Make Up Reading

4.5 out of 5 stars I want to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an  advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is told in a span of three days in third person. We cover day before, day of, and day after a murder Three couples gather at Glass Beach. As tensions among the friends mount you are not really surprised when someone is found dead. They do let us know it was one of the wives but we do not know which one it is at first. I have to say that this book really read like a modern day Agatha Christie.  

3.75 out of 5 stars I want to thank Netgalley and St.Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Violet is a lonely, shy girl who live in a small, fading town. She doesn't want to fade along with the town. After the death of her sister and her Dad she feels like she is fading even more. Given the chance to attend the  Elm Hollow Academy a private school for girls that just happens to the site for the 17th century witch trials. There she meets Robyn and her clique of friends who seem right out of "The Craft". Robin decides she will befriend Violet and invites her to a study group run by Ms. Annabel. Before she knows it Violet is involved in a dangerous and toxic friendship with Robin leading the way and leading the girls down some very toxic path.  Violet finds herself falling under the spell (sorry for the pun) of Robin.  There is magic and murder and Violet may never recover from all that she experiences in El...

5 out of 5 stars "White ribbons for the young girls, red for the grace year girls, and black for the wives. Innocence. Blood. Death." The sixteenth year of Tierney James life as she prepares to go on her Grace Year she dreams of a better life. A more promising life away from the county, in the outskirts working in labor as she would rather do that if she survives.  You see, in the county each Autumn every sixteen year old girl is given the chance to receive a veil from a male in the county. Those who do not get picked are sent out to become laborers or become prostitutes to service the men from the county. After the veiling ceremony the girls are sent out to spend a year far from the county to fend for themselves and to find their magic and get rid of it. You see, all the men in the county believe that girls and woman are the source of evil. Eve was the first woman and she tainted all woman that came after her. She carried with her a terrible magic and the only way that t...

5 out of 5 creepy strangers!  Clare Cassidy teaches English at Talgarth High School former home of  famous author R.M. Holland and his beloved wife Alice who met her untimely death from a fall or perhaps a push? It is said that sometimes you can see the Lady in White as she roams the school.  Clare also happens to be writing a novel about the author. R.M. Holland is known for one short story "The Stranger" and was said to have hated it.  One Fall day shortly before Halloween Clare's best friend and fellow teacher Ella is found dead. She was murder and "Hell Is Empty, and All the Devils Are Here ". Just like what is written in Holland's one famous book. This is the perfect book leading up to Halloween. It's is a lovely blend of Gothic Victorian writing and a contemporary mystery sure to capture you and not let you go. I have never read an Elly Griffiths novel before but she has a new fan. Her writing is beautiful. You can picture the old, Victorian ...

3.75 out of 5 stars I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. We meet three woman, Emma, Marlee and all graduates of Denham House an extremely prestigious private school where only the wealthiest and smartest girls go. As they get close to the graduating class of 1993's 25th anniversary the past begins to catch up with them. Right before graduation Tessa's body was found. The case was closed quickly as a suicide. That never felt right to Emma though. She saw something right before Tessa died and feels that her death was  really murder. I would not classify this as a psychological thriller but more of a slice of life mystery. While the death of Tessa looms large in each woman's life the things going on now are in many way far more important to the story than the mystery itself.  Each character is very much a person unto themselves so you will have no problem distinguishing the ...

4.75 out of 5 stars I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is the first time I have ever read a novel by Sarah A. Denzil and I really enjoyed it. Ten years ago a boy named Samuel Murray went missing after Heather's sister Rosie accused him of something terrible. Though Heather really didn't want to she couldn't help but believed that Rosie had something to do with Samuel's disappearance.  She never really was able to forgive her sister for what she thinks Rosie has done. With their Mother in the hospital close to death Heather knows she has no choice but to contact her sister and ask her to return home to their tiny English village that seems to agree with Heather's hidden fear that Rosie killed Samuel.Heather and her Mother have not seen Rosie since she passed out behind the sofa at the girl's Father's wake. Rosie who is a recovering addict doesn't want...

5 out of 5  Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I first found D.M. Pulley back in 2014 when I found The Dead Key on Amazon as a Amazon Unlimited offer and I was immediately impressed. The Dead Key was in my top five books of that year as it was such a different type of book. When I saw that this book was up for an advanced read I know I had to read it and I am so glad that I did! If you are looking for a good, haunted house book just in time for spooky season (which for me starts in the middle of August because I am that obsessed with Autumn and Halloween!) Then this book is for you! If I had the time to binge this book in one day I would have. As it is I did finish it in two! There is something about Rawlingswood Manor that captivates potential buyers so much they feel that they must have it. Built in Shaker Heights in 1922 for the Rawlings family who became the first victims ...