Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Death by Hot Cocoa in Books
Nov 8, 2022
Escape from a Killer
Krissy Hancock has been talked into doing a Christmas themed escape room by her friend Rita. The game starts out with the participants being placed in separate rooms, but when they all meet up in the second room, they find the body of their host, Lewis, lying in a pool of spilled hot cocoa. Is Krissy locked in a room with a killer? Can she figure out the clues to the crime and the clues to escaping the room?
Since it had been so long since I read the first book, I really didn’t remember much about the characters in the series, but that is okay because almost the entire story takes place at the escape room. With Krissy trapped in a room with all the suspects, it is easy to get to know them. I hadn’t tried any escape rooms yet when I read this story, but I appreciated how this modern trend was used to update the locked room staple of the mystery genre. It was well done with the clues to both parts of the mystery layered in to the events. This one definitely kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Christmas Cocoa Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
Since it had been so long since I read the first book, I really didn’t remember much about the characters in the series, but that is okay because almost the entire story takes place at the escape room. With Krissy trapped in a room with all the suspects, it is easy to get to know them. I hadn’t tried any escape rooms yet when I read this story, but I appreciated how this modern trend was used to update the locked room staple of the mystery genre. It was well done with the clues to both parts of the mystery layered in to the events. This one definitely kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Christmas Cocoa Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Logged On in Books
Dec 1, 2022
Does Julia Have a Suspicious Neighbor?
This Christmas, Julia has become obsessed with creating a perfect Yule Log cake to impress her boyfriend's family when they come for Christmas, but her efforts aren't turning out well. She is so desperate that she goes to a neighbor, Mrs. St. Onge, since her cakes were legendary. Mrs. St. Onge is an older lady, but as Julia begins to spend more time with her, Julia begins to wonder about the many people from Mrs. St. Onge’s past and present who seem to disappear from her life around the holidays. Is Julia in any danger herself?
The mystery on this one really drew me in. It is on the shorter size for a novella, but it had me turning pages quickly to find out if my suspicion on what was happening was true or not. As always, the characters are wonderful. We only see quick glimpses of some of the regulars, but they are still charming. And the new characters are great. As a bonus, there’s a recipe for a Yule Log cake at the end.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Yule Log Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
The mystery on this one really drew me in. It is on the shorter size for a novella, but it had me turning pages quickly to find out if my suspicion on what was happening was true or not. As always, the characters are wonderful. We only see quick glimpses of some of the regulars, but they are still charming. And the new characters are great. As a bonus, there’s a recipe for a Yule Log cake at the end.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Yule Log Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The Christmas Caper in Books
Dec 19, 2022
Museum Robbery at Christmas
Tempest Raj and her family are reviving a Christmas tradition this year – Christmas in Scotland. Her grandparents have even booked a flat with a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle. However, a reunion with a family friend present Tempest with a puzzle to solve. The local museum was robbed recently, and no one can figure out how the thieves pulled it off. The friend has a connection to the museum and asks Tempest to see if she can figure out how the thieves pulled it off. Will Tempest’s background as a magician help solve the puzzle?
When I learned about this story, I immediate snagged it to read during December. It was exactly what I expected, a fun, short read. I finished it in under an hour. As a result, the story is a bit straight forward, but that’s not really a complaint. More an observation. While we don’t see all the characters we met in the first book, it was fun catching up with some of them again. The new characters work for the story here. While this does fit between the first and second novels in the series, you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this book. Speaking of enjoying, there are two recipes at the end that sound delicious. If you are looking for a short story to read in December, you’ll be glad you snagged this one.
When I learned about this story, I immediate snagged it to read during December. It was exactly what I expected, a fun, short read. I finished it in under an hour. As a result, the story is a bit straight forward, but that’s not really a complaint. More an observation. While we don’t see all the characters we met in the first book, it was fun catching up with some of them again. The new characters work for the story here. While this does fit between the first and second novels in the series, you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this book. Speaking of enjoying, there are two recipes at the end that sound delicious. If you are looking for a short story to read in December, you’ll be glad you snagged this one.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated A Merry Little Murder Plot in Books
Oct 9, 2024
A Shocking Christmas Murder
This winter, the Briar Creek Library is hosting a writer in residence, and they are honored to have thriller writer Helen Monroe as she works on something new. But Lindsey Norris’s radar goes off when she meets an obsessive fan of Helen’s. Sure enough, the sparks fly when the two meet at a public event. And then Lindsey finds a dead body in the city’s park – electrocuted by the town’s Christmas lights. Can she figure out what is going on?
