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101 Orchids - Secrets of Cultivation
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They were made to flourish. Nothing else matters to an orchid. The leaves are of little interest,...
Midge (525 KP) rated House of Beauty in Books
Feb 14, 2019
I was lured by the premise of a crime novel centring around a beauty salon, featuring the murder of a schoolgirl, concealed by corrupt officials involved in massive healthcare fraud, all happening in Bogota in Columbia. It sounded like a brilliant idea for a novel! I was also drawn by the notion of a beauty salon as a safe place to go, where women can discuss their innermost secrets with each other with no male intrusion.
HOUSE OF BEAUTY was an interesting read which brought a reality that touches on current and pertinent social aspects in Columbia.
I did not enjoy this novel as much as I might have, as some of my enjoyment was lost in the translation. Putting the issue of translation difficulties aside, I found there to be some confusing elements in this novel and not enough detail about the motive for the murder and the ensuing investigation. The detail of the murder itself is very specifically explained which I liked. The book is told from the perspective of two women, after the murder of Sabrina Guzman has already taken place. Claire, a customer at the salon and ghostwriter Lucia, are both middle-class Columbians. However, there’s nothing to make their respective points of view distinctive, so I was frequently puzzled as to which one of them was currently speaking. There are also third-person chapters from the perspective of Karen, a beautician at the salon; from Sabrina Guzman, the girl who dies; and from Sabrina’s mother, Consuelo.
I was fully involved in the story and was keen to know how Karen dealt with all of her difficulties she had with her life, however, I felt that I didn’t really understand the precise reason for the crime being committed. The conclusion, although it had some interesting twists, did not bring everything totally together for me, but maybe that was the author’s intention. It definitely left some room for further thought even after I had finished reading.
All in all, I would recommend Melba Escobar’s HOUSE OF BEAUTY for its originality.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2460 KP) rated Death by Tiara (A Jaine Austen Mystery #13) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
As always this book is a pure delight. The many sub-plots keep things moving right along, and the mystery is wrapped up in a logical fashion. The characters are a little out there, but that is definitely part of the fun of the series. They contribute to the laughs, which are plentiful. This is definitely light reading but lots of fun.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-death-by-tiara-by-laura.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Leah Rothwell (170 KP) rated The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) in Movies
Oct 17, 2018
If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves adventure, fantasy, twists and turns. You don’t have to have read the books to love them and you don’t need to watch the hobbit first to fall in love either.
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