Search
Search results
Susan Mallery recommended The Unhoneymooners in Books (curated)
Ross (3282 KP) rated The Neil Diamond Collection by Neil Diamond in Music
Jun 5, 2020
Rolling Stone's 224th greatest album of all time
I was dreading this, as Sweet Caroline is played at every Scottish wedding, birthday, christening and probably a fair number of funerals. I can't stand it's cheesiness, with accompanying drunken "bah-bah-baaaaah".
However, as this is the first track the pain is over quickly and the rest of the collection is OK, generic 70s rock.
However, as this is the first track the pain is over quickly and the rest of the collection is OK, generic 70s rock.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware #34) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Jonathan Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
If you have never read any of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series you need to do so immediately. The Wedding Guest is Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel. It would definitely help with the backstory but you do not need to start at book 1, "When the Bough Breaks", to appreciate the story. Each novel is part of the series but can stand alone.
Kellerman's Alex Delaware is a psychologist who helps Detective Milo Sturgis with difficult cases. As you can guess, having a psychologist as the main character gives the reader a hint that Kellerman's book are more than the ordinary cop vs bad guy type of book. You are almost guaranteed the story will be a psychological thriller.
The Wedding Guest is no exception. Someone is murdered at a wedding reception. Were they invited? Did they crash? Do the bride and groom know them? Do any of the family members or guests know them? Why kill someone during the reception?
The characters surrounding Alex and MIlo help round out the story and make them seem more human and approachable. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They are a perfect team for working together to catch the bad guys.
If you have never read any of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series you need to do so immediately. The Wedding Guest is Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel. It would definitely help with the backstory but you do not need to start at book 1, "When the Bough Breaks", to appreciate the story. Each novel is part of the series but can stand alone.
Kellerman's Alex Delaware is a psychologist who helps Detective Milo Sturgis with difficult cases. As you can guess, having a psychologist as the main character gives the reader a hint that Kellerman's book are more than the ordinary cop vs bad guy type of book. You are almost guaranteed the story will be a psychological thriller.
The Wedding Guest is no exception. Someone is murdered at a wedding reception. Were they invited? Did they crash? Do the bride and groom know them? Do any of the family members or guests know them? Why kill someone during the reception?
The characters surrounding Alex and MIlo help round out the story and make them seem more human and approachable. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They are a perfect team for working together to catch the bad guys.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Murder, She Meowed in Books
Jan 31, 2019
Corpse of a Stripper
With three weeks before her wedding, Stan Connor is finding it hard to keep her mother and sister from taking over and planning things their way. She does finally give in to her sister’s desire to throw her a traditional bachelorette party, but things end on a somber note when the stripper is found dead in the cake he was supposed to jump out of. Worse yet, Stan knew the young man. Feeling the need to investigate, Stan tries to figure out who would have wanted to kill him. Can she do it?
I did feel this book got sidetracked at times by the wedding planning sub-plot, but that might be because I’m a guy. There is definitely a strong mystery here with several viable suspects and a great climax. Along the way, we get plenty of twists and turns. While Stan’s relationship with her family has grown some, the wedding planning brings out some of their old relationships, and it was interesting to see this side of the characters again. Some of the regulars play smaller parts here, but it is great to see the regulars no matter how much page time they got. Those who have pets will be interested in the two new recipes for organic treats at the end of the book.
I did feel this book got sidetracked at times by the wedding planning sub-plot, but that might be because I’m a guy. There is definitely a strong mystery here with several viable suspects and a great climax. Along the way, we get plenty of twists and turns. While Stan’s relationship with her family has grown some, the wedding planning brings out some of their old relationships, and it was interesting to see this side of the characters again. Some of the regulars play smaller parts here, but it is great to see the regulars no matter how much page time they got. Those who have pets will be interested in the two new recipes for organic treats at the end of the book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Wedding Bear Blues in Books
Dec 30, 2020
A Killer Walk Down the Aisle
Sasha Silverman and her sister Maddie are involved in the Valentine’s weekend wedding of a local friend. However, between the demands the bride is making and the fact the wedding party doesn’t get along, it is turning out to be anything but fun. Still, Sasha wasn’t expecting one of the members of the wedding party to turn up dead at the rehearsal dinner. When her bridesmaid duties suddenly include finding the real killer, can she figure out what happened?
