leandrathetbrzero's Reviews (412)

I'm just a sucker for Craig Rice's classic mysteries. She gives her characters a chaotic energy that keeps me entertained by the shenanigans while still invested in the mystery at hand. I continue to love the friendship between John J Malone and the dysfunctional romantic couple, Helene Brand and Jake Justis. It shined through in this one probably the most compared to the earlier books.

This book is part of the greater John J Malone series, but it also exists in a little duology as a continuation of the mystery played out in The Wrong Murder which precedes this novel. I am sure Rice's high-energy, wild ride mysteries are not for all who love American Golden Age mysteries, but she has yet to disappoint me.

 *BOOK RATING CATCH UP #20/54 😳* 

I read the second installment in this series first, Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld, and I enjoyed it so much that I immediately went back to read book 1. The dynamic between Miss Caroline Thornton and Mrs. Frogerton is just so enjoyable, as both women understand what it is like to be ostracized or snubbed by societal for being "unconventional women." Even though Caroline is her Lady's Companion, Mrs. Frogerton treats her with well-deserved respect. I love that the two women are so different personality-wise, yet their both have sharp minds for solving crimes.

I liked this book more than book 2 mainly because it holds so many elements I always love to see in my mysteries:

1. Country estate setting
2. Terrible storm keeping the suspects all under one roof
3. A romantic subplot
4. Multiple deaths and multiple crimes/mysteries to be solved

Highly recommended for those who enjoy cozy historical mysteries set during the Regency era with strong feminist characters.

*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #19/54 😳*

This is the first book that I listened to exclusively with audio, although I do own the book physically. It was an interesting experience to see if I would still enjoy Christie's writing in audiobook format. This book has confirmed for me that I am a huge fan of Christie's canon of younger sleuths. Yes, I'll take a Poirot or Marple any time, but the books that I have the most FUN with--the books that make me laugh and get caught up in the excitement in--are those with her young protagonists: The Secret Adversary, Partners in Crime, The Man in the Brown Suit, and now The Boomerang Clue (aka Why Didn't They Ask Evans?).

To whom would I recommend this book?
Those who love:
✓ Young, bold amateur sleuths
✓ Adventure plot mixed with light humor
✓ Christie's Tommy & Tuppence books/The Man in the Brown Suit

*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #18/54 😳*

Ellen Raskin is a classic children's author, but I had only read The Westing Game prior to this book. She has a great sense of humor while also setting up impressive puzzles for her readers. This book in particular has fun poking fun at the Holmes-Watson dynamic, and I thoroughly enjoyed Dickory as the main character.

CONTENT WARNING: The book includes some archaic language and views on disability. By the end of the narrative, it seems that Dickory learns an important lesson on inclusivity. She creates a bond with a physically and mentally disabled character, whom she had villainized in her head earlier in the story. With that said, it doesn't change how startling the language is throughout the book.

*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #17/54 😳*

When I originally read this book, I marked it as a 4-star read in my bullet journal. However, months later, I continue to be uncomfortable with the overt fatphobia displayed by our young sleuth, SuLin. The mystery plot fascinated me, I enjoyed the musings made while comparing British and Singaporean culture, and the commentary on British colonialism/imperialism was spot on. So, why did this author have to focus on one particular character's weight and habit of eating sweets?

It's beyond frustrating, especially because the woman character targeted had a laundry list of negative attributes. We were not meant to like her. That is clear. Therefore, the addition that she was the only fat character in this mystery, and how everyone teased and bullied her for this so openly, it seemed as those Yu wanted us to dislike her for her fatness as well.

Unfortunately, since then, I have read other depictions of fatphobia, and I cannot stand by it. 

*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #16/54 😳*

Thank you Kensington and Catherine Lloyd for a gifted ARC in exchange for this honest review!

Lady Caroline Morton's father disgraced her family's reputation and squandered their fortune. Now, as Miss Morton, she is the Lady's Companion to Mrs. Frogerton. In this second instalment, Caroline joins her employer in attending a séance hosted by Madam Lavinia. Not long after, the psychic is murdered, and a close friend of the women is the prime suspect. They must solve the mystery before an innocent person is arrested for the crime!

Even though this was the second book in the series, I found it very easy to follow along with the narrative without having read book 1. In fact, in the same month, I went back to read Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder because I wanted to return to this world and see where it all began. Now, I am SO ready for the third instalment in 2024!

To whom would I recommend this?
Those who love:
✓ Historical mysteries / early Victorian era
✓ Strong women characters + feminist commentary
✓ A taste of the supernatural
✓ Supportive group of sleuths working together

*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #15/54 😳*

Thank you Kensington and CJ Connor for a gifted ARC in exchange for this honest review!

I read this book in late July/early August, and it was the perfect quozy when I needed a bit of an easy-going, mindless read. The story follows Ben as he begins to pick himself up after divorcing his husband and moving back to Salt Lake City to support his father's board game shop. The themes of family and community were wholesome, and Ben's reactions to encountering a corpse felt refreshingly accurate. It's simply lovely to see that more and more queer voices are entering the cozy mystery arena!

To whom would I recommend this?
The mystery plot was quite predictable, so I wouldn't recommend this book to those who require a complex, difficult-to-solve murder for reading enjoyment. I gave it 4 stars nonetheless, because I was won over by Ben, her father, and the setting as a whole. 

With that said, if you read cozies for their simplicity, heart-warming community vibes, and "return-to-normalcy" endings, then I think this first in a brand new series is for you!

 I was recommended to read this as a great short Christmas thriller. Compared to other “holiday” mysteries/romances we see published around this time of year that aren’t actually holiday-related, one strong element in this book is the Christmas/wintry setting. We read diary entries in the lead up to a Cotswold Christmas, complete with wintry descriptions and celebratory events. There are strange happenings, all seemingly connected to a murder that happened previously.

Unfortunately, I found the twist in this book to be a bit middle of the road. I have seen the major trope/reveal in this before more than once and that definitely impacts the punch that is meant to come (that trope being:

evil sociopathic twin with a weirdly sympathetic sibling

). I’m sure it’s exciting for those who don’t see it coming, as they aren’t familiar with it, but I was personally very aware of what was coming early on.

Also: I really didn't like the forced tone of the diary entries, as if Swanson is trying too hard to sound like a young 19-year-old American woman visiting the UK. I didn't understand, for instance, why we had to have a young woman narrator instead of a young man. Maybe it would have sounded more realistic, since he doesn't seem to know what a 19-year-old woman would sound like. This is my first experience with this author, so I don't know if he is just known for not writing women well, but Ashley was written as a boy-obsessed, childlike character, and it was very strange. 

Did I read both Garlic and the Vampire AND THEN Garlic and the Witch in one sitting? Yes. Was book 2 just as gloriously cozy and lovely as book 1? YES.

The illustrations are gorgeous, the lessons are heartwarming, and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ rep (including a gay vampire and a non-binary carrot) were genuinely the best surprise this series could have bestowed upon me!

This is a must read graphic novel series for children and adults who just need a cozy fantasy narrative! 

 The coziest of reads 🤗