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Eliza and Higgins have gone to Ascot to cheer on the race horse that Eliza’s father recently bought a share of. However, a woman is murdered in the stable and a man runs onto the track in the middle of a race. Higgins things he could have stopped the tragic events of the day, so he starts investigating. But another murder makes Eliza wonder if things are really that simple. What is going on?

Those who enjoyed seeing these beloved characters again will be delighted with their return. The writing duo behind these books has done a wonderful job of making them their own and continuing to grow the characters. The mystery is fantastic as well with everything falling perfectly into place during the suspenseful climax.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-move-your-blooming-corpse.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
TU
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Maxine “Max” O’Hara and Jake Lambert are entering a local brews and burgers festival. However, the festival takes a turn for the worse when notoriously nasty food critic Reginald Mobley signs on as a replacement judge. However, no one expects him to be murdered. Worse yet, he collapses right after eating Jake’s entry in the burger competition. Can Max figure out what is happening.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I loved this one even more. The characters we met in the first book are all back, and they are still fantastic. The mystery is compelling with lots of secrets to be revealed before we reach a suspenseful and logical climax. I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-tangled-up-in-brew-by-joyce.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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ClareR (6101 KP) rated The Outsider in Books

Jun 6, 2018  
The Outsider
The Outsider
Stephen King | 2018 | Thriller
10
8.7 (31 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another great, suspenseful novel from Stephen King!
I always get excited when a new Stephen King novel comes out, and this was no exception.
A boy is horribly murdered, mutilated and sexually assaulted, and a man is very publicly arrested - it's obvious to the police that he is the perpetrator. Lots of people saw him: from picking up the boy, to being seen after the act, covered in blood. Of course, this is Stephen King, so it's not that simple.
The characters are fantastic - easy to relate to, and Detective Ralph Anderson is especially good (in my opinion). I do like a man who can admit they're wrong and then actually DO something to rectify their mistakes.
What I like about King, is how he can make the supernatural seem so, well, natural. It all seems perfectly plausible, which makes it all the more terrifying.
Another fantastic novel from King, and I would highly recommend it!
  
FC
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
MoMo’s Book Diary highly recommends this thrilling novel as a spellbinding 5 star read.
                        
I loved this book. I knew I would as soon as I read the synopsis. I have a big to-be-read stack and this book didn’t sit well at the bottom so jumped to the top very quickly – even more so as the publication date was fast approaching.

I found it to be a gripping tale that had me repeatedly saying “one more chapter” and ended with another day of no housework and little sleep!

The author has given us two powerful lead characters and I felt a bond with both. I found myself rooting for them to find their way to happiness. It is a love story with a suspenseful mystery throughout.

Thank you to the author, Pamela Humphrey, for contacting me through my blog page and for providing me with a copy of this book prior to its publication date.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Dracul in Books

Oct 29, 2018  
Dracul
Dracul
J.D. Barker, Dacre Stoker | 2018 | Horror
9
8.7 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Brilliant insight into Bram Stoker's life
*** Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review ***


This book stays true to the format of Stoker's Dracula, being written in the form of a compilation of diary entries, letters and newspaper reports. This allows some of the main characters to embed their own voice and to give their view of events, the narratives interweaved to give a good, suspenseful story.
Bram Stoker was not well as a child, pretty much bed-bound until the age of 7. Then he suddenly recovered and went on to become a successful athlete and University graduate. This book takes that life story and layers on a brilliant prequel to Dracula, suggesting that vampires very much impacted on Stoker's life and he himself did battle with Count Vlad.
Excellent, atmospheric story with plenty of suspense and action, and a few twists and turns along the way. A perfect read for this time of year.
  
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Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Arrowood in Books

Jun 18, 2019  
Arrowood
Arrowood
Laura McHugh | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Atmospheric mystery
Arrowood is a grand old house that was used as part of the underground railway network in Iowa. It is the family home for generations of Arrowoods, the home that Arden grew up in and the home from which her twin sister disappeared from twenty years ago.

When Arden inherits Arrowood and returns to the now deteriorating town of her childhood; Keokuk, she is met with some faces from her past. Arden opens old wounds by digging around the unsolved disappearance of her sister, and has to ask herself some difficult questions about what really happened all those years ago at Arrowood.

This book had a great build up in it. The atmosphere created around the house and town was eerie and haunting. There was some delightfully suspenseful moments and overall the feel of this book was intense. The ending went a bit off the rails for me and I'd already guessed roughly the deal but still would strongly recommend for the ride.
  
One of us is Lying
One of us is Lying
Karen M. McManus | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.3 (41 Ratings)
Book Rating
Suspenseful
Five very different students walked into detention that day, and only four walked out! Outsider, and creator of the Bayview gossip app, Simon dies 24 hours before releasing a post about the other students he shared detention with, a post that would expose their deepest secrets online!
Bronwyn, the overachieving nerd, hoping to head to Yale, Cooper the star baseball jock, Addy the prom queen and Nate the bad boy, are all now looking at facing murder charges when the investigation uncovers Simon's last gossip column, pointing the finger in their direction.
Follow the Bayview 4 as they try to uncover the other secrets, prove their innocence and try to keep up with being teens in a normal high school.
McManus keeps the suspense building in this well written novel. Expect some twists and the odd red herring as you follow the journey of these four very likeable characters, thrown together in an unlikely friendship.
  
The Vanishing Deep
The Vanishing Deep
Astrid Scholte | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great worldbuilding in a submerged future
The Vanishing Deep is set in a fascinating future world in which global warming melted the polar ice caps and The Great Waves submerged most of the planet. There is not much land left. The story is set on an island with an attached floating community called a reef. A facility called Palindromena is able to resurrect the drowned dead for 24 hours, after which they must die again. Tempest, is all alone in the world and decides to resurrect her sister who died two years ago, because she wants to find out more about their parents' death. In doing so, she meets Lor and Ray and things get complicated. This aquatic adventure is non-stop and the complex plot has many suspenseful twists and turns. The author is able to convey well the depth of emotion between the characters. A really well done YA sci-fi dystopian.