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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Sunny Side Up in Books

Sep 19, 2018

Cruise of Murder and Bullies

Liam Johnson is thrilled to have landed a job on the prestigious Howard Cruise Line as a waiter. His family needs the money he will be making. However, he quickly discovers that his boss hates him and some of the customers he must deal with delight in making his life miserable as well. That doesn't prepare him for finding the body of one of the passengers dead on the Sunbathing Deck. The ship's doctor is quick to rule it an accidental death due to sunstroke, but Liam isn't so sure. Several things about the scene are off. Can he prove it was murder before the cruise ends?

I really thought this book sounded like fun, but it turned out to be much more somber than I was expecting it to be. Liam faces quite a bit of abuse and bullying over the course of the story, and I didn't find it that fun to read. Even his friends on the ship turn on him regularly. The mystery is well put together with plenty of clues. I did feel things were a bit overly complex, but the clues were all there when Liam explains things at the end. This books definitely falls on the traditional side of the spectrum with a smattering of language and talk about sex (but nothing on the page) that keep it from being a true cozy. This wasn’t' truly a bad book, but I did hope for something sunnier when I picked it up.

Kudos

After I'm Gone

Laura Lippman

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

New York Times best seller Laura Lippman returns with a classic story of murder and mystery, in...

The Strings of Murder

Oscar De Muriel

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A spellbinding concoction of crime, history and horror - perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes and...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated The Murder of Twelve in Books

May 28, 2020

Weddings are Murder

With a record setting blizzard on the way to Cabot Cove, Maine, Jessica Fletcher is planning to hunker down in her temporary home – the Hill House hotel. Before she can do that, she joins Sheriff Metzger when he gets a call about a man found in his car on the edge of town. What at first looks like a tragic accident is indeed murder. On arriving at the hotel, Jessica learns she will be joined for the weekend by a wedding party. But with the bride and groom missing, tempers begin to flair. Then a dead body appears. Are they trapped with a killer? Is it connected to the man outside of town?

This is another fast-moving mystery that obviously pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I felt it was a bit more of a thriller (minus the language and violence) than a true cozy, but I’m not complaining since I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Much of the book features Jessica and those trapped in the hotel with her, and they are all strong enough characters to carry the story. Unfortunately, the little bit we did see of the recurring characters fell into predictable patterns, although I still enjoyed spending time with them. The writing was so vivid, I felt the cold as I was reading. Any complaints are minor, and I’m happy I picked up this fast-paced book.

Kudos

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

May 11, 2020 (Updated May 11, 2020)

Sneak a peek at the murder mystery audiobook COVEY AND JAYJAY GET EDUCATED by Shelton L. Williams on my blog, and enter the #GIVEAWAY to #win a copy of the book as well as other Shelton Williams books - THREE WINNERS!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/05/audio-book-tour-and-giveaway-covey-and.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Amateur detectives Covey Jencks and JayJay Qualls are drawn into a triple murder on the campus of Baker College in West Waverly in the Texas Hill Country. Both end up taking positions at the college: Covey as an adjunct instructor and JayJay as a visiting actor.

Initially they believe that money is the motive for the murders, but over time they learn that the college is a cauldron of political and social intrigue. The college's new president and his beautiful wife, various staff members, a prominent trustee, and parties not associated with the college have the motives, opportunities, and wacky agendas that might implicate them in the murders. It turns out that a white nationalist group may be using a college house for its nefarious activities, but are they more talk than action?

The West Waverly police are little to no help in the investigation, and Covey himself has to depart the college to deal with his father's death. JayJay takes over and makes a critical breakthrough. Upon Covey's return, the couple must rely on deception, a bit of luck, and martial arts skills to solve the crimes and to try to prevent a high-profile assassination.