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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2496 KP) rated No Saving Throw (A Ten Again Mystery) in Books

Jul 3, 2020

Save a Place for This Debut

Autumn is happy running Ten Again, the gaming store she owns in the small Wisconsin college town where she grew up. Things are going well until one of the regular gamers in the store dies in the mall. Things quickly turn on Autumn and the rest of the gamers, with some of them in particular in the police’s spotlight. But Autumn doesn’t think her gamers, who have become her friends, could really be killers. Can she prove it?

While I’m not much of a gamer, this book still sounded like lots of fun, and I was right. There are some references to geeky things, most of which I got, but if you don’t get the reference, it shouldn’t interfere with your enjoyment of the book. That’s because the mystery is strong, with lots of events and clues to keep the pages turning until we reach the logical and suspenseful climax. The characters are wonderful, and I love how much they care for each other. I also appreciated Autumn’s debates about being involved in the investigation. It felt realistic when she would try to get out before something pulled her back in. I do wish Autumn swore a little less, but that’s my only complaint about this fun debut.

Kudos

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)

8.2 (12 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

Based on the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series and released theatrically Christmas 1993, Batman:...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2496 KP) rated Gone but Knot Forgotten in Books

Dec 17, 2020

What Happen to Martha’s Childhood Friend?

Martha Rose is saddened to learn of the death of her childhood friend, Harriet Oliver, and even more surprised to find that she has been named executor of her estate since she and Harriet haven’t spoken in years. Harriet’s death has been ruled natural causes, but Martha has lots of questions about the circumstances of her death. That only grows when she realizes that several items are missing from Harriet’s collection. Is there more to her death than it appears?

The mystery certainly intrigued me, and it moved forward at a steady pace. I did feel the ending was a bit abrupt, but it was suspenseful and answered all of our questions. The characters are wonderful. Martha’s quilting friends are fun, and her love life gets some interesting developments here. Quilting does factor into the mystery in a unique way, and I really enjoyed that. While the book is set during December, it isn’t a Christmas book. There’s a very good reason for it – Martha is Jewish, and I enjoyed learning a bit more about Jewish culture as I read. It’s easy to see why so many people enjoy this series; I’m glad I finally started it.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2496 KP) rated Candy Slain Murder in Books

Oct 1, 2020

Candy Slain Murder

Maddie Day | 2020 | Mystery

7.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Skeleton at Christmas

This Christmas is bringing plenty of surprises to Robbie Jordan’s life. The first is the young man who walks into Pans N’ Pancakes, Robbie’s country store and restaurant, and claims to be Robbie’s assistant’s half brother. Danna never knew she had any siblings. The bigger surprise is the skeleton discovered when a house catches fire. As gossip about who the remains belong to heats up, a fresh murder takes place, and Robbie is once again drawn into the case. Can she figure out what happened?

Since the last book took place outside of South Lick, it was fabulous to be back and see all the regulars again. Everyone gets a scene or two to shine and give us updates on their lives. Unfortunately, the plot could be stronger. While there are plenty of suspects and red herrings, the suspects are weaker than they need to be. The climax is suspenseful and does answer all our questions, however. I’m a sucker for Christmas set cozies, and I enjoyed that aspect of the book. The scenes in the restaurant will make you hungry for the six recipes at the end. Fans of the series will certainly welcome this Christmas entry.