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Merissa (13600 KP) rated His Lordship's Blood (His Lordship’s Mysteries #4) in Books
Jun 14, 2023
HIS LORDSHIP'S BLOOD is the fourth book in His Lordship's Mysteries and, for me, has been the best of the bunch so far. Why? I'm not entirely sure as I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them. This one, though? A certain je ne sais quoi that pushed this one to 5-stars.
Alfie and Nick head to Bath rather than to Balcarres to see if they can find out more about Nick's parentage. What they find is rather more than expected, plus a whole host of characters to entertain. Some of them are already known to us but most are not.
The private times between Alfie and Nick are few and far between in this one but, when they do get the chance, it confirms again just how strong to each other their bond is.
I can't say I was surprised by 'whodunnit' being how the weapon has been categorised throughout history but, I was kept on tenterhooks with Nick's choice. And the ending? That "Well..." from Nick was absolutely perfect and I completely relate with Alfie.
I would absolutely recommend this book to be read as part of a series, just so you know how hard Alfie and Nick have fought for each other. I can't wait to continue their story but I certainly hope they have time Balcarres before their next adventure. I think these two need some alone time after everything they've been through!
** 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!
Jun 9, 2023
Alfie and Nick head to Bath rather than to Balcarres to see if they can find out more about Nick's parentage. What they find is rather more than expected, plus a whole host of characters to entertain. Some of them are already known to us but most are not.
The private times between Alfie and Nick are few and far between in this one but, when they do get the chance, it confirms again just how strong to each other their bond is.
I can't say I was surprised by 'whodunnit' being how the weapon has been categorised throughout history but, I was kept on tenterhooks with Nick's choice. And the ending? That "Well..." from Nick was absolutely perfect and I completely relate with Alfie.
I would absolutely recommend this book to be read as part of a series, just so you know how hard Alfie and Nick have fought for each other. I can't wait to continue their story but I certainly hope they have time Balcarres before their next adventure. I think these two need some alone time after everything they've been through!
** 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!
Jun 9, 2023
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Chalk Man in Books
May 16, 2018
It’s hard to believe that The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor is a debut; it’s even harder to believe that it’s not considered horror. Though the book focuses primarily on a whodunnit sort of plot, it borrows heavily from my favorite genre. Certain elements of The Chalk Man are downright grisly, which is a welcoming change from many of the mystery books I tend to read. Then again, I love gore and that’s no secret.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Vision (Harrison Investigation, #3) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
While at the beginning I wasn't too sure I would like Thor -- he was too arrogant and jerky -- and then I wasn't too sure about Gen -- can you say prickly? -- I ended up liking them and their story all the same. Actually the plot and mystery is what really kept me reading. I liked that it was harder to figure out whodunnit than the others in this series, but I did have it narrowed down to two suspects and ended up picking the right one (go me!). Although I'm still not sure exactly why they did it, but then again, when you're a serial killer, do you really need a reason?
The only thing that really bothered me was everyone's outlook on Gen. She's a frickin' Mary-Sue when it goes to someone else's point-of-view or if they're talking about her when she's not around, so I really got sick of hearing how sensual she is, how perfect, how tall and slim, how her smile is perfect -- gag me. When it was through her eyes, everything was fine and I liked her, but really, I can only take so much of hearing about what utter perfection she is. At one point, a local musician said something to the affect that she's Key West's 'jewel' (or gem, something like that) and it was like come on, give me a break. Talk about overkill. There was nothing in the book to even get the impression that she's that well known about the island.
Anyway, aside from my rant, I liked it and thought that the mystery aspect was the best part of the book and it kept me guessing and hooked until the end.
The only thing that really bothered me was everyone's outlook on Gen. She's a frickin' Mary-Sue when it goes to someone else's point-of-view or if they're talking about her when she's not around, so I really got sick of hearing how sensual she is, how perfect, how tall and slim, how her smile is perfect -- gag me. When it was through her eyes, everything was fine and I liked her, but really, I can only take so much of hearing about what utter perfection she is. At one point, a local musician said something to the affect that she's Key West's 'jewel' (or gem, something like that) and it was like come on, give me a break. Talk about overkill. There was nothing in the book to even get the impression that she's that well known about the island.
Anyway, aside from my rant, I liked it and thought that the mystery aspect was the best part of the book and it kept me guessing and hooked until the end.
Merissa (13600 KP) rated Sleep in Books
Mar 25, 2019
Sleep by C.L. Taylor
Sleep is the second book by C.L. Taylor I have read, and my opinion of her as a first class thriller writer has been solidified. This one was very different to The Fear, but just as good.
