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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Cat About Town (Cat Cafe Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Maddie James has returned to Daybreak Island as a result of her grandmother’s death. While there, she learns that Frank O’Malley, head of the local chamber of commerce, wants to buy her grandfather’s house, a house that has been in the family for generations. Frank is used to getting his way and is trying to scare Maddie’s grandfather into selling. So when Frank turns up dead, Maddie and her grandfather find themselves as suspects. Can Maddie clear their name?
I’ve been looking forward to this debut ever since I heard about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. The tension starts early, and once Frank’s body is found, we are off and running. I didn’t have things figured out until Maddie then, but then everything fell into place. The characters, including Maddie’s new cat, are completely charming. And the setting, a resort island off the coast of Massachusetts, is absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-cat-about-town-by-cate.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I’ve been looking forward to this debut ever since I heard about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. The tension starts early, and once Frank’s body is found, we are off and running. I didn’t have things figured out until Maddie then, but then everything fell into place. The characters, including Maddie’s new cat, are completely charming. And the setting, a resort island off the coast of Massachusetts, is absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-cat-about-town-by-cate.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Fleeing a tragic accident, Ruby Proulx crosses from Canada to Old Orchard, Maine. She’s run there to meet her mother’s side of the family for the first time. They are about to reopen the family home as a resort for spiritualists, and the summer of 1898 will be make or break for them. But when her past catches up to her and a murder threatens her new home, will Ruby be able to solve any problems?
While I am not a fan of paranormal cozies (because I don’t believe in the things they are based on), I still found this a very fun debut. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them. Even though the murder comes a little late, I still found Ruby’s introduction to Old Orchard fun, and there is plenty of conflict early on. When the murder does happen, the pace picks up and leads us to a logical conclusion.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-whispers-beyond-veil-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
While I am not a fan of paranormal cozies (because I don’t believe in the things they are based on), I still found this a very fun debut. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them. Even though the murder comes a little late, I still found Ruby’s introduction to Old Orchard fun, and there is plenty of conflict early on. When the murder does happen, the pace picks up and leads us to a logical conclusion.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-whispers-beyond-veil-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Live Free or Die in Books
Mar 9, 2018
A string of fires in the village of Winslow Falls, New Hampshire, turns deadly when the body of Beulah Price is found in the town’s museum after it had burned. Volunteer fire chief Gwen Fifield finds herself teaming up with Hugh Larsen, the state’s arson investigator to figure out what is going on. The locals are ready to point the finger at the immigrant family in town, but Gwen suspects someone else is behind the crimes. Can she find out what is going on?
Having read Jessie’s other books, I had to go back and read her debut. While it was good, it needed more polish. Some of the characters tended to blend together, and I was really bothered by how all the villagers but Gwen treated the immigrant family. One scene introduces a sub-plot that is left hanging as well. However, the mystery itself was good and kept me turning pages. My irritants were all minor, and overall I did enjoy this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-live-free-or-die-by-jessie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Having read Jessie’s other books, I had to go back and read her debut. While it was good, it needed more polish. Some of the characters tended to blend together, and I was really bothered by how all the villagers but Gwen treated the immigrant family. One scene introduces a sub-plot that is left hanging as well. However, the mystery itself was good and kept me turning pages. My irritants were all minor, and overall I did enjoy this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-live-free-or-die-by-jessie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Hollywood Homicide (Detective by Day, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
After one moderately successful commercial campaign, Dayna Anderson, Day to her friends, has given up on becoming an actress. The problem is, she still has bills that need to be paid and parents who are in danger of losing their home. So when she sees a billboard offering a reward for information on a hit and run and she realizes she and her friends were there, she figures she can provide the information. How hard could it be?
