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Lindsay (1812 KP) rated Chris Crossed Murder (Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #4) in Books
Apr 5, 2023
Are you into murder mysteries? Then look at Lauren Carr's books if you want a cold case to unpack and enjoy. Then her latest series, "Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery," is an excellent series to get your fix or bite into.
My latest book, "Chris Crossed Murder," is filled to pack a punch from the very beginning of the book. Why would someone send a swat team after Chris Matheson and his daughter? Why do these family members think he is dead? We get twists and turns from the beginning of the book to every end.
The cold case starts to get hot, and Chris Matheson gets pulled into a hard case that he worked on nine years earlier. Who should be the text buddy that Chris Matheson gets? It starts with a dead body found with Chris Matheson's federal badge.
Every time I turned the page, I would try and guess, but we met the holiday gang. Who are they, and did they commit Sky Belmont murder? Who wants Chris dead? Is Dylan trying to figure out what Serra's stepfather is doing? Why? Dylan's parents wish to do something, or are they connected to Sky Belmont's murder?
There seem to be quite a few different murders going on. But who wants Chris dead, and why? The geezer squad is on it. There appears to be a romance in the air for a member and new family member named "Red"? This book set is on a winter night near Christmas.
My latest book, "Chris Crossed Murder," is filled to pack a punch from the very beginning of the book. Why would someone send a swat team after Chris Matheson and his daughter? Why do these family members think he is dead? We get twists and turns from the beginning of the book to every end.
The cold case starts to get hot, and Chris Matheson gets pulled into a hard case that he worked on nine years earlier. Who should be the text buddy that Chris Matheson gets? It starts with a dead body found with Chris Matheson's federal badge.
Every time I turned the page, I would try and guess, but we met the holiday gang. Who are they, and did they commit Sky Belmont murder? Who wants Chris dead? Is Dylan trying to figure out what Serra's stepfather is doing? Why? Dylan's parents wish to do something, or are they connected to Sky Belmont's murder?
There seem to be quite a few different murders going on. But who wants Chris dead, and why? The geezer squad is on it. There appears to be a romance in the air for a member and new family member named "Red"? This book set is on a winter night near Christmas.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Murder on the Home Front in Books
May 4, 2023
Body in the Air Raid Shelter
Billie Harkness has been on the job as one of only two female constables in the Hull police force for a few weeks now. In that time, neither her co-workers nor the public have come to accept her any more then when she first started. One of her true allies has been Peter Upton, a fellow constable who has been training her. When the two of them find a dead body in an air raid shelter, Billie discovers some details that don’t make any sense. Can they use those to figure out what happened to the victim?
It was great to be back in summer 1940 with Billie and Peter. While most of the book is written from Billie’s third person point of view, we get some scenes from Peter’s, and they help flesh out the characters and plot wonderfully. I was hooked the entire way through the story, although I did wonder where it was going a bit at first. Once the body turned up, things were full speed ahead until we reached the end. There is a strong sub-plot that is unfortunately too real and should not have been acceptable then or now. I appreciated how it was handled. The overall mystery is something that could only be told in England during World War II, and it helped bring details of that time in history to life for me. If you enjoy historical mysteries, you need to pick it up.
It was great to be back in summer 1940 with Billie and Peter. While most of the book is written from Billie’s third person point of view, we get some scenes from Peter’s, and they help flesh out the characters and plot wonderfully. I was hooked the entire way through the story, although I did wonder where it was going a bit at first. Once the body turned up, things were full speed ahead until we reached the end. There is a strong sub-plot that is unfortunately too real and should not have been acceptable then or now. I appreciated how it was handled. The overall mystery is something that could only be told in England during World War II, and it helped bring details of that time in history to life for me. If you enjoy historical mysteries, you need to pick it up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Island of Thieves in Books
Jun 23, 2022
“A Thrilling Adventures of Thieves and Mysterious Islands and Magic Potions”
Van Shaw has been hired by an eccentric businessman to assess the security of the art gallery on his private island during a several day business meeting being hosted there. Van isn’t sure he believes the story he’s been given, but the money is good, so he agrees to the job. When he arrives, he finds the man’s normal security forces more hostile than expected. Then he finds a dead body on the beach. What has Van stumbled into this time?
