Search
Search results
Quantum Reaction
Book
Life-altering tech is on the horizon, and someone wants it stopped—permanently. Can a murder...
Science Fiction Mystery
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves in Books
Oct 6, 2022 (Updated Oct 6, 2022)
Evil Elves Complicating Christmas
April Claus is thrilled that, for her second Christmas as Mrs. Claus, she is able to host her friend Claire at the North Pole. However, on top of the normal holiday chaos, there are new challenges. The reindeer are on strike. Someone scares the crowd at the annual ice sculpture contest with a drone-deer. And April’s friend Jupiter is worried about her boyfriend. Can April juggle all of this with her normal Mrs. Claus duties?
Obviously, there is quite a lot happening here. It’s all balanced perfectly with plenty of action and twists in the mystery to keep us engaged the entire time. April leads a cast of charming characters, and I enjoyed the growth in some relationships. The fantasy setting is wonderfully realized. I love getting lost in this world, and I can only imagine how much fun it would be to read this in December. Then there’s the humor. Claire’s reactions to some of the things she sees are priceless, and there are other great moments, too. Yet the more serious themes and elements work as well. If you have yet to start this series, you are in for a treat. Fans will find the Christmas spirit here no matter when they pick up the book.
Obviously, there is quite a lot happening here. It’s all balanced perfectly with plenty of action and twists in the mystery to keep us engaged the entire time. April leads a cast of charming characters, and I enjoyed the growth in some relationships. The fantasy setting is wonderfully realized. I love getting lost in this world, and I can only imagine how much fun it would be to read this in December. Then there’s the humor. Claire’s reactions to some of the things she sees are priceless, and there are other great moments, too. Yet the more serious themes and elements work as well. If you have yet to start this series, you are in for a treat. Fans will find the Christmas spirit here no matter when they pick up the book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated A Royal Affair in Books
Sep 4, 2024 (Updated Sep 4, 2024)
Protecting Royal Love
Someone has sent Princess Elizabeth a letter hinting at a scandal in the past of Prince Philip. The letter was intercepted, and Iris Sparks and Gwen Baingridge have been approached to find out if there is any truth to the scandal or not. Since it is believed that the two royals are heading for an engagement by the end of the summer, time is of the essence. When Iris and Gwen begin digging in to see if there is truth behind the insinuation, they hit dead ends and uncertain connections. Can they find out if someone is about to out a royal scandal?
I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get back to this series. This was a fun second visit. The characters are sharp, and I love how Iris and Gwen complement each other so well. The mystery was good, although it was a little overly convoluted at the end. It all made sense, however. The real world fits well into this historical mystery, and, even though I knew how history actually played out, I was hooked. I’d forgotten just how much humor there was, especially the banter between the leads. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I am able to visit them again.
I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get back to this series. This was a fun second visit. The characters are sharp, and I love how Iris and Gwen complement each other so well. The mystery was good, although it was a little overly convoluted at the end. It all made sense, however. The real world fits well into this historical mystery, and, even though I knew how history actually played out, I was hooked. I’d forgotten just how much humor there was, especially the banter between the leads. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I am able to visit them again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated Mushroom Capped in Books
Jan 10, 2024
Jackie Finds Murder Mushrooming
Former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood has landed in Conway, Maryland, for their second annual mushroom festival. She’s especially excited about connecting with her friend, Marshall. However, she quickly discovers that there’s lots of tension in town thanks to a big farming company trying to buy up the mushroom farms in the area. When Jackie finds the owner of the company dead, Marshall becomes the prime suspect. Can Jackie clear him?
I loved the first book in the series, and it was great to be spending time with Jackie again. All of her family and friends from the last book are back as well. While it would have been nice to see a bit more development for them, I still enjoyed spending time with them and loved the humor they brought to the story. The story started quickly, and when I reached the end, I appreciated just how the clues and motives were layered into the story. I was engaged the entire time, and the ending made perfect sense. If you like mushrooms, you’ll be interested in the five delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book. This is looking to be a great culinary cozy mystery series, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens at Jackie’s next festival.
I loved the first book in the series, and it was great to be spending time with Jackie again. All of her family and friends from the last book are back as well. While it would have been nice to see a bit more development for them, I still enjoyed spending time with them and loved the humor they brought to the story. The story started quickly, and when I reached the end, I appreciated just how the clues and motives were layered into the story. I was engaged the entire time, and the ending made perfect sense. If you like mushrooms, you’ll be interested in the five delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book. This is looking to be a great culinary cozy mystery series, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens at Jackie’s next festival.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated Pretty Lentil Liars in Books
Oct 9, 2024
Can Jackie Find the Truth in a Town of Liars
Jackie Norwood has landed in Holland, Washington, for their lentil festival. It quickly becomes evident that the organizer has exaggerated how big the crowds will be, but Jackie wonders what else the organizer is hiding after she receives a note claiming the organizer is a constant liar. Then she hears about the teen who vanished on prom night twelve years ago. Can Jackie find the truth about what happened that night?