This being a novel, it turns out to be plenty hard, but that’s a great thing for us. The book provides some twists, turns, and dead ends, before Day pieces this together correctly. Along the way, we get to know a wide variety of interesting characters I can’t wait to see again. The overall tone is light with plenty of humor including some accurate observations about the area of the country I call home. This truly is a wonderful debut.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-hollywood-homicide-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This being a novel, it turns out to be plenty hard, but that’s a great thing for us. The book provides some twists, turns, and dead ends, before Day pieces this together correctly. Along the way, we get to know a wide variety of interesting characters I can’t wait to see again. The overall tone is light with plenty of humor including some accurate observations about the area of the country I call home. This truly is a wonderful debut.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-hollywood-homicide-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Dying for a Taste (A Sally Solari Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Sally is shocked to learn that her aunt Letta has been murdered in the restaurant that Letta owns in Santa Cruz. The evidence seems to point to Javier, Letta’s sous chef. Yet Sally doesn’t think he’d murder Letta, so she starts digging into Letta’s life. She uncovered some surprising secrets, but which of them might have gotten Letta murdered?
I really enjoyed this debut. It got off to a bit of a slow start as Sally dealt with the aftermath of having a relative die, but this section does help develop her character and sets up suspects. Once she fully commits to the investigation things pick up. We are introduced to several viable suspects. The story touches on some other issues as well, presenting them in a well-rounded manner and never forgetting that this is a murder mystery, both of which I greatly appreciated. The climax was creative and fun. I’m definitely looking forward to finding out what happens to Sally next.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-dying-for-taste-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I really enjoyed this debut. It got off to a bit of a slow start as Sally dealt with the aftermath of having a relative die, but this section does help develop her character and sets up suspects. Once she fully commits to the investigation things pick up. We are introduced to several viable suspects. The story touches on some other issues as well, presenting them in a well-rounded manner and never forgetting that this is a murder mystery, both of which I greatly appreciated. The climax was creative and fun. I’m definitely looking forward to finding out what happens to Sally next.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-dying-for-taste-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Toasting Up Trouble (Dinner Club Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
J.J. Tanner is an event planner by day and an aspiring chef by night. As part of her event planner job, she’s hired local chef Antonio Marcotti to cater an Italian themed party. But Antonio is a bit egotistically, and after he ignores the contract, he and J.J. get into a fight. Only the next morning, J.J. returns to clean up after the party to find that Antonio is dead. With the police looking at her and a friend in the local dinner club she’s joined as suspects, J.J. needs to find the real killer.
This debut got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the murder happened, it picked up. There were some good twists and surprises before we reached a logical ending. The characters who got a decent amount of page time were well developed, and I’m betting we’ll get to know the rest better in future books in the series.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-toasting-up-trouble-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This debut got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the murder happened, it picked up. There were some good twists and surprises before we reached a logical ending. The characters who got a decent amount of page time were well developed, and I’m betting we’ll get to know the rest better in future books in the series.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-toasting-up-trouble-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Shadow Of Doubt (The Carol Childs Mysteries, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Carol Childs is making a career change to reporter for a talk radio station in Los Angeles, and she jumps on any scoop she can get. Which is why she uses her relationship with her neighbor Samantha to get inside scoop on the death of Sam’s aunt Pepper Millhouse, one of Hollywood’s top agents. However, when what appeared to be an accident looks like murder, Carol begins to wonder if she is in over her head. Can she use her insider status to uncover the truth?
I really enjoyed this debut. It starts strong and never lags as we go from one twist to another until we reach the ending. Along the way, we get to know the cast of characters, all of whom come across as developed here. I did find one character, a psychic, more annoying than entertaining. Additionally, the book had several handfuls of typos scattered throughout the book, which annoyed me. Still, both of these were minor, and I will be reading about Carol’s further adventures soon.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-shadow-of-doubt-by-nancy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I really enjoyed this debut. It starts strong and never lags as we go from one twist to another until we reach the ending. Along the way, we get to know the cast of characters, all of whom come across as developed here. I did find one character, a psychic, more annoying than entertaining. Additionally, the book had several handfuls of typos scattered throughout the book, which annoyed me. Still, both of these were minor, and I will be reading about Carol’s further adventures soon.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-shadow-of-doubt-by-nancy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
#tubing
A pretty successful debut ... original, darkly erotic and thrilling and one which will make you look a bit harder the next time you are on a train .... or not!
This book is not one I would normally go for as I tend to keep away from overly sexual books but there was something about the synopsis that attracted me to read this ... maybe it's my dark side coming out!
