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Murder in the Mountains
Murder in the Mountains
Various Authors | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
High Altitude Homicide
It’s murder and mayhem in the mountains in this collection of nine short stories. We get mountains from all over the world and stories set in every season, not just ski season. From a deadly hike or two to a hot chocolate contest with a dead body, there is plenty to keep you entertained.

Each story is from a different author, and each story is fun. A couple are filled with enough other things going on that the mysteries are short changed, but those are the exceptions. Many of these characters have appeared elsewhere, but that doesn’t truly matter as each story introduces you to the characters. These stories are on the long side for short stories; they averaged about 45 minutes each for me to read, so there is plenty here to keep you entertained. If you are missing a mountain vacation, this collection is perfect for you. Personally, I’m going to stay home where it is safe and pick up another book.
  
IC
Infinity Chronicles: Book 2
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
41 of 220
Kindle
Infinity Chronicles:Book 2
By Albany Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m learning to accept that my entire life has been a lie, and that with my mother’s disappearance there are mysteries I may never uncover. Not to mention, my abilities are manifesting and I’m just beginning to understand what being part of an Infinity really means.

As my relationship with each guy grows, so does the Infinity bond between us. Living with four moody guys—who give me butterflies with a simple look—can be slightly overwhelming. Still, I need answers, and moving forward is the only way to get them.

But there is a problem—each revelation provokes new questions, and secrets I may not be ready for are rising to the surface.

I found myself enjoying this a lot more than the first book. We had a lot more interest and a bit more story development. The characters were rounding out and coming into their own.
  
The Perfect Husband
The Perfect Husband
Lisa Gardner | 1997 | Crime, Thriller
9
8.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Research (1 more)
The Characters
The Perfect Husband is a perfect novel
I have an admission to make. I am a true crime buff.

I love reading about unsolved mysteries, solved mysteries and everything between. I read books, listen to podcasts, and belong to several amateur sleuth blogs. Yes. I even belong to the Hunt A Killer curated box mystery. There. I've admitted it.

In the world of true crime my biggest passion is serial killers. Cliche, perhaps, but it's true.
I, like many, always asked myself about the family that surrounds serial killers; both before and after they are caught. Most importantly, what about the wives of serial killers? Lisa Gardner attempts to answer this question.

The thing I love most about Lisa Gardner's work is that she takes the time and effort to research before she even puts words to page. It is clear by the lingo that she uses and the characters that she builds that Gardner talked to actual law enforcement officials, and really listens to what they do.

The main character is the abused and traumatized wife of a sadistic serial killer. She is attempting to learn to protect herself and in so doing turns tot he meanest mercenary that she can find to teach her. She wants to learn to fight and shoot so that she can handle the man that law enforcement lost, the husband who is obsessed with killing her.

I absolutely adored this book, and immediately went out and bought three more of her novels.

The main female character is suffering from battered woman's syndrome. She is trying her best to cast off the mental and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her narcissistic and criminal spouse.

The mercenary she turns to...has issues. He is, in his own way, as broken and screwed up as our heroine. But, through her, he begins to give a damn again.

The killer, our heroine's former husband, is so fantastically well done that it is almost too easy to picture him on the front page of a newspaper, or scattered across social media blogs.

It's fantastic. I recommend this to anyone who likes female protagonists, serial killers, or thrillers.
  
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12684" src="http://cafinatedreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Review-Cafinated-Reads-UPDATED-1.jpg"; alt="" width="350" height="214" />
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">Holy smokes! Ms. Ellis is amazing! I'm used to reading her Amish books, so when the chance to read her Sunset In Old Savannah novel, I jumped on the chance. I wanted to see her talent at work in a suspenseful genre. It was not disappointing, that's for sure. I lost myself among the pages of this gripping novel and I wasn't expecting the ending that I got! I love a book like this.</span>

<span style="color: #993300;">Ms. Ellis created a novel that all readers will love. It's a touch of romance, Godly messages woven through out, a whole lotta twists, and a dash of humor. Beth and Michael's characters will quickly work their way into your heart and they will stay there. They will take you on the whirl wind that is investigations, and lead you on a roller coaster ride that is evident with murders. Following Michael and Beth along the streets of Savannah (I've been once, and fell in love with the quaint town!) was so much fun! I was definitely on the edge of my seat for each page and stayed up long into the night reading.</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;"> Ms. Ellis is a wonderful author. I haven't had the pleasure of reading books 1-3 in this Secrets Of The South Mysteries series, but this 4th installment didn't leave me confused. I was easily drawn in and had so much fun trying to figure out the clues.  The plot twists are perfectly written and the ending is amazing! I am looking forward to going back and seeing where these awesome mysteries began and meet the characters of this series from the start. I highly recommend this read with 5 stars and hats off.</span><a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-sunset-in-old-savannah-by-mary-ellis/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
The Butterfly Summer
The Butterfly Summer
Harriet Evans | 2016 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
6
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

The Butterfly Summer</i> is the latest novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author Harrier Evans. It is a story full of mystery and secrets that, although primarily set in 2011, whizzes back and forth in time. In London 2011 the narrator, Nina Parr, a young divorced woman of 25, is living with her mother and stepfather in the house she grew up in. In 1986 her father went on an expedition to Venezuela in search of the Glasswinged butterfly where he supposedly met his fate, thus never returned. However, after a brief but strange encounter with a confused old lady, Nina questions the truth about her father’s death.

Other mysteries begin to crop up from this moment forth. Nina hears of a woman named Teddy who she apparently looks like, and learns that the mansion from her favourite childhood book is a real place. But how are these things connected to Nina’s father?

As Nina begins to unravel her previously unaware of family secrets, the reader also learns more about Teddy – her past, her experiences and her connection with a house called Keepsake.

To begin with <i>The Butterfly Summer </i>was exciting and refreshing, the cryptic storyline pulling you in and not letting go. However from the midway point it began to considerably slow down and become rather dull, stale. Nina is such an interesting character that, by contrast, the snippets (rather extensive ones) about Teddy’s past were difficult to plow through.

One thing to commend the author on – although others may disagree – is the limit she put on romantic affairs. For me there was just the right amount of reference to these relationships to provoke the feeling of heartbrokenness yet not to detract from the main storyline.

For those who enjoy women’s fiction of a similar nature (e.g. Jill Mansell, perhaps) <i>The Butterfly Summer </i>is definitely a book to look out for. For me however, even though the first half I really enjoyed (four stars out of five), I had begun to work out the remaining mysteries myself and found the latter half less exciting.