Posts

Showing posts from August, 2024

Dark Harvest by Hazel Atkinson

 5 out of 5 stars Thank you  to Netgalley  and  Bolinda Audio for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This collection of short stories is a retelling of poems based on Saffo, Dido, Helen, Medea  and Penelope. These are all set in modern times but feel just as timely. My personal favorite was Helen of Troy's story.   Narrated beautifully by Sofia Engstrand I could feel each characters voice clearly.

The Stars Are Dying by Chloe C. Peñaranda

  3 1/2 out of 5 stars I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for allowing me to listen in exchange for an honest review. This was a good book but I think that maybe the writing style was just not for me. I did really enjoy the concept of this novel. I mean who doesn't love a vampire story? I guess the pacing was a bit off for me. We don't get many answers until at least the first 250 pages or so. While I did enjoy the Astraea I wish she was a bit of a more proactive heroine. I did enjoy the fact that this was not another ACOTAR rip off. I have noticed that a lot of romantasy novels just seem to borrow so much from SJM.I plan to continue on with this series. The fantastic voice acting by Corvin King and Jacci Prior really were excellent.

Finding the Treasure: A Cozy Quilts Club Mystery by Marsha DeFilippo

  4 out of 5 stars Even psychic Annalise Jordan couldn’t have predicted the chain of events set off by the discovery of skeletal remains in the Kenduskeag River. If she had, she might never have revealed the details of a mystery her family had kept secret for nearly a hundred years. As a member of the Cozy Quilts Club, Annalise and her friends put their paranormal abilities to use in solving crimes. But when a murder and a break-in seem to be linked to a treasure map in Annalise's possession, the Club must first unravel a decades-old mystery. I really loved this cozy! I love that  Annalise is a bit on the older side but she is not written as an older person if you know what I mean. There are certain tropes that writers give older characters but all of that is gone from this. The mystery is tightly written and enjoyable.

Summer's End: A Cozy Quilts Club Mystery by Marsha DeFilippo

 4 out of 5 stars "The quiet town of Glen Lake, Maine is shaken when high school senior Summer Williams is struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. She was the classmate and friend of the Ryder siblings — whose mother, Jennifer, is uniquely qualified to discover the identity of Summer’s killer. As a member of The Cozy Quilts Club, she and the other quilters use their paranormal skills to find clues that others cannot, and solve unsolvable crimes. But this time, even their usual methods are coming up empty — and the case is getting cold." I discovered this series this weekend and went ahead and read a couple of books in this series. I am disappointed though because it seems like there are hardly any books. That said I love the characters and the paranormal bent. This is a super fun series.

Caught Dead Handed (Witch City Mystery, #1) by Carol J. Perry

 4 out of 5 stars It's October and Lee Barrett returns to her hometown of Salem,Ma to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late-night horror movies. It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming. Not only that but it seems she has powers she never knew about. This was a great book! I have recently returned to reading cozy mysteries and this one had everything I want with a dash of magic power tossed in there for good measure!

The Windmill Murders by Mandy Mirton

 4 out of 5 stars The Windmill Murders is a fun cozy mystery.  This was my first foray into "The No 2 Feline Detective Agency" and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A quick and easy read that is also fun.  I love Hettie and Tilly’s friendship.  The plot was well though out and the characters have real depth. Mandy Morton does and excellent job of weaving fiction and history together with a little bit of gore thrown in.

The More the Terrier: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt

 5 stars out of 5 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Sooooo, how did I never come across this book in all the cozy mystery that I have read  I have been a cozy reader for longer than I care to admit. Luckily I came across this on Netgalley1 this was a super fun and cozy book. I loved that this took place at Christmas time. Who doesn't love a cozy set during any holiday? I will be catching up on all the Andy Carpenter novels!   I really liked how Grover Gardner narrated this book. I hope that he has narrated all the other books in this series.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins By P.Djelji Clark

  5 out of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an advanced copy of this book in exchanged for an honest review. P.Djelji Clark created a fascinating world and an intriguing main character in Eveen the Eviscerator . I also enjoyed Lynnette R Freeman's narration. I am very intrigued by the world and the necromancy attached to it. i hope the next comes out soon.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

 5.0 stars I really enjoy Sarah Pekkanen when she writes with Geer Hendricks but had never read anything that she had written alone until last year but I fully enjoyed "Gone Tonight" so I asked for an arc of this and was lucky enough to receive one. I fully enjoyed this novel. It is mostly a phycological thriller with a tiny bit of horror thrown in for good measure.   Stella never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help nine year old Rose who witnessed the the could be murder of her nanny. As Stella begins to look into what Rose witnessed things begin to look darker than  Stella could ever imagine. This was an excellent novel filled with suspense and a bit of dread.

Beautiful Villain by Rebecca F. Kenney

  3.75 stars Great Gatsby with vampires. Since I technically can't give anything other than a full star review on Good reads I rounded this up to a four.   I really enjoyed this book for the most part. I thought this was a pretty good and interesting retelling except for the spiciness. I am not a person who enjoys heavy spice and this had a pretty good amount so that is why I didn't give it a full four stars.