Because we meet the members of the bridal party in a couple of group scenes, I had trouble keeping them all straight early on, but as the book progressed, I found it easier to remember their relationships. The plot is strong, with some nice red herrings that kept me confused until we reached the climax. Helping things out are some fun sub-plots, although one of them stretched credibility a bit too far for me. I’ll believe that Sasha can solve the murder but not how this sub-plot played out. I think that may be on me. We do get updates on Sasha’s larger group of family and friends, but they mostly stay in the background, which helps us get to know the suspects better. This is a wonderful winter time cozy, so snuggle in with a blanket and your favorite hot beverage and enjoy.
Because we meet the members of the bridal party in a couple of group scenes, I had trouble keeping them all straight early on, but as the book progressed, I found it easier to remember their relationships. The plot is strong, with some nice red herrings that kept me confused until we reached the climax. Helping things out are some fun sub-plots, although one of them stretched credibility a bit too far for me. I’ll believe that Sasha can solve the murder but not how this sub-plot played out. I think that may be on me. We do get updates on Sasha’s larger group of family and friends, but they mostly stay in the background, which helps us get to know the suspects better. This is a wonderful winter time cozy, so snuggle in with a blanket and your favorite hot beverage and enjoy.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Mistletoe and Murder in Books
Oct 18, 2023
Christmas Wedding Faces Criminal Complications
It’s five days before Kate Hamilton is set to marry Detective Inspector Tom Mallory on Christmas Eve, and the complications are starting to come, like travel delays for Kate’s family and friends coming from the states. But the bigger complication comes from Sheila Parker, an acquaintance who comes looking for an appraisal of her coin collection. That night, Sheila’s house is searched. The next day, Sheila vanishes. Can Kate figure out what happened to Sheila before her wedding?
I find missing person mysteries to be that much more compelling, so I was hooked on this one quickly. I did figure a couple of things out early, but there were still plenty of surprised on the way to the climax. Meanwhile, I loved spending time with the characters old and new. We get some good updates on ongoing storylines, and the ending sets up the next full length book. I am a bit surprised that the wedding came in an ebook only novella, and there isn’t a lot of time for Christmas trappings, but both of these are minor issues. Fans will be happy to get a chance to visit the characters again. While this might not be the best place to start if you are new to the series, I definitely recommend you start the series soon.
I find missing person mysteries to be that much more compelling, so I was hooked on this one quickly. I did figure a couple of things out early, but there were still plenty of surprised on the way to the climax. Meanwhile, I loved spending time with the characters old and new. We get some good updates on ongoing storylines, and the ending sets up the next full length book. I am a bit surprised that the wedding came in an ebook only novella, and there isn’t a lot of time for Christmas trappings, but both of these are minor issues. Fans will be happy to get a chance to visit the characters again. While this might not be the best place to start if you are new to the series, I definitely recommend you start the series soon.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Muddled Matrimonial Murder in Books
Jun 14, 2023
Dead Stalker
Not only is Thanksgiving approaching, and with it lots of orders for cupcakes that caterer Emory Martinez must fulfill, but she’s also working on the wedding of her best friend, Brad, to Gabe. The road to the wedding is going to be rocky, however, as Gabe seems to be having the worst case of cold feet imaginable. Then Brad and Emory find the body of a woman at the wedding venue. The victim is Brad’s stalker, whom he hasn’t seen in years and didn’t even know was in the area. With the police looking at the grooms as the prime suspects, Emory must add finding a killer to her to do list.
