
The Birthday Mystery
Book
Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. These classic-style...

Sam (74 KP) rated The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
The Austere Academy doesn’t even start off happy. The school the Baudelaire’s arrive at looks depressing at best. The individual buildings look like tombstones, and the vice principal is a self-obsessed, violin playing dictator.
The Baudelaire’s go straight off to a rough start, being told that since they didn’t have a guardian’s permission to live with the rest of the students, they must live in the Orphan Shack – a mouldy shack infested with crabs.
It’s probably one of the most depressing books in the series so far because even though Count Olaf reappears (shocker), they’ve begun to give up telling adults who he is because they are never believed. The Baudelaires seem on the verge of completely giving up and letting Count Olaf and his associates win.
There is a small beam of hope where they meet the Quagmires, and I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling the entire book.
The series is just starting to pick up with this book as it begins to reveal some of the mysteries and secrets which have been looming since the first book. It really seems that this book marks a turning point in the series and really starts off the uncovering of all of the mysteries surrounding the Baudelaire’s circumstances.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage: Tales from Ivy Hill
Book
New from the Top Author of Inspirational Regency Romance Return to Ivy Hill in The Ladies of Ivy...
fiction religion

German Queer Crime Fiction: Feminist Politics, Justice and Desire
Book
A marriage of mystery fiction and queer concerns, queer crime literature celebrates the pairing of...

Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier
Book
The crucial sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Secret History of Twin Peaks, this novel...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated Bear Bottom in Books
May 25, 2021 (Updated May 25, 2021)
Part of the fun of the FunJungle series is the setting and the recurring characters. I’ll admit I missed them. However, this book does have a core cast of regulars, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Both mysteries are intriguing and kept the pace steady. Watching Teddy work is always fascinating, and we got some wonderful action scenes along the way. While the series always tackles some environmental issues, I felt like this book lectured a bit more than the series usually does. It doesn’t help that one thing intended to be funny didn’t come across that way to me; instead, if felt like more lectures. I still did enjoy this book overall. It’s just not quite up to Stuart Gibbs’s usual high standards.

Fantastic Beasts: Cases From The Wizarding World
Entertainment and Games
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Fantastic Beasts™: Cases From The Wizarding World Master your magical skills as you delve into...

Murder at a London Finishing School
Book
Long before American adventuress Beryl Helliwell and prim and proper Brit Edwina Davenport teamed up...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated Murder at a London Finishing School in Books
Jul 26, 2023 (Updated Jul 26, 2023)
If you look for the dead body to drop early, you might be disappointed with this book. I wasn’t. Between the early investigation and meeting the new characters, there was plenty to keep me engaged. Of course, things kick up a notch when murder enters the story. The ending, while logical, did feel a little rushed, but that was a minor complaint. We don’t see much of the series regulars, although a couple do make cameos. The new characters more than make up for it, and I appreciate how complex they were by the end. Beryl and Edwina grow as a result of visiting some place from their past. The story is set in the 1920’s, and things going on in society infuse the book. If you enjoy historical mysteries or mysteries set in England, you’ll be glad you picked this up.
The classic style of the writing reminds me of Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew mysteries. It is a great throw back with a modern twist. I really enjoyed the style and the characters. The new characters that [Martin] added fit very well into the plot and enhanced the story line. I really recommend this book and feel it would be great in a classroom.