I picked up this book expecting another thrilling adventure, and I wasn’t disappointed. The plot was a little slow in the set up, but once it got going, there were plenty of twists and action to keep us engaged. I was surprised to see the book switch to third person point of view, which made it a little harder than I expected to connect with Van again, but the multiple points of view we had for the climax made it clear why this book needed that switch. And the changes from one point of view to another were always easy to follow. I did have a little trouble connecting the characters to which side they were on, but that might be me. We do see some of the other series regulars, and I love how they bring out other sides in Van. Overall, this is another great entry in the series. If you are a fan of thrillers and you haven’t started these books yet, do so today.
I picked up this book expecting another thrilling adventure, and I wasn’t disappointed. The plot was a little slow in the set up, but once it got going, there were plenty of twists and action to keep us engaged. I was surprised to see the book switch to third person point of view, which made it a little harder than I expected to connect with Van again, but the multiple points of view we had for the climax made it clear why this book needed that switch. And the changes from one point of view to another were always easy to follow. I did have a little trouble connecting the characters to which side they were on, but that might be me. We do see some of the other series regulars, and I love how they bring out other sides in Van. Overall, this is another great entry in the series. If you are a fan of thrillers and you haven’t started these books yet, do so today.
Merissa (13952 KP) rated The Eternal Series - Box Set Books 1 to 4 in Books
Jul 9, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
THE ETERNAL SERIES: Books 1-4 not only gives you the four main stories, but two added extra shorts. The first one tells the origin story of Sammael/Alaric and the second is Kaitlyn and Raif's story.
The premise of this series is a really good one, but I'm afraid the constant time- and head-hopping made the writing style difficult for me to get into. There were also numerous spelling mistakes that jolted me out of the story. There were also a multitude of euphemisms used, eg. middle leg, and flag pole. I'll leave it to you to figure out what was being spoken about. And if I had a euro for every time "Rock, meet hard place," was mentioned, I'd be rich.
I enjoyed most of the characters and their individual stories. I also enjoyed seeing how their relationships continued in the following stories. The only one I really didn't like was Alex. He annoyed me from the beginning and nothing he did changed my mind.
I'm sure there are plenty of stories left in this series and I certainly wouldn't mind continuing with the story. Each book is long enough to sink your teeth into with plenty of intense steamy scenes too.
Great stories and overall story arc, recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 9, 2021
The premise of this series is a really good one, but I'm afraid the constant time- and head-hopping made the writing style difficult for me to get into. There were also numerous spelling mistakes that jolted me out of the story. There were also a multitude of euphemisms used, eg. middle leg, and flag pole. I'll leave it to you to figure out what was being spoken about. And if I had a euro for every time "Rock, meet hard place," was mentioned, I'd be rich.
I enjoyed most of the characters and their individual stories. I also enjoyed seeing how their relationships continued in the following stories. The only one I really didn't like was Alex. He annoyed me from the beginning and nothing he did changed my mind.
I'm sure there are plenty of stories left in this series and I certainly wouldn't mind continuing with the story. Each book is long enough to sink your teeth into with plenty of intense steamy scenes too.
Great stories and overall story arc, recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 9, 2021
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated The Bootlegger’s Daughter in Books
May 2, 2024
Danger in Prohibition-era Los Angeles
It’s 1927, and Letty Hart is struggling to keep the family vineyard afloat on the outskirts of Los Angeles. When their contract to provide sacramental wine is canceled abruptly, the discovery of some illegal alcohol her father left behind seems too good to pass up. Meanwhile, Annabel Forman is trying to prove she deserves the promotion to detective in the LAPD. She is assigned a joke of a case, but she quickly begins to think she’s stumbled on a connection between several murdered bootleggers.