I’d kind of forgotten about Brad’s stalker until she became the focus of this storyline. The plot was great since Emory, despite what she uncovers, keeps coming back to the grooms as the best suspects. Yet when we reach the suspenseful climax, things make perfect sense. There are some interesting developments that fans of the series will enjoy. And yes, I do recommend reading this series in order. That’s fine since the characters are so charming, and I enjoyed spending time with them again here. There are another dozen recipes, including some twists on Thanksgiving favorites and lots featuring cranberries. If you are looking for a fun cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
I’d kind of forgotten about Brad’s stalker until she became the focus of this storyline. The plot was great since Emory, despite what she uncovers, keeps coming back to the grooms as the best suspects. Yet when we reach the suspenseful climax, things make perfect sense. There are some interesting developments that fans of the series will enjoy. And yes, I do recommend reading this series in order. That’s fine since the characters are so charming, and I enjoyed spending time with them again here. There are another dozen recipes, including some twists on Thanksgiving favorites and lots featuring cranberries. If you are looking for a fun cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
Midge (525 KP) rated Wedding Wipeout in Books
Dec 10, 2018
A Brilliant and Witty Mystery!
I really enjoyed Wedding Wipeout far more than I was expecting to. The story-line is brilliant and the mystery is so good that you want to keep on reading.
Rabbi Kappelmacher is planning to retire and is training his assistant, Rabbi Steinmetz, to follow in his footsteps, however, things get interesting when a visitor arrives. Former assistant Rabbi, Marshall Green, is now a lawyer with a case to solve.
One of his firm’s clients has died under suspicious circumstances. An elderly woman, Florence Eisenstein had just married the man she had been dating for the last several months, Alfred Shingle. The morning after her wedding, she is found dead in her bed.
She and her sister, Lorraine, were to be the heirs to their father’s egg cream fortune. Their father’s will, however, stipulated that if either of them married her allowance would cease and the proceeds would immediately pass to the other sister. So why, after so many years of unmarried contentment, did Florence decide to marry and also announce to her family that she had found a way to break the will? A will that, as far as Green was aware, was unbreakable. And why did she say that she was disinheriting her nephew, with whom she was on good terms?
Though Wedding Wipeout appears to be a typical mystery novel and is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christies's Poirot, it's actually quite a refreshing take on the mystery genre. Rabbi Kappelmacher and his sidekick, Rabbi Steinmetz have a very entertaining partnership whilst visiting with suspects and eyewitnesses. I particularly liked the wit and dry humour that was evident throughout the book, although I think that some of the humour and certainly some of the references, may have been lost on me, not being Jewish.
Green believes Florence may have been murdered, even though her own doctor ruled it an accidental death. Using his wit and rabbinic reasoning, Kappelmacher unravels all of the misleading information, red herrings and lies to reveal the truth, whilst Steinmetz tries to keep pace with him.
Wedding Wipeout was a wonderful read. I greatly look forward to reading more books by Jacob M Appel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the author for a copy of Wedding Wipeout, via Members Giveaway.
Rabbi Kappelmacher is planning to retire and is training his assistant, Rabbi Steinmetz, to follow in his footsteps, however, things get interesting when a visitor arrives. Former assistant Rabbi, Marshall Green, is now a lawyer with a case to solve.
One of his firm’s clients has died under suspicious circumstances. An elderly woman, Florence Eisenstein had just married the man she had been dating for the last several months, Alfred Shingle. The morning after her wedding, she is found dead in her bed.
She and her sister, Lorraine, were to be the heirs to their father’s egg cream fortune. Their father’s will, however, stipulated that if either of them married her allowance would cease and the proceeds would immediately pass to the other sister. So why, after so many years of unmarried contentment, did Florence decide to marry and also announce to her family that she had found a way to break the will? A will that, as far as Green was aware, was unbreakable. And why did she say that she was disinheriting her nephew, with whom she was on good terms?
