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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Dying for a Taste (A Sally Solari Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Sally is shocked to learn that her aunt Letta has been murdered in the restaurant that Letta owns in Santa Cruz. The evidence seems to point to Javier, Letta’s sous chef. Yet Sally doesn’t think he’d murder Letta, so she starts digging into Letta’s life. She uncovered some surprising secrets, but which of them might have gotten Letta murdered?
I really enjoyed this debut. It got off to a bit of a slow start as Sally dealt with the aftermath of having a relative die, but this section does help develop her character and sets up suspects. Once she fully commits to the investigation things pick up. We are introduced to several viable suspects. The story touches on some other issues as well, presenting them in a well-rounded manner and never forgetting that this is a murder mystery, both of which I greatly appreciated. The climax was creative and fun. I’m definitely looking forward to finding out what happens to Sally next.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-dying-for-taste-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I really enjoyed this debut. It got off to a bit of a slow start as Sally dealt with the aftermath of having a relative die, but this section does help develop her character and sets up suspects. Once she fully commits to the investigation things pick up. We are introduced to several viable suspects. The story touches on some other issues as well, presenting them in a well-rounded manner and never forgetting that this is a murder mystery, both of which I greatly appreciated. The climax was creative and fun. I’m definitely looking forward to finding out what happens to Sally next.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-dying-for-taste-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Murder on Marble Row in Books
Sep 26, 2018
Frank and Sarah have an Explosive New Case
When a bomb goes off in the office of millionaire Gregory Van Dyke, everyone assumes it is anarchists. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is assigned to the case at the specific request of Felix Decker, Sarah Brandt's father. Frank fears this means he is being set up for failure. Meanwhile, Sarah worms her way into the investigation thanks to her friendship with the Van Dyke family. Are anarchists really behind it? If not, who set the bomb?
Once again, we have a wonderfully plotted mystery. I was usually only one or two pages ahead of Frank and Sarah as they pieced everything together, and I was surprised once they figured everything out. The characters are strong as always, with both the series regulars and new characters coming across as real. Sarah's mother plays a larger role in what happens here, and I really enjoyed her scenes. There was always something happening, and I had a hard time putting it down. In fact, I decided to stay up late to finish the book. I just didn't want to put the last 60 pages off until the next day.
Once again, we have a wonderfully plotted mystery. I was usually only one or two pages ahead of Frank and Sarah as they pieced everything together, and I was surprised once they figured everything out. The characters are strong as always, with both the series regulars and new characters coming across as real. Sarah's mother plays a larger role in what happens here, and I really enjoyed her scenes. There was always something happening, and I had a hard time putting it down. In fact, I decided to stay up late to finish the book. I just didn't want to put the last 60 pages off until the next day.
Blood Ransom: Stories from the Front Line in the War Against Somali Piracy
Book
For the first time in history, the navies of the world have united against a common enemy - a couple...
Say Her Name
9.4
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Book
Drip...drip...drip...In five days, she will come...Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person...
Fairy Tail, Vol. 1 (Fairy Tail, #1)
10.0
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MASTERS OF MAGIC AND MAYHEM! Lucy is a young, rebellious celestial wizard with a dream: to join...
ClareR (5726 KP) rated Killing Jericho in Books
May 28, 2023
Killing Jericho was a thrilling, suspenseful ride!
Scott Jericho is back living with his traveller fairground family after a prison sentence that saw the end of his career as a CID Police Officer. He had violently attacked a Knight of Saint George - a far right thug he had been interviewing about the death of three Polish children. This also meant that he couldn’t be charged for the crime.
There’s some history of fairground travellers in this - all true, and both interesting and nice to know that we don’t call those more unusual fairground acts “freaks” anymore.
Believe it or not, Jericho has more problems than being an ex-con: he’s using drugs, has boyfriend trouble, and the man he was charged with attacking can’t seem to keep himself away.
Jericho’s life is complicated.
The murders are gruesome and really rather inventive!
And no one is as they seem, either. It’s a dark read.
There are a lot of surprises, and I enjoyed them all!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to William Hussey for reading along too. This is the first of a new series, and I’ll be interested to know what happens to Scott Jericho next!