We start off with Anna driving home after a team-building weekend in Wales. Everyone else is asleep, and the weather is bad. Through no fault of her own, there is an accident. Two are killed, one is left unable to walk, and Anna walks away from hospital. Not uninjured, not at all, but still walks away. She suffers from survivor's guilt, and it isn't helped by the fact she is convinced she is being stalked. Taking matters into her own hand, she splits with her boyfriend, and takes a job on the remote isle of Rum. Seven guests arrive the same time as a storm. Everyone is hiding something, and Anna doesn't know if she will survive.
This was an intriguing story, full of twists, turns, and red herrings. I'm never one to try and figure out 'whodunnit' as I prefer to let the story take me where it will. I will say in this instance, it became clear who it was, and I was lucky enough to guess correctly as to the reasons why. However, this didn't detract from the story itself in any way.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and have no hesitation in recommending it to all #Thriller fans out there.
* 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!
We start off with Anna driving home after a team-building weekend in Wales. Everyone else is asleep, and the weather is bad. Through no fault of her own, there is an accident. Two are killed, one is left unable to walk, and Anna walks away from hospital. Not uninjured, not at all, but still walks away. She suffers from survivor's guilt, and it isn't helped by the fact she is convinced she is being stalked. Taking matters into her own hand, she splits with her boyfriend, and takes a job on the remote isle of Rum. Seven guests arrive the same time as a storm. Everyone is hiding something, and Anna doesn't know if she will survive.
This was an intriguing story, full of twists, turns, and red herrings. I'm never one to try and figure out 'whodunnit' as I prefer to let the story take me where it will. I will say in this instance, it became clear who it was, and I was lucky enough to guess correctly as to the reasons why. However, this didn't detract from the story itself in any way.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and have no hesitation in recommending it to all #Thriller fans out there.
* 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!
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Blake Mistake in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Ben Blake has a talent that can occasionaly help in his job as an intelligence operative. When he forsees a terrorist attack he asks his friend, brother in law and former bad boy Jake Snell to help him prevent it. However Jake is starting to behave oddly, including having periods where he is not aware of what he has done. Could the suppressed memories of his traumatic upbringing be the cause? Meanwhile his wife (and Ben's sister) Emma is delving into Jake's family history. Maybe the secrets of the past are best left alone.
Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.
The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.
The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.
Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.
Caution: Some sex scenes
Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.
The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.
The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.
Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.
Caution: Some sex scenes
ClareR (6054 KP) rated The Wild Girls in Books
Apr 24, 2021
This was my first Phoebe Morgan book, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed - I was guessing right up to the end!
Felicity, Grace, Alice and Hannah have been friends since they were teenagers: The Wild Girls.
So when Felicity meets the man of her dreams, she’s excited to introduce him to her friends. Except the night takes an unexpected turn.
Two years later, Felicity invites her three friends to her birthday party in Botswana, all expenses paid for, and they all look forward to a rest and some re-bonding (if that’s even a word 🤷🏼♀️).
Grace, Hannah and Alice arrive at the holiday lodge compound and Felicity is nowhere to be seen. She tells them via WhatsApp that she’s unwell and will see them the next day, and to enjoy their evening. It sounds like a gorgeous place. Each of them has a private lodge with a plunge pool, the main lodge is beautiful and seems to have food and champagne on tap, and the Bush is just the other side of the compounds fence. Grace is excited, even though she comes across as an incredible anxious person. And there is a reason. In fact, Hannah and Alice have their own secrets too.
This is not a story where the weekend goes as the women had planned. Everything goes back to that night two years ago. What happened?
Well, obviously we find out, but what a journey we have to the big reveal! I loved it - and I didn’t guess what was going on at all (this is a common occurrence with me - I have no wish to solve the mystery - I want to read it!)
If you enjoy a good whodunnit, then you’ll love this book! I did.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this - the 24 hour wait between staves was AGONISING!!
Felicity, Grace, Alice and Hannah have been friends since they were teenagers: The Wild Girls.
So when Felicity meets the man of her dreams, she’s excited to introduce him to her friends. Except the night takes an unexpected turn.
Two years later, Felicity invites her three friends to her birthday party in Botswana, all expenses paid for, and they all look forward to a rest and some re-bonding (if that’s even a word 🤷🏼♀️).