Though Wedding Wipeout appears to be a typical mystery novel and is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christies's Poirot, it's actually quite a refreshing take on the mystery genre. Rabbi Kappelmacher and his sidekick, Rabbi Steinmetz have a very entertaining partnership whilst visiting with suspects and eyewitnesses. I particularly liked the wit and dry humour that was evident throughout the book, although I think that some of the humour and certainly some of the references, may have been lost on me, not being Jewish.
Green believes Florence may have been murdered, even though her own doctor ruled it an accidental death. Using his wit and rabbinic reasoning, Kappelmacher unravels all of the misleading information, red herrings and lies to reveal the truth, whilst Steinmetz tries to keep pace with him.
Wedding Wipeout was a wonderful read. I greatly look forward to reading more books by Jacob M Appel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the author for a copy of Wedding Wipeout, via Members Giveaway.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Guest List in Books
Feb 27, 2020
The Guest List is a murder mystery set at a wedding - and not just any wedding. This is the event of the year. It's set on an exclusive island off the coast of Ireland. The bride, Jules Keegan, is a magazine publisher, and the groom, Will Slater, is a handsome survivalist TV star. But all is not as it seems. Will's guests consist mainly of old public school friends who aren't particularly nice people (the ushers are frankly appalling), and Jules' 'Best Man' is an ex-boyfriend from when she was a teenager. Now, he seems perfectly nice, as does his 'plus one', his wife Hannah. Part of the story is actually told from Hannah's perspective. She's the person that you could see being your friend, someone who you could go out drinking with (coffee or alcohol!).
Jules is a very strong, confident woman - the polar opposite of her sister Olivia. Olivia seems to have had a bad breakup and is very fragile.
All of these characters (apart from Hannah) have secrets and grudges against another person at the wedding - even Will's Best Man, Johnno, who at first appears not to have a care in the world. But appearances can be deceptive.
I really enjoyed the way this story was constructed, with jumps backwards and forwards in time. There's the linear story of the build-up to the wedding, with leaps in to the future where one of the waitresses has found an unidentified dead body on the wedding night at the evening party.
This book had me guessing as to the identity of both the murderer and the victim, and I had great fun trying to guess who they were (I didn't get anywhere near the right people, and I also now realise that I have something of a bloodthirsty penchant for retribution). I'm looking forward to Lucy Foley's next book already!
I read this on The Pigeonhole, and Lucy Foley joined in, showing us photos of places she'd been in Ireland that inspired her, and commenting on our (the readers) comments. Another great Pigeonhole experience - and another book that I had also requested and received from NetGalley. So thanks to NetGalley, but especially thanks to The Pigeonhole for helping me to make a dent in my NetGalley book mountain!!
Jules is a very strong, confident woman - the polar opposite of her sister Olivia. Olivia seems to have had a bad breakup and is very fragile.
All of these characters (apart from Hannah) have secrets and grudges against another person at the wedding - even Will's Best Man, Johnno, who at first appears not to have a care in the world. But appearances can be deceptive.
I really enjoyed the way this story was constructed, with jumps backwards and forwards in time. There's the linear story of the build-up to the wedding, with leaps in to the future where one of the waitresses has found an unidentified dead body on the wedding night at the evening party.
This book had me guessing as to the identity of both the murderer and the victim, and I had great fun trying to guess who they were (I didn't get anywhere near the right people, and I also now realise that I have something of a bloodthirsty penchant for retribution). I'm looking forward to Lucy Foley's next book already!
I read this on The Pigeonhole, and Lucy Foley joined in, showing us photos of places she'd been in Ireland that inspired her, and commenting on our (the readers) comments. Another great Pigeonhole experience - and another book that I had also requested and received from NetGalley. So thanks to NetGalley, but especially thanks to The Pigeonhole for helping me to make a dent in my NetGalley book mountain!!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Caught Redhanded (Amhearst Mystery Series #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Merry decides to get into shape two weeks before her wedding, she runs across another corpse. Can she solve the murder and get all those details finished? The mystery was rather easy to figure out, but it was wonderful to finally get the final book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-caught-redhanded-by-gayle.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-caught-redhanded-by-gayle.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.