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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated The Vinyl Detective - Written in Dead Wax: 1 in Books
Feb 10, 2022
There’s a Good Story Here, but You Have to Search for It
He joking called himself the Vinyl Detective, but that brought a beautiful woman to his door. Her employer wants him to track down a very rare jazz record. Considering the fee he would get, he quickly agrees to the job. However, when a dead body turns up and someone starts following him, the question becomes will he find the record? Or is it even worth it?
I was amused to discover after I’d finished the book that we never do get the main character’s name. However, reading the book, it never felt awkward, especially with the first-person narration. And that didn’t lessen the character at all. In fact, he leads a great cast that I enjoyed spending time with. Unfortunately, the plot was slow and repetitive. There were some good twists and complications, but they were too few. Plus, we were left with some questions that needed to be answered. On the other hand, I really did enjoy the banter between the characters; this had me chuckling and laughing as I read. I was curious about the series, but I doubt I will be back for more.
I was amused to discover after I’d finished the book that we never do get the main character’s name. However, reading the book, it never felt awkward, especially with the first-person narration. And that didn’t lessen the character at all. In fact, he leads a great cast that I enjoyed spending time with. Unfortunately, the plot was slow and repetitive. There were some good twists and complications, but they were too few. Plus, we were left with some questions that needed to be answered. On the other hand, I really did enjoy the banter between the characters; this had me chuckling and laughing as I read. I was curious about the series, but I doubt I will be back for more.
Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1) in Books
Apr 18, 2023
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Gwyn is on the run from her fiance-to-be and the pain he's caused her. Asher is part fae and a fire wielder of the highest calling. When serious fires keep happening there's only one person to blame isn't there?
This is the first in the series of the Everwood Falls tales and if they are all written like this I really cannot wait for future stories. The way Kat has written made me feel included in the story never far away from the action and if any questions did arise like I wonder what's happened with this bit, or who's involved why, etc they got answered pretty quickly in the story a little bit further on. I haven't found anything that's left me confused or trying to guess what's happened and once I was able to sit and read it I could have continued to read it for a bit longer even if it hadn't finished where it did
Recommended read.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Gwyn is on the run from her fiance-to-be and the pain he's caused her. Asher is part fae and a fire wielder of the highest calling. When serious fires keep happening there's only one person to blame isn't there?
This is the first in the series of the Everwood Falls tales and if they are all written like this I really cannot wait for future stories. The way Kat has written made me feel included in the story never far away from the action and if any questions did arise like I wonder what's happened with this bit, or who's involved why, etc they got answered pretty quickly in the story a little bit further on. I haven't found anything that's left me confused or trying to guess what's happened and once I was able to sit and read it I could have continued to read it for a bit longer even if it hadn't finished where it did
Recommended read.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Murder in Midtown in Books
May 4, 2023
Louise Faces a Hot Second Case
Louise Faulk is following her desire to become a New York City police officer by taking the entrance exam, something that is rare for women in 1913. Taking it makes her late for work, which is why she is the last to arrive and find the building completely burned down. What’s more shocking is when she learns that one of her bosses was inside. Guy rarely started before noon, if that early, so what was he doing there already? With time on her hands, Louise digs into what happened. Can she learn the truth?
I’m sad I waited so long to get to this book because it was a delight. There is plenty here to keep us guessing, with some great twists along the way. The suspects in this book were supporting players in the first, so it was fun to see them more developed. The series regulars are all back and it was great to spend more time with. In fact, one of them brings a real person into the book, which I enjoyed. The world of 1913 came to life as I was reading. I was kept guessing until I reached the end. I need to move on to book three sooner rather than later.
