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Deborah (162 KP) rated Murder at Mansfield Park (Charles Maddox #1) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
The Austen sequel or entertainment is an not uncommon beast these days, even if Pride & Prejudice is more usually the chosen book. As the title might give you a clue - this one relates more to Mansfield Park.
The major characters from the Austen novel are all there in name, but characters and relationships have been seriously altered. The first third of the book is mainly made up of recycled dialogue and narrative from Mansfield Park, but not necesarily in the same order. Mr Rushworth's character is changed to be more like Henry Crawford (and he is given the 'black and plain' description belonging to him in the novel) crossed with Robert Ferrars, so it seems odd when he is given dialogue beloning to the Mr Rushworth of the original novel, although not perhaps as strange when Mrs Norris is found spouting his lines.....
Fanny Price moves to become a rich heiress and the eldest of the female cousins; her character is more like the Maria of the book crossed with Lucy Steele and Caroline Bingley! Maria becomes more like the Julia of the book and Julia becomes more like the Fanny of the novel crossed with Marianne Dashwood - got that yet?! Henry Crawford here I don't really know - I'm not sure we got a proper description, so he does seem a bit of a cipher.
It's not a bad book, but with the murders I found it all rather unpleasant - I prefer such things to be more about the solving of the mystery than the incident itself, and here we have so few characters who could have committed the crime I didn't feel like I was waiting with baited breath for the conclusion (it's not Pug, in case you were worried.....). some characters were so underdeveloped it was rather obvious that they wouldn't have been involved. I do feel that having made so many changes, Lynn Shepherd would have been better off writing her own, original novel; one can't help but feel she has used Austen just to sell her book whereas her original dialogue does suggest that she could allow her writing to stand on its own merits.
The major characters from the Austen novel are all there in name, but characters and relationships have been seriously altered. The first third of the book is mainly made up of recycled dialogue and narrative from Mansfield Park, but not necesarily in the same order. Mr Rushworth's character is changed to be more like Henry Crawford (and he is given the 'black and plain' description belonging to him in the novel) crossed with Robert Ferrars, so it seems odd when he is given dialogue beloning to the Mr Rushworth of the original novel, although not perhaps as strange when Mrs Norris is found spouting his lines.....
Fanny Price moves to become a rich heiress and the eldest of the female cousins; her character is more like the Maria of the book crossed with Lucy Steele and Caroline Bingley! Maria becomes more like the Julia of the book and Julia becomes more like the Fanny of the novel crossed with Marianne Dashwood - got that yet?! Henry Crawford here I don't really know - I'm not sure we got a proper description, so he does seem a bit of a cipher.
It's not a bad book, but with the murders I found it all rather unpleasant - I prefer such things to be more about the solving of the mystery than the incident itself, and here we have so few characters who could have committed the crime I didn't feel like I was waiting with baited breath for the conclusion (it's not Pug, in case you were worried.....). some characters were so underdeveloped it was rather obvious that they wouldn't have been involved. I do feel that having made so many changes, Lynn Shepherd would have been better off writing her own, original novel; one can't help but feel she has used Austen just to sell her book whereas her original dialogue does suggest that she could allow her writing to stand on its own merits.
Natari (73 KP) rated Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, #2) in Books
Jul 19, 2019
Claimed by Shadow is a hard hitting, beautiful work of art in a novel. It continues the crazy life of Cassie Palmer, throwing the poor young lady into even more danger - be it for her life or for love.
The relationships that were started in the first book are explored in depth. Not just with love interests, but deeper understanding of Cassie's role and her interaction with those around her. Still mostly alone, her perseverence and devil-may-care-but-let's-not-be-too-hasty-because-living-is-a-nice-idea attitude really warms you to Cassie. If you weren't already won over by her speak-before-you-think and vulnerable-but-determined-to-get-through charm.
Again, we see her misadventues start with Cassie just going straight in through the front door, choosing to hide in plain sight. She is not a silly girl. And while she may let sexy casino manager Casanova take advantage of her - as in free labour - she'll be damned in anybody else gets the chance.
In book 2, Cassie finds out that she is under a powerful love spell that, if completed, will put her under thrall of the ever enigmatic but you son-of-a-b!tch master vampire Mircea. For someone who servitude is a fate worse than death, Cassie is none too pleased, even if the idea of loving and being loved by Mircea has a certain pleasant ring to it...