I always enjoy visiting these characters, and that was no exception. Having said that, I didn’t appreciate the subplot about book banning, mainly because it was just knee jerk storytelling and didn’t have any of the nuance that should be involved in the topic. Still, that was a minor part of a book I enjoyed overall. The plot was great and kept me guessing even about who the victim would be (I went in without reading anything about the plot). The twists kept coming after the murder, but everything made sense at the end. The characters, both old and new, were fun. I laughed quite a few times as I went along. And the festive setting added a nice touch to the book. There are some Christmassy extras at the end. Fans will love this book. Anyone looking for a fun Christmas mystery will be glad they picked this book up.
I always enjoy visiting these characters, and that was no exception. Having said that, I didn’t appreciate the subplot about book banning, mainly because it was just knee jerk storytelling and didn’t have any of the nuance that should be involved in the topic. Still, that was a minor part of a book I enjoyed overall. The plot was great and kept me guessing even about who the victim would be (I went in without reading anything about the plot). The twists kept coming after the murder, but everything made sense at the end. The characters, both old and new, were fun. I laughed quite a few times as I went along. And the festive setting added a nice touch to the book. There are some Christmassy extras at the end. Fans will love this book. Anyone looking for a fun Christmas mystery will be glad they picked this book up.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated The Christmas Blessing in Books
Dec 8, 2017
The Christmas Blessing is a really good book. It had me emotional throughout the book. This shows the sad and the happy. It deals with a young woman with her son. The young woman thinks here soon to be husband has died and so do his parents.
Will the Bentley accept Amelia and her son? Amelia does something to help her son Jimmy? She cares about her son. Amelia sees Jimmy family putting together a Nativity the day after Thanksgiving. She worries about her son and that he is sick. She does something and the family finds him.
We meet James Bentley and what happened to him for sure. There a sweet ending and I do not want to give it away. Carlson does a good job writing the plot and it was done nicely. There some sweet moments and some teary moments.
It a great Christmas story and it is sweet. I loved it.
Will the Bentley accept Amelia and her son? Amelia does something to help her son Jimmy? She cares about her son. Amelia sees Jimmy family putting together a Nativity the day after Thanksgiving. She worries about her son and that he is sick. She does something and the family finds him.
We meet James Bentley and what happened to him for sure. There a sweet ending and I do not want to give it away. Carlson does a good job writing the plot and it was done nicely. There some sweet moments and some teary moments.
It a great Christmas story and it is sweet. I loved it.
Carol (3 KP) rated Christmas Bliss in Books
Jan 10, 2018
Christmas Bliss was the last of my Christmas reads for the year. I have read two others in the series and really like Weezie and BeBe. This time around, Weezie’s getting ready to marry her chef boyfriend, Daniel, but he’s off in New York on a temporary gig at a very swanky restaurant. BeBe’s pregnant and refuses to marry her live-in boyfriend Harry, but she also might still be married to one of her exes. It’s complicated.
It’s a sweet story. There’s not much conflict and the couple of “issues” that crop up are quickly resolved. Weezie and BeBe are great characters, fun, quirky, but I don’t know that this would work as well as a stand-alone. It was nice to already know them and appreciate that they were getting their “happily ever afters.”
It’s a sweet story. There’s not much conflict and the couple of “issues” that crop up are quickly resolved. Weezie and BeBe are great characters, fun, quirky, but I don’t know that this would work as well as a stand-alone. It was nice to already know them and appreciate that they were getting their “happily ever afters.”
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Lost Christmas Memories (Gold Country Cowboys #4) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
A witness with amnesia Can she trust this Gold Country Cowboy with her life? Tracy Wilson witnessed a murder—but after a head injury, she can’t remember what she saw. Now someone plans to silence her for good, and only cowboy Keegan Thorn believes her. With a killer after her at Christmas, Tracy is running out of time to remember…and falling dangerously hard for the cowboy who could break her heart.
