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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2322 KP) rated Murder in Rose Hill in Books

Jul 5, 2024 (Updated Jul 5, 2024)  
Murder in Rose Hill
Murder in Rose Hill
Victoria Thompson | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Death of a Muckraker
This book opens on September 6, 1901, when Sarah meets a young woman named Louisa who is researching an article she is writing for a magazine on patent medicine. A few days later, Louisa’s father hires Frank. Someone has killed Louisa, and he wants to know who did it. As Frank and Sarah begin their investigation, they learn that little of what Louisa told Sarah was true. But did those lies lead to her death?

Since I caught up on the series last year, it’s been a longer wait than I was used to before I got to return to these characters. It was fabulous spending time with them again. The series regulars all get appearances and are their usual charming selves. We even got advancement on a plotline that had gone backwards in recent books. The mystery itself could have been a little stronger; same with the suspects. I still enjoyed it, but it’s not the best of the series. I was expecting a certain historical event to show up in the series at some point, so I was happy seeing how the characters reacted to that. Fans of this long running series will be glad they got to spend more time with characters they love. I know I was.
  
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Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Cats Aloft (Anton and Cecil #3) in Books

Jun 18, 2018  
CA
Cats Aloft (Anton and Cecil #3)
Lisa Martin | 2016
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Anton and Cecil, Book 3, by Lisa Martin, and Valerie Martin is the third book in the Anton and Cecil historical fiction series. After traveling by ship and train in the first two books, they get an opportunity to travel in the air in this outing. Anton and Cecil hook up with a bloodhound, Ruby LaNez in Chicago, to try a solve the mystery of the stolen white puppies. After helping to capture a bank robber, they head off to the fair to track down half a dozen missing white puppies. When they think they know who the culprits are, Cecil accidentally ends up in a hot air balloon. After a disaster in the sky, he ends up at the circus where he locates the missing puppies. With the help of some of the circus animals and a group of overgrown rats, he comes up with a plan to free a Siberian tiger and rescue the puppies. Anton and Ruby follow their noses and also end up at the circus.
What an enjoyable adventure for a pair of adventurous cats. The illustrations are scattered throughout this early chapter book and add just enough visual appeal that children will enjoy. For readers who love animal adventurers this is a fun series. This is an early chapter book that would be great for those late primary, junior readers to enjoy.

I received an advanced copy this book via NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers. Thanks so much.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2322 KP) rated Murder on Waverly Place in Books

Apr 4, 2020  
Murder on Waverly Place
Murder on Waverly Place
Victoria Thompson | 2009 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder at a Séance
Midwife Sarah Brandt is surprised when her mother, Mrs. Decker, begs Sarah to join her at a séance. Mrs. Decker is hoping to reach Maggie, Sarah’s older sister, and obtain forgiveness for something that happened before she passed. Sarah goes, but nothing she experiences convinces her that it is at all real. However, Mrs. Decker goes back a second time, and one of the group members is murdered. They quickly call in Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. The lights were out, and everyone was holding hands, so how was the victim killed?

Between the how and the who, I was pulled into this story and couldn’t put it down. There are some great twists along the way, and the climax is logical, although one part bothered me. It’s a very minor complaint. Sarah and Frank continue to be strong leads, ably sharing the view point of the story in a way that is easy to follow. They even made me laugh a few times as I was reading. While we don’t see Frank’s family, we do get to see more of the people in Sarah’s life, and I love spending time with them. The new characters are fantastic, and help bring New York City of 1897 to life. I always get lost in Sarah and Frank’s world, and this book was no exception. If you are looking for a historical mystery, I highly recommend this book.