And in true Cassie style, which isn't her fault but a product of her natural 'luck', she ends up complicating the spell further and oh yeah has to track down a homicidal maniac who is trying to kill her.
Karen's writing is fun and non-stop action. It's an exhilerating ride, with fascinating detail of history and forethought for the plot. Where you read something in book one, expect to have those 'Oh yeah' moments as they are aplenty. Without leaving many plot holes or confusing matters, Karen has weaved a complex tale that speaks with each other back and forth spanning all books. We've only just begun the fun.
The relationships that were started in the first book are explored in depth. Not just with love interests, but deeper understanding of Cassie's role and her interaction with those around her. Still mostly alone, her perseverence and devil-may-care-but-let's-not-be-too-hasty-because-living-is-a-nice-idea attitude really warms you to Cassie. If you weren't already won over by her speak-before-you-think and vulnerable-but-determined-to-get-through charm.
Again, we see her misadventues start with Cassie just going straight in through the front door, choosing to hide in plain sight. She is not a silly girl. And while she may let sexy casino manager Casanova take advantage of her - as in free labour - she'll be damned in anybody else gets the chance.
In book 2, Cassie finds out that she is under a powerful love spell that, if completed, will put her under thrall of the ever enigmatic but you son-of-a-b!tch master vampire Mircea. For someone who servitude is a fate worse than death, Cassie is none too pleased, even if the idea of loving and being loved by Mircea has a certain pleasant ring to it...
And in true Cassie style, which isn't her fault but a product of her natural 'luck', she ends up complicating the spell further and oh yeah has to track down a homicidal maniac who is trying to kill her.
Karen's writing is fun and non-stop action. It's an exhilerating ride, with fascinating detail of history and forethought for the plot. Where you read something in book one, expect to have those 'Oh yeah' moments as they are aplenty. Without leaving many plot holes or confusing matters, Karen has weaved a complex tale that speaks with each other back and forth spanning all books. We've only just begun the fun.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hold Your Tongue in Books
Dec 13, 2019
A creditable debut
This is what I call a slow burner and a very creditable debut from this new British author. It did take me a while to get into it and to get used to the writing style but once I did, I was hooked.
DI Eve Hunter is returning to work under a cloud after being injured in the line of duty which saw her colleague paralysed. She walks into the gruesome murder of a young woman and so begins the hunt for a brutal killer by her and her team and so begins this dark, gruesome and gritty police procedural set in the Scottish city of Aberdeen.
Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with sections from members of her team and those of the killer, this gave insight from all the important characters in this book. The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and the wider team excellently portrayed however, and this is my main criticism of this book, it took an awfully long time to get to the bottom of what happened with Eve and her colleague; you get snippets of the story here and there but, for me, this ended up annoying me slightly as I just wanted to know! In my humble opinion, this should have been explained close to the beginning of the book (maybe in a prologue?) so that the actions and reactions of Eve and her fellow officers would have been better understood.
I must applaud the author for keeping the identity of the killer well hidden amongst several red herrings; I changed my mind about who the person was a couple of times and was still caught out when the reveal happened ... excellent twist.
Overall, although I did find the first half of the book a little slow, the second made up for it and I am very much looking forward to what I hope are more outings for DI Hunter and her team.
My thanks go to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
DI Eve Hunter is returning to work under a cloud after being injured in the line of duty which saw her colleague paralysed. She walks into the gruesome murder of a young woman and so begins the hunt for a brutal killer by her and her team and so begins this dark, gruesome and gritty police procedural set in the Scottish city of Aberdeen.
Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with sections from members of her team and those of the killer, this gave insight from all the important characters in this book. The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and the wider team excellently portrayed however, and this is my main criticism of this book, it took an awfully long time to get to the bottom of what happened with Eve and her colleague; you get snippets of the story here and there but, for me, this ended up annoying me slightly as I just wanted to know! In my humble opinion, this should have been explained close to the beginning of the book (maybe in a prologue?) so that the actions and reactions of Eve and her fellow officers would have been better understood.
I must applaud the author for keeping the identity of the killer well hidden amongst several red herrings; I changed my mind about who the person was a couple of times and was still caught out when the reveal happened ... excellent twist.
Overall, although I did find the first half of the book a little slow, the second made up for it and I am very much looking forward to what I hope are more outings for DI Hunter and her team.
