Long Day's Journey Into Night
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A true modern classic from one of the twentieth century's most significant writers, Long Day's...
Blood Alone
8.0
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With a case of amnesia, will Billy remember who he is and what is his mission, before more people...
Skylark
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It is 1900, give or take a few years. The Vajkays—call them Mother and Father—live in Sárszeg,...
Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America
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In this provocative and original exploration of racial subjugation during slavery and its aftermath,...
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...
Solitude Creek (Kathryn Dance #4)
9.0
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In her latest thriller, Dance, an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, finds herself...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2609 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 (2609 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.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2609 KP) rated Murder on Union Square in Books
Jun 13, 2022
It's always a pleasure to pop back in on Sarah and Frank in 1899 New York City, and this book was no exception. I love the characters. As is often the case these days, we get parts of the story from four different points of view, and it is always easy to tell when we switch from one to the other. I did feel the plot wasn’t quite as good as usual for this series. There are a few twists and a strong climax, but it got bogged down in the middle. Still, fans will be happy to spend time with these characters we love. I know I did.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2609 KP) rated The Quirky Quiz Show Caper in Books
Jul 4, 2026
Yes, I am teasing the right book. There is a quiz show, but it comes late to the story. I wasn’t bored waiting to get there, and it did tie into the bigger mystery. When we got to the climax, my questions about the plot were answered, but the way the villain tried to silence Sandy didn’t make any sense. I like how we are slowly getting to know the people in Sandy’s life as the series progresses. We get to see him in a different light as a result. The characters were all good. Yes, there were some obvious flaws to me, but overall, I enjoyed this book.