I was thrilled to be back in Jackie’s presence for this book. The set up was fun, and I quickly got caught up in the story. I thought I had the villain pegged early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Still, everything made sense when I was done. The characters are great, new and old alike. One of the supporting characters gets a chance to shine, and I liked the growth we saw for Jackie. We also get some humor, including puns, which I enjoyed. There are 10 recipes at the end featuring lentils, from the traditional soups to the more creative. If you are looking for a great book that is a fast read, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
I was thrilled to be back in Jackie’s presence for this book. The set up was fun, and I quickly got caught up in the story. I thought I had the villain pegged early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Still, everything made sense when I was done. The characters are great, new and old alike. One of the supporting characters gets a chance to shine, and I liked the growth we saw for Jackie. We also get some humor, including puns, which I enjoyed. There are 10 recipes at the end featuring lentils, from the traditional soups to the more creative. If you are looking for a great book that is a fast read, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
Death at Tidal Creek
7.0
Rate It
Book
Book store owner and coffee slinger, Clark Thomas, finds himself involved in another murder...
Ricki’s Past, Family, and a Christmas Murder
Ricki James-Diaz is thrilled her parents are in town for Christmas. She’s hoping that she and her mom and use the time to track down more of Ricki’s birth family. But when one of her mom’s former co-workers is killed right after Ricki meets her, murder takes center stage. As more of Ricki’s family and friends come under suspicious, she can’t help but jump in. Will she find the killer?
It was great to be back with Ricki and her family and friends. They are a fun bunch, and we met some new characters I hope we see again. There are some spoilers for previous books’ ongoing storylines, but they are minor. There are several subplots in addition to the main mystery, so I was never bored. Yet everything was balanced well and we reached a satisfying climax. I did find a couple of small things that should have been caught by an edit, but they are minor. I loved the Christmas setting of the book for both the humor and the coziness it brought. And we get some appropriate recipes at the end of the book. Whether you read this book now or save it for December, you’ll be glad you read it.
It was great to be back with Ricki and her family and friends. They are a fun bunch, and we met some new characters I hope we see again. There are some spoilers for previous books’ ongoing storylines, but they are minor. There are several subplots in addition to the main mystery, so I was never bored. Yet everything was balanced well and we reached a satisfying climax. I did find a couple of small things that should have been caught by an edit, but they are minor. I loved the Christmas setting of the book for both the humor and the coziness it brought. And we get some appropriate recipes at the end of the book. Whether you read this book now or save it for December, you’ll be glad you read it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated Stuff to Spy For in Books
Jan 24, 2025
Spying, Even Accidentally, Can Be Deadly
When Skip Moore lands a sale for a company looking to upgrade their security system, he thinks he’s finally made the big time. He even gets his best friend, James Lessor, a job on the installation team. Then Skip is offered a couple of extra assignments with big paydays. What could possibly go wrong? A suspicious death for starters. Then there are things that aren’t adding up, and evidence that someone is spying on them. Can the pair figure out what is going on?
This series is a mixed bag for me, and this book was no exception. I appreciate the friendship between Skip and James, but the ideas and James leads them into make me smack my head sometimes. I appreciate some of the humor, but other bits make me cringe. The plot was compelling, but the ending was rushed. And a key scene makes little sense (why are the characters there?). Then there’s also the needless tease in the opening. Yet, I plan to keep going forward with this series. If you pick the book up, keep in mind that it came out in 2009, which explains some of the dated technology. If the premise sounds interesting pick up the series. Otherwise, you can skip them.
This series is a mixed bag for me, and this book was no exception. I appreciate the friendship between Skip and James, but the ideas and James leads them into make me smack my head sometimes. I appreciate some of the humor, but other bits make me cringe. The plot was compelling, but the ending was rushed. And a key scene makes little sense (why are the characters there?). Then there’s also the needless tease in the opening. Yet, I plan to keep going forward with this series. If you pick the book up, keep in mind that it came out in 2009, which explains some of the dated technology. If the premise sounds interesting pick up the series. Otherwise, you can skip them.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2510 KP) rated Death Comes to Marlow in Books
Jul 30, 2025 (Updated Jul 30, 2025)
Locked Room Murder on the Eve of a Wedding
It’s been six month since our first visit to Marlow, and Judith is enjoying the hyphenation that comes in January. But when she gets invited to a pre-wedding celebration from Sir Peter, she decides to attend. She invites Suzy as her plus one, and Becks is there since her husband, the vicar, is performing the wedding. However, part way through the party, there’s a loud crash from inside the house. Judith is among those who rush in to discover Sir Peter’s body inside his locked study, crushed to death. All the evidence makes it look like it was a tragic accident, but Judith thinks there is something suspicious about it. Can she figure out what really happened?
This is a great locked room mystery. I thought I had things figured out, but I was wrong on the who and the how. Yet all the clues were there. I also enjoyed seeing the characters again and watching them and their relationships grow. The suspects were strong as well. The humor wasn’t as strong as the first book, although there were still some grins and laughs to be had. I’m glad I already have book three in this fun series.
This is a great locked room mystery. I thought I had things figured out, but I was wrong on the who and the how. Yet all the clues were there. I also enjoyed seeing the characters again and watching them and their relationships grow. The suspects were strong as well. The humor wasn’t as strong as the first book, although there were still some grins and laughs to be had. I’m glad I already have book three in this fun series.