My thanks go to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Fake It Till You Break It in Books
Jan 23, 2020
From the moment I read the synopsis, I wanted to read Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen. Fake dating that might backfire on the characters in the end? That sounded like pure fun (for the reader, probably not the characters), and Nguyen delivered. Some people may think the book is predictable and full of clichés, which can definitely be the case depending on reading preferences (and mood).
But if anyone is looking for a light and funny young adult contemporary romance to read, Fake It Till You Break It is the perfect new release from Swoon Reads. Knowing each other since childhood, Mia and Jake have constantly been in each others presence thanks to their mothers being friends. From dentist visits to brunch and even vacation, theyve done practically everything together growing up.
But now that theyre old enough to be in romantic relationships, their moms think the two of them will be perfect (and bonus: they can continue hanging out together if everything goes well). Tiring? Mia and Jake seem to think so. To get their moms off their backs about being the perfect couple, the two devise a plan: pretend to date, then break it off bad enough that theyll be out of each others lives forever. So much for their moms trying to get them together, right?
Spoiler: Jokes on Mia and Jake.
Mia and Jake were cute together and I loved their individual viewpoints throughout the book as they evolved from we hate each other to maybe we dont hate each other. Their voices were easily distinguishable and not confusing between chapters while adding to the story overall. Both of their moms were so much fun to read despite the irritation Mia and Jake felt with the constant pushing for them to be together.
Fake It Till You Break is such a cute and pure romance, and I highly encourage giving Nguyens book a chance if you enjoy the fake dating trope and good banter, and you want a light read for the summer.
<a href="http://theartsstl.com/jenn-p-nguyen-fake-it-till-you-break-it-swoon-reads/">This review is originally posted on The Arts STL</a>
But if anyone is looking for a light and funny young adult contemporary romance to read, Fake It Till You Break It is the perfect new release from Swoon Reads. Knowing each other since childhood, Mia and Jake have constantly been in each others presence thanks to their mothers being friends. From dentist visits to brunch and even vacation, theyve done practically everything together growing up.
But now that theyre old enough to be in romantic relationships, their moms think the two of them will be perfect (and bonus: they can continue hanging out together if everything goes well). Tiring? Mia and Jake seem to think so. To get their moms off their backs about being the perfect couple, the two devise a plan: pretend to date, then break it off bad enough that theyll be out of each others lives forever. So much for their moms trying to get them together, right?
Spoiler: Jokes on Mia and Jake.
Mia and Jake were cute together and I loved their individual viewpoints throughout the book as they evolved from we hate each other to maybe we dont hate each other. Their voices were easily distinguishable and not confusing between chapters while adding to the story overall. Both of their moms were so much fun to read despite the irritation Mia and Jake felt with the constant pushing for them to be together.
Fake It Till You Break is such a cute and pure romance, and I highly encourage giving Nguyens book a chance if you enjoy the fake dating trope and good banter, and you want a light read for the summer.
<a href="http://theartsstl.com/jenn-p-nguyen-fake-it-till-you-break-it-swoon-reads/">This review is originally posted on The Arts STL</a>
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 1 in TV
Mar 3, 2020
The National Anthem - 7.5
Yes, it’s the one that got it all started; the one with the Prime Minister and the pig. A very clever, if repulsive, episode that explores the power of media and the notion that men in power will do anything to protect their image. As the maiden voyage of Black Mirror, we find that the writing, acting and production values are very strong. There is also a nice multi-layering on display that allows you to debate what this morality tale is actually all about.
Fifteen Million Merits - 7
Before Get Out made him a star, Daniel Kaluuya shows a lot of promise in this pure satire on riding the gravy train and the fast fix provided by reality shows and the dangling carrot of fame and fortune. The rich have their penthouses while the rest of us exist in a hamster wheel of repetition and unattainable dreams. Even the seed of anger and rebellion becomes the focus of “entertainment” in an amusing, but slightly weaker ending than most.
