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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce, #4) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce, #4)
I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce, #4)
Alan Bradley | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s the week before Christmas, and a movie crew is coming to film at Flavia’s family home. While excited, Flavia is plotting how to trap Father Christmas when he shows up on Christmas morning. However, that takes a back seat when the lead actress is film is murdered. Fortunately for Flavia, the suspects are trapped in her home due to a massive snow storm. Can she figure out who the killer is?

While I do like the characters and didn’t find Flavia nearly as annoying in this book as I did the previous one, I found the plot way too slow. The murder happened half way through the book, and the tension and set up to justify that just wasn’t present. Once the murder took place, the book definitely picked up, however.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-i-am-half-sick-of-shadows.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express
Agatha Christie | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.4 (65 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Poirot is called back to England, he must forgo a planned layover in Istanbul and find a berth on a surprisingly crowded train. A freak snow storm strands the train on the tracks, and that night a murder takes place. The victim had come to Poirot because he feared that his life was in danger. With the train stuck, the killer is still on board. But who could it be?

I had not read this book before, but I still knew the ending. Even knowing that, I was enthralled watching how it all played out. There is a reason that Agatha Christie is considered the queen of plots to this day. I also found the characters strong enough that I could keep them all straight, and there are plenty of suspects.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-murder-on-orient-express-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Eggnog Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #23.5) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
EM
Eggnog Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #23.5)
Leslie Meier | 2016
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A collection of three Christmas novellas set in Maine and starring the series sleuths by the authors. We get two murder by eggnog, and one missing moving truck and winds up with a dead body. Will these mysteries be solved by Christmas?

All three of these stories will get you in the Christmas spirit with a dead body along the way. We do get some time enjoying holiday traditions (recipes included with all three stories), some of them unique to Maine, which is a lot of fun. The mysteries are all good, although the first seems to wander quite a bit before it gets fully engaging. If you are a fan of one of these authors, here is a good way or sample some others while catching up with your favorite sleuth at Christmas time.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-eggnog-murder-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated E is for Evidence (Kinsey Millhone, #5) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
E is for Evidence (Kinsey Millhone, #5)
E is for Evidence (Kinsey Millhone, #5)
Sue Grafton | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A couple of days before Christmas, Kinsey is asked to investigate a fire for the insurance company she sometimes works for. Everything looks routine until she is called in to defend her findings and sees pages that were not part of her original file. Afraid she might find herself accused of insurance fraud, she starts investigating the situation. But is she the target or an innocent bystander?

I truly enjoyed this book since it starts out with a great mystery that doesn’t involved a murder. Of course, when murder does enter the picture, it only gets more compelling from there. What few supporting characters there are in the series are mostly missing thanks to the Christmas time frame, but I found it a great way to develop Kinsey more, and the new characters were fabulous, doing their job as suspects perfectly.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-e-is-for-evidence-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated A Muddied Murder (A Greenhouse Mystery #1) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
AM
A Muddied Murder (A Greenhouse Mystery #1)
Wendy Tyson | 2016
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Megan Sawyer’s plans to revitalize her family’s farm and open a small store and café are constantly hitting the road block of Simon Duvall. Simon is the head of the local zoning commission, and he keeps failing her on every inspection. After the latest one, Megan finds Simon murdered in the farm’s barn. Naturally, the police are looking at Megan as a suspect, but all Megan can wonder is why Simon was killed in the barn.

This is a wonderful debut! There are some secrets in Megan’s family that come to light over the course of the book and add another layer to the story. I can’t wait to see where that goes next. The mystery of Simon’s murder is also very well done with plenty of surprises along the way. Top that off with great characters. I can’t wait to return for the sequel.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/06/book-review-muddied-murder-by-wendy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.