Obviously, these two women are destined to meet. The story along the way is enjoyable, and the further I got into the book, the more I wanted to keep reading. There are some surprises on the way to a suspenseful climax. I did feel like a few aspects of the plot were rushed, but that’s a minor complaint overall. We get the story from three different character’s points of view, Letty in first person and the other two in third person. These changes happen at chapter breaks and are all clearly labeled. The book is written in present tense, and once my brain got used to it, it didn’t matter. Many of the supporting characters don’t get much page time to be fully developed, but they feel real in the time they have. Letty and Annabel, however, are wonderful characters, and I enjoyed watching them deal with what life has given them. If you are looking for a historic crime story, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
Obviously, these two women are destined to meet. The story along the way is enjoyable, and the further I got into the book, the more I wanted to keep reading. There are some surprises on the way to a suspenseful climax. I did feel like a few aspects of the plot were rushed, but that’s a minor complaint overall. We get the story from three different character’s points of view, Letty in first person and the other two in third person. These changes happen at chapter breaks and are all clearly labeled. The book is written in present tense, and once my brain got used to it, it didn’t matter. Many of the supporting characters don’t get much page time to be fully developed, but they feel real in the time they have. Letty and Annabel, however, are wonderful characters, and I enjoyed watching them deal with what life has given them. If you are looking for a historic crime story, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated The Late Show (Renée Ballard, #1) in Books
Sep 7, 2024
Not Sure the Character is New, but Story is Great
LAPD officer Renee Ballard has been demoted to working the overnight shift in the Hollywood division. She’s frustrated that she never gets to work a case to resolution in her current role. Until one night when a series of cases land in her lap. A woman reports a stolen wallet. A transgender individual is left for dead. A shooting incident happens at a bar. As Ballard gets involved in all these cases, can she solve them?
I remember when this book came out how far behind I was on the author’s books and thinking I’d never get to it. And yet here I am. I found that Ballard shared quite a bit with the author’s Harry Bosch character. I’m not saying I didn’t like her, but I felt like she was a bit too familiar. Maybe that will change when I see them together. And again, I did like getting to meet her here and am looking forward to seeing what else happens to her. The mystery was very compelling. I saw a few things coming early, but there were some great twists that took me by surprise as well. I also enjoyed the nod to the Bosch TV show, which I guess means it is time for me to start watching it. Do keep in mind this is a police procedural, so the content is stronger than in the cozies I often read. If you haven’t met Ballard yet, you’ll be happy you picked up this book.
I remember when this book came out how far behind I was on the author’s books and thinking I’d never get to it. And yet here I am. I found that Ballard shared quite a bit with the author’s Harry Bosch character. I’m not saying I didn’t like her, but I felt like she was a bit too familiar. Maybe that will change when I see them together. And again, I did like getting to meet her here and am looking forward to seeing what else happens to her. The mystery was very compelling. I saw a few things coming early, but there were some great twists that took me by surprise as well. I also enjoyed the nod to the Bosch TV show, which I guess means it is time for me to start watching it. Do keep in mind this is a police procedural, so the content is stronger than in the cozies I often read. If you haven’t met Ballard yet, you’ll be happy you picked up this book.
Merissa (13952 KP) rated Lost Shores of Thonis in Books
Oct 14, 2025
LOST SHORES OF THONIS is a standalone historical mystery with a touch of the supernatural, based on the real lost city of Thonis-Heracleion. Now, I say this is a standalone, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels as though it is the first book in a series, as not everything is explained, finished, or tied up neatly with a pretty little bow.
Told from Azizi's perspective, you find out how she and two others became 'Blessed', what happened to Meryt, and how she finds out the 'truth'. There are a multitude of characters here that aid and abet with Azizi, or are against her. I'll leave it to you to figure out which.
I did struggle with parts of this as Egyptian history isn't one of my fortitudes. Not only that, but the tales of Nubia and the secrets revealed didn't always make much sense to me. However, the mystery of the story itself was intriguing, and I couldn't wait to learn more as each chapter unfolded. I also could have done with an Egyptian translation to figure out the meaning behind certain words, but I made it through.
This was a great read by an author I admire, so I'm definitely happy that I read it, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 13, 2025
Told from Azizi's perspective, you find out how she and two others became 'Blessed', what happened to Meryt, and how she finds out the 'truth'. There are a multitude of characters here that aid and abet with Azizi, or are against her. I'll leave it to you to figure out which.
I did struggle with parts of this as Egyptian history isn't one of my fortitudes. Not only that, but the tales of Nubia and the secrets revealed didn't always make much sense to me. However, the mystery of the story itself was intriguing, and I couldn't wait to learn more as each chapter unfolded. I also could have done with an Egyptian translation to figure out the meaning behind certain words, but I made it through.
