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 (2464 KP) rated Puzzle Me a Murder in Books
Aug 2, 2024
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 (2464 KP) rated Murder Runs in the Family in Books
May 1, 2025
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.
Resort to Murder
7.0
Rate It
Book
When Emmy Cooper’s life in Chicago is turned upside down, the young interior designer retreats to...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Murder in Manhattan in Books
Dec 10, 2025
I’ve enjoyed some of the author’s other books, but this one was very uneven. While Freddie’s world of 1925 New York City came alive early on, it really slowed down the plot to the point I was getting annoyed by Freddie and the name dropping of famous people in the book. Once the story really took off, it got better. I grew to like Freddie, and I enjoyed seeing her famous friends. Still, there was a thread that just got dropped on the way to an otherwise logical climax. There’s a sheen of humor to the story that balances out the more serious moments. I’ll give this series another try, but hopefully, the next is overall stronger.
Fatal Reunion
10.0
Rate It
Book
As Monongahela County's new coroner Zoe Chambers-Adams gears up for a third day searching for a...
The Marlow Murder Club
10.0
Rate It
Book
A delightfully clever new mystery from creator of BBC One's hilarious murder mystery series Death in...
Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Be careful what you look for in the night. Three months after the death of his brother, Marc...
Contemporary MM Romance Mystery Thriller Suspense
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated People of Darkness in Books
Apr 3, 2025
Knowing that Jim Chee becomes the other main character in this series, I was happy to finally get to meet him. The set up has several different elements, and even knowing they’d come together, it seemed like a bit too much. But by the end I was impressed with just how it all connected. There was one character that was a bit of a page hog, but overall, I thought the cast was good and I wish I thought a couple of them were coming back. I also enjoyed how Navajo culture played into the story. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Jim Chee again soon.
Egg Drop Dead
9.0
Rate It
Book
In the fifth in Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop delectable mystery series, Egg Drop Dead, the Ho-Lee...