For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf: A Choreopoem
6.0
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This revolutionary, award-winning play by a lauded playwright and poet is a fearless portrayal of...
Becoming Magic (Sleight of Hand #5)
6.0
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Carole Barnes once believed she would make her own way in Hollywood, but those days are long gone,...
Contemporary Romance
An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason
7.0
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When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers...
historical fiction young adult ya romance Shakespeare
The Captain and the Theatrical
7.0
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When Captain Pendleton needs an emergency fiancée, who better to turn to than his male best friend?...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2621 KP) rated The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies in Books
Jan 4, 2024
Outside of e-mail exchanges in every book, this is the first time we've met Jaine's parents, and I got quite a hoot out of meeting them. The series is comic in nature, and that comedy continues here. The plot kept me guessing until the end. The story was mostly populated with people we haven't met before, but they all seemed real enough to make me care about the outcome.
Do note that this is a novella, originally about 100 pages. Keep that in mind when you sit down to read it.
Also note that this was originally published in the anthology Gingerbread Cookie Murder, so check that you haven’t read it already.
But if you haven’t picked up this story yet, you are in for a treat when you do.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2621 KP) rated Comedy Can Be Deadly in Books
Oct 17, 2024
I love this series, so I was so happy to get the latest entry. The plot is lots of fun with plenty of secrets on the way to the climax, which is the best version of this kind of climax I’ve read. The comedy was a little toned down, but that was a good thing, and there was plenty of laughs. I love how the main characters were developed here again, and the suspects helped pull us into the story. The last chapter sets up the next book, as always, but it’s a bit surprising given some of what happens here. There are some references to past stories, so I recommend you read them in order. You’ll appreciate the character growth more as well. But when you want to laugh while solving a mystery, this is a series you’ll love.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2621 KP) rated The Last Line in Books
Aug 16, 2025 (Updated Aug 16, 2025)
I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Tourette’s, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, I’d be interested in revisiting the characters.
It was great to be back with Ricki and her family and friends. They are a fun bunch, and we met some new characters I hope we see again. There are some spoilers for previous books’ ongoing storylines, but they are minor. There are several subplots in addition to the main mystery, so I was never bored. Yet everything was balanced well and we reached a satisfying climax. I did find a couple of small things that should have been caught by an edit, but they are minor. I loved the Christmas setting of the book for both the humor and the coziness it brought. And we get some appropriate recipes at the end of the book. Whether you read this book now or save it for December, you’ll be glad you read it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2621 KP) rated There’s No Murder Like Show Murder in Books
Jun 1, 2025 (Updated Jun 1, 2025)
Since I love theater, this book caught my attention, and I’m so glad it did. The story is strong with plenty of suspects, motives, and twists to keep me engaged until we reach the logical ending. There were a couple of leaps of logic, but they were minor overall. Tasha is a wonderful lead, and the rest of the cast was entertaining. A few have room to grow, but they work for the amount of page time they get. And the suspects were strong. Plus I enjoyed this look at life behind the scenes in a theater. Well, behind the scenes when a murder is thrown into the mix. This is a strong debut that cozy mystery fans will devour. I’m hopeful that we will get another book from this author soon.
Arabesque
Book
Arabesque is a step in classic ballet, an appropriate title for a novel narrating the beauty of...
Historical Psychological Drama