A Midnight Puzzle
8.0
Rate It
Book
In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Public Anchovy #1 in Books
Aug 2, 2024 (Updated Aug 2, 2024)
This is a mystery trope we don’t see very often any more, and I was a little concerned about the author pulling it off when I sat down to read it. I need not have worried. There was plenty here to keep me engaged and confused as we worked toward the logical climax. We do see most of the regulars (only one gets a cameo as a result of the set up), and it was nice to get updates on them. Meanwhile, the suspects kept me guessing. The atmosphere of the storm also added to the fun of the story. There are some recipes at the end, and the focus on creating a pizza with alternative ingredients. This is the best book in the series to date.
Death Checked Out
6.5
Rate It
Book
When in doubt, go to the library...and solve the murder mystery! Greta Plank, library director in...
First Snow (Northbound #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
JARETH FAELING is many things. As a half-Fae, he tries to fit in a world of humans who have...
MM Paranormal Romance
Take the Honey and Run
7.0
Rate It
Book
As a successful mystery author, Bailey Briggs writes about murder, but nothing prepares her for...
Murder at Mallowan Hall
8.0
Rate It
Book
As head of household for none other than Agatha Christie, Phyllida Bright finds her position...
Silent as the Grave
5.0
Rate It
Book
Retired Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan goes undercover in the next book in the New York Times...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Shattered Sight (Jackson Davis Mysteries #1) in Books
Mar 19, 2025
Jackson's mental health is a major subplot of this book, and I'll admit it gave me some anxiety while reading. Talk about great writing. But I ultimately liked where that story ended and what it allowed us to learn about all the characters in the book. I really did enjoy getting to meet them and am looking forward to spending more time with them. The suspects were also strong. The mystery was great since there were so many avenues to pursue, I had a hard time figuring anything out. Yet in the end, things did make sense. Since this is a police procedural, the content is definitely more than the cozies I often read, but the few scenes were obvious when they were coming. This is a solid series debut, and I am looking forward to seeing what is next for Jackson.
The draw for this book is old Hollywood, and it is fun spending time with the stars. They are an active part of the plot and at times outnumber the fictional characters. Sadly, the plot is uneven with too much time spent on the antics of the stars. While it does reach a satisfactory conclusion, the plotting is clunky with elements introduced roughly. And there’s a subplot that feels forced and isn’t really resolved. While most of the book felt right historically, I did find a blatant historical error early on. The writing kept us at arm’s length, making the characters thin. This is a book to read for the old stars. If you want a good mystery, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Pocket Wife in Books
Nov 4, 2021
Book
The Pocket Wife
By Susan Crawford
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
A stylish psychological thriller with the compelling intrigue of The Silent Wife and Turn of Mind and the white-knuckle pacing of Before I Go to Sleep—in which a woman suffering from bipolar disorder cannot remember if she murdered her friend.
Dana Catrell is shocked when her neighbor Celia is brutally murdered. To Dana’s horror, she was the last person to see Celia alive. Suffering from mania, the result of her bipolar disorder, she has troubling holes in her memory, including what happened on the afternoon of Celia’s death.
Her husband’s odd behavior and the probing of Detective Jack Moss create further complications as she searches for answers. The closer she comes to piecing together the shards of her broken memory, the more Dana falls apart. Is there a murderer lurking inside her . . . or is there one out there in the shadows of reality, waiting to strike again?
A story of marriage, murder, and madness, The Pocket Wife explores the world through the foggy lens of a woman on the edge.
I just didn’t click with it. It started out ok but I just got so bored it became a chore to read. I didn’t get a good representation of Bipolar disorder either as some one who has Bipolar it just didn’t feel authentic.