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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated O, Deadly Night in Books
Oct 16, 2025
Suspicious New Neighbors
It may be busy season, aka December, but Merry’s landlord at home is distracted by the new neighbors who have moved in. Mrs. D’Angelo hasn’t been able to meet them, and as the center of the town’s gossip mill, that doesn’t sit right. And, she keeps noticing weird things going on at the house. Merry’s too busy to give it too much attention. That is, until Mrs. D’Angelo disappears. Was she right about something strange going on across the street?
Being the Christmas lover I am, I’ve generally enjoy this series. And, once again, I did find the setting charming and the characters fun to spend time with. However, there were repetitive passages that should have been edited out or condensed. The pacing was off in general, not helped by Merry’s passive attitude toward the mystery, and Merry was pretty stupid at the end, even though she did figure things out. If the descriptions of food make your mouth water, you’ll be happy to find there are a couple of recipes at the end. Sadly, for me, this was a mixed bag.
Being the Christmas lover I am, I’ve generally enjoy this series. And, once again, I did find the setting charming and the characters fun to spend time with. However, there were repetitive passages that should have been edited out or condensed. The pacing was off in general, not helped by Merry’s passive attitude toward the mystery, and Merry was pretty stupid at the end, even though she did figure things out. If the descriptions of food make your mouth water, you’ll be happy to find there are a couple of recipes at the end. Sadly, for me, this was a mixed bag.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Half Of What You Hear in Books
Mar 20, 2019
Captivating characters and story
Bess and Cole Warner arrive in Greyhill, Virginia from Washington, DC. Ostensibly they've come to take over the local inn from Cole's parents, Diane and Bradley, but they are also fleeing the city. Bess is leaving behind her job as a social secretary at the White House, which she left in disgrace. Greyhill, meanwhile, is a beautiful town, but also one of old money, tradition, and gossip. Bess literally lives across the stress from her in-laws, allowing Diane to pop in anytime, bringing with her her trademark mixture of judgement and condescension. Bess soon realizes that it's not easy to assimilate into Greyhill if you're deemed an "outsider." Her husband seems happy among his old friends--many of whom are more than glad to spread gossip about Bess. Her twin children are figuring out their way at the local private school--a challenge that seems harder for her daughter than son. When she's offered a chance to write an article on a local figure, Susannah Greyhill Lane, Bess jumps at the chance. She soon realizes Susannah is a bit of a kindred spirit: the town doesn't seem to like her much either. Susannah also has a lot of secrets, some of which involve Bess' in-laws. As Bess learns more about Greyhill's past, she starts to wonder exactly what she's gotten herself and her family into.
This was a really engaging, easy-to-read book that expertly captured the small town dynamic. Bess was a likeable character, struggling as an outsider in her husband's town. She's trying to put a mistake behind her at her former job, giving her even more trust issues. The novel is told mainly from Bess' point of view, but we also get snippets of town gossip, too. Ugh, having lived in such a town, I can tell you that Lewis really gets it right. I was wrapped up in the story from the beginning and felt awfully sorry for Bess--moving away from all she knew and having to deal with those hateful small town busybodies (sometimes there's nothing worse, really).
"It's like living in Stars Hollow, the charming small town on Gilmore Girls... Although honestly, so far, Greyhill feels a little more Desperate Housewives. The star character being me."
I was initially drawn to reading this book because the fake town of Greyhill, as written, is practically in my backyard. It frequently mentions my hometown of Madison (which, believe me, *never* shows up in books - it's not that big), as well as where I currently live. Even better, Lewis captures both quite well, as well as the moneyed, snobby atmosphere of Greyhill that will be intimately familiar to anyone who lives in Virginia. There's always something fun about reading about a place (or places) you know. My favorite sports team even gets a mention!
Bess is also a very realistic mother. The book does an excellent job of capturing how hard it is being a mom when your kid is going through a hard time, for example. Honestly, it does a good job of portraying parenthood in general--it's real and true throughout. I very much appreciated that. None of the sugarcoated parent/child relationships we get in some books.
