My Rating: 4 Stars A collection of memorable short stories featuring all the Queen of Mystery’s beloved characters: Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Parker Pyne. I was very glad to find it on the shelve of my local library ready for the taking. In this novel the titles present are:
All the stories show the brilliant mind of Agatha Christie and her great plots full of twists and hidden motives. From tales of greed, thirst for money, revenge, jealousy and betrayal, Christie covers all the themes she is famous for and does it in the style that all the fans are familiar with. The disadvantage of the short stories is the lack of character development and the limited descriptions of the setting, but even so, Christie made it work by going straight to the point and the stories are all very engaging. Being a fan of Hercule Poirot above all the Christie’s characters, my favourite story is The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest, the almost-perfect murder. I will definitely read more about Parker Pyne, he revealed himself to be a mysterious detective with a unique way of thinking that got me intrigued from the beginning. A short collection that I recommend if you’re looking for a quick Agatha Christie read!
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My Rating: 5 Stars A brilliant novel! Thrilling, a bit creepy and very intriguing novel: a promising start for a new series! Julie Hall has had a tough life: abused by her grandmother in her childhood and cursed with the ability to find dead bodies with her dousing rods, she just wants to blend in and have a normal life with her grandfather and her dog Wookie. At the same time, a serial killer is on the loose, leaving the bodies of young women behind with very little evidence. When an FBI agent called Garrett Pierce comes knocking asking for her help, Julie has to use the ability that she was raised to believe to be evil in order to prevent other killings. As the killer gets wind of Julie, Garrett vows to protect her… but will it be enough? Grave Calling is highly engaging and addictive. The story-line is very well-developed and constructed, full of twists and turns and a perfect ending with a very unlikely killer. I really enjoyed how the author jumped from the past to the present, it was done beautifully and it was very easy to follow the story without losing myself or the details. Julie is a great main character and a very unlikely heroine all things considered. The abuse she suffered in her childhood is heart-breaking and the fact that she still struggles with it gives her depth as a character, it makes her more real. Her past has a direct influence in the story, not only because it shapes her, but also because it emphases her struggles to deal with the killings and the bodies she finds. It was a bit agonising to read to be honest. Even so, she has no problems in speaking her mind and definitely not afraid to take on a serial killer. Garrett is a great male protagonist and he has his share of suffering and of bad memories which makes the partnership with Julie a great one, they understand and comfort each other. I really enjoyed reading about their developing relationship and their chemistry. Despite the age difference, they are great together. The secondary characters complement the story very nicely, especially Julie’s friend Katie. This was my first read of Wendy Roberts and I highly recommend Grave Calling for the fans of cosy mysteries with a bit of spice and a lot of twists and surprises. A great thrilling read! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Carina Press. and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars This was the first mystery novel I have read involving medicine and organ transplant. I’m really glad I got to have this first experience with Cut by Amy Peele. This serves as a reminder that we should always try new things! Sarah Golden is a renowned transplant nurse and her life runs smoothly, until she uncovers a very dangerous game being played at the hospital. When bodies start piling up, Sarah turns to her crazy best friend Jackie Larsen, former nurse and a stay at-home mom, to dig further into the matter. What they find is a deadly game: rich and powerful people are buying their way up to the transplant list, getting rid of “problems” as they come, being very careful not to leave any traces. Can they bring down this network or will they be “erased” too? I was instantly curious about the title and the plot of the story, but I wasn’t expecting being completely taken by the story and for it to be impossible to put down! Wow! First of all, the novel is very well researched: the details of the medical community, the transplant procedures and the nursing routines are full of detail. I can see that the author has a background in nursing and the knowledge that makes these details more personal than taken out of a medical book. The story-line is fast paced, full of twists, suspense and humour. Peele ’s managed to create a novel that is perfectly balanced in terms of plot. There is plenty of suspense and action but also a spark of witty conversations and humour that readers with crazy friends will understand very well. I loved the relationship and the dynamics between Sarah and Jackie. What a chemistry they have! I expected their verbal confrontations with enthusiasm. Sarah is a strong woman that isn’t afraid to put herself out there to