Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (4950)

Content

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated A Pairing to Die For in Books

Jan 29, 2021

Can Parker Pair the Victim with the Correct Killer?

Reid Wallace’s estranged family has come for a visit to Boulder, Colorado, and Parker Valentine is hoping to make a good impression on her boyfriend’s family. However, things aren’t going well as Reid’s family is constantly judging everything she says as not being up to their standards. Never mind their opinions of her wine. The visit is interrupted when Reid is arrested for murder. Oscar, the sous chef at Reid’s restaurant and his long-time friend, was murder behind the restaurant, and the police are certain that Reid did it. Parker doesn’t believe that Reid is capable of murder and sets out to figure out what really happened. Can she free her boyfriend from jail?

The first in this series was one of my favorite books from 2020, so I had high hopes for this one. I’m pleased to say I enjoyed it. There is plenty of conflict in this book to keep us hooked. I did think the pacing started to slow in the middle, but about the time I thought that, it picked up again and kept going until we reached the end. The characters are still rich, and I appreciated the growth in their relationships, while the new characters fit perfectly into Parker’s world. For those interested because of the wine theme, there are plenty of scenes in Parker’s winery. I’d forgotten that this series is written in the present tense, which I don’t mind once my brain adjusts. There are three delicious sounding recipes with suggested wine pairings at the end of the book. If you haven’t started this series, you need to fix that. If you’ve read the first, this book will please you.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries in Books

Jun 27, 2019

The Campground Isn’t the Only Thing That Needed Fixing

Mae West’s life has turned upside down. Unbeknownst to her, her husband Paul was running a Ponzi scheme. When the dust from the FBI raid settles, Mae is left with no money, no home, and no friends. All she has is an RV and a campground in Kentucky. She heads there, hoping to figure out what she wants to do next with her life while she sells the place. However, when she arrives, she finds the place has been neglected and needs a lot of work. Then Paul escapes from prison and turns up dead in the campground’s lake. With Mae a logical prime suspect, she begins to work to clear her name. Can she do it?

I grew up camping, and I wanted to love this series set at a campground. Unfortunately, the flaws were just too many. The plot was good, including a logical killer and motive. However, there is a major plot hole in the final quarter of the book – one big enough to drive an RV through. Then there’s the law enforcement character who is supposed to be FBI but acts more like the local sheriff. The characters are pushing the edges of quirky, but they definitely grew on me. There are multiple issues with the grammar, something I am usually able to ignore pretty well, but here they were pretty bad. I think most of the flaws could have been fixed with a good, solid edit, but instead the book feels like it was rushed out. It is a quick read, and includes three delicious recipes and some household tips at the end. I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I will have to keep driving until I find a better campground cozy series.

Kudos

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated If You Could Go Anywhere in Books

Sep 12, 2019

If You Could Go Anywhere

Paige Toon | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

So we meet Angie who lives in the outback in rural Australia, a mining town called Coober Pedy--famous for its opals. Her grandmother has just passed away after years of struggling with dementia and as her only living relative it's hit Angie hard. Her friend comes over and they decide to drink some of her grandfathers wine and behind one of the bottles they find a letter written by Angie's dead mum addressed to a man in Italy. Reading the letter she finds out that her dad is the man the letter is addressed to and that he never knew about her. Angie is thrilled at the idea of having family back in Italy and flies out to meet them.

The people she meets in Italy welcome her with open arms, ready to accept her into their large extended family. They're a nice bunch of people who want to hear all about her life in the desert and living in a "cave". They show her how to make Italian cuisine and she shares her own recipes with them.

Then there's Alessandro. He's related but not by blood and there's a connection between the two of them. Both want to travel; both lost parents at an early age. But Alessandro had a rough start to life and doesn't want any sort of commitment with anyone or anything.

I loved some of the secondary characters like Stefano and Cristina. They were fun; there arguments over the music that played and their nights out/nights.

I like that this is set in Rome, a city I have visited myself so I understand some of Angie's joy at seeing some of the famous sites. And a little time in Venice, too. Another city I've had the fortune of visiting.

And lastly, cover love! How cute is this cover? I love it!

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Fatal Cajun Festival in Books

Sep 13, 2019

Murder Isn’t Music to Maggie’s Ears

Maggie Crozat’s grand-mere has come up with the idea of Pelican, Louisiana, holding a musical festival in the days leading up to New Orleans’s famous Jazz Fest. Tammy Barker, a native who has gained fame as the winner of the TV singing competition, has agreed to return to headline the event. This isn’t good news for Maggie’s friend, Gaynell, however. Gaynell and Tammy went to high school together, and Tammy seems to have it out for her, even sabotaging Gaynell’s shot at auditioning for Jazz Fest. So when a murder takes place after Tammy’s set opening night of the festival, all eyes are on Gaynell. Can Maggie clear her friend?

This is the fifth book in the series, and it was wonderful to get to visit our friends in Pelican again. Maggie leads a strong cast. While there are quite a few regulars plus the suspects, I didn’t have any trouble keeping the characters straight while I was reading. However, there is a handy character guide in the front of the book if you do need it. The plot is strong with a couple of equally as strong sub-plots to keep the pages turning. I especially enjoyed a sub-plot involving Grand-mere. The twists and turns lead us to a logical climax. My only complaint is how Maggie works with the police, but it was a minor issue overall. We get five recipes and some fun background on things we learn in the story at the end of the book. I always feel like I’ve visited Louisiana when I read one of these books, and this one is no expectation. Fans old and new will be glad they picked it up.