This one was not completely what I expected. While it's character-driven and portrays Bess' struggle to fit in in Greyhill, it is almost a mystery at times. You can't really trust what you read and it's twisty, with some surprises thrown in. It makes for a fast, interesting read that delves into the history of Greyhill and Bess' family.
Overall, this was a really captivating book. I enjoyed the characters and the story--and the setting was a real bonus. This is the first book I've read by Krusek Lewis, but I definitely would like to read more.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Harper Collins, via LibraryThing in return for an unbiased review - thank you!
This was a really engaging, easy-to-read book that expertly captured the small town dynamic. Bess was a likeable character, struggling as an outsider in her husband's town. She's trying to put a mistake behind her at her former job, giving her even more trust issues. The novel is told mainly from Bess' point of view, but we also get snippets of town gossip, too. Ugh, having lived in such a town, I can tell you that Lewis really gets it right. I was wrapped up in the story from the beginning and felt awfully sorry for Bess--moving away from all she knew and having to deal with those hateful small town busybodies (sometimes there's nothing worse, really).
"It's like living in Stars Hollow, the charming small town on Gilmore Girls... Although honestly, so far, Greyhill feels a little more Desperate Housewives. The star character being me."
I was initially drawn to reading this book because the fake town of Greyhill, as written, is practically in my backyard. It frequently mentions my hometown of Madison (which, believe me, *never* shows up in books - it's not that big), as well as where I currently live. Even better, Lewis captures both quite well, as well as the moneyed, snobby atmosphere of Greyhill that will be intimately familiar to anyone who lives in Virginia. There's always something fun about reading about a place (or places) you know. My favorite sports team even gets a mention!
Bess is also a very realistic mother. The book does an excellent job of capturing how hard it is being a mom when your kid is going through a hard time, for example. Honestly, it does a good job of portraying parenthood in general--it's real and true throughout. I very much appreciated that. None of the sugarcoated parent/child relationships we get in some books.
This one was not completely what I expected. While it's character-driven and portrays Bess' struggle to fit in in Greyhill, it is almost a mystery at times. You can't really trust what you read and it's twisty, with some surprises thrown in. It makes for a fast, interesting read that delves into the history of Greyhill and Bess' family.
Overall, this was a really captivating book. I enjoyed the characters and the story--and the setting was a real bonus. This is the first book I've read by Krusek Lewis, but I definitely would like to read more.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Harper Collins, via LibraryThing in return for an unbiased review - thank you!
Sleepless Cinderella: PARTY
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Sam (74 KP) rated Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in Books
Mar 27, 2019
I really quite enjoyed this. It begins with a lot of mystery which creates a gripping plot right from the start. Blue is introduced almost immediately which left me looking for clues all of the way through the book.
I worked out who Blue was quite quickly, which did leave me shouting at Simon to open his eyes and the big reveal at the end wasn’t as surprising.
I did like that it faced quite modern issues – Simon was called out on an anonymous gossip Tumblr page for his school. I’ve read quite a few books lately that take a focus on cyber bulling and I feel like it is a much-needed topic in YA fiction.
One thing I was unsure of was the justice in the book. Martin blackmails Simon over seeing his emails to Blue yet nothing actually happens to him, despite the fact that he threatened to out Simon if he didn’t do what he wanted. I feel like more could have been done with his character rather than a quick forgive and forget.
I feel like the book needed more, but that’s also why Leah on The Offbeat exists. I can’t wait to get to read it.
I worked out who Blue was quite quickly, which did leave me shouting at Simon to open his eyes and the big reveal at the end wasn’t as surprising.
I did like that it faced quite modern issues – Simon was called out on an anonymous gossip Tumblr page for his school. I’ve read quite a few books lately that take a focus on cyber bulling and I feel like it is a much-needed topic in YA fiction.
One thing I was unsure of was the justice in the book. Martin blackmails Simon over seeing his emails to Blue yet nothing actually happens to him, despite the fact that he threatened to out Simon if he didn’t do what he wanted. I feel like more could have been done with his character rather than a quick forgive and forget.
I feel like the book needed more, but that’s also why Leah on The Offbeat exists. I can’t wait to get to read it.