
The Plot Thickets
Book
The ever-quintessential New England town of Goosebush, Massachusetts truly shines in springtime, but...

Record Store Reckoning
Book
When the manager of Marysburg Music, Darcy Gaughan, returns to work after a vacation, she expects to...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Record Store Reckoning in Books
Mar 9, 2023 (Updated Mar 9, 2023)
I couldn’t resist a music store set cozy, and this one introduced us to some great characters. I liked Darcy and the rest of the staff, and the suspects were strong as well. I appreciated the fact that they still had motives even though the victim was generally a well-loved person. I did feel the pacing was off, including a small data dump early on, but it did build to a strong climax. I also found a lot of typos in the physical copy I bought soon after it came out. The book is still very readable, but they were annoying. Things build to a logical and fun climax. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Darcy next.

Charlie Thorne and the Curse of Cleopatra
Book
In this third book in the Charlie Thorne series from bestselling author Stuart Gibbs, Charlie tracks...

Lucifer's Triangle (The Trove Chronicles, #1)
Book
In a city where belief means everything, putting your faith in the wrong person can get you killed. ...
Thriller Historical Elements

Deadly Depths
Book
A notable archaeologist, close to finding a priceless artifact, meets his untimely demise— Matthew...
Crime Mystery Thriller

Her Dying Day
Book
Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and Hannah Mary McKinnon, a mystery writer’s sudden disappearance...

The Third Veil
Book
Two halves, one soul… Can Seven find it within her battered heart and fractured soul to trust in...
Adult Fantasy Romance Portal Fantasy Victorian

The Low Road
Book
In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay....
Women's Fiction Historical Fiction LGBT+
Inji works for a secret branch of a well-known matchmaking agency. Men who would like a wife without the long term commitment, hire a Field Wife. She fulfils their every wish, be it domestic or sexual. Inji’s current husband is a repeat contract. He’s not very good at being a husband, and reinforces Inji’s opinions on marriage: unnecessary and unfulfilling. And then there’s the possibility of domestic violence and exploitation.
To be fair, this doesn’t paint a great picture of marriage in (this case) Korea. Inji doesn’t even refer to her husband by name. He’s just “husband”, which makes him almost incidental to the story.
There’s a lot going on in this novel: family dynamics, exploitation, modern slavery, death (by suicide?), prostitution.
And what is the trunk in the title? I personally think it’s Inji’s personal baggage: the emotions, feelings and responsibilities that she carries around with her all the time. This trunk goes with her between field husband, her family and her flat. She’s never without it.
Is it the thriller that it’s sold as? I don’t think so, but it is a very interesting glance into life in Korea, and I really enjoyed it.