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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2635 KP) rated Root of All Evil in Books

May 23, 2025  
Root of All Evil
Root of All Evil
Liz Milliron | 2018 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Drugs and Scandal
State Trooper Jim Duncan is concerned when he hears a notorious drug dealer has been spotted in Fayette County again. He’s determined to catch the man this time. Meanwhile, his friend Sally Castle, an ADA, is shocked to find a coworker murdered in his office one Monday morning. Sally can’t stay on the sidelines with the case hitting so close to home. The pair quickly see a connection between events. But can they figure out what happened?

I’ve been meaning to pick up this series for a while since I’ve enjoyed other books from this author. While this is her debut novel, it’s not the first story with these characters. I do wish this book had more introduction to the characters, but we did get to know them pretty well over the course of the story. Jim and Sally share point of view duties, which helps. The pacing seemed a little uneven in the middle, but that’s a minor complaint. I did feel one of the characters could have been smarter as the climax neared, but the wrap up did answer all of my questions. Since this is a police procedural, it will have more content than the lighter books I often read. Now that I’ve started this series, I’m hoping to get to visit the characters again soon.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2635 KP) rated Night of the Living Bread in Books

May 28, 2025  
Night of the Living Bread
Night of the Living Bread
Mary Lee Ashford | 2025 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Sugar Rise to the Occasion and Find Another Killer?
Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are working on a new project for the Jameson County Historical Society. It’s a cook book focused on various breads. It may sound a little narrow, but they already have several ideas for subcategories, and the pair are excited about it. Their contact for the project is Marla Mercer. But Sugar’s appointment one morning never happens since she finds Marla dead on the office floor, a bread knife in her back. Everyone seems shocked by the murder, insisting that Marla was well loved. So who would want to kill her?

It’s been a few years (and a publisher change) since we got the previous book in this series. I was glad to see it back and was easily able to slip back into Sugar and Dixie’s world. It was great to reconnect with the characters, and spending time with them made me smile. The suspects seemed nice as well, at least at first. I did figure parts of the mystery out early, but I didn’t have it all put together until the climax. There are a couple of subplots that helped kept me engaged. We also get five recipes at the end of the book. Fans will be just as happy as I am to revisit these characters.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2635 KP) rated Broken Trust in Books

Mar 27, 2026 (Updated Mar 27, 2026)  
Broken Trust
Broken Trust
Liz Milliron | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will Jim & Sally’s Relationship Survive This Case?
Jim has been called to the scene of a murder in the office of a local mining company. The victim is Lonnie Butler, a friend of his – in fact he and Sally helped Lonnie get the job just a few months ago. Despite the fact that Jim’s sister and her two kids are coming for a visit, Jim can’t help but keep investigating. Unfortunately, one of Sally’s current clients has come up as a suspect in the case. She doesn’t feel she can share what she knows without crossing ethical lines, so she starts trying to figure out what really happened to Lonnie. Will the case come between them? Will they still be able to find Lonnie’s killer?

The mystery was good, with strong suspects that kept me engaged even when I began to suspect where the mystery was going. The wrap up was strong. The relationship issues were a very strong subplot. While one small aspect made me roll my eyes, the main issue was well done. I like that they both made mistakes and were both right, and their friends called them out for it. Meanwhile, I hadn’t realized how much Sally needed a friend until she got a new one here. If you haven’t read this book yet, you are in for a treat. Trust me.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2635 KP) rated The Black Box (Harry Bosch, #18; Harry Bosch Universe, #24) in Books

May 6, 2023  
The Black Box (Harry Bosch, #18; Harry Bosch Universe, #24)
The Black Box (Harry Bosch, #18; Harry Bosch Universe, #24)
Michael Connelly | 2012 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
9
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder During the LA Riots
When the LA riots happened back in 1992, Harry Bosch was a homicide detective who was called in to work crime scenes as quickly as possible since there were so many happening during that time. One of those was of a reporter from a paper in Europe. Nothing ever came of the case until twenty years later. Bosch is now working in the cold case squad, but a ballistics hit was just made that links the gun that killed the reporter to gang related murders that have happened in the years since. Can Bosch use this fresh new lead to finally solve the case?

Once again, part of the fun of the series is watching Bosch work his way to the conclusion. I never would have guessed it, but it makes perfect sense when we get there. Along the way, I enjoy spending time with Bosch and seeing how his life has evolved. I especially enjoyed watching his relationship with his daughter in this book. I did find the office politics Bosch faces border on clichéd, although I did see the higher ups point in one aspect here. I also found something that happened near the climax a little too convenient. But both of these are minor points in an otherwise strong book that will please series fans.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 7, 2022 (Updated Aug 7, 2022)  
True crime buffs, come read an excerpt from CODE OF SILENCE: INSIDE THE CASE THAT LED TO THE FIRST FEDERAL JUDGE TO BE IMPEACHED by Lise Olsen on my blog, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book - three winners.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-code-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Code of Silence tells the story of federal court employee Cathy McBroom, who had to flee her job as a case manager in Galveston, Texas, after enduring years of sexual harassment and assault by her boss-US District Judge Samuel Kent. Following a decade of firsthand reporting at the Houston Chronicle, investigative reporter Lise Olsen charts McBroom’s assault and the aftermath, when McBroom was thrust into the role of whistle-blower to denounce a federal judge.

What Olsen discovered by investigating McBroom’s story and other federal judicial misconduct matters nationwide was shocking. With the help of other federal judges, Kent was being protected by a secretive court system that has long tolerated or ignored complaints about corruption, sexism, and sexual misconduct-enabling him to remain in office for years. Other powerful judges accused of judicial misconduct were never investigated and remain in power or retired with full pay, such as US Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski and Kozinski’s mentee, Brett Kavanaugh.