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Some Like it Haute
Some Like it Haute
Diane Vallere | 2015 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Haute Time in a Small Town
Samantha Kidd has landed yet another temporary job in her home town of Ribbon, Pennsylvania. This time, she’s helping her ex-boyfriend’s maybe ex-girlfriend prepare a fashion show. Amanda is going to turn heads with this collection – assuming nothing goes wrong before then. Samantha thinks everything is going well, so she is surprised when she is fired the night before the big event. Then she is attacked on her way out to her car as she leaves. But when disaster strikes the show, Samantha begins to suspect that something larger is at work. Can she figure out what is going on?

The plot of this book started from page one and never let up. Samantha is facing quite a few challenges over the course of the story, and they always kept me engaged. While I don’t know much about fashion, it was used as a backdrop to the mystery, and I never felt left out. Having said that, Samantha’s fashion knowledge does provide her with a couple of clues that help her solve the mystery. Samantha is the strongest character in the book. The rest are interesting and hold our attention, but Samantha is the one who really shines. She’s also the one who gets the most growth, and I enjoyed watching that happen. I’m now anxious to see what happens to Samantha next.
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Guest Book in Books

May 30, 2021  
The Guest Book
The Guest Book
C.L. Pattison | 2021 | Mystery, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first time reading this author and likely won't be the last as this was an enjoyable and easy read.

Grace and Charles are on their way to St Ives to start their honeymoon when disaster strikes and they are stranded in the small seaside town of Saltwater; with there being few available rooms left, they have to book in to the run-down bed and breakfast, The Anchorage, and which is where the creepiness starts.

This is a story that is full of atmosphere which is excellently captured from start to finish. You can feel the weird vibe jumping out of the pages from not only the strange owners of The Anchorage but from the town itself and its inhabitants. You know something's not quite right but you struggle to put your finger on it and this builds the tension however, and it's a big however, it didn't really end as good as it started; it just seemed to fizzle out unfortunately and I didn't get that sense of satisfaction or pleasure when the "twist" was revealed.

Despite the disappointing conclusion, I did enjoy reading it and will seek out more of C.L. Pattison's work in the future.

Many thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
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Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Sham in Books

Jan 12, 2018  
TS
The Sham
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
[Ellen Allen] in [The Sham] leaves you questioning throughout the story what is really going on. None of the characters in this book would be considered 'normal' but some are more malicious than others.

The story begins with Emily having a run in at the local park with some "mean girls", one who is her step Aunt Becky. The four girls have brought a young boy to the park and proceed to torture him. Em wants to stop them but is frozen. Out of nowhere comes Jack to stop the girls. Seems like a clear case of good vs. evil right? Not quite, Jack has his own secrets.

Soon the girls involved in the attack begin disappearing. They whole small town is in a panic. Who is to blame?

[Allen] does a fantastic job of creating a twisting story with an ending that you never see coming.
  
Shivers in the Night
Shivers in the Night
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clever twists (1 more)
plot
very short (0 more)
From Campfire type to suspense this ten story book has a little something for almost any fan of the diverse horror genre.
In 'The Baby' you learn how hard it can be trying to be brave in front of an older brother walking at night in the dark of rural Oklahoma. Not all gifts are what they seem as you will learn in 'Mr. Sweater's Gift'. The Law will never be the same in 'Revenger' as a small town judge goes to the extremes of having the punishment fit the crime. Detective Clint Mahan has his work cut out for him as he juggles his serial killer case with an aggressive FBI agent in the who done it story 'In Stitches'.
Shivers in the Night is independently published by the Yukon Writer's Society, it includes stories from beginner authors to published authors.