I’m sad I waited so long to get to this book because it was a delight. There is plenty here to keep us guessing, with some great twists along the way. The suspects in this book were supporting players in the first, so it was fun to see them more developed. The series regulars are all back and it was great to spend more time with. In fact, one of them brings a real person into the book, which I enjoyed. The world of 1913 came to life as I was reading. I was kept guessing until I reached the end. I need to move on to book three sooner rather than later.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Record Store Reckoning in Books
Mar 9, 2023 (Updated Mar 9, 2023)
Murder of a Mentor
Darcy Gaughan has just returned home from a wonderful vacation. On her first day back at work, she makes a horrible discovery, the body of her boss and mentor in his office. The evidence seems to point to suicide, or at least that’s what the police think. Darcy doesn’t buy it for a minute and starts to investigate to learn the truth. Can she figure out what really happened? Or are the police right?
I couldn’t resist a music store set cozy, and this one introduced us to some great characters. I liked Darcy and the rest of the staff, and the suspects were strong as well. I appreciated the fact that they still had motives even though the victim was generally a well-loved person. I did feel the pacing was off, including a small data dump early on, but it did build to a strong climax. I also found a lot of typos in the physical copy I bought soon after it came out. The book is still very readable, but they were annoying. Things build to a logical and fun climax. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Darcy next.
I couldn’t resist a music store set cozy, and this one introduced us to some great characters. I liked Darcy and the rest of the staff, and the suspects were strong as well. I appreciated the fact that they still had motives even though the victim was generally a well-loved person. I did feel the pacing was off, including a small data dump early on, but it did build to a strong climax. I also found a lot of typos in the physical copy I bought soon after it came out. The book is still very readable, but they were annoying. Things build to a logical and fun climax. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Darcy next.
Merissa (12919 KP) rated Victoria & Violet (Royal Maids #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2022
VICTORIA & VIOLET is the first book in the Royal Maids series and what a start this is! We see Victoria in her early years, a free-spirited and strong-willed young lady. We also meet Violet, a maid in the queen's service and firmly under the thumb of her social-climbing, manipulative, abusive mother. When Violet starts her service to Victoria though, she becomes her own person - through trials and errors.
This novel is perfectly paced and full of amazing characters, brought to life by Ms. Brimble's writing style. The story is genteel, full of hope and love, and yet simultaneously shows how hard life can be in certain situations and circumstances.
Each of the characters is interesting and intriguing in their own ways - whether you like them or not! I loved the epilogue giving us an insight into how their lives are turning out, and I can't wait to read more in this series.
An excellent start and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
This novel is perfectly paced and full of amazing characters, brought to life by Ms. Brimble's writing style. The story is genteel, full of hope and love, and yet simultaneously shows how hard life can be in certain situations and circumstances.
Each of the characters is interesting and intriguing in their own ways - whether you like them or not! I loved the epilogue giving us an insight into how their lives are turning out, and I can't wait to read more in this series.
An excellent start and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Tall Tales
10.0
Rate It
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The second book in a new trilogy of twisted fairy tales from New York Times bestselling author James...
Quantum Reaction
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Life-altering tech is on the horizon, and someone wants it stopped—permanently. Can a murder...
Science Fiction Mystery
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Forbidden Lust (Sinful Knights) in Books
Jun 16, 2025
too short but steamy!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is the first I've read of Mr Takely and I do think I might read some more. I liked this, a lot.
Written from both Josh (not Joshua!) and Daniel's point of view, it tells of falling in love with quite possibly the most forbidden person: the son of your best friend. Cos that's basically what happens. Josh meets Daniel, they have amazing chemistry. Then Josh finds out Daniel is best friends with his sperm donor, the man who wants nothing to do with Josh.
There was not too much emphasis on the age gap, 20 years. I liked that. Too often it is the whole focus of a book, but not here. I liked that Daniel falls hard and fast, regardless who Josh is.
I hated Josh's sperm donor, and what he does here. He does redeem himself, but only after being put in his place by Daniel and by his wife. Who was wonderful to Josh once she knows who he is!
I do like how it all played out though!
4 very good, but, far too short, stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is the first I've read of Mr Takely and I do think I might read some more. I liked this, a lot.
Written from both Josh (not Joshua!) and Daniel's point of view, it tells of falling in love with quite possibly the most forbidden person: the son of your best friend. Cos that's basically what happens. Josh meets Daniel, they have amazing chemistry. Then Josh finds out Daniel is best friends with his sperm donor, the man who wants nothing to do with Josh.