Scott Jericho is back living with his traveller fairground family after a prison sentence that saw the end of his career as a CID Police Officer. He had violently attacked a Knight of Saint George - a far right thug he had been interviewing about the death of three Polish children. This also meant that he couldn’t be charged for the crime.
There’s some history of fairground travellers in this - all true, and both interesting and nice to know that we don’t call those more unusual fairground acts “freaks” anymore.
Believe it or not, Jericho has more problems than being an ex-con: he’s using drugs, has boyfriend trouble, and the man he was charged with attacking can’t seem to keep himself away.
Jericho’s life is complicated.
The murders are gruesome and really rather inventive!
And no one is as they seem, either. It’s a dark read.
There are a lot of surprises, and I enjoyed them all!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to William Hussey for reading along too. This is the first of a new series, and I’ll be interested to know what happens to Scott Jericho next!
Dana (24 KP) rated Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Okay, so in this review, there will be some pretty general spoilers in the character descriptions, one that isn't really revealed until about thirty pages in. I will put SPOILER right in front of that one, then you can skip to where I put the asterisk to continue the paragraph if you want.
I am not overly sure on where I stand with this book. While the story itself wasn't bad, it also was not my favorite. There were some issues with me in the pacing of the story itself because a lot of the moments felt like they dragged on for a long time or that they they were repetitive.
Quite a few of the descriptions of the dwellers and other landscapes and characters were also not well described. I want to know more about what they look like, but we were not given those things.
Okay, now onto specifics. In this instance, the characters.
The guardians were very over-protective of Luna. I totally get why, but it got annoying after a while. But the bread Pearla makes sounds so freaking delicious.
Luna is a cool character. Her identity being what it is seemed like it was just pushed in the story.I know it is important later in the novel and will be coming up again in the later book(s) but it could have been mentioned or explored a little more for me. SPOILER: I did not see her being blind coming. No, that was not supposed to be a pun, but it just happened like that. I always enjoy having characters who are not perfect, especially ones who are living, surviving, and overcoming disabilities. Much of the time in books, characters often have a mental disability, if any, so it is awesome to read one where she is blind. I thought it was an awesome parallel that when she came into the world, the rest of the world went "blind" as well. That was really cool and I commend Sophie Jordan on that idea. * Okay, so as a female character, yes, she was strong and stubborn, but I didn't feel any attachment to her or her story line, which was unfortunate. I wanted to feel some sort of connection, but got nothing. I hope we get to know Luna more in the next book.
Now onto Fowler. (Note, I keep wanting to write Flower, but I think he would be pissed if he knew that and that kinda makes me want to do it even more.) Okay. So, he's kind of an ass. He wants survival and to get to this magical island where nothing bad ever happens, but he could be nicer about it. We do get some of his backstory and are able to understand part of the reason he is the way he is, but still, he's an ass. I don't like how he treats everyone, as if he's better than them, or as if they are just pawns to get rid of at the first moment he can. I hope he becomes a more likable character in the next book because I am not a fan.
Minor plot SPOILER that happens within the first fifty pages. I hate how Luna falls in love with Fowler almost instantaneously. I get that he is the first boy she meets, but geez, why? I really wanted them to become besties, not love interests. It would have made for a much more interesting story (in my opinion). CAN WE HAVE A STORY WHERE THERE IS NO LOVE INTEREST FOR THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTER???? PLEASE? THANK YOU! *
Okay, now onto plot points. We have no idea what really happened on the night Luna was born, only what her guardians told her. Also, we know nothing of the new king and why he's such a skeevy ass. Or how and why the world turned to such crap. I just want to know all of these things! There was a lot introduced, but not explained. I get that it is because this the first book in a series, but I want info to keep me intrigued instead of just being annoyed by the withholding of it.
Overall, it was a pretty interesting read. Yes, it had issues, but a lot of books do nowadays. I will most likely be picking up the next book, if only to see what happens next!
I am not overly sure on where I stand with this book. While the story itself wasn't bad, it also was not my favorite. There were some issues with me in the pacing of the story itself because a lot of the moments felt like they dragged on for a long time or that they they were repetitive.
