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Unforgotten - Series 1
8.5
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TV Show
Unforgotten is a British crime drama television series, which initially aired on ITV on 8 October...
Crime Drama
I Know You Know
7.0
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Book
From New York Times bestselling author Gilly Macmillan comes this original, chilling and twisty...
Death Comes to Call (A Tara Thorpe Mystery Book 3)
8.5
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Book
Tara Thorpe may be Cambridge Police’s youngest detective, but that doesn’t stop her from...
Fiction Mystery Thriller Police Procedural Series
Death is in the Details
5.0
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Book
A woman haunted by her past. A killer who won't let her forget. Faith Day's condition curses her...
thriller fiction adult crime mystery small town
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Death of a Red-Hot Rancher in Books
Sep 15, 2021
Lizzie Find Murder Heats Up Her Life
Lizzie Hale is enjoying running her romance bookstore. So what if her love life is a little non-existent, she loves getting to spend her days around books and interacting with her customers. Life gets much more complicated, however, when Brody Pierce dies. Brody owned the buffalo ranch outside of town, and Lizzie keeps finding evidence that her aunt may have been his secret lover. Lizzie worries that, if true, this secret will lead to her aunt being arrested for murder. Lizzie jumps in to the investigation to try to clear her aunt, but what does it mean when all the evidence she finds seems to point to her aunt?
There are plenty of book themed cozies, but this is the first one I’m aware of to feature romance novels as the specific bookish hook. I’m not a fan of the genre, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this book. Lizzie is a great main character, and she is surrounded by charming family and friends I hope will be regulars. Part of the plot was driven by misunderstandings, which drove me crazy, but on the whole the plot was good with plenty of secrets to be uncovered before we reached the logical climax. I had lots of fun along the way and even laughed a few times. If you are looking for a lighter mystery, this is a debut to pick up.
There are plenty of book themed cozies, but this is the first one I’m aware of to feature romance novels as the specific bookish hook. I’m not a fan of the genre, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this book. Lizzie is a great main character, and she is surrounded by charming family and friends I hope will be regulars. Part of the plot was driven by misunderstandings, which drove me crazy, but on the whole the plot was good with plenty of secrets to be uncovered before we reached the logical climax. I had lots of fun along the way and even laughed a few times. If you are looking for a lighter mystery, this is a debut to pick up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide in Books
Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)
Introducing Halloween Has Consequences
April Claus is beginning her second year as the North Pole’s new Mrs. Claus, and she’s decided it would be fun to introduce Halloween to the residents of Santaland. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board, as evidenced by the threatening messages someone is leaving and the attack on the pumpkins one of the elves is growing. However, when things escalate to murder, April takes matters into her own hands to try to figure out what is going on. Can she keep the holiday from being ruined for everyone?
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was anxious to return to the world that author Liz Ireland is creating. This book was fabulous as well. The murder takes place a little later in the story, but there is plenty going on to keep us entertained, and it only gets stronger as it goes along. The climax is wonderful. I did think there was a timeline issue at one point, but I think the fault is just a scene that is written unclearly. The little details of the world are guaranteed to make you smile; I just love them! While not all the characters are human, they are all completely real and we come to care for them quickly, which is key to getting us to believe in this world. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of fantasy, you’ll love this book.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was anxious to return to the world that author Liz Ireland is creating. This book was fabulous as well. The murder takes place a little later in the story, but there is plenty going on to keep us entertained, and it only gets stronger as it goes along. The climax is wonderful. I did think there was a timeline issue at one point, but I think the fault is just a scene that is written unclearly. The little details of the world are guaranteed to make you smile; I just love them! While not all the characters are human, they are all completely real and we come to care for them quickly, which is key to getting us to believe in this world. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of fantasy, you’ll love this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated The Fragrance of Death in Books
Aug 8, 2022
Murder is Nothing to Artichoke Over
Thanks to a sinus infection, Sally Solari has lost her sense of smell. While that would be bad enough under normal circumstances since it interferes with cooking at her restaurant, she is really struggling to prepare her dish for the Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off. However, that quickly becomes the least of the issues when the body of a fellow contestant, Neil Lerici, is found near the end of the day. Sally had been friends with Neil’s sister, Grace, in high school. As the two rekindle their friendship, she can’t help but poke around. But is her old friend guilty of murder?
