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To Kingdom Come (Art History Mystery #4) by Claudia Riess
Book
Amateur sleuths, Erika Shawn-Wheatley, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, art history...
Mystery
The Raven and the Pig (Celwyn #2)
Book
As the music dies, the magician Celwyn is mortally wounded. His darker, immortal brother Pelaez...
Magical Realism
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2425 KP) rated Haunted House Ghost in Books
Oct 22, 2025 - 4:18 AM
The Need for a Good Edit Haunts This Book
It’s been a few months since we last checked in on Kellan Ayrwick, single father and new professor at Braxton University, where his family has been involved for decades. In that time, he’s been overseeing the contractor working on his new house, and it’s almost ready for move in. That is, until someone comes along and sabotages it, leaving behind a threatening message. Who could be doing it? Does it have anything to do with the former inhabitants? How does the old skeleton uncovered on campus tie in?
Knowing that the story driving so much of the first half of this series was mostly completed, I was curious to see where things would go. Sadly, this was disappointing. The book tried to take on too much. Even though the pacing was good and the book is long for a cozy, we still got data dumps and exposition with summarized dialogue in the final quarter. It also kept me from really connecting with the characters. Given the October setting, the book does have fun with the seasonal vibes. But I am going to need a break before I move on to the next book, if I decide to.
Knowing that the story driving so much of the first half of this series was mostly completed, I was curious to see where things would go. Sadly, this was disappointing. The book tried to take on too much. Even though the pacing was good and the book is long for a cozy, we still got data dumps and exposition with summarized dialogue in the final quarter. It also kept me from really connecting with the characters. Given the October setting, the book does have fun with the seasonal vibes. But I am going to need a break before I move on to the next book, if I decide to.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Wolf Blood in Books
Jan 31, 2019
Wolf Blood is a fresh, new take on the apocalypse–free of zombies and nuclear fallout. It’s a welcome breath of fresh air in a market that’s already overly saturated with the same tropes, and for that Steve Morris deserves props. That’s not to say that there aren’t issues with Wolf Blood. There are several, actually. It does, however, mean that this is a title worth taking the time to read if you’re sick of the same washed up material.
Professor Wiseman and his three students, Samuel, Leann, and Adam, have tucked themselves away in the Carpathians after a poorly received publication foretelling of a werewolf apocalypse is met with widespread mockery and criticism. His reputation ruined, the Professor and his students continue their research in quiet solitude–until things go wrong. All three students become infected, soon returning to London to bring back the superiority of wolves.
Let’s be honest, this idea is pretty interesting and in execution, Morris does a pretty decent job. I didn’t find any outwardly obvious plot holes, and that’s a plus too. The book is fast-paced, making for an easy and quick read. It isn’t bogged down with too much exposition, either. In fact, it might not have enough in some cases. Fortunately, it doesn’t detract too much from what’s going on.
Also, characters. There are too many characters whose purpose isn’t revealed in this book. Granted it’s the first of a series and they probably have a reason to exist later on down the road, but ultimately I feel it would have been better if those characters were introduced later. Instead we end up with a handful of people we don’t care about, and not enough time to develop feelings for those we do meet.
Morris’s werewolves are an important topic of discussion too. They are somewhere in-between the romanticized version and the truly monstrous. As a fan of gore and horror, I was hoping for purely the latter–especially since it is an apocalypse book. While there is some sappiness to this crew of mangy mutts, much of their desires lean toward the more primal nature of a wolf.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this; I devoured it in just over twenty-four hours and, considering all that’s going on in my life, that’s a good thing. Rating wise, I’m stuck between three and four. Considering how much fun I had reading it, I’ve decided to lean toward the higher rating. This is definitely a fun book.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Professor Wiseman and his three students, Samuel, Leann, and Adam, have tucked themselves away in the Carpathians after a poorly received publication foretelling of a werewolf apocalypse is met with widespread mockery and criticism. His reputation ruined, the Professor and his students continue their research in quiet solitude–until things go wrong. All three students become infected, soon returning to London to bring back the superiority of wolves.
Let’s be honest, this idea is pretty interesting and in execution, Morris does a pretty decent job. I didn’t find any outwardly obvious plot holes, and that’s a plus too. The book is fast-paced, making for an easy and quick read. It isn’t bogged down with too much exposition, either. In fact, it might not have enough in some cases. Fortunately, it doesn’t detract too much from what’s going on.
Also, characters. There are too many characters whose purpose isn’t revealed in this book. Granted it’s the first of a series and they probably have a reason to exist later on down the road, but ultimately I feel it would have been better if those characters were introduced later. Instead we end up with a handful of people we don’t care about, and not enough time to develop feelings for those we do meet.
Morris’s werewolves are an important topic of discussion too. They are somewhere in-between the romanticized version and the truly monstrous. As a fan of gore and horror, I was hoping for purely the latter–especially since it is an apocalypse book. While there is some sappiness to this crew of mangy mutts, much of their desires lean toward the more primal nature of a wolf.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this; I devoured it in just over twenty-four hours and, considering all that’s going on in my life, that’s a good thing. Rating wise, I’m stuck between three and four. Considering how much fun I had reading it, I’ve decided to lean toward the higher rating. This is definitely a fun book.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The Moorad Choudhry Anthology: Past, Present and Future Principles of Banking and Finance + Website
Book
The definitive and timeless guide to the principles of banking and finance, addressing and meeting...