Quite a few of the descriptions of the dwellers and other landscapes and characters were also not well described. I want to know more about what they look like, but we were not given those things.
Okay, now onto specifics. In this instance, the characters.
The guardians were very over-protective of Luna. I totally get why, but it got annoying after a while. But the bread Pearla makes sounds so freaking delicious.
Luna is a cool character. Her identity being what it is seemed like it was just pushed in the story.I know it is important later in the novel and will be coming up again in the later book(s) but it could have been mentioned or explored a little more for me. SPOILER: I did not see her being blind coming. No, that was not supposed to be a pun, but it just happened like that. I always enjoy having characters who are not perfect, especially ones who are living, surviving, and overcoming disabilities. Much of the time in books, characters often have a mental disability, if any, so it is awesome to read one where she is blind. I thought it was an awesome parallel that when she came into the world, the rest of the world went "blind" as well. That was really cool and I commend Sophie Jordan on that idea. * Okay, so as a female character, yes, she was strong and stubborn, but I didn't feel any attachment to her or her story line, which was unfortunate. I wanted to feel some sort of connection, but got nothing. I hope we get to know Luna more in the next book.
Now onto Fowler. (Note, I keep wanting to write Flower, but I think he would be pissed if he knew that and that kinda makes me want to do it even more.) Okay. So, he's kind of an ass. He wants survival and to get to this magical island where nothing bad ever happens, but he could be nicer about it. We do get some of his backstory and are able to understand part of the reason he is the way he is, but still, he's an ass. I don't like how he treats everyone, as if he's better than them, or as if they are just pawns to get rid of at the first moment he can. I hope he becomes a more likable character in the next book because I am not a fan.
Minor plot SPOILER that happens within the first fifty pages. I hate how Luna falls in love with Fowler almost instantaneously. I get that he is the first boy she meets, but geez, why? I really wanted them to become besties, not love interests. It would have made for a much more interesting story (in my opinion). CAN WE HAVE A STORY WHERE THERE IS NO LOVE INTEREST FOR THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTER???? PLEASE? THANK YOU! *
Okay, now onto plot points. We have no idea what really happened on the night Luna was born, only what her guardians told her. Also, we know nothing of the new king and why he's such a skeevy ass. Or how and why the world turned to such crap. I just want to know all of these things! There was a lot introduced, but not explained. I get that it is because this the first book in a series, but I want info to keep me intrigued instead of just being annoyed by the withholding of it.
Overall, it was a pretty interesting read. Yes, it had issues, but a lot of books do nowadays. I will most likely be picking up the next book, if only to see what happens next!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated The Revenge of Magic in Books
Mar 19, 2019
Intriguing Series Debut
It’s been six months since the attack on Washington, D.C. Six months since Forsythe “Fort” Fitzgerald’s world was turned upside down when a giant creature comes up from the ground and destroys many of the monuments there, killing his father in the process. In that time, one thought has kept Fort moving forward – the desire for revenge.
One day, Fort is surprised to be visited by the representatives of a school for magic. Thirteen years ago, four magic books were found and only those born after they were discovered can read and use them. When Fort is offered a chance to study at this school, he jumps on it, figuring this is a chance to learn something to help him extract his revenge. However, not everything at the school is what it seems. Can Fort learn what people are hiding from him? Or will he be kicked out before that happens?
Since this is the first in the series, there is some world building that happens here. However, it is mixed into the story so well that it never really slows things down. It borrows a few fantasy tropes, but it mixes them up in such a way that it makes you forget where you might have seen them before. The characters have layers to them, and, while they feel developed for a first book in a new series, I suspect we will be seeing much more depth to them as the series progresses. The story moves forward quickly, and I never wanted to put it down. This is a little darker and has less humor than James Riley’s earlier series, but it isn’t really that dark. I’m intrigued by the threads left dangling at the end of this book and can’t wait to see where things go next. Pick this book up today so you won’t be left behind on this magical ride.
One day, Fort is surprised to be visited by the representatives of a school for magic. Thirteen years ago, four magic books were found and only those born after they were discovered can read and use them. When Fort is offered a chance to study at this school, he jumps on it, figuring this is a chance to learn something to help him extract his revenge. However, not everything at the school is what it seems. Can Fort learn what people are hiding from him? Or will he be kicked out before that happens?