Grace, Hannah and Alice arrive at the holiday lodge compound and Felicity is nowhere to be seen. She tells them via WhatsApp that she’s unwell and will see them the next day, and to enjoy their evening. It sounds like a gorgeous place. Each of them has a private lodge with a plunge pool, the main lodge is beautiful and seems to have food and champagne on tap, and the Bush is just the other side of the compounds fence. Grace is excited, even though she comes across as an incredible anxious person. And there is a reason. In fact, Hannah and Alice have their own secrets too.
This is not a story where the weekend goes as the women had planned. Everything goes back to that night two years ago. What happened?
Well, obviously we find out, but what a journey we have to the big reveal! I loved it - and I didn’t guess what was going on at all (this is a common occurrence with me - I have no wish to solve the mystery - I want to read it!)
If you enjoy a good whodunnit, then you’ll love this book! I did.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this - the 24 hour wait between staves was AGONISING!!
Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated Dead as a Duck (Washington Whodunit #7) in Books
Jul 29, 2021
Kit Marshall seems to have a knack for finding dead bodies and solving their murders.
Kit Marshall seems to have a knack for finding dead bodies and solving their murders. She came into Duck, South Carolina as part of a town hall meeting for her boss, a congresswoman who is considering a run for the senate. She fully intends to take a few much needed days with friends and family in this popular destination beach town. When the town hall gets out of hand, exposing a rift between the town mayor and his constituents and then the mayor shows up dead, her vacation is going to have to wait.
I figured out whodunnit fairly easily, though of course, I didn’t know why. By the time Kit worked her way around to it, I had forgotten that I suspected that person, and I had just gotten caught up in the story. Kit is a great protagonist with a clever inner circle. If more Washington insiders were like her and her boss, the country would be in great hands.
There are plenty of twists and subplots throughout that keep the story fresh and mystery front and center. I love when I can get lost in the minutia of small town living and let the puzzle take a back seat to a really good tale.
Though this the latest in a robust series, it is the first of it that I have read. It read well as a stand alone and managed to convince me I wanted, rather than needed, to read the series from the beginning. I am looking forward to that.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I figured out whodunnit fairly easily, though of course, I didn’t know why. By the time Kit worked her way around to it, I had forgotten that I suspected that person, and I had just gotten caught up in the story. Kit is a great protagonist with a clever inner circle. If more Washington insiders were like her and her boss, the country would be in great hands.
There are plenty of twists and subplots throughout that keep the story fresh and mystery front and center. I love when I can get lost in the minutia of small town living and let the puzzle take a back seat to a really good tale.
Though this the latest in a robust series, it is the first of it that I have read. It read well as a stand alone and managed to convince me I wanted, rather than needed, to read the series from the beginning. I am looking forward to that.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) in Movies
Nov 29, 2020
Part V of the Friday the 13th franchise is an absolute blast, and no one can tell me otherwise. Is it silly? Definitely. Does it go overboard with its goofy characters a little too often? Damn right it does (pretty sure someone gets called "a dildo" at one point) Are there better Friday films out there? Yes sir, but none of this stops the fact that Part V is a decent, entertaining, smack bang middle of the 80s slasher.
The killer this time around isn't Jason Voorhees, even if it is only by name, and this "mystery" surrounding the killers identity achieves two things - 1. It adds a whodunnit element to the series, otherwise only ever seen in the original and 2. It keeps the killer offscreen for most of the runtime, saving budget costs by not showing much in terms of kills (although that belt against the tree death is a doozy). This results in a less gory sequel, especially after the more brutal Part IV, but it's not a big issue. The whole thing almost feels like an R-Rated episode of Scooby-Doo. The reveal of the killer is definitely weak though. Not enough set up means and underwhelming payoff.
There are soooooooo many characters in this. I swear there are still new ones being introduced up until the last 20 minutes, and they're all just body count fodder for "Jason". Not necessarily a bad thing, pretty standard practice by now. I did like little Reckless Reggie. That dude is awesome. Way more awesome than Tommy Jarvis, who is just a whiny bitch for the whole runtime. Thankfully Thom Mathews is just around the corner.
It's not the best Friday movie, but far from being the worst. As far as 80s slashers go, it's damn good time.
The killer this time around isn't Jason Voorhees, even if it is only by name, and this "mystery" surrounding the killers identity achieves two things - 1. It adds a whodunnit element to the series, otherwise only ever seen in the original and 2. It keeps the killer offscreen for most of the runtime, saving budget costs by not showing much in terms of kills (although that belt against the tree death is a doozy). This results in a less gory sequel, especially after the more brutal Part IV, but it's not a big issue. The whole thing almost feels like an R-Rated episode of Scooby-Doo. The reveal of the killer is definitely weak though. Not enough set up means and underwhelming payoff.
