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Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Turtle Boy (Timmy Quinn #1) in Books

Nov 9, 2018

<b>5 STARS TO YOU</b>

Now THIS is an author that you need to keep your eye on!

I would just like to say first that I know the whole 'back from the dead to seek revenge for my death' story has been done and done...and done again, however, that doesn't stop this book from being a fantastic read. It is a novella, so expect a very short read in the sense you may be disappointed that you're just starting to get into it and then BAM! The End! On the other hand, this book is the first in a series so you'll be able to satisfy your cravings for the next installment.

At the time of purchase this book was free to download for Kindle...I am not sure if it still free as it's such a quality read.

The themes of this story may seem as if they are being somewhat retold again but I believe the author breathes new life into this story-line and makes you hang on for dear life and really want to complete the book, it never crossed my mind to stop reading at any point because I have read similar plot lines before.
It is a very creepy story, so I recommend it to fans of the horror genre and perhaps to those who enjoy murder mysteries and thrillers too due to the nice quick pace and the acts of revenge brought down upon unsuspecting characters.

I found the story had a really nice flow to it, sometimes nothing annoys me more than when i'm enjoying a book and suddenly a 'hiccup' of some sort appears within the pages which makes me want to throw it at a wall...interest lost...may return to it...maybe not...will take a while to read and get back into again. I am so glad that didn't happen to me with this book, the pace was too fast and the atmosphere too creepy.

Well done!

Kudos

BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Silent Governess in Books

Jan 2, 2019

Olivia Keene has been forced into silence to protect the secrets of the past and the security of the future.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time causes events to spin out of control for Olivia. Her life takes a completely different direction than she anticipated. So many secrets, so many mysteries of the past. Edward Bradley is fearful of what the truth will mean for his future. His father, Lord Brightwell, must answer for his past actions. We get to see this story through the eyes of Edward and Olivia. They both struggle with their identity when everything they thought they knew about themselves starts to crumble. Through their journey we discover what it means to find your identity in Christ and how being a child of The King, our future is always certain.

One of the things that I enjoy the most about Mrs. Klassen’s work is that she is so talented at bringing scripture and truth into her books. Our leading lady, Olivia Keene, does not have much, if any faith, in the beginning of our story. She suffers loss and heartache, but in the end discovers the truth about the Father, his love and tenderness, and that “All things work together for good”. I love witnessing the journey of faith and redemption in a very believable way. At first I was slightly taken aback by the fact that the lines between classes become blurred in her books. But the more I read the more I enjoy it. It allows for more imagination. The depth of character in Julie Klassen’s books is astounding. I feel like I know Olivia and Edward on a personal level. That it would not be odd if I were to receive a phone call from Olivia and chat for hours. Julie Klassen has won 3 Christy Awards to date and I sincerely hope that more awards are in the very near future for her.

bookwormmama14.blogspot.com

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated A Time For Murder in Books

Nov 27, 2019

Jessica’s First Murder Mystery Comes Back to Haunt Her

When Jessica Fletcher sits down to be interviewed by a student from Cabot Cove High School, she is surprised to find the student bringing up Jessica’s first time solving a murder. No, it wasn’t at the launch party of her first book, but it was twenty-five years ago when she, her husband Frank, and their nephew Grady were living in Appleton, Maine. The principal where Jessica was a substitute English teacher was murdered, and Jessica helped solve the case. Jessica usually doesn’t talk about it, and she deflects again, but when she goes to apologize to the student later, she discovers that the woman who interviewed her wasn’t a student at the high school at all. Who interviewed her? What is her interest in the case?

Going into this book, I was concerned that this book was going to contradict things established in the pilot episode of the TV show, but it does a good job of explaining things so that this doesn’t happen. We do spend part of the book in the past, and all the transitions are easy to follow. I found both mysteries, past and present, to be very compelling, and I couldn’t put the book down until I reached the climax. Unfortunately, the climax is a bit over the top, which has happened in the books I’ve read in the series. Likewise, I did find that Jessica, Mort, and Seth spent more time sniping at each other than I remembered from most episodes of the show. On the other hand, Jessica has stopped swearing, which was a welcome return to normalcy for the character. This book is the fiftieth novel based on the show, and as a result manages to work in a few Easter Eggs that fans will enjoy. If you are a fan, you’ll enjoy this entry.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Sealed Off (A Maine Clambake Mystery, #8) in Books

Jan 2, 2020

Fall Brings Mysteries for Julia

The clambake that Julia Snowden and her family run on their family’s island is just running on weekends through Columbus Day. Unfortunately, tension among the staff seems to be reaching the boiling point. Romances among the staff have been causing issues all season, but Julia was hoping they could make it until the end of the season, and those issues would resolve themselves before the clambake starts up again in the spring. A fist fight as the guests and crew were leaving one days brings things to a head, and leaves Julia in the unfortunate position of firing her boyfriend’s brother. However, a dead body on the island the next morning only makes the situation worse.

There is a strong sub-plot, almost a second full mystery, in this book involving a room that has been sealed off since the 1890’s in the family mansion on the island. Between the two stories, this book moves forward at a constant pace, and the pages flew by. I never wanted to put the book down until I reached the satisfying end. Once again, I was left in awe of how the clues were woven into the story. Several series arcs were advanced here, and the chances for character development were put to full use. The new characters are just as strong as the series regulars, which is no surprise to anyone who has read the series. Those looking for recipes will be pleased with the five we get at the end of the story. There is not one wasted word in this story, and I set it down completely satisfied. Well, almost satisfied. As is always the case, I was left wanting to visit Julia and her family and friends again as soon as possible. Fans of the series will be delighted with this book. If you haven’t started this series yet, you need to fix that as soon as possible.

Kudos

Becs (244 KP) rated The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #4) in Books

Aug 4, 2019

Not my favorite novel

You can also find this review on my blog at bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, murder, talk of suicide

Review:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Ackroyd was murdered in his study that was locked, but not before he received a letter from the person that was blackmailing the widow he was having an affair with. This same widow was being blackmailed and rumors spread about her murdering her own husband. She ends up committing suicide because of these rumors and blackmailing.

King's Abbot is full of suspects but it's up to Hercule Poirot to figure out who is guilty of murdering Roger Ackroyd. He is aided by the village doctor and narrator of the story, James Sheppard and his sister, Caroline Sheppard.

I really wanted to love this novel, as it seemed really interesting. It didn't get interesting until the very ending and I wouldn't recommend reading this book first if you've never read an Agatha Christie novel. This was the first ever novel I've read by Agatha Christie and I'm just not really bothered to read any more novels by Agatha Christie.

The story was somewhat interesting, but the execution wasn't there. I wasn't able to guess the killer, so that was a fun little plot twist. But the ending came abruptly and the overall story lacked. It lacked that punch that most mysteries have. There was hardly any development and background for both the story and the characters.

I listened to the audiobook version of this so I wasn't sure if there wasn't any grammatical and/or spelling errors. The narrator was a bit monotone but was otherwise a decent speaker. I forced myself through this, when all I wanted to do was DNF it. It lacked, was confusing, and was rather boring. I did not enjoy this and was disappointed with the overall story.

"The things young women read nowadays and profess to enjoy positively frighten me."