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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Listening Woman in Books
Aug 24, 2024
Solving a Stalled Case
Joe Leaphorn is tackling several cases that have grown cool over the last few months. At the forefront is the case of the double murder or an old man and a teenage girl who were murdered near the man’s hogan. The only witness is the teenager’s aunt, a listening woman, who is blind. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much she can add to the case, but Joe follows the few pieces she has given him. Will that be enough for him to figure out what really happened?
I wasn’t surprised when the various cases Joe was investigating played into this case, but I did feel like things were a little unfocused early on. Still, everything came together well, and the last third is a page turning thriller. While I like Joe, we still know very little about him or his personal life. Likewise, the rest of the cast isn’t fully developed, but they are real enough given the page time they have. I do appreciate how Joe balances the Navajo myths versus the reality of police work. It’s easy to see why these books are so well loved, and I’m glad I’ve picked them up.
I wasn’t surprised when the various cases Joe was investigating played into this case, but I did feel like things were a little unfocused early on. Still, everything came together well, and the last third is a page turning thriller. While I like Joe, we still know very little about him or his personal life. Likewise, the rest of the cast isn’t fully developed, but they are real enough given the page time they have. I do appreciate how Joe balances the Navajo myths versus the reality of police work. It’s easy to see why these books are so well loved, and I’m glad I’ve picked them up.
The Glass Bottom Hoax
8.0
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Cruising Caprice! Madison Night has a reputation for excellence in mid-century modern decorating,...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated The Glass Bottom Hoax in Books
Sep 26, 2024
Undercover on the High Seas
Madison Night is going undercover on a cruise ship. She’s pretending to be a Doris Day impersonator, and her boyfriend, police captain Tex Allen, is going along as her manager. In reality, the two are supposed to be looking into some recent burglaries on board the ship. But they’ve hardly left on the trip before Madison finds a dead body. Have the stakes just been raised?
It was fun to go on this cruise with Madison and Tex. Naturally, we didn’t see as much of the regular characters, but the new characters did help fill in the gaps. Plus, we got to see some growth in Madison and Tex and their relationship. The plot starts strongly. I felt like part of it was a bit of a stretch, but it still mostly worked for me. Likewise, one of the Easter eggs for Doris Day fans was a stretch, but there are some other fun ones. Really, fun is the overall word for this entry in the series. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to book passage on this entry soon.
It was fun to go on this cruise with Madison and Tex. Naturally, we didn’t see as much of the regular characters, but the new characters did help fill in the gaps. Plus, we got to see some growth in Madison and Tex and their relationship. The plot starts strongly. I felt like part of it was a bit of a stretch, but it still mostly worked for me. Likewise, one of the Easter eggs for Doris Day fans was a stretch, but there are some other fun ones. Really, fun is the overall word for this entry in the series. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to book passage on this entry soon.
The Gardener’s Plot
5.0
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A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots...
Wedding Bride and Doom
5.0
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California wedding planner, Kate Ludlow, moves back home to New England after her marriage implodes....
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated I’ll Bee Home for Christmas in Books
Dec 24, 2024
Murder is Never Sweet, Especially at Christmas
It’s the second week of December, and former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood is heading to Oklahoma to be a judge at a honey festival. Her camera man’s sister, Emily, is organizing it. Jackie arrives a little early and is helping Emily tend to her bee hives when they stumble on the body of Emily’s ex-husband. While the police are quick to look at Emily as their prime suspect, Jackie uncovers plenty of others with motive. Can she figure out what really happened?
It was fun to get a Christmas themed entry in this series, and the nods to the season were fun. I did feel like the food themed got in the way of the mystery a bit, leading to some rushed elements in the book. However, there are still some interesting twists and a logical climax. We also get some great development for the characters and the arcs that we’ve been following. The fun and laughs from the earlier books are present again here. And we have lots of honey themed recipes at the end to make your moth water. Fans will enjoy this sweet entry in the series.
It was fun to get a Christmas themed entry in this series, and the nods to the season were fun. I did feel like the food themed got in the way of the mystery a bit, leading to some rushed elements in the book. However, there are still some interesting twists and a logical climax. We also get some great development for the characters and the arcs that we’ve been following. The fun and laughs from the earlier books are present again here. And we have lots of honey themed recipes at the end to make your moth water. Fans will enjoy this sweet entry in the series.
ClareR (5885 KP) rated To The Dogs in Books
Mar 26, 2024
To The Dogs by Louise Welsh is a gritty Glaswegian thriller that had me hooked from the first page.
