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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated With a Kiss I Die in Books
Apr 19, 2019
This Book, By Any Other Name, Would be as Addicting
Edwina “Sully” Sullivan is using the slow winter months for the Cliffside Theater to work on grant proposals to help them build their own theater building. Meanwhile, Dimitri, the theater’s resident director, is working on a struggling adaptation of Romeo and Juliet down in Boston. When Sully gets a chance to go down and help for a few days, she figures this is a great time to schmooze with the people who will be awarding the grant. However, a murder after what was supposed to be a celebratory party turns Sully’s focus to other things. When people who knows start vanishing, can she figure out what is really going on?
I had forgotten just how much I loved these characters until I picked up this second in the series. The main characters are strong, and their relationships feel real. They also have multiple connections to the characters who are part of the mystery, which gives us multiple reasons to care. The book starts out focusing on the disaster of the play, but it is layering in information related to the mystery, so when the murder does happen, we are off and running quickly. I got so pulled into this book that I finished it in two days instead of my average three. In fact, I had to know what was going on, so I ignored other plans to finish it. The climax is very satisfying. I appreciated how Sully used her background as a cop to investigate and worked with the police to figure things out, a nice change from other cozies I read. I’m already hoping we get to visit with Sully and the rest of the gang again soon.
I had forgotten just how much I loved these characters until I picked up this second in the series. The main characters are strong, and their relationships feel real. They also have multiple connections to the characters who are part of the mystery, which gives us multiple reasons to care. The book starts out focusing on the disaster of the play, but it is layering in information related to the mystery, so when the murder does happen, we are off and running quickly. I got so pulled into this book that I finished it in two days instead of my average three. In fact, I had to know what was going on, so I ignored other plans to finish it. The climax is very satisfying. I appreciated how Sully used her background as a cop to investigate and worked with the police to figure things out, a nice change from other cozies I read. I’m already hoping we get to visit with Sully and the rest of the gang again soon.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 12, 2021
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-tale Heart - A Hidden Object Mystery (Full)
Games and Entertainment
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Unlock the complete adventure with a single purchase! No in-app purchases! Travel to a little...
Murder on the Home Front
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Disrespect, disdain - and dead bodies! It's all in a day's work for WPC Billie Harkness, a...
Comedy Can Be Deadly
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When the curtain falls, the body count rises When former nurse Sho Tanaka reluctantly takes on...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Secret Place in Books
Feb 13, 2018
The fifth installment in Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series reintroduces some familiar faces, notably Holly Mackey, Frank Mackey, and Stephen Moran from French's [b:Faithful Place|7093952|Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #3)|Tana French|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1291165900s/7093952.jpg|7350661]. Detective Moran is toiling away in Cold Cases, dreaming of joining the Murder Squad, when Holly shows up. She holds in her hand a card reading "I know who killed him," featuring a photo of Chris Harper, a handsome boy from a private school who was killed a year ago. Suddenly, Stephen finds himself inserted into the middle of St. Kilda's School, Holly's private all-girls' school, the neighborhood school to Chris', and the place where his body was found. Stephen joins up with the Murder Squad's Detective Antoinette Conway, one of the original leads on Chris' case, to find out what happened. But Stephen quickly realizes that Antoinette isn't a popular figure in the Squad, and that the girls of St. Kilda's are a tight-knit, complicated bunch whose interconnected relationships present Conway and Moran many obstacles in finding Chris' killer. Can they find the killer before the girls close ranks for good?
This was a typical Tana French mystery in many ways. This novel is compelling, as always, featuring thoughtful and reflective characters and a detailed, well-plotted mystery. The story is told in alternating chapters by Stephen (in the present-day) and then flashes back to various sections told by the girls of St. Kilda's, who are telling bits of the story leading up to Chris' death. It's an excellent technique because Stephen's portion covers basically 24 hours, as he and Antoinette rush to solve the crime before the girls can cover their tracks once and for all. But by going into the past, French effectively builds suspense and allows us to meet the various teens in her tale (about eight in all, which is a lot at times).
