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Here and Now and Then
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To save his daughter, he’ll go anywhere—and any-when… Kin Stewart is an everyday family...
Doggerland
8.0
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Doggerland is a superbly gripping debut novel about loneliness and hope, nature and survival – set...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Death of a Red-Hot Rancher in Books
Sep 15, 2021
Lizzie Find Murder Heats Up Her Life
Lizzie Hale is enjoying running her romance bookstore. So what if her love life is a little non-existent, she loves getting to spend her days around books and interacting with her customers. Life gets much more complicated, however, when Brody Pierce dies. Brody owned the buffalo ranch outside of town, and Lizzie keeps finding evidence that her aunt may have been his secret lover. Lizzie worries that, if true, this secret will lead to her aunt being arrested for murder. Lizzie jumps in to the investigation to try to clear her aunt, but what does it mean when all the evidence she finds seems to point to her aunt?
There are plenty of book themed cozies, but this is the first one I’m aware of to feature romance novels as the specific bookish hook. I’m not a fan of the genre, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this book. Lizzie is a great main character, and she is surrounded by charming family and friends I hope will be regulars. Part of the plot was driven by misunderstandings, which drove me crazy, but on the whole the plot was good with plenty of secrets to be uncovered before we reached the logical climax. I had lots of fun along the way and even laughed a few times. If you are looking for a lighter mystery, this is a debut to pick up.
There are plenty of book themed cozies, but this is the first one I’m aware of to feature romance novels as the specific bookish hook. I’m not a fan of the genre, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this book. Lizzie is a great main character, and she is surrounded by charming family and friends I hope will be regulars. Part of the plot was driven by misunderstandings, which drove me crazy, but on the whole the plot was good with plenty of secrets to be uncovered before we reached the logical climax. I had lots of fun along the way and even laughed a few times. If you are looking for a lighter mystery, this is a debut to pick up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Death in a Blackout in Books
Apr 7, 2022
Sets Up a Promising New Series
After a tragedy at home, Billie Harkness finds herself needing a new start, so she accepts an invitation from a distant cousin to visit the northern coastal town of Hull. She arrives just before Hull experiences its first air raid in 1940. In the devastation that follows, Billie finds a dead young woman inside a building. Surprisingly, no debris is around her body. In her new job in the newly formed Women’s Police Constabulary, she starts a quiet investigation. Can she figure out what really happened?
This series debut is much like a TV show’s pilot. We get a lot of set up near the beginning. It helps us get to know Billie better, but it does mean it’s a while before the mystery truly gets going. Although we do get some threads of the mystery thanks to Peter Upton, the other third person view point character. Both of these leads are strong, and I enjoyed getting to know them. Once the mystery gets going, it is great with plenty of twists and an ending that caught me off guard. Those familiar with Jessica Ellicott’s other series will note the more serious tone, which is appropriate given the time and place this one is set. I loved how the story brought the history of the era to live; the plot wouldn’t have worked in any other time. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what danger Billie uncovers next.
This series debut is much like a TV show’s pilot. We get a lot of set up near the beginning. It helps us get to know Billie better, but it does mean it’s a while before the mystery truly gets going. Although we do get some threads of the mystery thanks to Peter Upton, the other third person view point character. Both of these leads are strong, and I enjoyed getting to know them. Once the mystery gets going, it is great with plenty of twists and an ending that caught me off guard. Those familiar with Jessica Ellicott’s other series will note the more serious tone, which is appropriate given the time and place this one is set. I loved how the story brought the history of the era to live; the plot wouldn’t have worked in any other time. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what danger Billie uncovers next.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated The Navigator’s Daughter in Books
Jun 13, 2022
Good, but Not What I Expected
When Kat Lawson’s father gets a letter from the DOD that someone has found the wreckage of his downed plane from World War II, he asks Kat to go to Hungary and take pictures of it for him and find out what happened to the people who rescued him. Since Kat’s personal life is in a state of flux, she agrees. What she finds when she gets there are people who are almost too willing to help her. Are they up to something? What will she learn about her father’s past?
This book takes place in 1996 and the setting just after Russia had left Hungary makes for an entertaining read. It allows us to get caught up in not only what happened to these characters during World War II, but also in the decades since. Honestly, if the book had stayed focused on that, I would have been completely satisfied with it. There is a crime fiction element, but it came across more as a sub-plot, and I felt it was a little forced into the book. However, it appears to be setting up future books in the series, and I will definitely be back for them. I enjoyed getting to know Kat and watching her grow as the book progressed. The other characters helped pull me into the story. This is a promising debut that I enjoyed.