The main character, Polly, is a complex and deeply flawed individual formed by a troubled upbringing and addictive personality. Not happy with her seemingly perfect life, Polly goes awry following an erotic encounter on the tube and she becomes addicted to finding that stranger again and in the process, becomes embroiled in the what can only be described as "seedy" practice of #tubing.
Written at a fast pace in an easy-to-read style with great characters, this book will immerse you in a hidden world that might just exist in the cramped and overcrowded tube system.
Thank you to the publisher, RedDoor Publishing, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I look forward to Ms McKeagney's next outing.
This book is not one I would normally go for as I tend to keep away from overly sexual books but there was something about the synopsis that attracted me to read this ... maybe it's my dark side coming out!
The main character, Polly, is a complex and deeply flawed individual formed by a troubled upbringing and addictive personality. Not happy with her seemingly perfect life, Polly goes awry following an erotic encounter on the tube and she becomes addicted to finding that stranger again and in the process, becomes embroiled in the what can only be described as "seedy" practice of #tubing.
Written at a fast pace in an easy-to-read style with great characters, this book will immerse you in a hidden world that might just exist in the cramped and overcrowded tube system.
Thank you to the publisher, RedDoor Publishing, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I look forward to Ms McKeagney's next outing.
ClareR (5642 KP) rated The Mars Room: A Novel in Books
Jul 30, 2018
A stunning debut.
Romy Hall has been given 2 consecutive life sentences for the murder of her stalker. This novel follows her arrival at prison, and reveals the story of her life in the lead up and at the start of her incarceration. We also meet some of the women who she lives with during this time.
I can see why this book has been nominated for The Man Booker Prize 2018 - it clearly shows how a childhood of poverty and benign neglect can lead to drug addiction and crime. It also shows the awful conditions of the prison that Romy is kept in and the hatred of the guards towards their charges. This isn't an environment of rehabilitation, it's an environment of harsh punishment. Which probably explains the high rates of reoffending.
It's a frustrating book to read, because I think the reader really does start to care about the people that they read about (at least I did), even though the writing doesn't actually invite us to feel for the characters. In fact it's all written in quite a detached way. They are more than just the crime they committed, and this book shows that.
I can see why this book has been nominated for The Man Booker Prize 2018 - it clearly shows how a childhood of poverty and benign neglect can lead to drug addiction and crime. It also shows the awful conditions of the prison that Romy is kept in and the hatred of the guards towards their charges. This isn't an environment of rehabilitation, it's an environment of harsh punishment. Which probably explains the high rates of reoffending.
It's a frustrating book to read, because I think the reader really does start to care about the people that they read about (at least I did), even though the writing doesn't actually invite us to feel for the characters. In fact it's all written in quite a detached way. They are more than just the crime they committed, and this book shows that.
The story. (3 more)
The background.
The charcters.
The cover.
A incredibly captivating story of one girl's adventure of finding who she truly is meant to be.
I was given a read and review copy of Essence by Hayley Gabrielle herself for my full honest opinion.
I absolutely blew through this novel in a matter of 24hrs. I was hooked from the very beginning and I must say, this was one heck of a debut novel! I loved it with a burning passion. The story was there, the background was there, for as much as I could see, there were not any noticeable grammatical errors, the plot is striking profound, and I will definitely be rereading this novel in the very near future!
Can I talk about how much I love Thorne? I really love him and honestly, I really wanted him and Abbey to be together. He deserves love too, even though he's arrogant as all get out. I cried actual tears at the final scene with the portal. An incredibly sad ending and I can not wait to see where Abbey's story continues!
You can find more about this review on my blog at bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
I absolutely blew through this novel in a matter of 24hrs. I was hooked from the very beginning and I must say, this was one heck of a debut novel! I loved it with a burning passion. The story was there, the background was there, for as much as I could see, there were not any noticeable grammatical errors, the plot is striking profound, and I will definitely be rereading this novel in the very near future!
Can I talk about how much I love Thorne? I really love him and honestly, I really wanted him and Abbey to be together. He deserves love too, even though he's arrogant as all get out. I cried actual tears at the final scene with the portal. An incredibly sad ending and I can not wait to see where Abbey's story continues!
You can find more about this review on my blog at bookingwayreads.wordpress.com