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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Sleeping with the Fishes in Books

Mar 15, 2020

Ava is the oldest daughter of Mother, and as such has been groomed to take over the leadership of Sirenia, their merfolk territory under the sea, someday. Most view Ava as aloof and bossy, but Ava will be the first to tell you she is really afraid – afraid her past will come out and afraid she will fail when the time comes. The time comes sooner than she expected when Mother is kidnapped and Ava must take over leadership immediately. Then comes word that sharks are encroaching on mermaid territory. Can Ava deal with this crisis?

This is the third novella about three mermaid sisters, and it is another fantastic tale. Ava finally gets her chance to step into the spotlight, and she fully comes alive for us. As the story unfolds, we get to see her grapple with what she has been handed and rise to the occasion. Yes, this is another fantastic coming of age story with a strong mystery to keep you turning pages. These novellas are best read in order, but there is enough background to follow Ava’s story. It’s been wonderful getting to spend some time under the sea with all three of these sisters.

NOTE: NOTE: This story, along with the stories of Ava’s sisters, are included in the Mermaid Mysteries anthology. Buy them individually or as a set, but there is no need to buy both.

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Mermaid Mysteries in Books

Mar 15, 2020

Mermaid Mysteries

Diane Vallere | 2019 | Mystery

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Go Under the Sea for this Novella Collection

This collection contains three mystery novellas that take the reader under the sea for stories starring three mermaid sisters, the daughter of the leader of their community of Sirenia. Up first, Zoe finds a mystery after she rescues a diver at a shipwreck she loves to explore. Next, Kyra discovers something strange happening at the vault of cultural treasures. Finally, Ava must step into leadership earlier than expected when someone kidnaps Mother.

Each of the three novella is only 90 pages each, so they are easy reads, but they are delightful. They are part coming of age tales, and watching the sisters grow is remarkable. We get to see the other characters from three sets of eyes, so it is fun to see how the different sisters view those around them. The undersea world is brought to life with a delightful attention to detail; there are many elements that made me smile, and I’d love to dive in for a visit if I could only breath underwater. The mysteries themselves are good and compelling. One ended a bit abruptly, but that was a minor complaint. If you want to try something different with your mysteries, this collection is for you.

NOTE: The novellas were originally released individually as ebooks before being combined into this electronic and print collection. Make sure you aren’t buying the same content a second time, but by all means, buy it once.

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated What the Cluck? It’s Murder in Books

Feb 11, 2023

Meeting the Family Turned into a Clustercluck

Frankie and her boyfriend are getting away for a long weekend so that Frankie can meet a few of Martin’s older sisters, the women who raised him. However, trying to make a good impression isn’t the only thing that Frankie has to worry about when she and Martin find a dead farm hand near the chicken coop. With the evidence pointing to one of Martin’s sisters, Frankie and Martin have to team up to figure out what is going on. Can they do it?

Yes, this is one of the few paranormal series I read, and I find the premise very fun. I was happy with how quickly I was able to keep the sisters and their families straight. I’m sure it helped that we weren’t meeting all of them. Since Frankie and Martin are the only returning characters, they got plenty of time to grow, and I love what we saw, especially from Martin. We get plenty of fun, especially with Frankie trying to read animals, although they did give us one scene I found tasteless. There are a few timeline glitches, but they were more annoying than anything else. The plot fights with family dynamics a time or two for dominance, but there are some fun surprises on the way to a suspenseful ending. All told, this is another fun book if you are looking for something different.

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Fixing to Die (Southern Ladies Mystery, #4) in Books

Mar 9, 2018

Sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote are only too happy to help Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of their friend. It seems the family house is haunted, and she wants them to help her figure out what is causing the problem. It isn’t too long after they arrive that they begin to experience some strange things, but it’s the uninvited guests who really up the tension. What are the sisters involved in now?

I love the main characters in this book, both human and four legged, so I was glad to get a chance to visit them again. They delight as always, and the new characters are strong as well. The pacing was a little off over all, but the haunted house aspect is a nice addition to the mystery. Fans of the author will enjoy this latest book.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/10/book-review-fixing-to-die-by-miranda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.

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The Dust That Falls from Dreams

Louis de Bernieres

6.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A return to the epic romance, heroism, history and warm and eccentric cast of characters that made...

Housekeeping: Faber Modern Classics

Marilynne Robinson

9.5 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Abandoned by a succession of relatives, orphaned sisters Ruthie and Lucille find themselves in the...

Cheech Marin recommended Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) in Movies (curated)

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

1986 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

9.0

(3 Ratings)

Movie Favorite

"I like Hannah and Her Sisters. I’m a really big Woody Allen fan. I love all his stuff except for the crap. Ironically, I always wanted to be in a Woody Allen movie, and I was, but it was a movie he just acted in, Picking up the Pieces. It was the worst movie I was ever in. Everybody in it was a big star, was some name, Alfonso Arau was the director, Vittorio Storaro was the DP. It was like all the world’s best ingredients mixed in a cup full of vomit. I couldn’t even watch me, that’s how bad it was. But Hannah and Her Sisters. I just love the multiple storylines going on, and then Woody Allen gets soft at the end, and it becomes sentimental. But the thing I really liked was the piano score, the acoustic piano score that runs throughout. It’s really the thing that ties it together, emotionally. I thought"

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