Since this is the first in the series, there is some world building that happens here. However, it is mixed into the story so well that it never really slows things down. It borrows a few fantasy tropes, but it mixes them up in such a way that it makes you forget where you might have seen them before. The characters have layers to them, and, while they feel developed for a first book in a new series, I suspect we will be seeing much more depth to them as the series progresses. The story moves forward quickly, and I never wanted to put it down. This is a little darker and has less humor than James Riley’s earlier series, but it isn’t really that dark. I’m intrigued by the threads left dangling at the end of this book and can’t wait to see where things go next. Pick this book up today so you won’t be left behind on this magical ride.
Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Lords of Chaos (2018) in Movies
Apr 2, 2019
Based on the truth, lies and what actually happened.
I don't pretend to be a massive fan of black metal but I know who Mayhem and Bazurm are and I know of Norwegian Black Metal so when I saw this film advertised I was very interested. The story of Norweigan black metal is that of murder, suicide, arson, corpse desecration, possible cannibalism and a massive middle finger to normal society so I was expecting pure shocking filth. Unfortunately I was left very disappointed. The film focuses on Euronimus, founder and guitarist of the band Mayhem and tells his story and his relationships particularly that with lead singer Dead and Buzurm founder and one time Mayhem bassist Varg Vikennes. Its shot very well and looks good and the soundtrack is great. Theres one particularly nasty murder scene but other than that its a mess. It just doesn't know what tone to take and makes Euronimus and Vikennes look stupid. One minute they're intimidating the next they look like idiots. So when events happen you just don't really care what happens to them. Varg Vikennes has been likened to the Norwegian Charles Manson and should be the focus of this film but instead is portrayed as a bumbling fanboy rather than the pure psychopath he is. The only character that I really clicked with and cared about was Dead and his arc was really good. Basically this film is a missed opportunity to tell a story that should be genuinely shocking. Black Metal was suppose to repulse conventional society but this film repulses in another way.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated The Food of Love in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo’s Book Diary recommends this emotional family tale as a 5 star read.
This is the first Amanda Prowse book I have read. My first impression is that Amanda Prowse is an exceptional novelist who has deeply researched this storyline. In this heart-wrenching novel we are introduced to Freya and Lockie and their two daughters, Charlotte and Lexi and taken on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey with them as they are plunged into a nightmare situation.
What starts out as a perfectly ordinary family living a happy domestic life soon is rocked to the core. No-one understands. No-one has the answers. No-one knows what to do. Mistakes are made. The one thing you can feel from the first page to the last is the love the characters have between them.
This is a MUST READ novel which tells the story of how an eating disorder can invade any family. It is about the importance of love and honesty within the family. It is about sticking together to get through whatever crisis is in front of us.
I knew nothing about anorexia before and whilst I understand it may not be factually perfect – everyone’s experience is different - but it is a novel not a self-help book.
Once I started to read this book I couldn’t put it down, even after finishing it a few days ago, I still find myself thinking about the characters and what happens next. I highly recommend this novel to everyone.
Thanks to Amanda Prowse, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication.
This is the first Amanda Prowse book I have read. My first impression is that Amanda Prowse is an exceptional novelist who has deeply researched this storyline. In this heart-wrenching novel we are introduced to Freya and Lockie and their two daughters, Charlotte and Lexi and taken on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey with them as they are plunged into a nightmare situation.
What starts out as a perfectly ordinary family living a happy domestic life soon is rocked to the core. No-one understands. No-one has the answers. No-one knows what to do. Mistakes are made. The one thing you can feel from the first page to the last is the love the characters have between them.
This is a MUST READ novel which tells the story of how an eating disorder can invade any family. It is about the importance of love and honesty within the family. It is about sticking together to get through whatever crisis is in front of us.
I knew nothing about anorexia before and whilst I understand it may not be factually perfect – everyone’s experience is different - but it is a novel not a self-help book.
Once I started to read this book I couldn’t put it down, even after finishing it a few days ago, I still find myself thinking about the characters and what happens next. I highly recommend this novel to everyone.
Thanks to Amanda Prowse, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication.