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Stan has just moved to a small Connecticut town and is taking her cat to the only bet in town for the first time when she finds Carole's dead body on the floor. The vet wasn't well loved, but with the police and local gossip focusing on her as the killer, she needs to act fast to find out who really killed the vet.

I certainly enjoyed this debut. The pets were absolutely charming if not always well behaved. Stan was a refreshing change of pace for a main character because she reacts more realistically to what is happening to her than many main characters do. The plot could have been stronger, but overall it was still entertaining.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-kneading-to-die-by-liz.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
When a loyal customer brings her typewriter into The Rescued Word to be repaired, Clare Henry is shocked when a stranger follows her in demanding to buy that exact typewriter and only that typewriter. The next morning, the stranger is dead behind the shop. What was he so obsessed with that typewriter? Did it have anything to do with his murder?

This may be a debut, but the characters are already sharp, and I loved them for it. Several sub-plots revolving around them really helped with that. Unfortunately, that overwhelms the main mystery, which is very weak as a result. The climax especially suffers.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-to-helvetica-and-back-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Fallow in Books

Feb 21, 2018  
F
Fallow
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have been a big fan of cross-country, road-trip type novels ever since reading The Talisman, so I was excited to get my hands on this book. Fallow was some trip! The details of the incident that landed Mikey in jail are fed to the reader bit-by-bit, and the more you start to realize what happened, the harder it is to put this book down. Once I spotted the twist headed my way, I had to keep reading until I got to the end. I just had to know what exactly happened years ago, and how it would all end up in the present. This was a thrilling debut novel, and I’ll be watching for more from this author.

<i>NOTE: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book.</i>
  
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Milleen (47 KP) rated You in Books

Nov 14, 2018  
You
You
Caroline Kepnes | 2014 | Crime, Mystery
8
8.0 (27 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is not for the feint hearted. Joe Goldberg outwardly seems like an average guy who works in a bookstore but after a visit from a beautiful, aspiring writer, Guinevere Beck, he obsesses about the encounter and starts obsessing over her and trawling through her social media accounts. Written from his point of view, this is a disturbing but totally absorbing insight into the fractured mind of a stalker. The prose is rapid, candid and visceral, so much so that it’s hard to believe it’s a male point of view written by a woman. This was Kepne’s debut novel and released in 2015 but it’s still hovering around the top twenty bestsellers. If you need a reason to cut back on tweets and Facebook updates, this book will make you think twice before you post any updates.
  
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Watchman (19 KP) rated Beast (2017) in Movies

Jan 9, 2019 (Updated Feb 15, 2019)  
Beast (2017)
Beast (2017)
2017 | Thriller
8
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Outstanding acting (1 more)
Unpredictable
May be too bleak for some (0 more)
A chilling fairytale
A girl with a dark past, the black sheep of the family with a perfect sister, a strict, overbearing mother and an ill father, starts a red-blooded affair with a local boy, an enigma with history of run ins with the law.... and now a suspect in the worst of crimes.
Set in the gorgeously filmed isle of Jersey, Michael Pearce has directed on his debut a real nail biter. This take on the search for a serial killer of young girls, intertwined with a forbidden love story is an uncomfortable, disturbing watch at times.... but hypnotic. And newcomer Jessie Buckley is mesmerising, its hard to take your eyes off her.
Brilliant script, plot, pacing and ominous soundtrack.
A must watch for any fan of dark psychological thrillers.
  
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David McK (3280 KP) rated Battlemage in Books

Jan 28, 2019  
Battlemage
Battlemage
Stephen Aryan | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
If I was asked to describe this debut novel in one word, that word would probably be:

Battles

Lots and lots (and lots) of Battles.

At the end of the story proper, the author acknowledges previous works that have had an influence on this, the most prominent being [authr: David Gemmell]'s [b: Legend|9275658|Legend (Legend, #1)|Marie Lu|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333909141s/9275658.jpg|14157512]. It's easy to spot the similaritues between the two stories, each of which concern a siege, but there are also more than a few differences: unlike Druss, for example, Balfruss is a magic-user; the BattleMage of the title.

Maybe a tad on the long side (I felt that there were some portions that could have been trimmed down a bit), this is nevertheless a solid start to a new series
  
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Heilig’s debut novel is inspired by Hawaiian myth and folklore and has an entirely diverse cast with a biracial main character, a Persian love interest, etc. (I’ve completely forgotten about everyone else).

Have I mentioned time traveling is through maps?! If the Hawaiian myth and folklore don't grab you, then the maps definitely should.
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Paradise is a promise no god bothers to keep. There’s only now, and tomorrow nothing will be the same, whether we like it or not.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/some-of-those-arcs-from-last-year/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
The Silent Patient
The Silent Patient
Alex Michaelides | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
7
8.3 (39 Ratings)
Book Rating
Page Turner (1 more)
good paced plot
I saw the signposted ending (0 more)
I received this book as part of the giveaway here on Smashbomb, and I'm really glad I did because this is a book that would have potentially passed me by. Its a very good debut novel by Alex Michaelides and I look forward to seeing where he takes it next.

The book its self is a very easy read and a real page turner, it throws plenty of red herrings your way and tries to keep you guessing, it keeps the characters interesting enough for you to care whats happening.

For me the ending was signposted very early on, but I still read with excitement towards the end to see how it all unfolded.

I'd certainly recommend it, its a couple of days read so can be consumed quite easily.