help people and do the right thing. I felt that she took a bit more the part of main character since she is the one that first realizes something is amiss in the hospital and the waiting list. She is a very likeable character, very human. Jackie, the other main character, has her own unique shine that complements Sarah very well. Jackie is a great character and her love for her family is a breath of fresh air in the middle of all the craziness. Her nursing background also comes in handy and their partnership and friendship made me smile several times throughout the novel. As for other characters: handsome Sergio with a long line of women behind him despite his cold attitude and his partner Amanda. I think they make the plot a bit more interesting and of course they are the obvious targets of suspicion and investigation. But are they really guilty? I thoroughly enjoyed this reading, I grew addicted to it and it was impossible to put down. I wait in anticipation for Ms. Peele ’s next novel! I highly recommend it to fans of mysteries. I want to thank the publicist Kris Verdeck and the author Amy Peele for reaching out and allowing me to review this novel. My Rating: 4 Stars Just as good as the first volume, From Whom the Bread Rolls is the sequel of The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox. I want to thank Random House Alibi for reaching out and allowing me to read this great sequel. Life is good for Marley McKinney as she settles in Wildwood Cove, a small coastal town, managing the pancake restaurant her cousin left her. Everything is running smoothly, including the relationship wither boyfriend Brett. But calm times are not meant to last. Soon Marley has her world turned upside down when her old employee and nemesis comes back to cause problems. Marley is sure that Ida Winkler is responsible for the damage made to her restaurant, but no proof is found of the fact. Things get more complicated when later, Ida is found dead and Marley is considered the prime suspect. Fearing the ruin of her business, Marley jumps in the murder mystery and soon begins to realise that several people from the small town have a motive to get rid of Ida. Can she clear her name and find out who wants to frame her? The setting of this novel always gets to me. I’ve lived almost all my life near the ocean and something about small towns near water give me a cosy feeling and a sense of nostalgia. The writing style is still great and it was impossible not to grow addicted to the story right from the beginning. The descriptions of the food and the recipes are still just as tempting as in the first novel. They made me hungry and with the will to actually try to make them! The story line is great. Easy to follow and a few twists made it a bit more difficult to discover the identity of the killer. The characters are gaining depth and growing compared to the first novel. I got the feeling that Marley has grown and I could feel her acceptance of her new responsibility but at the same time struggling to believe that all that belongs to her. She’s very real and I absolutely love the way she is. Ida was a good character in the sense of that rivalry and need for revenge. I could have pictured her being around for a bit longer to cause trouble, she brought spice to the story. The secondary characters are very nice and even if the restaurant in itself already brings a lot of colour to the novel, the characters make the light shine through. A great, addictive cosy-mystery that will leave you hungry for more, literally! Can’t wait to see that comes next for Marley and The Flip Side! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Penguin Random House and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars Wow! Never judge a book by its cover, especially not this out-of-box novel! This was my first time reading a Tarot Mystery novel and I definitely want to read the previous novels and what comes next! Imagine that instead of a clean-record type of characters, you have a family of successful con-artists. After the death of their mother, Alanis and her half-sister Clarise try to keep a straight life by running the occult shop left by their mother, The White Magic Five and Dime shop. Things run smoothly until Biddle, the sisters father figure, comes back after years and shows up at their shop. The thing is he also came with a scheme that can get them into a hell of trouble. In a roller-coaster of emotions, Alanis is lost in what to do, until a client’s dead body is found. Let the adventure begin, including a crazy lady, old lovers and a small town. I really enjoyed this steady-paced cosy-mystery. Completely new and refreshing to have a main female character that actually doesn’t fit the usual box of “the good girl”. The characters are great, they have depth and it was very easy to connect with them. The writing also helped in connecting to the storyline and the characters. The description of the emotions and the line reasoning of Alanis only made her more likeable to me and it made me rot for her all the way. The humorous lines and witty counter-backs add colour and spice to the story, they were a delight to read! The illustration of the tarot cards and their meaning were amazingly used, even if some of those meanings weren’t completely accurate. Even so, I can’t describe my satisfaction in seeing a deeper use of the tarot cards and how they influence the story. Absolutely loved it! I can say that this book has a bit of everything: drama, humour and mystery. I definitely recommend this novel to all the fans of cosy-mysteries with a twist! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Midnight Ink, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars A great cosy mystery right here! This is the first book I read from Kirsten Weiss and of the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery series and I definitely want to read the previous volume and the next ones! The story is told from the perspective of Maddie Kosloski, the owner of the Paranormal Museum in San Benedetto, California. When the museum gets a new acquisition in the form of an old grape press, hell breaks loose. The owner of the press claims that the press was stolen and even after Maddie proves that she bought it, Detective Lauren Hammer makes it her mission to see the grape press returned to its owner. As if that isn’t complicated enough, the body of the accuser is found. Suddenly, Maddie is not just being accused of thievery but murder as well. When everyone asks Maddie to solve the mystery, she travels deep into the rabbit hole and breaking every wall imposed by the police. Firstly, I really enjoyed seeing this dark side of the small town living. I know for sure I couldn’t so it! The setting is refreshing and the fact this is actually about wine makes it even better! I think the idea and the storyline were very well thought and that it was very original. Secondly, about the characters. I have mix feelings about Maddie, it really depends certain events of the story. In the beginning, when she is accused, she throws a bit of a tantrum and walks out in the middle of the police interrogation. I would not expect that from a mature main character since it’s her record that is at stake here. But then, the way she goes about the mystery and by herself discovers clues and puts them together was a treat to read about. I think the character of Lauren goes a bit overboard with her hateful comments and attitude but I get that the heroine must find some walls along the adventure. The thing that I really appreciated is that, in this cosy novel, there isn’t the usual alliance between the amateur crime-solver and the police. It was refreshing to read and it makes it very interesting. It was a very fun read, putting wine, humour, mystery and paranormal all in one. Definitely recommend it! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Midnight Ink. and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 3 Stars A fun cosy-mystery, good for a quick read. This was the first volume I’ve read from “An Auction Block Mystery” and I want to take a look at the previous novels of the collection to see what I’ve missed. I must say that having a character named Death is peculiar and actually compliments the story very nicely. The mystery starts with the beginning of an investigation. Apparently, a drunken old man stole a horse and dressed in a cavalry uniform got into a fatal accident in the forest when he hit his head against a branch. When the results of the lab come in, it’s revealed that the uniform in saturated with decomposing body fluid, meaning the uniform belonged to someone that has been dead for quite a while. Meanwhile, Death is asked to look into a homicide. The son of Tyler Jones, head of a radical church group, is found dead in the back of the car of Anthony Dozier, an army vet recovering from the horrors of the war in Afghanistan. The motive? Earlier that day, Jones and his group invaded the funeral of Dozier’s Muslim wife. Death’s job is to prove that Dozier committed the murder while suffering from PTSD. At the same time, Wren is helping out on preparing a house for auction when strange noises and events start happening all around her. The style of writing is great, very engaging and witty. The descriptions are brief but they hold enough detail to be able to picture the settings and the environment. It’s the type of story I couldn’t guess what would happen next. Information and details are revealed in a steady pace and at the beginning I couldn’t see the relation between them. It all worked out perfectly in the end though. Since I didn’t read the previous books, I felt like I was missing something, more in the relationships between the characters than anything else. The characters are good, but I was a bit disappointed not to have some more depth to them, to know more about them, especially Randy. Death is a great character and I loved to see the interactions with his brother Randy. I think they’re really different from each other but even so I could see they had each other’s backs. A cosy-mystery perfect for an after-work evening! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Midnight Ink. and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars Perfection! And now I'm depressing since I read it in one sitting and have to wait for the next volume! A brilliant sequel to Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower in a novel that is more compelling than the first! Prose and Cons is the second book of the Magical Bookshop Mystery series. The main character, Violet Waverly is now the new Caretaker of Charming Books in Cascade Springs, while working at the local university as a professor of Literature and writing her PhD dissertation at the same time. Life is good as Violet and Grandma Daisy prepare for the event of the year, the Cascade Springs Food and Wine Festival. The plan is for the Red Inkers, the writers club, to do a Poe-try reading (reading of works of Edgar Allen Poe) with the historical setting and clothing. When Violet discovers the dead body of Anastasia Faber, one of the writers, in the bookshop all hell breaks loose. When her friend Sadie is accused and all the evidences point to her, Violet takes charge of the case together with the handsome chief of police David Rainwater in order to find the real killer. With the help of the magical bookstore, Emerson the tuxedo cat and Faulkner, the crow, our main character will uncover a big secret and an unexpected visitor will turn Violet's world upside down. A magical novel that I read in a few hours! Impossible to put down, the plot may look simple but it's nothing as such. The characters are so enchanting, so colourful and described in depth that I feel like they are my friends too. I love Violet, her loyalty and her complete faith in her friend Sadie's innocence is a grand part of her strong and stubborn character. I must admit that I was expecting a bit more action with the handsome chief of police, inside I truly believe that David and Violet make the dream couple. It was a delight to read their interactions and I think, reading in between the lines, that David knows more about the secret of the Charming Bookstore than he leads on. The setting is still as bright and colourful as the first time and it gives me the desire to visit Cascade Springs myself. Of course, that visiting the magical bookstore where the perfect book finds you would be a plus! My favourite series of cosy-mystery that I highly recommend! My Rating: 3 Stars When I first got this book, I had no idea it was the third volume of a series since it wasn’t mentioned in the title on NetGalley. Even so, I ended up enjoying the adventure of Zoe Faustus. This third volume of the “Accidental Alchemist” collection tells the story of Zoe Faustus, a young alchemist, her gargoyle friend Dorian and an unexpected, very serious predicament. Gargoyles are magical creatures with the power to turn to stone at will. When Dorian starts turning permanently to stone, Zoe travels to Paris in search of the solution in the form of an ancient alchemist book. When her past catches up with her, Zoe will have her plate full between a race against time and unrevealed secrets that will change her life forever. It’s a fast, entertaining read that I definitely put under the category of cosy-mysteries. I didn't read the previous volumes, wish I am curious to take a look at now, but Gigi Pandian did a great job explaining and mentioning events from the previous books. I got easily engaged in the story and I didn't feel like I was missing something. The plot is engaging and it pulled to the story and to its characters. Zoe is a brave, charismatic character, willing to sacrifice anything to save her friend. Her relationship with Dorian is incredible and I absolutely loved their exchanges and their connection. I wasn’t expecting that ending though, at all. But it definitely left me wanting more and see what happens next, which I think, was the point. My favourite character, however, is Dorian. I keep thinking that he’s a mix between the characters of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Ratatouille from Disney and Pixar: A talking gargoyle and an accomplished French cook. It was impossible for to love him and not to feel for his fate. Humorous, entertaining, adventurous cosy-mystery that I recommend for all the fans of these great genres! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Midnight Ink, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars This was the first book I read from Ms Liz Mugavero and the A Pawsitively Organic Mystery series and this fast-paced cosy-mystery was a joy to read. Stan Connor lives a peaceful life with her handsome boyfriend Jake Mcgee, ready to open her Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie and Bakery when her life is turned upside down. Not only she is forced to attend her mother's engagement party with the Mayor Tony Falco, she receives the unexpected visit of her sister Caitlyn and her daughter Eva who plan to stay for a while. As all of this wasn't enough, an old co-worker is found dead and Stan's ex is accused of the crime. Now it's up to Stan to solve the murder and make things right. There are several aspects I enjoyed in this story. The first being the wonderful connections and relationships that Stan has with her family and friends. It serves as a reminder that even when life gets crazy, we have people that we can truly count on to have our backs and to help us in a moment of need. The second thing is Stan herself. I found myself smiling over her character, she's funny, compassionate and truly sees the good in people. Plus, her furry friends help too. The plot is very nice and engaging and the story is fast-paced. There is nothing that I enjoy more than a murder plot that comes perfectly together in the end with all the questions answered and all the loose ends tied. Even though I caught up to the murderer before the final chapter, I still liked to discover the motivation behind it. Definitely didn't disappoint. Looking for a cosy-mystery? Take this one! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Kensington, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. |
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