The Entire History of You - 9
A very strong idea, beautifully / horrifically realised, in one of my personal favourites to date. Implant technology allows us to record every moment of our waking lives and replay them through our own eyes or on a screen. The benefits of security, lost keys and legal issues are explored, before the episode descends into a personal nightmare as a brilliant Toby Kebbell begins to suspect his wife, future Dr. Who Jodie Whittaker, of having an affair; proceding then to be obsessed by the minute details of both their recorded “memories”. An exploration of paranoia and close relationships, whilst questioning the morality of privacy, and the role being able to lie to a loved one might have as a positive, not a negative. The genius of it is watching Kebbell lose his mind completely whilst never knowing until the end if his doubts have any validity at all. A technology it is terrifyingly possible to imagine as a reality – and a solution that exists with mobile phones and social media already: you can always opt out, even if that is painful.
Yes, it’s the one that got it all started; the one with the Prime Minister and the pig. A very clever, if repulsive, episode that explores the power of media and the notion that men in power will do anything to protect their image. As the maiden voyage of Black Mirror, we find that the writing, acting and production values are very strong. There is also a nice multi-layering on display that allows you to debate what this morality tale is actually all about.
Fifteen Million Merits - 7
Before Get Out made him a star, Daniel Kaluuya shows a lot of promise in this pure satire on riding the gravy train and the fast fix provided by reality shows and the dangling carrot of fame and fortune. The rich have their penthouses while the rest of us exist in a hamster wheel of repetition and unattainable dreams. Even the seed of anger and rebellion becomes the focus of “entertainment” in an amusing, but slightly weaker ending than most.
The Entire History of You - 9
A very strong idea, beautifully / horrifically realised, in one of my personal favourites to date. Implant technology allows us to record every moment of our waking lives and replay them through our own eyes or on a screen. The benefits of security, lost keys and legal issues are explored, before the episode descends into a personal nightmare as a brilliant Toby Kebbell begins to suspect his wife, future Dr. Who Jodie Whittaker, of having an affair; proceding then to be obsessed by the minute details of both their recorded “memories”. An exploration of paranoia and close relationships, whilst questioning the morality of privacy, and the role being able to lie to a loved one might have as a positive, not a negative. The genius of it is watching Kebbell lose his mind completely whilst never knowing until the end if his doubts have any validity at all. A technology it is terrifyingly possible to imagine as a reality – and a solution that exists with mobile phones and social media already: you can always opt out, even if that is painful.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Lights Out (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Growing up, we all had a fear of the dark. Years later, many of us still carry this phobia. It prevents us from going into certain parts of our homes or places we are familiar with unless we have the assistance of light in some form. The darkness symbolizes and encapsulates the unknown. What is it that is hiding in the darkness? Why is it that we cannot trust it? Is there really something lurking in the shadows or is it all in our minds?
In Lights Out audiences bear witness to this fear and are confronted with how this fear becomes a reality for one family. Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) is trying to make a life of her own after becoming estranged from her family. When her brother begins to experience the same problems at home that had plagued her as a child, she is brought back into the center of chaos. All of the fears return and she must save her family from a dark spirit that has attached itself to her mother before it consumes them all.
The film itself offers the ability for audiences to explore some of their earliest fears which had them leaving a light on or plugging in a night light in their rooms in order to feel safe. The film is inventive in its approach and storytelling, but I felt as though there was more to be offered with respect to the villain and relationships between the characters. Greater depth about their backstories would have allowed audiences to feel more invested in the characters and even more interested in the outcome.
For those that are looking forward to a movie that will have them jumping out of their seats, this film delivers. Many of those moments are not as predictable in many other films of the horror genre, nor does it rely on gore in order to shock audiences. Through the direction of David Sandberg, the tension is allowed to build and help carry the story to its culmination. I am looking forward to more adaptations of universal fears and phobias on screen. Lights Out does not disappoint in being a fright-filled popcorn movie.
In Lights Out audiences bear witness to this fear and are confronted with how this fear becomes a reality for one family. Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) is trying to make a life of her own after becoming estranged from her family. When her brother begins to experience the same problems at home that had plagued her as a child, she is brought back into the center of chaos. All of the fears return and she must save her family from a dark spirit that has attached itself to her mother before it consumes them all.
The film itself offers the ability for audiences to explore some of their earliest fears which had them leaving a light on or plugging in a night light in their rooms in order to feel safe. The film is inventive in its approach and storytelling, but I felt as though there was more to be offered with respect to the villain and relationships between the characters. Greater depth about their backstories would have allowed audiences to feel more invested in the characters and even more interested in the outcome.
