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mystereity
Read my full review (and more!) on my blog at Mystereity Reviews
Small town secrets lead to murder in A Story to Kill, the first in the Cat Latimer series combines a superb plot with a dash of humor and a sprinkling of romance.
The intricate, multifaceted plot kept me guessing; there were no shortage of suspects in the murder of Tom Cook. The subplot surrounding the death of Cat's ex-husband was a real cliffhanger, it added a big dose of intrigue to an already rich plot. Steady pacing kept the story on track, adding a lot of detail without dumping a lot of information into your lap all at once.
Overall, an absorbing read perfect to sink into for an afternoon. I definitely recommend this book (and the author) to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for a copy of the ARC in return for an honest review.
Small town secrets lead to murder in A Story to Kill, the first in the Cat Latimer series combines a superb plot with a dash of humor and a sprinkling of romance.
The intricate, multifaceted plot kept me guessing; there were no shortage of suspects in the murder of Tom Cook. The subplot surrounding the death of Cat's ex-husband was a real cliffhanger, it added a big dose of intrigue to an already rich plot. Steady pacing kept the story on track, adding a lot of detail without dumping a lot of information into your lap all at once.
Overall, an absorbing read perfect to sink into for an afternoon. I definitely recommend this book (and the author) to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for a copy of the ARC in return for an honest review.
Read my full review (and more) on my blog Mystereity Reviews
It took me awhile to get into this one, the first half of the book just wasn't holding my interest. Although it had a great plot, it just seemed a little unfocused; it didn't flow as well as the other books in the series.
As I said, the plot was great. Katz's old school friend Madison shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep after her plane was diverted from Chicago to Indianapolis. Russian mobsters, a missing package and lots of bullets ensue, all in the midst of a blizzard. While the plot took awhile to get going, it made up for it in the last half of the book, with a satisfying ending.
Overall, an enjoyable read in a great series, and I recommend the series to cozy mystery fans.
It took me awhile to get into this one, the first half of the book just wasn't holding my interest. Although it had a great plot, it just seemed a little unfocused; it didn't flow as well as the other books in the series.
As I said, the plot was great. Katz's old school friend Madison shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep after her plane was diverted from Chicago to Indianapolis. Russian mobsters, a missing package and lots of bullets ensue, all in the midst of a blizzard. While the plot took awhile to get going, it made up for it in the last half of the book, with a satisfying ending.
Overall, an enjoyable read in a great series, and I recommend the series to cozy mystery fans.
See this and all of my reviews on my blog, Mystereity Reviews
I was offered a complimentary copy of this book by the author and after reading the premise, I was hooked. Lily Thomas runs an ice cream shop with her mom, Rose. After Lily has frightening visions of her mom's murder, it sadly comes true one horrifying day. After the police close the case as a burglary gone wrong, Lily knows it's up to her to find her mom's killer.
Although a novella, there was a rich amount of detail to set the scene. I felt like I really got to know Lily, I really felt for her after she lost her mom and I admired her strength and perseverance. The mysterious detective, Jarred, was intriguing and I'm really interested to find out the secret he's hiding. The other characters in the book weren't as developed as the main characters, but I'm confident they will be in later books (which makes me want to read more!) The really satisfying ending made the book for me, solving the murder while making a cliffhanger for the next book. You can be sure I'm going to pick that up once it comes out.
Overall, a great debut and a very enjoyable read. I'd say this is more like a YA book and would be perfect for younger readers who enjoy paranormal romances/mysteries. There's no bad language or sexual situations, so a parent could feel comfortable letting a teenager read this book.
I was offered a complimentary copy of this book by the author and after reading the premise, I was hooked. Lily Thomas runs an ice cream shop with her mom, Rose. After Lily has frightening visions of her mom's murder, it sadly comes true one horrifying day. After the police close the case as a burglary gone wrong, Lily knows it's up to her to find her mom's killer.
Although a novella, there was a rich amount of detail to set the scene. I felt like I really got to know Lily, I really felt for her after she lost her mom and I admired her strength and perseverance. The mysterious detective, Jarred, was intriguing and I'm really interested to find out the secret he's hiding. The other characters in the book weren't as developed as the main characters, but I'm confident they will be in later books (which makes me want to read more!) The really satisfying ending made the book for me, solving the murder while making a cliffhanger for the next book. You can be sure I'm going to pick that up once it comes out.