There was not too much emphasis on the age gap, 20 years. I liked that. Too often it is the whole focus of a book, but not here. I liked that Daniel falls hard and fast, regardless who Josh is.
I hated Josh's sperm donor, and what he does here. He does redeem himself, but only after being put in his place by Daniel and by his wife. Who was wonderful to Josh once she knows who he is!
I do like how it all played out though!
4 very good, but, far too short, stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Dead Girls Club in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters left me unprepared for what I was about to read.
A perfect blend of mystery, spookiness, friendship and psychological trauma. This book will keep you away from social events until you are finished. And a few days after…
<i><b>Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face…</b>
In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real – and she could prove it.
That belief got Becca killed.
It’s been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night–that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She’s done her best to put that fateful summer, Becca, and the Red Lady, behind her. Until a familiar necklace arrives in the mail, a necklace Heather hasn’t seen since the night Becca died.
The night Heather killed her.
Now, someone else knows what she did…and they’re determined to make Heather pay.</i>
From the beginning of the book, you can feel the intensity, the guilt and the mystery behind it, which was something I very much enjoy in my books. We get to see the life of Heather 30 years after the death of Becca, and we know from the very first chapter that Heather killed her.
But they were best friends. And Heather loves Becca, even now, with every atom of her body. They were those BFFs that were always together, and knew each other’s secrets. They both loved mystery and talking about serial killers. And then things somehow start to go wrong. They are slipping from the friendship slide, and they can’t do anything to stop it…
<i><b>The heart, the other half of which once hung around my neck, even after, is a cheap thing of nickel, stainless steel, or some inexpensive alloy. Originally affixed to a cardboard square and purchased by two girls who saved their allowance. Best Friends Forever. We meant it, she and I. We meant it with every bone in our bodies and every true and good thing in our souls. We didn’t know forever didn’t always last that long.</b></i>
This is one of the few stories where I rooted for a killer. I know how horrible it sounds, but I loved that perspective. The innocence behind a terrible act. The belief that what you did might have been wrong, but you still did it for the right reasons. The ultimate friendship and the boundaries.
I loved Heather, and I also loved Becca. I hated all the things that were standing between them, driving them further away from each other.
This is a book about a murder, and about a scary story becoming real. But this book is also about friendship, about psychological trauma, and about the force a person needs to get trough it. The crucial support this person requires to get through the rainy days. Heather was struggling, and there was no one beside her to help her. Everyone she knew and trusted suddenly abandoned her, and this tells a sad and realistic story about the reality people with mental health issues are facing. No one wants a damaged person in their lives, I get that. But when this person is your friend for life, when this person is your life companion, you know. You know how they were before it, and you should always be there to support them, and get them to become their healthy selves again. We all need a person in life that will push our boundaries and be there for us when we are not able to be there for ourselves.
The Dead Girls Club covers so many topics that warm and crush my heart. And I love it for it. If your book taste is similar to mine, I am sure you will love this book too, and I recommend it!
Huge thanks to Melissa and the team at Crooked Lane Books in the US, for sending me a paperback ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Wi7amb">Wishlist</a>; | <a
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The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters left me unprepared for what I was about to read.
A perfect blend of mystery, spookiness, friendship and psychological trauma. This book will keep you away from social events until you are finished. And a few days after…
<i><b>Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face…</b>
In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real – and she could prove it.
That belief got Becca killed.
It’s been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night–that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She’s done her best to put that fateful summer, Becca, and the Red Lady, behind her. Until a familiar necklace arrives in the mail, a necklace Heather hasn’t seen since the night Becca died.
The night Heather killed her.
Now, someone else knows what she did…and they’re determined to make Heather pay.</i>
From the beginning of the book, you can feel the intensity, the guilt and the mystery behind it, which was something I very much enjoy in my books. We get to see the life of Heather 30 years after the death of Becca, and we know from the very first chapter that Heather killed her.