Jim (James) Brennan is a criminologist professor, a vice chancellor of the local university. We meet him as he gets off a flight from Beijing in order to go to his local police station where his son is being held. Jim has tried hard to make his life as different as possible from the one he grew up in: his father was a local legend and hard man. Everyone was scared of his violence. It looks as though Jim’s son is determined to take up from where his grandfather left off.
Things go from bad to worse, when someone is determined to undermine everything Jim has tried to do for himself and his family.
I really enjoyed this. There’s never a dull moment (much to Jim’s detriment!), and Jim finds himself in a terribly awkward situation. He has to decide between his family and his reputation - or is there a way that he can protect both?
This is exciting stuff, and had me guessing up to the last page.
Jim (James) Brennan is a criminologist professor, a vice chancellor of the local university. We meet him as he gets off a flight from Beijing in order to go to his local police station where his son is being held. Jim has tried hard to make his life as different as possible from the one he grew up in: his father was a local legend and hard man. Everyone was scared of his violence. It looks as though Jim’s son is determined to take up from where his grandfather left off.
Things go from bad to worse, when someone is determined to undermine everything Jim has tried to do for himself and his family.
I really enjoyed this. There’s never a dull moment (much to Jim’s detriment!), and Jim finds himself in a terribly awkward situation. He has to decide between his family and his reputation - or is there a way that he can protect both?
This is exciting stuff, and had me guessing up to the last page.
Map of My Escape
Book
The shooting of a homicide detective is captured on film by a mysterious figure from a second-floor...
Detective Mystery
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Puzzle Me a Murder in Books
Aug 2, 2024
Missing Pieces
Alice Pepper enjoys having her friends over to work on puzzles most nights. Among the group is her childhood best friend Ruby Milliner. When Ruby arrives home from a business trip early, she catches her husband with his mistress. The next morning, Ruby’s husband is dead, and the police are looking at Ruby as their prime suspect. Alice jumps in to find the killer. But does she have all the pieces to solve this puzzle?
Despite the fact that I’m not much of a jigsaw puzzle guy, I thought this sounded like a fun premise for a series. Sadly, I was wrong. I didn’t feel like the characters ever went beyond being types, and it felt like they had too many interests or skills in their background. It felt like the author was checking boxes instead of making well rounded characters. There wasn’t attention to detail, so these things bumped me out of the book. The novel could have lost 60 pages without losing anything, the pacing was that off. And the climax, while logical, seemed abrupt to me. I really did want to like it more, but I won’t give this series another chance.
Despite the fact that I’m not much of a jigsaw puzzle guy, I thought this sounded like a fun premise for a series. Sadly, I was wrong. I didn’t feel like the characters ever went beyond being types, and it felt like they had too many interests or skills in their background. It felt like the author was checking boxes instead of making well rounded characters. There wasn’t attention to detail, so these things bumped me out of the book. The novel could have lost 60 pages without losing anything, the pacing was that off. And the climax, while logical, seemed abrupt to me. I really did want to like it more, but I won’t give this series another chance.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Murder Runs in the Family in Books
May 1, 2025
Retirement Community Filled in Intrigue
Amber has never met her grandma Jade, but when she breaks up with her boyfriend, she winds up heading to Jade’s retirement community. Amber is thrilled to be welcomed with open arms, but the night she arrives, a man in the community dies. The police suspect it was murder, and the man’s family begins telling anyone who will listen that Jade is responsible. Can Amber lean on her PI training and figure out what really happened?
I enjoyed a previous series from this author, but this one didn’t really work for me. I was put off by a negative attitude toward Christianity we get early on. I get it that this is a personal issue, but it did make me read more critically. The characters are thin and more caricature to drive the comedy. The plot is more events than mystery driven, although Amber does make some good deductions along the way. Still, there was an aspect of the plot that I didn’t enjoy. The book does provide some laughs, but over all, it didn’t work for me. This will probably be my only visit with these characters.
I enjoyed a previous series from this author, but this one didn’t really work for me. I was put off by a negative attitude toward Christianity we get early on. I get it that this is a personal issue, but it did make me read more critically. The characters are thin and more caricature to drive the comedy. The plot is more events than mystery driven, although Amber does make some good deductions along the way. Still, there was an aspect of the plot that I didn’t enjoy. The book does provide some laughs, but over all, it didn’t work for me. This will probably be my only visit with these characters.