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40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated A Stolen Child in Books

Jun 21, 2023  
A Stolen Child
A Stolen Child
Sarah Stewart Taylor | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder and Kidnapping
Maggie D’arcy has completed her training and has officially joined the Garda in Ireland. While she waits for an opportunity to be promoted to detective, she is on patrol and is called to the scene of a murder. Not only does Maggie recognize it as an address she had been to a few days before after a domestic disturbance call, she also realizes that the victim had a toddler who is now missing. On loan to the detectives for this case, can Maggie find the child in time? Will her knowledge of the neighborhood help?

Maggie has been on quite a journey in this series, and it’s nice to see this natural step in her career. The plot starts strongly. While it does get a little uneven in the middle, things pick up when we get to several logical twists at the climax. I liked how Maggie’s knowledge of the neighborhood where the crime took place played an important part of the plot. The suspects come to life, and it is nice to see Maggie’s relationships grown, both personally and professionally. As a police procedural, this is a bit darker than the cozies I typically read, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. If you are looking for a solid police procedural set in Ireland, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated French Quarter Fright Night in Books

Sep 4, 2024  
French Quarter Fright Night
French Quarter Fright Night
Ellen Byron | 2024 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Frightful Time with the New Neighbor
Ricki James-Diaz is leading the efforts of the Bon Vee staff to put on the best haunted house New Orleans has seen this Halloween. Those efforts are being hampered by their new next-door neighbor, who is constantly making complaints about them. Ricki is shocked when she learns who has bought the house – mega movie star Blaine Taggart, the best friend of her late husband. Ricki had hoped to never see Blaine again, but things get complicated when another dead body turns up on Bon Vee property. Can Ricki once again figure out what happened?

I’m so glad that a new publisher picked up this series. It was wonderful to visit Ricki and her friends again. I enjoyed getting to see some of the relationships grow in this book, even if Ricki’s relationship with the detective isn’t really realistic. I also enjoyed seeing Hollywood pop up here. The mystery itself is strong with some nice surprises before we reach the logical ending. It was fun to visit the city during Halloween. As always, I laughed several times while reading. We also get some recipes inspired by vintage cookbooks at the end of the book, including several appropriate for the season. Fans will be just as happy as I was that Ricki and her friends are back.