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The Life of Glass
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Melissa’s father died almost two years ago. She has been struggling, but is surviving with the help of her best friend Ryan. But through a series of events, her world gets turned upside down. A new girl comes to school and befriends her immediately, for some unknown reason. Ryan gets a girlfriend. Melissa’s mom is dating some guy. Ashley, her older sister, is… well just being an annoying older sister with problems. And in the middle of it all, Melissa still has unsolved mysteries about her father, her desires, and herself.

The Life of Glass is a fast read—I tore through it in a matter of hours. I wasn’t particularly sure why I couldn’t stop reading it. Maybe it was the easy language, maybe it was the characters, maybe I was just in the mood for a good romance novel and that was what was on my shelf. Either way, I didn’t stop reading until my sister turned the light out on me.

I liked the characters a lot (though some of them I despised) and others remained mysteries until later in the book; they were those “oh I had no idea they were that kind of person” characters, and I liked the mystery of their personalities. They were relatable and likeable.

That being said, there was nothing hugely spectacular about The Life of Glass: nothing that will make it a long lasting fantastic memory or escape for me. I enjoyed it and I won’t forget it, but it won’t be one of those “second reads.”

This was part of the 1 ARC Tours for Bloody Bad.
  
Clues to You (Love in the Comptons #3)
Clues to You (Love in the Comptons #3)
Claire Huston | 2023 | Contemporary, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
CLUES TO YOU is the third book in the Love in the Comptons series but can be read as a standalone, although previous characters are mentioned in passing.

Now, straight into this one...

I don't usually do mysteries. Not at all. You can keep your Poirots and Marples. They just don't interest me at all. BUT Kate and Max? Sign me up! I loved this sleuthing duo and their gentle romance.

There is a lot to this book. Not only do you have the characters' real lives and backgrounds to deal with, but you also have the murder-mystery weekend too, where no one is as they seem. Well, apart from Merryman himself, that is. And - here's the thing - I was engrossed in both parts! I loved the whodunnit side and seeing Kate and Max work together, once their misunderstandings were gone. I also loved seeing them as themselves, dealing with others - some good, some not so good (I'm looking at you, Paul!), and generally finding out what they had in common.

Love in the Comptons is a series that just keeps on getting better. I loved this book from beginning to end - which did surprise me. The writing is THAT good! So take it from me, someone who doesn't do mysteries, this book will grip you from beginning to end! Highly recommended.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 5, 2023
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated The Library Game in Books

Apr 18, 2025 (Updated Apr 18, 2025)  
The Library Game
The Library Game
Gigi Pandian | 2025 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder Strolls into a Library
Tempest Raj and the rest of the team are working on turning a house into a new library in Hidden Creek, this one focused on classic mysteries. While the library isn’t ready to open yet, they are participating in the Summer Stroll program that kicks off in a few days. Their contribution will be an escape room and an interactive mystery play that Tempest wrote with her best friend, Ivy. Naturally, Tempest is there for a dress rehearsal. Unfortunately, it goes horribly wrong with one of the actors turning up dead after a scripted power outage. However, by the time they call the police, the body is gone. Is he really dead? If so, who moved the body?

The case is even more impossible than I was able to work into my teaser, and I had fun watching Tempest lead us to the logical solution. The pacing might have lagged a bit in the middle, but that might be me. It was fantastic to spend time with all the regulars again, and I’m curious where some of the relationships will go from here. The suspects were good, too. We get a delicious sounding recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cobbler and more references to classic mysteries. I really need to find a time to read some of them. This book will work well as an intro/standalone if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series yet. But you’ll want to go back to read them after the fun you’ll have here. Fans will be glad they picked up this book.
  
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Abducted (Lizzy Gardner, #1)
T.R. Ragan | 2012
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>4.25 stars</i>
I was super impressed with this book: the construction, the fleshed out characters, the plotting, just about everything. Lizzy is a great protagonist who is strong, but has her weaknesses, she's disturbed but trying to be normal, she all around feels like a real human being. And she's not the only one, all the secondary characters are done just has well and serve a purpose. The only thing I didn't like was that the cat was a victim. I didn't really feel it was necessary, and I have cats, so I don't want to read about animals being hurt or killed in books. Most especially if it doesn't add anything. Otherwise I would totally recommend the book to those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers with realistic characters.
  
Candidate for Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery, #12)
Candidate for Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery, #12)
Lauren Carr | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lauren Carr book gets it me each and every time. I love the fact that in this book there seem to be three mysteries going on all at once. She ties them all in together.

There seems to be a mystery case for all six members of the household. Murphy and Jessica seem to have a mystery of their own along with Mac and David and then their Archie and Dallas. How it all comes together and who it all involves is something neat about it and different.

To me that was something and there seems to be the main person that was in the middle of the all the mystery. Can a candidate be a mayor have paws? You will need to read "Candidate for Murder" to find out.
  
This is another one that I probably wouldn't have ever read if it hasn't been free, followed by an occasion some time later when it seemed the most interesting-sounding thing hanging around on the Kindle when I happened to be bored. The plot reminds me if Dan Brown to some extent, although I know he certainly wasn't the first to write novels along such lines. Religious secrets, conspiracies, secret societies, competing spies, and a great deal of violence are all tossed together. I wanted the answer to a couple of questions just barely enough to keep reading, but I figured out all the big mysteries long before the last chapter. I think the book would have been much better if it had been edited down to be much shorter.
  
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Leah (: (569 KP) rated Dangerous Boys in Books

Jul 19, 2018  
Dangerous Boys
Dangerous Boys
Abigail Haas | 2014 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read this book shortly after reading Dangerous Girls, the two books are in no way connected, they follow different people in different stories however they are similar.

The book uses a split perspective between then and now to explain the two main mysteries of the book. 1) how did we come to the situation at the start of the story. 2) which brother survived and how’s it going to play out now.

I found it hard to put the book down as I just wanted answers and it kept me guessing trying to work out what had happened and why.


I have got to say I did prefer Dangerous Girls I think it was because it had more of the legal side of the investigation.

I would definitely recommend this book.