A View to Kill
7.0
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The Devil Died at Midnight The devil is in the detail. When true-crime writer Alexandria...
The Hair of Harold Roux
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In 1975 the National Book Award Fiction Prize was awarded to two writers: Robert Stone and Thomas...
In Youth Is Pleasure
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A tender and fierce account of boyhood and nascent homosexual desire First published in 1945, In...
The Dante Chamber
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The year is 1870. Five years after a series of Dante-inspired killings disrupted Boston, a man is...
Swear on This Life
10.0
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From USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino (Before We Were Strangers), a warm and witty novel...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Stardust Trail in Books
Aug 23, 2022 (Updated Aug 23, 2022)
I bought this book when the author gave a talk at my local library a few months back. I’m glad I did. As always, I enjoyed the Hollywood setting, but I especially enjoyed the scenes that took Nate to the area I live. Granted, it has changed a lot since the time when the book was set. The story itself is strong with plenty of action to keep us engaged. I had a few things figured out, but I missed some other clues that Nate used to solve things. The characters are engaging, as well. This has the feel of a classic PI novel, so it has a bit more content than I would typically read. It also means that Nate’s sense of humor made me laugh as I was reading. Fortunately, I already have the sequel since I’m looking forward to visiting Nate again soon.
A Merry Little Murder Plot
8.0
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‘Tis the season in Briar Creek, and this year festivities become fatalities in the newest Library...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated A Merry Little Murder Plot in Books
Oct 9, 2024
I always enjoy visiting these characters, and that was no exception. Having said that, I didn’t appreciate the subplot about book banning, mainly because it was just knee jerk storytelling and didn’t have any of the nuance that should be involved in the topic. Still, that was a minor part of a book I enjoyed overall. The plot was great and kept me guessing even about who the victim would be (I went in without reading anything about the plot). The twists kept coming after the murder, but everything made sense at the end. The characters, both old and new, were fun. I laughed quite a few times as I went along. And the festive setting added a nice touch to the book. There are some Christmassy extras at the end. Fans will love this book. Anyone looking for a fun Christmas mystery will be glad they picked this book up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated A Very Woodsy Murder in Books
Jul 25, 2024 (Updated Jul 25, 2024)
While the motel and the areas where the action takes place are all fictional, anyone familiar with the Sierra Nevada mountains will pick up on the inspiration for the setting. Between that and the motel itself, I was completely charmed and wanted to go visit in real life. The characters we meet are a bit eccentric even for a cozy but also just as delightful. Dee’s background as a sitcom writer provides some good laughs and adds to how Dee views the events. The mystery sets itself up well so it can really get going once Michael is killed. I was hooked and surprised by the logical conclusion. While not a full-blown culinary cozy, there are a couple of recipes at the end. I was utterly charmed by this debut and am already booking my return visit.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Uncommon Type: Some Stories in Books
Nov 14, 2017
They move in period, location, and manner, but all demonstrate a joy in writing, a pleasure in communicating an intensely American sense of atmosphere, friendship, life and family that is every bit as smart and engaging as the man himself.
While the stories are witty, it is more so because of the man himself. They may not be Pulitzer material, but it truly is a pleasure to read his book while thinking about this imaginative man.