My Thoughts: In this book, we find the Thorn family preparing for the double wedding of Jack and Owen. The storyline centers around the fourth son Keegan. Keegan learns the value of a close family and learning how to let his heart truly love, as he lets go of past hurts.
Dana Mentink has written another gripping story of suspense, with a mix of romance. Readers will truly enjoy this novel. This book will is a great novel for the Christmas season.
A great novel of love and forgiveness.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Thoughts: In this book, we find the Thorn family preparing for the double wedding of Jack and Owen. The storyline centers around the fourth son Keegan. Keegan learns the value of a close family and learning how to let his heart truly love, as he lets go of past hurts.
Dana Mentink has written another gripping story of suspense, with a mix of romance. Readers will truly enjoy this novel. This book will is a great novel for the Christmas season.
A great novel of love and forgiveness.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Daddy's Home 2 (2017) in Movies
Feb 6, 2018 (Updated Feb 6, 2018)
The first Daddy's Home was hardly a comedic masterpiece. It was sub par for the most part and only really borderline enjoyable thanks to a cast that seemed enthusiastic and game to play a part in it. For the sequel, like Bad Mom's (a franchise where it's first movie was actually great) it has decided to bring in the grandparents. That didn't work out well for A Bad Mom's Christmas and it doesn't work for Daddy's Home 2 either.
There's nothing wrong with the performances in this one as such. Nobody is all that great, but they do the best they can with the material. The material however is the problem. This script is dire. It's a comedy without any jokes, a christmas movie without any heart and a family story where almost everyone is unwittingly unlikeable. I can't think of a single joke, a single moment that made me laugh and when a film contains Farrel, Wahlberg, Gibson and Lithgow- that's unforgivable.
There's nothing wrong with the performances in this one as such. Nobody is all that great, but they do the best they can with the material. The material however is the problem. This script is dire. It's a comedy without any jokes, a christmas movie without any heart and a family story where almost everyone is unwittingly unlikeable. I can't think of a single joke, a single moment that made me laugh and when a film contains Farrel, Wahlberg, Gibson and Lithgow- that's unforgivable.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated E is for Evidence (Kinsey Millhone, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
A couple of days before Christmas, Kinsey is asked to investigate a fire for the insurance company she sometimes works for. Everything looks routine until she is called in to defend her findings and sees pages that were not part of her original file. Afraid she might find herself accused of insurance fraud, she starts investigating the situation. But is she the target or an innocent bystander?
I truly enjoyed this book since it starts out with a great mystery that doesn’t involved a murder. Of course, when murder does enter the picture, it only gets more compelling from there. What few supporting characters there are in the series are mostly missing thanks to the Christmas time frame, but I found it a great way to develop Kinsey more, and the new characters were fabulous, doing their job as suspects perfectly.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-e-is-for-evidence-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I truly enjoyed this book since it starts out with a great mystery that doesn’t involved a murder. Of course, when murder does enter the picture, it only gets more compelling from there. What few supporting characters there are in the series are mostly missing thanks to the Christmas time frame, but I found it a great way to develop Kinsey more, and the new characters were fabulous, doing their job as suspects perfectly.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-e-is-for-evidence-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Dec 25, 2019
The Christmas Holiday Speical
The Rise of Skywalker- is better than the last jedi but worse than force awakens. I mean it has good parts, intresting parts and alot of bad parts, no spoilers. All of go to this place to get this thing, than go to that place, than that place and continues on until the end. Still alot of unanswered questions from the pervious movies, still alot of questions from this movie, that will be unanswered. Alot of what the fuck moments from this movie.
The Plot: The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.
A fitting conclusion to this saga. I felt that this whole new sega was way overhyped, just so much hype for them, that their were all okay.
May The Force Be With You All, and a merry christmas. Happy holidays and a happy new year.
The Plot: The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.
A fitting conclusion to this saga. I felt that this whole new sega was way overhyped, just so much hype for them, that their were all okay.
May The Force Be With You All, and a merry christmas. Happy holidays and a happy new year.