Overall, a great debut and a very enjoyable read. I'd say this is more like a YA book and would be perfect for younger readers who enjoy paranormal romances/mysteries. There's no bad language or sexual situations, so a parent could feel comfortable letting a teenager read this book.
See this and all of my reviews on my blog Mystereity Reviews
This is a great resource for anyone who would like to learn more about the use of Runes in divination, whether you're just getting started or an experienced user. The detailed and easy to understand information covers everything from the history and meanings of the runes to how to cast and create your own set of runes.
When I began this book, I already had a set of runes and some basic understanding. While some of the rune names are different then what I learned (the book calls one rune Neid, I know it as Nauthiz) it was easy to understand and I liked the suggestions for how to remember the meaning of each rune. I also learned a great many new casts to try out, and I look forward to exploring them. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on creating bind runes, something I always wanted to try but never found any instruction on how to do it.
Overall, Runes for Beginners is an enjoyable and informative book, great for anyone interested in Runes or divination.
Thank you to Llewellyn and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is a great resource for anyone who would like to learn more about the use of Runes in divination, whether you're just getting started or an experienced user. The detailed and easy to understand information covers everything from the history and meanings of the runes to how to cast and create your own set of runes.
When I began this book, I already had a set of runes and some basic understanding. While some of the rune names are different then what I learned (the book calls one rune Neid, I know it as Nauthiz) it was easy to understand and I liked the suggestions for how to remember the meaning of each rune. I also learned a great many new casts to try out, and I look forward to exploring them. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on creating bind runes, something I always wanted to try but never found any instruction on how to do it.
Overall, Runes for Beginners is an enjoyable and informative book, great for anyone interested in Runes or divination.
Thank you to Llewellyn and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
See my full review (and more) on my blog at Mystereity Reviews
Dead & Buried is the fifth book Calladine and Bayless series, and I was really impressed by how quickly I was able to sink into the story, despite having not read the first four books in the series. Great characters and a fantastic plot combined to create a gripping story, fast paced and impossible to put down.
The plot moved swiftly and played out so smoothly that I read most of it in one afternoon. I enjoyed watching how the investigation moved seamlessly, connecting all the deaths to a single event 40 years in the past.
Overall, an outstanding police procedural and very much recommended to Brit Crime fans.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Dead & Buried is the fifth book Calladine and Bayless series, and I was really impressed by how quickly I was able to sink into the story, despite having not read the first four books in the series. Great characters and a fantastic plot combined to create a gripping story, fast paced and impossible to put down.
The plot moved swiftly and played out so smoothly that I read most of it in one afternoon. I enjoyed watching how the investigation moved seamlessly, connecting all the deaths to a single event 40 years in the past.
Overall, an outstanding police procedural and very much recommended to Brit Crime fans.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
See this and all of my reviews on my blog at Mystereity Reviews
This is such a fun series, with a great setting in the Scottish Highlands and fun, quirky characters. Dressed to Kilt has Eden nearing the end of her stay and in the middle of another murder investigation. I really enjoyed the plot, with hidden family secrets, red herrings and plot twists keeping the plot moving along smoothly. The ending left the door open for a lot more adventures in Scotland, and I'm looking forward to seeing how her story develops (and more mysteries!)
I have to say, Eden has been in Scotland for six whole months and finally goes on a date with Leith. Glacial doesn't come close to describing the pace of her love life. I can only hope her books move faster than her romances.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dressed to Kilt and recommend the series to cozy mystery fans.
This is such a fun series, with a great setting in the Scottish Highlands and fun, quirky characters. Dressed to Kilt has Eden nearing the end of her stay and in the middle of another murder investigation. I really enjoyed the plot, with hidden family secrets, red herrings and plot twists keeping the plot moving along smoothly. The ending left the door open for a lot more adventures in Scotland, and I'm looking forward to seeing how her story develops (and more mysteries!)
I have to say, Eden has been in Scotland for six whole months and finally goes on a date with Leith. Glacial doesn't come close to describing the pace of her love life. I can only hope her books move faster than her romances.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dressed to Kilt and recommend the series to cozy mystery fans.
See my full review on my blog Mystereity Reviews
Death by Pumpkin Spice, the third in the Bookstore Cafe series, has Krissy scoring a date with the handsome Will to a Halloween party. During the party, a woman dressed as Marilyn Monroe is found dead. With 2 other women dressed in the same costume, which woman was the real target and why?