OA
Object-Orientation, Abstraction, and Data Structures Using Scala
Mark C. Lewis and Lisa L. Lacher
Book
Praise for the first edition: "The well-written, comprehensive book...[is] aiming to become a de...
Oei, ik groei! sprongen kalender
Health & Fitness and Lifestyle
App
Blijf altijd op de hoogte van je baby's sprongetjes! Gebaseerd op de wereldwijde bestseller Oei, ik...
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated The Study of Silence in Books
Apr 9, 2019
The Study of Silence is baffles me as to what the true plot is. Though, it is good read. I know there a murder in the book. Why, the person is murdered, you will not by no mean until the end of the book.
I know the story is somewhat told in a third person i believe anyway. I was wondering if was more about human nature or if the story was more set to be about Evelyn. Why someone is after her when she not does much to find out. Evelyn seems to get sucked into the murder and danger accidentally.
I do enjoy the fact that we learn about women's rights a bit during England era though this book. The story is set in the era of 1926 England. We experience or learn about Oxford and that time period and customs. That part of the story give the author a swell of job.
She touches a bit of things that might go one during this time that we do not like in our modern day time. The cause of this murder and the unlikely will be surprise of the reason for it. Was the professor living a double life or a secret life. Who is the murderer? To find out you will have to read the book.
I know the story is somewhat told in a third person i believe anyway. I was wondering if was more about human nature or if the story was more set to be about Evelyn. Why someone is after her when she not does much to find out. Evelyn seems to get sucked into the murder and danger accidentally.
I do enjoy the fact that we learn about women's rights a bit during England era though this book. The story is set in the era of 1926 England. We experience or learn about Oxford and that time period and customs. That part of the story give the author a swell of job.
She touches a bit of things that might go one during this time that we do not like in our modern day time. The cause of this murder and the unlikely will be surprise of the reason for it. Was the professor living a double life or a secret life. Who is the murderer? To find out you will have to read the book.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Playmates in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Tania and Trevor Wilde are twins. They live in a small lake town with their parents. Every night their parents have "wine time" where they hurl bottles and insults at each other. Tania and Trevor spend "wine time" in their room wishing they could be anywhere else and making a plan to get away. The Wilde family is the definition of a dysfunctional family. Mom is abusive towards Tania and Trevor feels helpless to stop it. Then she invites strange men into the home while dad is away working. The next day, though, she will have bible study with some of her friends. Dad, is not exempt from the dysfunction. He is a professor at the local community college and brings home co-eds to the basement.
Tania frequently thinks about death and often coaxes Trevor to the dark side. She doesn't have many friends so she counts on her brother to fill that void. Then an unfortunate incident takes place and makes them both a lot darker.
Playmates, is a psychological thriller about killer kids. While this book did not have me on the edge of my seat, it held and captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to the next titles in the Wilde series. Bedmates and Soulmates.
Tania frequently thinks about death and often coaxes Trevor to the dark side. She doesn't have many friends so she counts on her brother to fill that void. Then an unfortunate incident takes place and makes them both a lot darker.
Playmates, is a psychological thriller about killer kids. While this book did not have me on the edge of my seat, it held and captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to the next titles in the Wilde series. Bedmates and Soulmates.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Shakespeare Saved My Life in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Dr. Laura Bates is an English professor at Indiana State University. She is given to opportunity to teach inmates in Indiana's Correctional System. She decides that she is going to teach them Shakespeare. She was discouraged by others thinking that Shakespeare would be too much for inmates to handle.
Dr. Bates was surprised at how well the inmates were able to, not only understand the material, but also apply it to their own lives. One inmate in particular, Larry Newton, took the material and really changed(saved) his life. Larry was really able to relate to Shakespeare's works, especially MacBeth. He used the material to look back on the choices and decisions he had made and was able to better understand the right choices to make.
When I saw this book as part of the Big Library Read, I was very excited. It seemed like an interesting book that would hold my attention. These days, I tend to do a lot of reading before bed. Even though the chapters were no more than a few pages long, I fell asleep frequently. I thought I would have been able to finish this book in a week because the subject matter was so interesting. But, I felt as though it continued to go over the same thing. I enjoyed the subject matter, but I thought I would be a little more engaged.
Dr. Bates was surprised at how well the inmates were able to, not only understand the material, but also apply it to their own lives. One inmate in particular, Larry Newton, took the material and really changed(saved) his life. Larry was really able to relate to Shakespeare's works, especially MacBeth. He used the material to look back on the choices and decisions he had made and was able to better understand the right choices to make.
When I saw this book as part of the Big Library Read, I was very excited. It seemed like an interesting book that would hold my attention. These days, I tend to do a lot of reading before bed. Even though the chapters were no more than a few pages long, I fell asleep frequently. I thought I would have been able to finish this book in a week because the subject matter was so interesting. But, I felt as though it continued to go over the same thing. I enjoyed the subject matter, but I thought I would be a little more engaged.