But they were best friends. And Heather loves Becca, even now, with every atom of her body. They were those BFFs that were always together, and knew each other’s secrets. They both loved mystery and talking about serial killers. And then things somehow start to go wrong. They are slipping from the friendship slide, and they can’t do anything to stop it…
<i><b>The heart, the other half of which once hung around my neck, even after, is a cheap thing of nickel, stainless steel, or some inexpensive alloy. Originally affixed to a cardboard square and purchased by two girls who saved their allowance. Best Friends Forever. We meant it, she and I. We meant it with every bone in our bodies and every true and good thing in our souls. We didn’t know forever didn’t always last that long.</b></i>
This is one of the few stories where I rooted for a killer. I know how horrible it sounds, but I loved that perspective. The innocence behind a terrible act. The belief that what you did might have been wrong, but you still did it for the right reasons. The ultimate friendship and the boundaries.
I loved Heather, and I also loved Becca. I hated all the things that were standing between them, driving them further away from each other.
This is a book about a murder, and about a scary story becoming real. But this book is also about friendship, about psychological trauma, and about the force a person needs to get trough it. The crucial support this person requires to get through the rainy days. Heather was struggling, and there was no one beside her to help her. Everyone she knew and trusted suddenly abandoned her, and this tells a sad and realistic story about the reality people with mental health issues are facing. No one wants a damaged person in their lives, I get that. But when this person is your friend for life, when this person is your life companion, you know. You know how they were before it, and you should always be there to support them, and get them to become their healthy selves again. We all need a person in life that will push our boundaries and be there for us when we are not able to be there for ourselves.
The Dead Girls Club covers so many topics that warm and crush my heart. And I love it for it. If your book taste is similar to mine, I am sure you will love this book too, and I recommend it!
Huge thanks to Melissa and the team at Crooked Lane Books in the US, for sending me a paperback ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Wi7amb">Wishlist</a>; | <a
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated The Hideaway (Lavender Shores #5) in Books
Dec 15, 2017
Loving this series
When Micah Bryant was 9 years old, his future was pulled into his family. It takes Connor Clark a long time to realise that Micah was always The One, will only ever be The One. They just need to tell the family. And avoid Connor's past.
Loving this series, I really am, despite the fact its first person multi point of view ? or maybe even BECAUSE it's written that way, regardless, loving this series.
You don't need to have read the other four books, although they are all 4 and 5 star reads, they can all be read as stand alones, but it would give you a better understanding of the Founding Families of Lavender Shores, and the strong bond they have. It will give you a better understanding of just WHY Connor is so reluctant to become official with Micah.
I enjoyed this one, not as much as book4, The Shipwreck, but it's still a very good read. I think more could have been made of the Moses' (Connor's nephew) return home story line, because let's face it, the Clark family are not the nicest bunch of folks, and I would like to have known how Connor ended up with Moses in his custody in the first place, that was not really explained.
But I am enjoying that there is no real break ups in these books, there is no real violence to deal with. They really are just great reads, books to fall into and forget about the world for a few hours.
Seth though, he needs a story! The poor guy is hard done by here, and I want to see him happy!
A great, well written, well delivered story.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Loving this series, I really am, despite the fact its first person multi point of view ? or maybe even BECAUSE it's written that way, regardless, loving this series.
You don't need to have read the other four books, although they are all 4 and 5 star reads, they can all be read as stand alones, but it would give you a better understanding of the Founding Families of Lavender Shores, and the strong bond they have. It will give you a better understanding of just WHY Connor is so reluctant to become official with Micah.
I enjoyed this one, not as much as book4, The Shipwreck, but it's still a very good read. I think more could have been made of the Moses' (Connor's nephew) return home story line, because let's face it, the Clark family are not the nicest bunch of folks, and I would like to have known how Connor ended up with Moses in his custody in the first place, that was not really explained.
But I am enjoying that there is no real break ups in these books, there is no real violence to deal with. They really are just great reads, books to fall into and forget about the world for a few hours.
Seth though, he needs a story! The poor guy is hard done by here, and I want to see him happy!
A great, well written, well delivered story.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**