This was a great read by an author I admire, so I'm definitely happy that I read it, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 13, 2025
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The 8th Doll (Alex Guidry, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review is also on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I have to admit that I've never read a book about the Mayan Prophecy. However, when I saw the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. It's not something I'd normally pick up and read, but I decided to take a chance on it. I'm glad I did because it was such an amazing book!!!
Charlie Landry, a geologist, is found beheaded during a drilling project in Mexico. To help find out why he was murdered and who did it, Alex Guidry is called in to help. A doll is found near Landry's body with the number 8 written in blood on the front. This now throws a spanner in the works. What is Landry trying to tell him? Also, who keeps murdering everyone?
The title of this book, The 8th Doll, definitely suits the story. The story revolves mainly around trying to figure out what this eighth doll means. Fantastic title chosen by the author.
I love the cover of this book! The cover gives you a big hint about what the story is going to be about with the doll with the eight written on it and the Mayan temple of the Seven Dolls in the background. I think it's a fantastic cover!
The setting takes place in Mexico which makes sense as that's where the Mayans lived. The author does a great job of portraying how Mexico is, especially when it comes to the climate!
The pacing of this book was fantastic!! It is definitely a fast paced thriller. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next in the story. Many times, I stayed up late just to finish many chapters.
The dialogue was definitely easy to understand. There are a few Spanish words in there, but they are easy enough to figure out what they mean, or they are explained. I was really happy about this.
The characters were very well developed. Alex has a good head on his shoulders and is a great detective. I loved the character of Maria. I don't know why, but I guess it's because she brought a woman's touch to the story, lol. Jenkins was my favourite character though. He was perfect with his comic timing. He reminds me of a cross between Samuel L. Jackson and Will Smith. I also thought the baddie, Ah Pukuh, was written well. I also have to say that I loved the mayor. He's only a minor character, but I loved him nonetheless.
I loved the fact that this book used aspects of Mayan prophecy. I must admit that I don't know much about it, but after reading this book, it's clear that the author's done his homework on it. It's such a well written book!
The only fault I found with the book, and this is only a minor fault, is the insta-love between Maria and Alex. Lust I can believe in, but I'm not a believer of love at first sight. That's only a personal gripe though.
Definitely give The 8th Doll by Chris Rakunas a read even if this normally isn't your sort of book.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 16+. It's so good!
I have to admit that I've never read a book about the Mayan Prophecy. However, when I saw the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. It's not something I'd normally pick up and read, but I decided to take a chance on it. I'm glad I did because it was such an amazing book!!!
Charlie Landry, a geologist, is found beheaded during a drilling project in Mexico. To help find out why he was murdered and who did it, Alex Guidry is called in to help. A doll is found near Landry's body with the number 8 written in blood on the front. This now throws a spanner in the works. What is Landry trying to tell him? Also, who keeps murdering everyone?
The title of this book, The 8th Doll, definitely suits the story. The story revolves mainly around trying to figure out what this eighth doll means. Fantastic title chosen by the author.
I love the cover of this book! The cover gives you a big hint about what the story is going to be about with the doll with the eight written on it and the Mayan temple of the Seven Dolls in the background. I think it's a fantastic cover!
The setting takes place in Mexico which makes sense as that's where the Mayans lived. The author does a great job of portraying how Mexico is, especially when it comes to the climate!
The pacing of this book was fantastic!! It is definitely a fast paced thriller. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next in the story. Many times, I stayed up late just to finish many chapters.
The dialogue was definitely easy to understand. There are a few Spanish words in there, but they are easy enough to figure out what they mean, or they are explained. I was really happy about this.
The characters were very well developed. Alex has a good head on his shoulders and is a great detective. I loved the character of Maria. I don't know why, but I guess it's because she brought a woman's touch to the story, lol. Jenkins was my favourite character though. He was perfect with his comic timing. He reminds me of a cross between Samuel L. Jackson and Will Smith. I also thought the baddie, Ah Pukuh, was written well. I also have to say that I loved the mayor. He's only a minor character, but I loved him nonetheless.
I loved the fact that this book used aspects of Mayan prophecy. I must admit that I don't know much about it, but after reading this book, it's clear that the author's done his homework on it. It's such a well written book!
