I’m so excited that there is a new Royal Spyness book! In this one, Georgie has to figure out who added poisonous berries to a fruit tart before the hI’m so excited that there is a new Royal Spyness book! In this one, Georgie has to figure out who added poisonous berries to a fruit tart before the highly prejudiced detective in charge of the case throws her French chef in jail.
In the last month of her pregnancy, Georgie gets involved against everyone else’s better judgment. Darcy, unfortunately, has gotten dull as a character now that he’s married Georgie, but all the other side characters bring the usual amount of delightful and quirky energy. I missed Belinda, but Bowen more than made up for it by adding Agatha Christie to Georgie’s circle.
This is a light read that is a fun and familiar without feeling overly formulaic. This series continues to be a delight.
Thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review...more
I had heard good things about The Verifiers, but it was still a delightful surprise. The main character is smart, headstrong, and thoughtful, and she'I had heard good things about The Verifiers, but it was still a delightful surprise. The main character is smart, headstrong, and thoughtful, and she's determined to approach life like her favorite detective. The mystery itself is also very timely and conceptually interesting. Claudia works for a company that verifies whether people are telling the truth in their dating profiles, and this gets her investigating and thinking about data collection and privacy. Pek gives the reader a satisfying mystery with a fully developed main character dealing with her own complicated family dynamics and personal life.
I'd give it a 4.5 if I could. My only small quibble with the book was that the ending got overcomplicated.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley and Vintage Books in exchange for an honest review....more
I hated The Twyford Code, so I'm very glad that the Alperton Angels lives up to the Appeal. Maybe not *as* completely delightful, but very well done. I hated The Twyford Code, so I'm very glad that the Alperton Angels lives up to the Appeal. Maybe not *as* completely delightful, but very well done. I was fully caught up in true crime writer Amanda Bailey's research into the Alperton Angels cult. The one drawback to me was the character Oliver - his storyline became less and less satisfying as it went along. Overall, though, Hallett's compilation of documents and communications works brilliantly in this novel and keeps it moving along. I also listened to this on audio, and the multi-voiced narration is excellent. I'm sure that I lost some details by listening to it, but the narration more than made up for it.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Atria/Simon and Schuster for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Sleeping Murder was published just after Agatha Christie died in 1976. Its opening is very compelling - a young woman feels drawn to buy a particular Sleeping Murder was published just after Agatha Christie died in 1976. Its opening is very compelling - a young woman feels drawn to buy a particular house only to discover that she lived there briefly as a child and witnessed a murder. The investigation part drags on for a bit, and this doesn't seem like one of Christie's strongest. The solution makes sense, but feels drawn out.
I heard a podcast episode debating when Sleeping Murder was actually written, and it could have been 30-40 years earlier. If that's the case, it's not down to Christie's old age that this isn't her best book. ...more
This is book #40 in my read around the world project (Finland).
The title of this novel raises the question of who, exactly, is defenceless in this stThis is book #40 in my read around the world project (Finland).
The title of this novel raises the question of who, exactly, is defenceless in this story. Hiekkapelto takes up the issues of international drug smuggling and a broken asylum system for immigrants running from violent regimes alongside petty jealousies and greed within small circles of relatives and acquaintances. The detective, who is appropriately opaque and vulnerable, chips away at the layers to come to an unexpected (at least to me) solution.
The mystery had too many gangs and international crime rings for my taste, but Hiekkapelto's masterful weaving of Finland's local crime scene with global socio-economic-political factors was fascinating. One of the reasons that I am doing this read around the world project is to get a better sense of what I don't know about the rest of the world, and this novel opened my eyes to the similarities in Finland's flawed immigration system to the US, as well as Finland's entanglement with global politics....more
My only complaint is that I wish Miss Marple played a larger role in this novel. The vicar is a very engaging narrator, but Miss Marple comes in at thMy only complaint is that I wish Miss Marple played a larger role in this novel. The vicar is a very engaging narrator, but Miss Marple comes in at the end and shows what fools everyone else has been. This was an entirely satisfying cozy mystery....more
I'm not usually a fan of mysteries in short story form. There's not enough room to fully develop a story and the characters are often one-dimension. RI'm not usually a fan of mysteries in short story form. There's not enough room to fully develop a story and the characters are often one-dimension. Reading this collection, however, showed me why people talk about Christie as a master of the short story mystery. Each one is a perfectly crafted puzzle in which Miss Marple shows her brilliance in figuring it out. I very much enjoyed this collection....more
This is the first book in the Three Pines series where I finally get what the fuss is about. I had a hard time at first keeping track of the characterThis is the first book in the Three Pines series where I finally get what the fuss is about. I had a hard time at first keeping track of the characters, so I heavily annotated my copy to trace characters, clues, and themes - and wound up thoroughly enjoying it.
