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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Halloween Party Murder in Books

Sep 1, 2021 (Updated Sep 1, 2021)  
Halloween Party Murder
Halloween Party Murder
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Partying with a Corpse or Three
This Halloween, we are being treated to another novella collection with these three cozy mystery authors as they feature their series sleuths. First up, Lucy Stone finds a dead body after a haunted house fund raiser. Then, Hayley Powell’s Halloween party in her new restaurant ends with the discovery of a corpse in the freezer. Finally, when Julia Snowden’s niece finds herself at a high school party, Julia goes to bring her home, only for the police to discover a dead body in the shed out back.

Out of these three authors, I only regularly read Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake mysteries, so that story, featuring Julia Snowden, was my favorite. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy all three of the novellas. All three feature a strong assortment of characters and a solid mystery. Even if I figured out a part of the story early, I didn’t have it all pieced together until the end. My only complaint was the politics brought into the first novella in the collection. Even then, I’m a bit torn since it did play a part in the story while also feeling like I was reading a lecture. Still, if you are in the mood for a murderous Halloween party, you’ll be glad you picked up this novella collection.
  
Saint Death (John Milton #2)
Saint Death (John Milton #2)
Mark Dawson | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a cracker of a quick read and although this is the second in the series, you most definitely can read it as a standalone.

Absolutely jam-packed with action from start to finish and with the main protagonist that you quickly begin to care about despite his dodgy history, this is a great book.

John Milton is ex-army, ex-special forces and ex-government agent - well he wants to be ex-agent but it's not that easy and John has "escaped" to South America. Trying to keep off-the-radar, he finds himself working as a cook in a "restaurant" in Juarez, Mexico when the proverbial hits the fan and John can't stand by watching innocent people get murdered. Unfortunately, his intervention puts him in the line of sight of the cartel and his old bosses whilst trying to avoid corrupt police and the local population who are under the thumb of the cartel.

This is a book that I absolutely raced through, full of action and violence with many scenes of peril, which some may find upsetting, but one which I thoroughly got lost in and I will definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to Welbeck Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Tropical Depression in Books

Nov 12, 2021 (Updated Nov 12, 2021)  
Tropical Depression
Tropical Depression
C. Michele Dorsey | 2021 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Racing a Hurricane to Solve a Murder
Sabrina Salter has returned to St. John from a disastrous vacation to New England to find out that one of the seasonal employees she and her business partner, Henry, have hired has been murdered. The police are looking at Henry as the killer since the weapon had his initials on it. As the fallout from Sabrina’s vacation shows up on the island, Sabrina tries to find a killer. With Hurricane Irma bearing down on the island, can she do it?

Yes, there is a lot going on in this book, but it all fits together perfectly. Honestly, I can’t imagine this book without any of the elements. We get a logical conclusion to the mystery, and the other storylines allow the characters to grow. I did find some of Sabrina’s behavior a little irritating, but it also allowed for some good development. There were more typos than there should be in the book. Since this is more a traditional mystery, there is a smattering of foul language. Both are worth noting only in passing. The book makes good use of changing the point of view character to fully develop the characters and tell the story. Overall, I loved getting to spend time with Sabrina again. I’m hoping we get to see how she is fairing after the events of this book soon.