bookswithlydscl's Reviews (639)

I'm always so disappointed when a book I've been eagerly anticipating doesn't work, doubly so in this case as the London Ladies' Murder Club series has proven a big hit for me. 

Unfortunately this time Mabel and Co's case didn't click. From the start I felt like this story wasn't one written with the same love and affection that shone through in the first three books. The characters fell flat, as did the mystery and the situation overall felt forced and didn't flow. 

With the epilogue it seems that this is the closing part to this short but overall fantastic series. It's closed on a dud for me but I did love seeing how everyone's individual story closed with well deserved happy endings all round and the first three books hold up as favourites in the cosy historical mystery genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital review copy of "Murder of a Suffragette" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

https://reactormag.com/parthenogenesis-stephen-graham-jones/

 short, sharp, funny - takes the trope of a breakdown and ups the ante with an absurd story that takes on a life of its own. 

4.5* for a sinister and menacing read. 

Old murderous secrets between friends come back to haunt them when defacto group leader Zachary Llewellyn, haunted by the past, comes to the realisation that all must confess to escape the guilt and ghosts that have come to dominate their lives.

The story and setting of ‘The Great Orme’ is claustrophobic and with a heavy weight of danger, threat and fear that sits on the shoulders of our characters and on us as readers. Its slow pace at the start effectively builds the dread and shows the startling unravelling of the group, quickly showing us that despite their protestations, their lives may not be going as well as they say.

Zac is presented as a pseudo Charles Manson type - never got his hands dirty but certainly helped the others in the decisions they made although not truly charming enough to make me really believe he held that power. However, he is also clearly shown to be a broken man as well as possessing a dark underside that I can't quite put my finger on. It's unnerving to read as you're constantly questioning yourself about his personality, power, motivations and ultimate end goal. 

And those decisions and murders we read about definitely blur the moral lines as well. Nothing is truly as clear cut as to merely say, confess. This murky moral ambiguity made sure I never truly quite knew where I stood. On the one hand you feel a sense of potential supernatural power, and the setting is pushed to heighten that feeling but also it could just be the weight of guilt manifesting itself. Either way all of these story, setting and character elements were combined effectively to create an oppressive atmosphere and delivered a highly readable and highly recommended mystery/psychological thriller/horror.

Thank you to Northodox Press for a paperback copy of "The Great Orme" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

4.25* - the Donner Party story was already an awful and horrific tragedy and this gives us a fictional insight into the situation. Raised up by the final third especially, would have been 4.5 had the author really pushed the horror in the climax though to be fair the reality and what is given us is horrific enough!

4.5* and an early Merry Christmas to me!

Now I am a cosy mystery reader through and through but to date haven't found a contemporary one that has worked for me. With Miss Beeton's Murder Agency I'm so happy to say that's changed.

This series opener (I mean, how can it not be a series!) has all the hallmarks of my favourite cosy historical mysteries - it's a fun read with a trusted canine companion, a found family with a motley crew of trusted sidekicks and of course, an initially reluctant yet attractive male character who quickly comes round to become a potential love interest and sleuthing partner. Along with a solid mystery this has all made for a winning combination and I can safely say already that I want more.

If you love cosy mysteries that have a small element of peril and plenty of shenanigans and subterfuge all whilst being led by an amiable amateur sleuth then this will be right up your alley too!

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for inviting me to read an eArc of "Miss Beeton's Murder Agency" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Another really solid and enjoyable Everest story from Mick Conefrey. He's definitely a go-to for me for historical mountaineering books now.

Decided to DNF at 62%

I love American Psycho, I love the satirical and dark comedy elements, the commentary on consumerism, materialism and consumption.

So I went into this knowing BEE'S focus and style, knowing his focus on labels and societal show off points and knowing he's pretty graphic with sex and violence.

Despite knowing all that I'm just bored and don't care.

This book is too long with too little story. Too many repetitive scenes and conversations.

Marketed as horror thriller autofiction there's no horror or thriller coming through.

It's just horny AF and overall I'm not connected enough or enthralled enough to want to continue.

Gutted as I bought the Hardback (thankfully holiday money so doesnt feel like a complete waste), and I had really been anticipating this.

I'd rather reread American Psycho, Rules of Attraction and Less Than Zero as all three combined basically make up this book and in a far more entertaining way.

Creepy, surreal, open to interpretation.

Not sure I fully got it, I think I did, and I liked it but it's one I'll probably come back to again the future as I think it deserves a re-read.

I loved this but I love the film so it's no surprise as the film I've realised is probably close to one of the most faithful around. Not easy at all, the possession scenes are difficult, gross and traumatic. Classic horror.

I discovered this author this year, enjoy but don't love her works but her stories, settings and themes keep me intrigued enough to continue working through her backlist.

This is a f/f monster fantasy romance I guess. Beauty and the beastesque but alien dragon, mecha technology set in a world akin to an ancient east/south east asian civilisation. Overall enjoyed but B&B type storylines tend to give me the ick however the writing is wonderful and is what keeps me coming back.