This novel meditates on jealousy, betrayal, and how those elements become grotesque in a really visceral way. Penny doesn't just tell us that certain characters are vile or hated by others, but evokes what makes them both gross and vulnerable. For example, in the scene where Yvette Nichol is eating soup: "He watched as Yvette Nichol leaned so close to her soup her hair dipped in it. It hung down and created an almost impenetrable curtain. But between the clumps he could just see her spoon sputter and spill its contents as it shook its way to her mouth." Such a gross description, but do we almost feel sorry for Nichol with her shaking hands?
The overarching threat to Gamache is handled well and adds a layer of suspense to a mystery that feels a little like a lot of energy for something that isn't immediately suspicious.
Although I enjoyed this novel, there are a few ticks that bugged me. I get that one theme in the novel is body image, but does Penny have to describe almost every character - especially the female characters - in terms of body size? Also, why keep reminding the reader that Myrna is black? Is she worried we might forget? That wouldn't stand out so much, except that she's the only character that gets any racial marking....more
I continue to enjoy this series by Ashley Weaver. Ellie McDonnell is a smart, independent protagonist, and her background as a thief and safecracker bI continue to enjoy this series by Ashley Weaver. Ellie McDonnell is a smart, independent protagonist, and her background as a thief and safecracker brings a fun angle to her investigations. The WW II setting works for me here, too, because the premise of her working for the government to get out of being arrested for burglary adds tension. In Playing It Safe, Ellie is happy to leave London during the blitz for the countryside where she infiltrates a spy ring of people who seem very plausible. Her wily ability to get herself out of the worst situations makes her one of my favorite types of sleuths.
I received a gifted copy of this book from Edelweiss and Minotaur in exchange for an honest review....more
I was in the mood to re-read a Miss Marple novel, and I picked this one because it's one of her early ones. Its sexism and classism are pretty gross, I was in the mood to re-read a Miss Marple novel, and I picked this one because it's one of her early ones. Its sexism and classism are pretty gross, but that's unfortunately pretty typical for Christie and the era. The plot is, of course, ridiculously complicated, but it's an enjoyable puzzle, and I love Miss Marple, especially when she talks to people sternly....more
I'm so glad that I've discovered Kellye Garrett's mysteries. This is the second one that I've read, and I'm thoroughly enjoying these slyly funny, snaI'm so glad that I've discovered Kellye Garrett's mysteries. This is the second one that I've read, and I'm thoroughly enjoying these slyly funny, snarky, show business-insider-y mysteries. The main character navigates the LA celebrity scene with all of its excess, desperation for attention, snobbery, and racism as she searches for the solution to a murder - all so that she can get the monetary reward that will help save her parents' house from foreclosure. The protagonist's social commentary is half the pleasure of this book, and the twisty mystery is satisfying....more
As much as I get annoyed by thrillers/domestic suspense, this one pulled me in. It was a super fast read and is a total page turner. I also appreciateAs much as I get annoyed by thrillers/domestic suspense, this one pulled me in. It was a super fast read and is a total page turner. I also appreciated that the ending didn't turn into a chaotic meltdown like so many thrillers I've read. The ending also left me thinking about what the author was trying to do there. I'm not sure how I feel about that - but you'll have to read it to know what I mean.
Overall, this is an enjoyable page turner for when you want to get caught up in a story that doesn't make you work too hard as a reader....more
It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did I really liked it. It's excellently crafted with a bunch of separate narratives coming It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did I really liked it. It's excellently crafted with a bunch of separate narratives coming together to tell a layered story of secrets and divided loyalties. There's no one main protagonist here, nor is there a single villain. Atkinson makes everyone complicated and conflicted, except the vilest of characters. And she's such a good storyteller, drawing you into a story about missing girls, serial murders, and sordid nightclubs. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Libro.fm and Edelweiss for the ALC/ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Loading...
