updated Nov 20, 2021)
Life Upheaval and Murder
American Stella Kendrick is thrilled to join her father on a trip to England in 1905 until she learns that he has arranged for her marriage to Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst. Before she can fully process this news, Stella and Lyndy find the body of the vicar who was supposed to marry them. What does this mean for their future? Can they figure out what is going on?
I might have passed by this series had I not won the first three in a contest earlier this year. I’m glad I did. The romance is a stronger part of the story than I would normally like, but I’m torn on that here since I really found it easy to root for Stella and Lyndy. The story is told from multiple points of view, and early on, it is the scenes from the local inspector’s point of view that really advanced the mystery. Ironically, I found myself wanting to get back to Stella and Lyndy when we got those scenes. There is a solid mystery here, and I appreciate how the clues were scattered throughout the story. While I loved Stella and Lyndy and some of the others, some of the characters fell into the love to hate category, which was actually fun. I definitely want to find out what is next for the lead characters, so I’ll be picking up the next book soon.
I might have passed by this series had I not won the first three in a contest earlier this year. I’m glad I did. The romance is a stronger part of the story than I would normally like, but I’m torn on that here since I really found it easy to root for Stella and Lyndy. The story is told from multiple points of view, and early on, it is the scenes from the local inspector’s point of view that really advanced the mystery. Ironically, I found myself wanting to get back to Stella and Lyndy when we got those scenes. There is a solid mystery here, and I appreciate how the clues were scattered throughout the story. While I loved Stella and Lyndy and some of the others, some of the characters fell into the love to hate category, which was actually fun. I definitely want to find out what is next for the lead characters, so I’ll be picking up the next book soon.
