The Sassy Bookworm
⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover!
I am a true crime addict and I love Agatha Christie, so I was excited to dive into this one. The author clearly did a lot of research and that shows throughout the book. However, I found the writing to be a little all over the place and hard to get through at times. I did enjoy the poisons section and how they were used throughout history and in Agatha Christie's books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Beautiful cover on this one!
I adored this book. I literally couldn't put it down and read it from cover to cover in one go. The writing was phenomenal. It was atmospheric. Heartbreaking. Sweet. The plot was engaging, and the characters were well written and likable. The only minor issue I had (and why it misses out on 5 stars) is that I felt like the romance between Joey and Leela was a bit “insta”. That was just a slight issue, though, and I can not recommend this one enough!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Cute cover on this one!
This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. This go around the author has us in the French Riviera. Lady Eleanor Swift is on holiday, accompanied (as always) by her charming butler Clifford, and ready to enjoy a much needed break. The discovery of a body in the villa they are renting throws all those plans into disarray.
This was another completely entertaining read. Fantastic writing. Well paced. I loved the setting (south of France) and the Hollywood connection. The plot (as always) was engaging and full of red herrings to keep you guessing. The characters remain very likable. I especially enjoyed Inspector Damboise, and Eleanor and Clifford remain the hearts of this series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Love the cover of this one!
This was a thoroughly entertaining read. A mystery within a mystery that was amazingly well written and paced. A plot that is clever and keeps you guessing until the end. Wonderful characters and a great setting. What more can you ask for? I knocked this one out in two days.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great cover on this one!
I enjoyed this one a lot. These types of mysteries are like crack to me, honesty. And this one was well written. Worked well as a standalone. The plot was engaging. The main characters were likable, and the mystery kept me guessing. That said, I found it too long and parts of it felt draggy, but that was the only issue I had.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a thoroughly entertaining and quick read. The first 80% was fantastic and had me hooked. The final 20% was a bit farfetched and eye roll worthy. That said, I didn't see any of the twists coming, so kudos to the author for that. This definitely gets two thumbs up from yours truly.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐ – love the cover on this one!
I requested this one because I have never read a book where all the characters were animals. In this case cats. I was intrigued and thought it would make an interesting change of pace. I enjoyed the mystery and thought it was well written and well paced. However, the “cheese factor” was a bit too much for me with all the cat puns. it was cute and humorous at first, but got old quick.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was an entertaining start to a new English cozy mystery. Julia Bird, divorced, retired, and recently of London, moves into a picturesque Cotswolds cottage to start the next phase in her life. When a body is discovered under her shed, things get complicated...
I enjoyed this one a lot. The setting was quaint. The characters are likable. It had a cute dog. The mystery was well plotted and kept me guessing. A fun read from start to finish. I can't wait to see what this author has in store for these characters in the next book!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐
Well written. Well researched. Fascinating (but incredibly difficult to read) subject. The main issue I had with this book was that I was expecting it to be about “Mary Lumpkin”. However, she is really just a side note throughout this book. Very little is known about her and it shows. The author relies on supposition more often than not. That said, I still applaud this author for the incredible amount of research she did.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
It took me a while to work my way through this one. It's a long book, but I found it super fascinating, disturbing, and heartbreaking. I honestly knew very little about slavery, French Colonization, and the history of West Africa. I thought it was brilliant that way this author shaped the history around the backdrop of the “peanut”. Well researched. Well written. If you are a history buff (like me) this is definitely worth a read.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Christ on a cracker was this an amazing book! I couldn't put it down and read it all in one go. Phenomenal writing. Fast-paced. An engaging, dark, and gritty plot. Two incredibly likable main characters and a plethora of secondary characters that round out the story. Run, don't walk, and get your hands on this one asap. This is southern noir at its best!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am becoming a big fan of Jim Eldridge's books. I love the Museum Mysteries series, so I thought I would give this book a try to see if held the same allure. It did. The writing is just so well done and very readable. The settings and attention to historical detail are top-notch. It was well paced, and held up well as a standalone. The plot was intelligent and engaging. Coburg (along with his wife) are strong lead characters. And it was all wrapped up in a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was such a melancholy and atmospheric book. I quite enjoyed it, though. The writing was top-notch. It's a slow burn type of story so isn't the fastest paced story. The plot was engaging, intelligent, and kept me guessing. There are plenty of intriguing and well-developed characters as well. My favorite being Oksana, and it was all wrapped up in a satisfactory ending. This one gets two solid thumbs up from yours truly.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐.5
I love the cover on this one. Alas, the book was a bit of a mixed bag. I loathed Stella, and the romance was ridiculous. I also found it slow, repetitive, and I figured out who the killer was right from the start. On a positive note, I loved the setting and found it suitably spooky. I also really liked Glenys and Alfie. So as I said, a mixed bag...
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐.5
Overall, this was a pretty entertaining first book in a new series. I really enjoyed the art and antiques angle. I also loved the Northern Vermont setting and the French Canadian tie-in. It was well written and well paced, with plenty of twists and turns. The characters were (mostly) likable. However, the main niggle I had with this one was Edie herself. There was just something I can't even put my finger on that made it difficult to warm up to her. Like she came across a bit too moneygrubbing...I don't know.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – fabulous cover on this one!
This was probably one of the best historical “who-done-its” I have read this year. Fantastically written and well paced. A well-crafted plot full of twists and red herrings. A wonderful time period and setting, and a plethora of intriguing characters. I can't wait to see what these characters get up to in the next book.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's been a while since I read a mystery/thriller book that actually got me with the twist! From the beginning to the end, this book was pure entertainment. I flew through it all in one go. Well written and fast paced. A plot that was full of twists and turns. Intriguing characters, and a shocker of an ending. The only small niggle I had with it was, a certain scene near the end was a little anti-climatic. I can't really say more without spoiling things, so I'll leave it at that. Overall, this was a solid read and gets two thumbs up from yours truly.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐
This is a hard book to review, honestly. While I enjoyed it (mostly), it was not without its issues. The writing wasn't great, it's too long and dragged in places, and it reads like two separate books. The first 50% really reminded me of Forrest Gump. Except instead of Forrest, we have “Big Al” taking a trip through history and rubbing elbows with “famous” figures of the time. The second half was more “Da Vinci Codeish” but not really.
⭐⭐⭐.5
This was definitely an entertaining read. Well written. Fast-paced. Plenty of twists and turns. Intriguing characters (a little difficult to keep track of who was who at the beginning). The main issue I had with this one was the ending (twist). It was very abrupt, and dare I say, a little farfetched. Or maybe I mean a little extreme for the motive given for the murder. Maybe had the author dropped in a few hints here and there that more was amiss with this person, it would have been more believable? That said, it was still a fun read that I finished all in one sitting!
ARC Via NetGalley
Merged review:
⭐⭐⭐.5
This was definitely an entertaining read. Well written. Fast-paced. Plenty of twists and turns. Intriguing characters (a little difficult to keep track of who was who at the beginning). The main issue I had with this one was the ending (twist). It was very abrupt, and dare I say, a little farfetched. Or maybe I mean a little extreme for the motive given for the murder. Maybe had the author dropped in a few hints here and there that more was amiss with this person, it would have been more believable? That said, it was still a fun read that I finished all in one sitting!
ARC Via NetGalley