It's been a few years since we last visited Sally, but I am pleased to say she is back in top form. It was great to catch up with her and her family and friends and see the next steps in some of her relationships. The suspects were strong, which lead to a mystery that was hard to figure out. It kept me engaged the entire time, and once Sally reached the solution, everything fell into place. Each book has focused on a different of the five senses, and I thought the sense of smell was done wonderfully here. Naturally, there are some recipes to enjoy after you’ve finished the book. Fans will be pleased to visit Sally again and will join me in waiting for the next in the series.
It's been a few years since we last visited Sally, but I am pleased to say she is back in top form. It was great to catch up with her and her family and friends and see the next steps in some of her relationships. The suspects were strong, which lead to a mystery that was hard to figure out. It kept me engaged the entire time, and once Sally reached the solution, everything fell into place. Each book has focused on a different of the five senses, and I thought the sense of smell was done wonderfully here. Naturally, there are some recipes to enjoy after you’ve finished the book. Fans will be pleased to visit Sally again and will join me in waiting for the next in the series.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated How to Kill Your Family in Books
Nov 14, 2021
Interesting (1 more)
Some dark humour
Not at all what I expected but still thoroughly enjoyable.
We follow Grace as she describes how she murders her family, why and how she ended up in prison for a murder she actually didn’t commit. Grace’s reasoning makes sense the whole way through, and although the majority of people wouldn’t murder people for those reasons, she makes it seem quite normal and not at all like she’s a psychopath.
The story is written in diary form, and can flit between parts of the story and be a little confusing. But this works well with the story as it makes it seem like she’s gone off on a bit of a tangent whilst giving you more of the story. I think because of this, it had me wanting to read on more and more because I wanted to know more about the part of the story before it went off on another tangent.
It picked up a lot more towards the end, and I thought I knew where the story was going and how it would end, but right up to the last chapter I was still guessing at the wrong ending.
One of the more interesting crime novels I’ve read this year and one that has a dark sense of humour scattered throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this book for an unbiased review.
We follow Grace as she describes how she murders her family, why and how she ended up in prison for a murder she actually didn’t commit. Grace’s reasoning makes sense the whole way through, and although the majority of people wouldn’t murder people for those reasons, she makes it seem quite normal and not at all like she’s a psychopath.
The story is written in diary form, and can flit between parts of the story and be a little confusing. But this works well with the story as it makes it seem like she’s gone off on a bit of a tangent whilst giving you more of the story. I think because of this, it had me wanting to read on more and more because I wanted to know more about the part of the story before it went off on another tangent.
It picked up a lot more towards the end, and I thought I knew where the story was going and how it would end, but right up to the last chapter I was still guessing at the wrong ending.
One of the more interesting crime novels I’ve read this year and one that has a dark sense of humour scattered throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this book for an unbiased review.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Candy Canes of Christmas Past in Books
Dec 9, 2023
Murder in Lucy’s Past
This story takes us back in time to the first Christmas that Lucy Stone spent in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. Lucy is trying to deal with her husband's project, fixing up their home. So when town librarian Miss Tilly is nice to Lucy, Lucy looks for some way to repay her new friend. And that's how she begins trying to uncover the circumstances surrounding Miss Tilly's mother's death almost 50 years before. Was Mrs. Tilly murdered? If so, how can Lucy find out what happened after all these years.
This story is as much about Lucy's struggles to fit into a new town and live in an old house as it is about the mystery. Lucy and her husband are really struggling, which gives most of this story a darker tone for a cozy. It is also a weak mystery. The solution was very coincidental and almost an after thought compared to the resolution to the other story line. But I liked the characters. They are vivid and seem like people I would love to get to know better. While it didn’t turn out that way, this story lets me see the appeal for those who do like them.
NOTE: This story was originally part of the anthology Candy Cane Murder, so if you’ve read that book, there is no need to pick up this story a second time.
This story is as much about Lucy's struggles to fit into a new town and live in an old house as it is about the mystery. Lucy and her husband are really struggling, which gives most of this story a darker tone for a cozy. It is also a weak mystery. The solution was very coincidental and almost an after thought compared to the resolution to the other story line. But I liked the characters. They are vivid and seem like people I would love to get to know better. While it didn’t turn out that way, this story lets me see the appeal for those who do like them.
NOTE: This story was originally part of the anthology Candy Cane Murder, so if you’ve read that book, there is no need to pick up this story a second time.