The only fault I found with the book, and this is only a minor fault, is the insta-love between Maria and Alex. Lust I can believe in, but I'm not a believer of love at first sight. That's only a personal gripe though.
Definitely give The 8th Doll by Chris Rakunas a read even if this normally isn't your sort of book.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 16+. It's so good!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Girl You Left Behind in Books
Jun 6, 2018
This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
I won this book through the first reads Goodreads program. It's not normally the type of book that would catch my attention attention based on the synopsis, but I'm always willing to read something out of my comfort zone. I'm more than glad that I read this book as I loved it!!
Sophie is a French woman in German occupied France during World War I. She and the Kommandent become close only because Sophie will do whatever it takes to see her husband who has been sent to a German work camp. Fast forward almost a century later...Liv is a woman that has a portrait that was painted by Sophie's husband years ago. The relatives of Sophie's husband want that painting back simply because they know how much it's worth. However, for Liv, the painting means so much more. This is the story of a painting and how two women from different centuries are so much alike.
I loved the character of Sophie. She was definitely a strong and brave character. I felt what she was feeling a majority of the time. She went through so much to get what she loved. I also loved Liv, who, like Sophie was willing to lose it all to get what she loved. Mo was another one of my favourite characters. She brought in the comic timing. Her humour was fantastic, and it wasn't over the top. It was just right for the mood of the story. I loved Paul. He was such a sweetheart! I wish my husband was as kind and romantic as Paul! It was lovely to see him grow as a character.
The title definitely suits the book as The Girl You Left Behind is what they painting is called, and much of the story centres around this painting. I don't think there could've been a better title for this book.
The cover is very beautiful, and while it does relate to the story somewhat, I just wish the cover could've been the painting of Sophie that was talked about so much throughout the book. I would've loved to see what the painting actually looked like.
The setting and world building were fab as well! I loved how a lot of this book was set in a little hotel in a French city. The author made the hotel sound so warm and welcoming. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research about World War I when it came to the Germans occupy French cities. The descriptions of every place mentioned in the book were well written.
The pacing was absolutely fantastic! Each page kept me enthralled. I did not want to put down this book for anything!
I also loved the ending of the book. It was well written and didn't feel rushed like a lot of books do when they end. I thought it was a fantastic ending to a well written book.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone 16 and over. It's a little gem of a book, and it really took me by surprise.
I won this book through the first reads Goodreads program. It's not normally the type of book that would catch my attention attention based on the synopsis, but I'm always willing to read something out of my comfort zone. I'm more than glad that I read this book as I loved it!!
Sophie is a French woman in German occupied France during World War I. She and the Kommandent become close only because Sophie will do whatever it takes to see her husband who has been sent to a German work camp. Fast forward almost a century later...Liv is a woman that has a portrait that was painted by Sophie's husband years ago. The relatives of Sophie's husband want that painting back simply because they know how much it's worth. However, for Liv, the painting means so much more. This is the story of a painting and how two women from different centuries are so much alike.
I loved the character of Sophie. She was definitely a strong and brave character. I felt what she was feeling a majority of the time. She went through so much to get what she loved. I also loved Liv, who, like Sophie was willing to lose it all to get what she loved. Mo was another one of my favourite characters. She brought in the comic timing. Her humour was fantastic, and it wasn't over the top. It was just right for the mood of the story. I loved Paul. He was such a sweetheart! I wish my husband was as kind and romantic as Paul! It was lovely to see him grow as a character.
The title definitely suits the book as The Girl You Left Behind is what they painting is called, and much of the story centres around this painting. I don't think there could've been a better title for this book.
The cover is very beautiful, and while it does relate to the story somewhat, I just wish the cover could've been the painting of Sophie that was talked about so much throughout the book. I would've loved to see what the painting actually looked like.
The setting and world building were fab as well! I loved how a lot of this book was set in a little hotel in a French city. The author made the hotel sound so warm and welcoming. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research about World War I when it came to the Germans occupy French cities. The descriptions of every place mentioned in the book were well written.
The pacing was absolutely fantastic! Each page kept me enthralled. I did not want to put down this book for anything!
I also loved the ending of the book. It was well written and didn't feel rushed like a lot of books do when they end. I thought it was a fantastic ending to a well written book.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone 16 and over. It's a little gem of a book, and it really took me by surprise.