There are soooooooo many characters in this. I swear there are still new ones being introduced up until the last 20 minutes, and they're all just body count fodder for "Jason". Not necessarily a bad thing, pretty standard practice by now. I did like little Reckless Reggie. That dude is awesome. Way more awesome than Tommy Jarvis, who is just a whiny bitch for the whole runtime. Thankfully Thom Mathews is just around the corner.
It's not the best Friday movie, but far from being the worst. As far as 80s slashers go, it's damn good time.
Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated The House on Crow Mountain in Books
Sep 1, 2021
Mystery Thriller, Cozy Rules
The House on Crow Mountain is probably the most uncozy-like cozy I have ever read. Don’t get me wrong it totally adheres to all the cozy rules; no graphic language, sex, or violence. It also follows the popular cozy tropes; a small town, a broken-hearted woman who returns home to make a new start, clever pets, etc. It is just I consider cozy to be a light afternoon read. More fluff than serious. I mean no disrespect to the books and authors I have read to date, some are among my all-time favorites.
This book from the first sentence to the last pulled me into a hard mystery thriller that just happened to follow cozy rules. It has everything; gripping suspense, a leading lady wracked with grief and guilt, and a possible love interest trying to redeem himself from a tragic mistake, or was it? There are far-reaching family secrets, menacing red herrings, and a sinister plot. There was no guessing whodunnit before the reveal. I really (I mean really) did not like the person, but there were so many other people to not like, to suspect, to think about that it barely registered. I could not put this book down as the story unfolded and the floating, maybe relevant plotlines merged bringing the story to its climax.
I seriously hope for this to be a series as there are characters that I would love to learn more about, but I tell you, I would be okay with this being a one-off. The story as it stands has mostly been told and it is that good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
This book from the first sentence to the last pulled me into a hard mystery thriller that just happened to follow cozy rules. It has everything; gripping suspense, a leading lady wracked with grief and guilt, and a possible love interest trying to redeem himself from a tragic mistake, or was it? There are far-reaching family secrets, menacing red herrings, and a sinister plot. There was no guessing whodunnit before the reveal. I really (I mean really) did not like the person, but there were so many other people to not like, to suspect, to think about that it barely registered. I could not put this book down as the story unfolded and the floating, maybe relevant plotlines merged bringing the story to its climax.
I seriously hope for this to be a series as there are characters that I would love to learn more about, but I tell you, I would be okay with this being a one-off. The story as it stands has mostly been told and it is that good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Merissa (13600 KP) rated Dirty Kiss (Cole McGinnis Mysteries, #1) in Books
May 30, 2023
This book starts with a blast... a shotgun blast, to be precise, by a grandma wearing a leather bikini! If that doesn't want to make you bleach your eyeballs, I don't know what will. This is a story filled with mystery, banter, action, and steamy relationships. I loved the connection that Bobby and Cole had, and every scene in which they were in made me smile. Cole himself is a brilliant character, he has trauma and sadness in his past that he is dealing with. When his brother, Mike, asks him to look into an apparent suicide, Cole doesn't think that it will last long. However, he opens a can of worms, smokescreens and lies as he tries to find out just "whodunnit".
This is extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found. You get a brilliant backdrop of characters, situations and history, apart from one thing that is alluded to, but never answered. I am presuming this is part of the story that will come out in future books.
The reason for my 4-stars is that I never actually felt much of a connection with Cole or Jae-Min. At times, yes, but not constantly, and not enough for them to move as fast as they did. We're talking insta-love here, after a three-year hiatus on Cole's part. I don't know, for me, it just didn't seem to fit right. But that is probably just me as I'm not a big fan of insta-love anyway. Absolutely loved the rest of it and would have no hesitation in recommending this.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 20, 2016
This is extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found. You get a brilliant backdrop of characters, situations and history, apart from one thing that is alluded to, but never answered. I am presuming this is part of the story that will come out in future books.
The reason for my 4-stars is that I never actually felt much of a connection with Cole or Jae-Min. At times, yes, but not constantly, and not enough for them to move as fast as they did. We're talking insta-love here, after a three-year hiatus on Cole's part. I don't know, for me, it just didn't seem to fit right. But that is probably just me as I'm not a big fan of insta-love anyway. Absolutely loved the rest of it and would have no hesitation in recommending this.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 20, 2016