This book takes place in 1996 and the setting just after Russia had left Hungary makes for an entertaining read. It allows us to get caught up in not only what happened to these characters during World War II, but also in the decades since. Honestly, if the book had stayed focused on that, I would have been completely satisfied with it. There is a crime fiction element, but it came across more as a sub-plot, and I felt it was a little forced into the book. However, it appears to be setting up future books in the series, and I will definitely be back for them. I enjoyed getting to know Kat and watching her grow as the book progressed. The other characters helped pull me into the story. This is a promising debut that I enjoyed.
We Deserve Monuments
10.0
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Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a...
Mrs March
10.0
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Shirley Jackson meets Ottessa Moshfegh meets My Sister the Serial Killer in a brilliantly unsettling...
1950’s USA Historical fiction suspense
Merissa (12356 KP) rated Beautiful Facade in Books
Feb 2, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)
BEAUTIFUL FACADE is the debut novel from Kathryn S Rose and she pulls no punches (literally) with the subjects she covers in this novel - drink, drugs, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel, told from the first perspective of the main female character. It was pretty clear from the start that Winter wouldn't end up with Liam, and their picture-perfect life wasn't as good as she imagined. I did enjoy the question mark over who was with him and was glad I was wrong. I won't say more as I don't want to ruin it!
The scene-setting was very well done, with a bunch of flawed characters as the supporting cast. If I had to say anything negative about this book, it would be the copious amount of alcohol that was drunk for the majority of the story, plus the number of texts and missed calls Winter had. If I had that many from one person in that amount of time, I'd be worried about their mental health!
On the whole, this was a great, smoothly-paced story that held my attention from beginning to end, that I have no hesitation in recommending.
* 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!
Feb 2, 2021
This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel, told from the first perspective of the main female character. It was pretty clear from the start that Winter wouldn't end up with Liam, and their picture-perfect life wasn't as good as she imagined. I did enjoy the question mark over who was with him and was glad I was wrong. I won't say more as I don't want to ruin it!
The scene-setting was very well done, with a bunch of flawed characters as the supporting cast. If I had to say anything negative about this book, it would be the copious amount of alcohol that was drunk for the majority of the story, plus the number of texts and missed calls Winter had. If I had that many from one person in that amount of time, I'd be worried about their mental health!
On the whole, this was a great, smoothly-paced story that held my attention from beginning to end, that I have no hesitation in recommending.
* 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!
Feb 2, 2021
The Unpassing
6.0
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In Chia-Chia Lin’s debut novel, The Unpassing, we meet a Taiwanese immigrant family of six...
ClareR (5784 KP) rated The Beautiful Ones: A Novel in Books
Jul 22, 2022
How could I not enjoy The Beautiful Ones? It’s basically Jane Austen with added magic!
Nina has been sent to Losail for her debut into fashionable society - and more importantly, to find a husband. But the chances of her becoming one of the Beautiful Ones is remote. She has the reputation of being the Witch of Oldhouse, and struggles to control her telekinesis. Beautiful ones do not show off any gifts they might have in public.
However when Nina meets the mysterious entertainer Hector Auvray, she falls for him: his life experience and his ability to control his telekinesis. What’s more, he starts to help Nina control her own talents.
Nina is sheltered and naive. Everything she has learnt about romance has come from the pages of a book, and life just isn’t like that, especially for socialites who must marry for advantage and connections.
I could feel Nina’s frustration at her limitations (and agreed with her), and wanted so much to warn her. SO MANY TIMES!
Nina’s cousins wife is awful. Shes a sad, vindictive woman that I loved to hate.
The descriptions of clothing and etiquette were both captivating and frankly, mind blowing. I would most certainly have been a peasant- there’s no way I could have lived like that! The attention to ‘historical’ detail made me believe this could have genuinely happened. Just excellent world building!
I loved this book ❤️
Nina has been sent to Losail for her debut into fashionable society - and more importantly, to find a husband. But the chances of her becoming one of the Beautiful Ones is remote. She has the reputation of being the Witch of Oldhouse, and struggles to control her telekinesis. Beautiful ones do not show off any gifts they might have in public.
However when Nina meets the mysterious entertainer Hector Auvray, she falls for him: his life experience and his ability to control his telekinesis. What’s more, he starts to help Nina control her own talents.
Nina is sheltered and naive. Everything she has learnt about romance has come from the pages of a book, and life just isn’t like that, especially for socialites who must marry for advantage and connections.
I could feel Nina’s frustration at her limitations (and agreed with her), and wanted so much to warn her. SO MANY TIMES!
Nina’s cousins wife is awful. Shes a sad, vindictive woman that I loved to hate.
The descriptions of clothing and etiquette were both captivating and frankly, mind blowing. I would most certainly have been a peasant- there’s no way I could have lived like that! The attention to ‘historical’ detail made me believe this could have genuinely happened. Just excellent world building!
I loved this book ❤️