I loved the plot; a torrential rainstorm, a Halloween costume party, family secrets, multiple suspects and one very large horror house made for a very Agatha Christie-type mystery with lots of red herrings, plot twists and suspects. Good pacing leading up to an action packed ending made for an enjoyable read.
Overall, a really great plot made this a very enjoyable book and one I recommend for anyone who loves cozy mysteries. I haven't read the other books in the series, and although it had a few references to previous books, I found that it didn't hamper my enjoyment at all.
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy to read and review.
Death by Pumpkin Spice, the third in the Bookstore Cafe series, has Krissy scoring a date with the handsome Will to a Halloween party. During the party, a woman dressed as Marilyn Monroe is found dead. With 2 other women dressed in the same costume, which woman was the real target and why?
I loved the plot; a torrential rainstorm, a Halloween costume party, family secrets, multiple suspects and one very large horror house made for a very Agatha Christie-type mystery with lots of red herrings, plot twists and suspects. Good pacing leading up to an action packed ending made for an enjoyable read.
Overall, a really great plot made this a very enjoyable book and one I recommend for anyone who loves cozy mysteries. I haven't read the other books in the series, and although it had a few references to previous books, I found that it didn't hamper my enjoyment at all.
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy to read and review.
See my full review and more on my blog Mystereity Book Reviews
I requested this book from Netgalley because I was intrigued about tourism in the nineteeth and early 20th century. And I wasn't disappointed, this well researched book details several of the popular travel guides of that period and highlights how little the vagaries of travel have changed, and yet how much it changed the world.
After the industrial revolution created an affluent middle and upper class with spending money, tourism to Europe steadily increased in the nineteenth century. Despite filthy lodgings, poor roads, and culture clashes, the popularity of traveling abroad grew, fed largely by the many travel guides published during the 1800s. I thought it was very interesting to see how the influx of tourists and travelers improved many aspects of life in Europe. Early in the 1800s there were few inns, particularly outside of the major cities. Those rest stops that were in business were usually squalid rooming houses with poor sanitation. By the end of the 1800s, the hospitality industry improved by leaps and bounds, no doubt spurred by the bad write-ups in travel guides and the lucrative competition for tourist money.
Leading The Blind is a fascinating look into the history of travel and its social impact all over the world. Great for lovers of history, geography or sociology, it will enlighten readers today as much as the original guidebooks did for the Victorians.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this book from Netgalley because I was intrigued about tourism in the nineteeth and early 20th century. And I wasn't disappointed, this well researched book details several of the popular travel guides of that period and highlights how little the vagaries of travel have changed, and yet how much it changed the world.
After the industrial revolution created an affluent middle and upper class with spending money, tourism to Europe steadily increased in the nineteenth century. Despite filthy lodgings, poor roads, and culture clashes, the popularity of traveling abroad grew, fed largely by the many travel guides published during the 1800s. I thought it was very interesting to see how the influx of tourists and travelers improved many aspects of life in Europe. Early in the 1800s there were few inns, particularly outside of the major cities. Those rest stops that were in business were usually squalid rooming houses with poor sanitation. By the end of the 1800s, the hospitality industry improved by leaps and bounds, no doubt spurred by the bad write-ups in travel guides and the lucrative competition for tourist money.
Leading The Blind is a fascinating look into the history of travel and its social impact all over the world. Great for lovers of history, geography or sociology, it will enlighten readers today as much as the original guidebooks did for the Victorians.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See my full review on my blog Mystereity Reviews
When I read the description of In The Company Of Dolphins, I thought it was a travel guide. I was completely mistaken, and I was not disappointed. In The Company Of Dolphins is so much more than a travel guide; it is a fascinating look back, not only to the exotic ports of call but also on the life and times of a brilliant author.
The book, originally published in the mid 1960s, is a memoir of author Irwin Shaw's cruise around the Mediterranean on a chartered boat. As a boy growing up in Brooklyn in the early part of the 20th century, he would look out at the boats moored in the harbor and dream of cruising the world. Decades later, his dream came true; he chartered a boat and sailed along the coast of Italy from St. Tropez ("...there is a whiff of Sodom and Gomorrah to it, and a little of a superb detention home for delinquent girls") to Monte Carlo, ("It is all very much like a camp for condemned millionaires") around Italy's boot to Yugoslavia and up to Venice.