For those that are looking forward to a movie that will have them jumping out of their seats, this film delivers. Many of those moments are not as predictable in many other films of the horror genre, nor does it rely on gore in order to shock audiences. Through the direction of David Sandberg, the tension is allowed to build and help carry the story to its culmination. I am looking forward to more adaptations of universal fears and phobias on screen. Lights Out does not disappoint in being a fright-filled popcorn movie.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Mr. Holmes (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The new Roadside Attractions film Mr. Holmes is a new twist on an age-old story.
We first see Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) in a train voyage with a package, and we don’t know to or from where he’s going or why.
The entire movie is full of flash backs and multiple time frames of the same mans life, as he tries to piece together memories that seem to lie just beyond his ability to recollect
Holmes has retired from his detective business and is cared for by widowed housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her young son Roger (Milo Parker).
Roger is quick witted and interested in anything Holmes might be able to teach him, and throughout the movie their relationship moves from one of strained and grumpy acceptance (on the part of Holmes) to one of grandfatherly love. It is a beautiful relationship that develops between the two, and makes the near -disaster that occurs at the end of the film even more heart wrenching.
It is of utmost importance to Holmes that he remember the details of his last case, 30 years prior, that apparently caused him to close up shop as a detective and retire to the coast. The trip we see him on in the opening scene turns out to be a trip to Japan to meet with Mr. Umezaki (Hiroyuki Sanada) who helped him search for, and ultimately find, a plant (prickly ash) said to have curative powers for memory problems.
Holmes plays both the role of his younger self and as the 93 year old man with advancing Alzheimer’s very very well. I believed the character as a 60 year old and just as much as a 93 year old.
The film felt a little bit long, and there were a few slow spots but overall it flowed very well despite all the jumping around in time & place, and it wove together the stories past & present to tell a cohesive and interesting tale. It built relationships between the main characters and I could see the bond between Holmes and Roger, and even the somewhat prickly Mrs. Munro growing throughout the film.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars.
We first see Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) in a train voyage with a package, and we don’t know to or from where he’s going or why.
The entire movie is full of flash backs and multiple time frames of the same mans life, as he tries to piece together memories that seem to lie just beyond his ability to recollect
Holmes has retired from his detective business and is cared for by widowed housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her young son Roger (Milo Parker).
Roger is quick witted and interested in anything Holmes might be able to teach him, and throughout the movie their relationship moves from one of strained and grumpy acceptance (on the part of Holmes) to one of grandfatherly love. It is a beautiful relationship that develops between the two, and makes the near -disaster that occurs at the end of the film even more heart wrenching.
It is of utmost importance to Holmes that he remember the details of his last case, 30 years prior, that apparently caused him to close up shop as a detective and retire to the coast. The trip we see him on in the opening scene turns out to be a trip to Japan to meet with Mr. Umezaki (Hiroyuki Sanada) who helped him search for, and ultimately find, a plant (prickly ash) said to have curative powers for memory problems.
Holmes plays both the role of his younger self and as the 93 year old man with advancing Alzheimer’s very very well. I believed the character as a 60 year old and just as much as a 93 year old.
The film felt a little bit long, and there were a few slow spots but overall it flowed very well despite all the jumping around in time & place, and it wove together the stories past & present to tell a cohesive and interesting tale. It built relationships between the main characters and I could see the bond between Holmes and Roger, and even the somewhat prickly Mrs. Munro growing throughout the film.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
A follow up to the 2008, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” here is another modern take on those beloved classic stories of the 19th century. “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” is based on the idea that Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, are in fact the same island which really does exist.
The movie opens up with the return of Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) getting caught by the police for climbing a satellite tower. To his chagrin, Josh is released into the custody of his stepfather Hank (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson), a former Navy man who wants nothing more than to be friends with his stepson. Sean’s reason for climbing the satellite tower was to get a hold of a satellite transmission code that he believes is the key to a message from his long-lost grandfather Alexander(Michael Caine).
Sean, with the help of Hank’s Navy expertise, attempts to decode the message which eventually leads them to the Mysterious Island. Along the way, the two hire a helicopter pilot Gabato (Luis Guzman), who provides the comedic relief and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) who, of course, is the eye candy and the romantic interest for Sean.
