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Pawsitively Poisonous: A Witch of Edgehill Mystery #1
Pawsitively Poisonous: A Witch of Edgehill Mystery #1
Melissa Erin Jackson | 2019 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For Fans of of cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist, this one is definitely for you!
I had actually read the 2nd book in the series first for review and enjoyed it so much that Melissa sent this one to me also.

The cover alone would have been an instant buy for me, the silhouetted witch against the bright green is so eye catching it literally screams out to you pick me up and read me (You know you want too)!

With Melissa being a professional pet sitter you just know that this would have a nod to pets, and she certainly did not disappoint. Edgehill is a small quirky town whose identity revolves around cats. With everything from the business names to the town fair having a cat related theme and name.

The characters are spot on and you cant help but fall in love with the main Protagonist Amber Blackwood and yes, she is a witch, from a long line of witches who keep their identity secret, for good reason!

Being a cozy mystery you are dragged into a plot line that keeps you on the edge of your seat and has you invested in the characters right through to the end. This leaves you wanting more and I can guarantee that you will move straight on to the second book in the series as you are left with so many unaswered questions about Amber and her family.

So if you are looking for a quick, quirky, fun read you should definitely go and grab yourself a copy!

Melissa sent me my copy of Pawsitively Poisonous for free in exchange for an honest review
  
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
1989 | Horror
3
6.1 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The fall of the franchise.
Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) now has a psychic connection with Michael Myers, she has visions showing who and where he is going to kill next.

If that sounds dumb to you, then trust me, the movie will feel dumb too.
Halloween 5 feels more like a Friday the 13th movie, filled with dumb teens getting picked off one by one, featuring some unrealistic subplot to distinguish it from other entries.
Gone is the eerie suspense, the music is a shadow of the original's score. Gone too is the tension of asking "where is Michael?" As Jamie's visions literally show us where he is.

 There is also a weird change, in Halloween 4 Leslie L. Rohland played the part of Lindsey Wallace, shown as a friend to both Jamie and Rachel (Ellie Cornell), Leslie did not return for H5. In Halloween 5, they cast Wendy Foxworth as Tina Williams. What's confusing is Leslie and Tina are very similar to one another, they look alike and their characters were similar. In H5 they played off like Tina had known Jamie from before. So it begs the question, if you had to recast why not keep the same character? And if you had to change character, why not cast someone unlike Leslie? I don't know but it's always bugged me.

There are a couple of good things to say about it. Some death scenes are intense and brutal, the ending is good, intense with a decent twist.

Overall though, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is the first entry in the series that really truly disappointed me, mostly due to its dumb story.
  
Anna's Secret
Anna's Secret
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was such a touching story!

Anna’s Secret was a good story that made me feel like I walked away from it having genuinely learned something. The characters and their backgrounds were fed to us little by little, making it seem natural and conversational. Although both characters make some not so good choices, they do end up admitting their wrongs and being the better for them in the end. I personally loved Anna’s strength, and courage through some difficult times, and I think she handled her decisions both good and bad to the best of her ability. I think her mistakes really emphasized how we need to rely on God for all things and not our own strength. Matthew was also an interesting character and I enjoyed getting to know him. He led me on a journey of discovering the love of the true Father, making mistakes and owning up to them and learning to really trust people. Overall, I thought he complimented Anna very well. The plot was a true back and forth friends to enemies’ book, with some unique twist and turns throughout the storyline. This is my first time reading a book by Blossom Turner and I really liked her writing style.

I truly think that this book is a great reminder of lessons we need to keep with us on a daily basis. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the creative theme, the wonderful lessons, and the message of the gospel. I recommend reading this book.
* I volunteered to read this story in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Death on the Boardwalk in Books

May 26, 2021 (Updated May 26, 2021)  
Death on the Boardwalk
Death on the Boardwalk
Caleb Wygal | 2021 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Body at the Back Door
Clark Thomas runs a bookstore near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. His days are usually fairly quiet, and he enjoys helping his customers find just the right beach read for their vacation. However, this particular morning, he arrives at work to find a carpet rolled up by his shop’s back door. When he investigates, he discovers that a body is hidden inside the carpet. Worse yet, he recognizes the victim as Paige, one of his regular customers. Clark can’t help but wonder why the body was dumped behind his store. And why would someone want to kill Paige?

I always enjoy getting to visit a tourist destination via a cozy mystery, and this one brought Myrtle Beach to life. Clark’s bookstore was a bonus, and I enjoyed that aspect of the book as well. Since the mystery includes how as well as who and why, there was plenty to keep me engaged as I read, and I especially enjoyed one twist near the end of the book before Clark figured it all out. Once we reached the end, everything made sense. The characters were good, but could be a little more fleshed out. Clark is the strongest of them, mainly because of a tragedy in his past that is talked about some here. The writing was a little rough near the beginning, with some information given to us in a jarring manner. Fortunately, that got better as the book went along. I could see this turning into a fun series. It’s definitely a good beach read whether you can get to the beach this summer or not.
  
21st Birthday
21st Birthday
James Patterson, Maxine Paetro | 2021 | Mystery
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Needed Some Careful Editing to be Good
It all starts with a woman confronting Cindy Thomas in her office at the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman is certain that something bad has happened to her daughter and granddaughter, and her son-in-law is to blame. She wants Cindy to write stories about it and post about it on her blog, but Cindy quickly turns the woman over to her friend, San Francisco detective Lindsay Boxer, who pushes the police to start an investigation and make it a priority. Sadly, it isn’t long before a dead body turns up. Will Lindsay and the rest of the Women’s Murder Club figure out what is really happening?

Usually with this series, I complain about the characters having plotlines that rarely if ever intersect. Here, I was thrilled to see that the characters, including Claire and Yuki, are working together on one case, and they all get their moments to shine. While the characters are a bit thin, we did like them all and care enough to keep reading. The plot is compelling with twists that intrigue. However, the authors can’t land it. I get what we are supposed to think happened, but in the rush to wrap things up after the final twist, we don’t get a major plot point from earlier in the book explained. Meanwhile, the editing was sloppy, including students at a high school being in class on a Saturday, missing days, and Lindsay being in two places at once near the end of the book. This reads more like a first draft that needed an editor to help polish it up instead of a finished novel.