Shaw's style of writing is engaging; you almost feel as though you're sitting in a little cafe with him, listening to his stories of sailing around Italy and Yugoslavia. I was taken in from the beginning, and I enjoyed experiencing the beautiful locations not only through his eyes, but also through the romantic rose-colored glasses that comes only by looking back fondly on by-gone times.
A short biography is incuded at the end of the book, and what an interesting life he led. Besides his many successful novels (including the WWII epic The Young Lions,) he was also a WWII veteran, having served in North Africa and Europe, and was a photographer who documented many important moments in the war, beginning with D-Day.
In The Company of Dolphins is a captivating and engrossing memoir, and a perfect read during an afternoon at the pool.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest opinion.
When I read the description of In The Company Of Dolphins, I thought it was a travel guide. I was completely mistaken, and I was not disappointed. In The Company Of Dolphins is so much more than a travel guide; it is a fascinating look back, not only to the exotic ports of call but also on the life and times of a brilliant author.
The book, originally published in the mid 1960s, is a memoir of author Irwin Shaw's cruise around the Mediterranean on a chartered boat. As a boy growing up in Brooklyn in the early part of the 20th century, he would look out at the boats moored in the harbor and dream of cruising the world. Decades later, his dream came true; he chartered a boat and sailed along the coast of Italy from St. Tropez ("...there is a whiff of Sodom and Gomorrah to it, and a little of a superb detention home for delinquent girls") to Monte Carlo, ("It is all very much like a camp for condemned millionaires") around Italy's boot to Yugoslavia and up to Venice.
Shaw's style of writing is engaging; you almost feel as though you're sitting in a little cafe with him, listening to his stories of sailing around Italy and Yugoslavia. I was taken in from the beginning, and I enjoyed experiencing the beautiful locations not only through his eyes, but also through the romantic rose-colored glasses that comes only by looking back fondly on by-gone times.
A short biography is incuded at the end of the book, and what an interesting life he led. Besides his many successful novels (including the WWII epic The Young Lions,) he was also a WWII veteran, having served in North Africa and Europe, and was a photographer who documented many important moments in the war, beginning with D-Day.
In The Company of Dolphins is a captivating and engrossing memoir, and a perfect read during an afternoon at the pool.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest opinion.
See my full review on my blog Mystereity Reviews
It's Your Party, Die If You Want To is the second book in the Liv and Di in Dixie series. Liv is a (very talented) party planner with a lot on her plate; a riverboat gambling engagement party and a Clue themed Halloween costume party fundraiser (note: Clue is my favorite movie of all time so this was a big hit with me!) But before the parties get underway, Liv has to help out at the annual retreat of the Professional Women's Alliance of Dixe (PWAD), and her duties include chauffeuring celebrity paranormal TV star Lucinda Grable. When a member of PWAD is found murdered and a friend is arrested, its up to Liv and best friend Di to clear her name and catch a killer.
With a rich plot that kept me turning pages, I found it hard to put down. The pacing was just right; fast enough to keep the story moving but with enough detail to give it dimension. Add in a sprinkling of humor, quirky characters and a section at the the end of the book with tips on how you can create your own murder mystery party, this was a solid read and very recommended for cozy mystery fans looking for a great book to put them in the Halloween mood.
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
It's Your Party, Die If You Want To is the second book in the Liv and Di in Dixie series. Liv is a (very talented) party planner with a lot on her plate; a riverboat gambling engagement party and a Clue themed Halloween costume party fundraiser (note: Clue is my favorite movie of all time so this was a big hit with me!) But before the parties get underway, Liv has to help out at the annual retreat of the Professional Women's Alliance of Dixe (PWAD), and her duties include chauffeuring celebrity paranormal TV star Lucinda Grable. When a member of PWAD is found murdered and a friend is arrested, its up to Liv and best friend Di to clear her name and catch a killer.
With a rich plot that kept me turning pages, I found it hard to put down. The pacing was just right; fast enough to keep the story moving but with enough detail to give it dimension. Add in a sprinkling of humor, quirky characters and a section at the the end of the book with tips on how you can create your own murder mystery party, this was a solid read and very recommended for cozy mystery fans looking for a great book to put them in the Halloween mood.
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.