Upon arrival at the Mysterious Island, they locate Sean’s grandfather Alexander and they discover they must trek across the island, past a volcano that erupts gold leaves and run from dangerous creatures to find Captain Nemo’s ship. All before the island sinks!
You don’t have to be a “Vernian” to know what’s going on here. This movie was definitely geared toward a younger audience. The idea behind recreating Verne’s novels with a modern day twist was clever, however the execution was poor as the sequence of events didn’t flow from one scene to the next and the character relationships were not genuine at all. I must say, however the visual effects were stunning. as well as some of the action scenes which could have rivaled “Indiana Jones” or even “The Goonies” with just a bit more care and attention to detail.
The movie opens up with the return of Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) getting caught by the police for climbing a satellite tower. To his chagrin, Josh is released into the custody of his stepfather Hank (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson), a former Navy man who wants nothing more than to be friends with his stepson. Sean’s reason for climbing the satellite tower was to get a hold of a satellite transmission code that he believes is the key to a message from his long-lost grandfather Alexander(Michael Caine).
Sean, with the help of Hank’s Navy expertise, attempts to decode the message which eventually leads them to the Mysterious Island. Along the way, the two hire a helicopter pilot Gabato (Luis Guzman), who provides the comedic relief and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) who, of course, is the eye candy and the romantic interest for Sean.
Upon arrival at the Mysterious Island, they locate Sean’s grandfather Alexander and they discover they must trek across the island, past a volcano that erupts gold leaves and run from dangerous creatures to find Captain Nemo’s ship. All before the island sinks!
You don’t have to be a “Vernian” to know what’s going on here. This movie was definitely geared toward a younger audience. The idea behind recreating Verne’s novels with a modern day twist was clever, however the execution was poor as the sequence of events didn’t flow from one scene to the next and the character relationships were not genuine at all. I must say, however the visual effects were stunning. as well as some of the action scenes which could have rivaled “Indiana Jones” or even “The Goonies” with just a bit more care and attention to detail.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2332 KP) rated Battered in Books
Feb 14, 2020
Murder Hits Close to Home
Alene Baron runs Whipped and Sipped with her best friend, Ruthie Rosin. Together, the two have turned the café and coffee shop into a healthy choice with a loyal clientele. They serve only the best coffee, and most of their items are vegan, even the sweet treats, that is popular in their neighborhood in Chicago. Alene lives a few blocks away from the café in a condo she shares with her father and her three children. Her world is a little chaotic, but it gets more so when she finds one of her neighbors dead one afternoon. It is clear that he was murdered, and soon Alene is casting everyone in the role of killer. Since she knows everyone who might be a suspect, can she figure out what really happened?
This book has a couple of twists on culinary cozies that I enjoyed, the healthy food that is served and the large city setting. Author G. P. Gottlieb still manages to keep this book feeling cozy despite that setting, and I enjoyed spending time in a bigger city. There are a lot of characters, and their relationships are complicated. There is a list of characters before the book starts, but it didn’t take too long for the character’s personalities to come through and it became easy to keep them straight. There are some prickly characters in the book, and it was actually easy to root for one of them to be the killer. We get a bit of a backstory dump early on, which makes it a little slow to get going. We do need some of this information as the plot unfolds. Once the murder happens, we’ve got several good clues and red herrings. I thought I figured things out early, but I was surprised by the climax. There are a total of thiry recipes in this book, with them leaning toward the healthier side of things thanks to the vegan theme of the café. This book features a slightly different take on the culinary cozy mystery, one I ultimately enjoyed.
This book has a couple of twists on culinary cozies that I enjoyed, the healthy food that is served and the large city setting. Author G. P. Gottlieb still manages to keep this book feeling cozy despite that setting, and I enjoyed spending time in a bigger city. There are a lot of characters, and their relationships are complicated. There is a list of characters before the book starts, but it didn’t take too long for the character’s personalities to come through and it became easy to keep them straight. There are some prickly characters in the book, and it was actually easy to root for one of them to be the killer. We get a bit of a backstory dump early on, which makes it a little slow to get going. We do need some of this information as the plot unfolds. Once the murder happens, we’ve got several good clues and red herrings. I thought I figured things out early, but I was surprised by the climax. There are a total of thiry recipes in this book, with them leaning toward the healthier side of things thanks to the vegan theme of the café. This book features a slightly different take on the culinary cozy mystery, one I ultimately enjoyed.
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