Overall, she does an good job of capturing teen culture: particularly, I'm sure, the culture of British teens in boarding school (shockingly, something I'm not too familiar with). While the descriptions of the girls gets a little tedious (a lot of blond, straightened hair), their personalities are clear and develop easily over the course of the novel. The commentary on the bonds of teen friendship is excellent. For me, Stephen wasn't one of my all-time favorite French protagonists, but I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Conway and how the window into their lives is basically less than 24 hours.
The mystery portion was a little less enjoyable for me than some of French's other novels and a bit of a let down at the end, but it was still a great read. One of my favorite things about French's books is how they easily transport you into another world while reading--you find yourself lost in the characters and their world--and this one was no exception. 3.5 strong stars. I'm looking forward to her next novel, which is supposed to feature Conway again.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
This was a typical Tana French mystery in many ways. This novel is compelling, as always, featuring thoughtful and reflective characters and a detailed, well-plotted mystery. The story is told in alternating chapters by Stephen (in the present-day) and then flashes back to various sections told by the girls of St. Kilda's, who are telling bits of the story leading up to Chris' death. It's an excellent technique because Stephen's portion covers basically 24 hours, as he and Antoinette rush to solve the crime before the girls can cover their tracks once and for all. But by going into the past, French effectively builds suspense and allows us to meet the various teens in her tale (about eight in all, which is a lot at times).
Overall, she does an good job of capturing teen culture: particularly, I'm sure, the culture of British teens in boarding school (shockingly, something I'm not too familiar with). While the descriptions of the girls gets a little tedious (a lot of blond, straightened hair), their personalities are clear and develop easily over the course of the novel. The commentary on the bonds of teen friendship is excellent. For me, Stephen wasn't one of my all-time favorite French protagonists, but I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Conway and how the window into their lives is basically less than 24 hours.
The mystery portion was a little less enjoyable for me than some of French's other novels and a bit of a let down at the end, but it was still a great read. One of my favorite things about French's books is how they easily transport you into another world while reading--you find yourself lost in the characters and their world--and this one was no exception. 3.5 strong stars. I'm looking forward to her next novel, which is supposed to feature Conway again.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Murder Knocks Twice in Books
Jun 14, 2019
Bringing 1929 Chicago to Life
Gina Ricci is thrilled when she lands a job at The Third Door, one of many speakeasies in 1929 Chicago. Her friend, Lulu, already works there, and she has promised the tips are good. Since Gina needs to support herself and her sick father, the promised money is very welcome, and the glitch, glamour, and possibility of meeting some celebrities captivates Gina. As Gina settles into her new job, she starts to hear that her predecessor was murdered, but no one seems willing to talk about it. Besides, it happened away from The Third Door, so surely the murder was unrelated to the job Gina has now, right? Gina has just convinced herself of that when she witnesses a murder. Is she safe in her new job? Can she figure out what is really happening?
Since I love history, especially US history, I’m always looking for promising sounding new historical mysteries to add to my to be read list. This one does a great job of bringing the era and location to life as we get plenty of discussions about life during the time, including celebrities of the day. However, this detail took away from the mystery. The murder I teased takes place a third of the way into the book, and that does make the plot move forward a little faster, but still, we could have used some more clues and red herrings. The climax does explain everything, but it feels very rushed. The characters are a little thin as well, although I did feel we got to know Gina and a couple others well. In you are interested in the time or location, I definitely recommend you pick up the book. Hopefully, with some things now established, the next in the series will be stronger.
Since I love history, especially US history, I’m always looking for promising sounding new historical mysteries to add to my to be read list. This one does a great job of bringing the era and location to life as we get plenty of discussions about life during the time, including celebrities of the day. However, this detail took away from the mystery. The murder I teased takes place a third of the way into the book, and that does make the plot move forward a little faster, but still, we could have used some more clues and red herrings. The climax does explain everything, but it feels very rushed. The characters are a little thin as well, although I did feel we got to know Gina and a couple others well. In you are interested in the time or location, I definitely recommend you pick up the book. Hopefully, with some things now established, the next in the series will be stronger.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jul 30, 2021
Tombland (The Shardlake series Book 7)
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Summer, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos . . . The...
A Sense for Murder
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Chef Sally Solari has - to her own bewilderment - built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps...