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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Long Island Iced Tina in Books
Feb 24, 2021 (Updated Feb 24, 2021)
Reappearing Painting and Murder
Mia Carina is thrilled for her friend Nicole, who is expecting her first baby. Nicole has chosen Mia’s catering hall, Belle View, as the location for one of her baby showers. Despite Mia’s best efforts, the baby shower is interrupted by a fight between Nicole’s mother and step-mother. Then, one of Nicole’s presents turns out to be a valuable painting stolen years before. Things only get worse when Mia finds the body of a shower guest the next morning. Is the murder linked to the painting?
I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one was great as well. The painting added a fun element to the mystery, and I really enjoyed seeing how that played out. The mystery had some great zigs and zags along the way. The climax was a bit complicated, but I was able to think it through, and it did make sense. All the characters were wonderful, with some interesting growth for the series regulars. Mia’s grandmother provides a very funny sub-plot, and there are other great moments of humor throughout the book. At the end, we get four recipes and a hit for hosting events yourself. The series is set in Queens, and Mia’s family is involved in the mob. Even so, this is most definitely still a cozy series. Grab some ice tea and enjoy this delightful book.
I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one was great as well. The painting added a fun element to the mystery, and I really enjoyed seeing how that played out. The mystery had some great zigs and zags along the way. The climax was a bit complicated, but I was able to think it through, and it did make sense. All the characters were wonderful, with some interesting growth for the series regulars. Mia’s grandmother provides a very funny sub-plot, and there are other great moments of humor throughout the book. At the end, we get four recipes and a hit for hosting events yourself. The series is set in Queens, and Mia’s family is involved in the mob. Even so, this is most definitely still a cozy series. Grab some ice tea and enjoy this delightful book.
Malin Akerman recommended Pan's Labyrinth (2006) in Movies (curated)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Nate the Great in Books
Mar 9, 2018
A kid's picture book about a neighborhood sleuth. Here, he searches for Annie's missing painting of her dog. Humor for adults and a mystery that kids can solve make this a winner.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-nate-great-by-marjorie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-nate-great-by-marjorie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Sunken Cathedral in Books
Oct 7, 2020
This novel is stunningly lyrical and limned (to "depict or describe in painting or words" or "suffuse or highlight (something) with a bright color or light") story of storms and life in 21st Century New York. Read my review of this amazing novel here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/05/23/literary-impressionism/
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Crown of Thorns (Nick Barrett, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Nick Barrett investigates the reappearance of a painting for a couple of friends. The trail leads him to a poor orphan, her half sister, and a dangerous cult. Very entertaining with a powerful ending.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-crown-of-thorns-by-sigmund.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-crown-of-thorns-by-sigmund.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Butterfly and the Violin (Hidden Masterpiece, #1) in Books
Oct 5, 2020
70 years after a painting of a woman prisoner of Auschwitz-Birkenau goes missing, a man who could lose everything by finding the original owner, joins an art gallery owner in the hunt. Read my review of this different kind of Holocaust story here https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2014/07/15/beauty-out-of-ugliness/
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Feint of Art (An Art Lover's Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Annie Kincaid gets caught up in a web of murder and betrayal when she identifies a painting at a San Francisco museum as a forgery. Plenty of laughs to this cozy caper, and the characters were wonderful.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-feint-of-art-by-hailey-lind.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-feint-of-art-by-hailey-lind.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Picture of Dorian Gray in Books
Nov 9, 2017 (Updated Nov 9, 2017)
Gruesome, grisly, Gothic horror
There is no true horror than the horror humans create themselves. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic tale of hubris and vanity, and the sins that associate themselves with such. Oscar Wilde's macabre style is fascinating for its time, and the idea that the painting is a representation of his Gray's own soul is intelligent.
Jessica Cashen (1 KP) rated Stone Painting for Kids: Designs to Spark Your Creativity in Books
May 16, 2018
This book is Beautiful to look at it is bright and colorful. The instructions are easy to follow, but I have done stone painting with my children and I felt that the ideas should have been more unique. I think this book is geared towards 5-6 year olds. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.
