bookswithlydscl's Reviews (639)

A startling debut. Dark, oppressive and a commentary on society and the justice system. Felt a little long in places but didn't go in depth in areas that I would like to have explored - the moral dilemma of rooting for criminals - murderers, rapists etc and what it woukd mean for them to win and be released back into society. The ramifications of that and so much more!

Death Rites is the opening to a new crime thriller series based around Archaeology professor Carla James and overall it was a highly enjoyable and easy to read crime thriller.

When newcome to town, Carla, is brought in to bring some potential insight into items found around a victim's body she becomes drawn into the case and becomes quickly convinced that a serial killer is hunting in their town.

The story is strong and intriguing and I really liked the addition of the allusions to witchcraft and old folk superstitions. I did knock it down a little because some of Carla's decisions aren't smart and read to me as aimed at padding the story a bit and the reasoning for Carla being brought in and involved is very thin. I did like the supporting cast of characters, especially Erin and Perez.

It took a little time for the pace to pick up but when it did and the story started to unfold with connections becoming clear and secrets being revealed, I was all in and really enjoyed the ride. Definitely enjoyed it enough to read the next in the series and I think fans of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs will enjoy many elements of the story and characters.

Thank you to Canelo and Netgalley for providing an eArc of "Death Rites" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

weak characterisation lowered this quite a lot for me but the premise, the journey within the story and the final third kept it floating.

It's a powerful idea overall and the final reveal feels initially a little far fetched and then you think about capitalism today and actually, it makes it scarily plausible. The parallels to Germany's actions in WW2 and the concentration camps also makes for a disturbing and unsettling section within the book.

A little disappointed as I loved the keeper of stories and had high hopes especially with the Titanic element but didn't fully connect with it especially not Emma's character.

Another solid crime mystery thriller and I flew through it but what is the deal with the weight obsession?! So unnecessary.

4.5*

Knowing what to expect having loved The Kamogawa Food Detectives, I treated this book like a short story collection. I enjoyed reading one story a day, indulging in the wonderful food descriptions and very human stories. The end result being it left me feeling as satisfied as the customers of the Kamogawa Diner after trying one of Nagare Kamogawa's meals.

Cosy, comforting, nostalgic and with mouth-watering food descriptions, this book, and the first one in the series, The Kamogawa Food Detectives, sits wonderfully amongst other translated Japanese works like Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Lantern of Lost Memories and What You Are Looking For Is In The Library. 

If you take each story as it comes rather than treating it as a novel and overall just savour it by dipping in and out then I'm hopeful that you'll love this just as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Mantle for a digital review copy of "The Restaurant of Lost Recipes" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Coming of age
Touch of magical realism
Nature, forestry and community
Flowing, soothing and generally calm read
Really enjoyed it

After the outright strangeness of Bad Apples (which I loved) this is a much more straightforward thriller which I also loved.

This series has gone from strength to strength and Maya Lindh IS Tuva for me!

Really enjoyed this. It was a little slow to start but when it ramped and the story clicked I was all in.

A grand and intricately layered debut. It's an impressive piece of writing and one I'll come back to again in future, mainly because despite all that, it didn't quite click for me. There's a lot of information, so many characters and a number of twists and I don't think I took it all in. The middle also feels quite bloated which took away my attention. Liked it, didn't love it but will give it a second read in future.