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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Buried in a Good Book in Books

May 25, 2022 (Updated May 25, 2022)  
Buried in a Good Book
Buried in a Good Book
Tamara Berry | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Life in the Wilderness Proves to be Deadly
In an attempt to bond with her teenage daughter after a divorce, bestselling thriller authors Tess Harrow decides to spend some time at the rustic cabin she’s recently inherited. But it turns out the lack of running water, electricity, and Wi-Fi aren’t the worst things there. Tess and her daughter haven’t even gotten in the door before there is a horrible boom followed by a rain of fish parts and a human arm. When the sheriff shows up, he is the spitting image of Tess’s main character. What has Tess stumbled into?

If that description sounds a little wacky, that’s because it is. But this book fully embraces it, and is better as a result. I was laughing the entire way through the book at the banter between the characters. The characters are strong and relatable if a bit broad to make the comedy work. I did feel the plot got a little convoluted as we neared the end, but that was my only complaint. Everything made sense in the end, and I was drawn in the entire time I was reading. If you are looking for laughs with your mystery, you’ll be happy you picked up this series debut.
  
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The Secrets of Primrose Square (book 1)
By Claudia Carroll
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's late at night and the rain is pouring down on the Dublin city streets. A mother is grieving for her dead child. She stands silently outside the home of the teenage boy she believes responsible. She watches . . .

In a kitchen on the same square, a girl waits anxiously for her mum to come home. She knows exactly where she is, but she knows she cannot reach her.

A few doors down, and a widow sits alone in her room. She has just delivered a bombshell to her family during dinner and her life is about to change forever.

And an aspiring theatre director has just moved in to a flat across the street. Her landlord is absent, but there are already things about him that don't quite add up . . .

Welcome to Primrose Square.

What a genuinely lovely book to read. It was so heartfelt and touching. It showed the struggles of grief and the amazing friendships that come from it. There’s nothing worse than losing a child and this book showed the struggle of dealing with it. I think we all need a Primrose Square in our lives.
  
The War Prince (Warrior #3)
The War Prince (Warrior #3)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I think I'd posted previously that I'd heard (read) that Simon Scarrow and Tj Andrews 'Warrior' series of e-book novellas was to be a series of five.

If so, we're now at the halfway point.

(The previous entries being The King in Rome and The Druid's Lair).

We're also now past Caratacus' childhood and teenage years, with the protagonist hearing recounting how his training at the hands of the Druids came to an end when he was summoned home in order to participate in an assembly of tribes in an attempt over the, uhhh, 'ownership' of Lhandain.

Whilst all concerned do, initially (pre assembly), agree to abide by the resolution reached by the Druid High Council, this soon falls by the wayside when it is discovered that those on the council are just as venal and corrupt as any other (with Caratacus, as he recounts the tale, laying the blame squarely on Rome).

I'll continue reading these - I do also have to say, I'm intrigued by the 'modern day' (well, modern day to the historian in Nero's Empire who is documenting the story, not modern day to us) opening and closing of each novella - is he bringing unwelcome attention to himself?
  
Soul Journey (Soul Series #1)
Soul Journey (Soul Series #1)
Miranda Shanklin | 2016 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
We start off this book with Annisa and Landon being a couple when a new brother and sister move in next door to Annisa. She feels an immediate pull to Chase but doesn't do anything as she is with Landon - even though he acts like a jerk at times. It all becomes clear and Landon's behaviour is explained. Annisa and Chase are together, and so are Penelope and Landon. This leads to a fast-paced fantasy adventure, as they learn more about themselves, who can help them, who is out to hinder them, and who wants to actually harm them.

Well written, with a full range of teenage emotions and reactions, this is a story that will sweep you away as you stay mainly with Chase and Annisa as they learn just who they are and what they are capable of.

With no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this was an enjoyable story from start to finish and I look forward to continuing their story!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 25, 2016
  
The History of Wolves
The History of Wolves
Emily Fridlund | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Compelling and rather odd
History of Wolves is a coming of age story that will resonate with many people. Linda, mostly left to raise herself by hippy, laid back parents, lives in Northern Minnesota, on grounds that used to belong to a commune, of which her parents were members.

Linda is 14, melodramatic and poetic. She's somewhat obsessed with a classmate, Lily, who spread rumours that their teacher, Me Grierson, molested her though this is questionable. Linda's narrative often veers off into dark corners, and the way the story is told (going back and forth, from teenage Linda to older Linda, reminiscing) only serves to increase the feeling of unease as the reader continues through the story.

The girl also spends a lot of time babysitting Paul, a toddler who moved into a cabin across the lake with his mother, Patra. Paul's father, Leo, is often working away, but when he arrives, Linda's relationship with Petra becomes strained. Patra's youth becomes glaringly obvious when her older husband appears. As a reader you're aware that something terrible has happened, but author Emily Fridlund trickled the information into your mind, keeping you reading until the end. The story surrounds Linda feeling both as a victim and a wrongdoer.

It's not the best Man Booker long list read as at times the narrative is far too disjointed. But the author writes very well.