rebeccasreadingrambles's Reviews (3.06k)

What a killer (hehe) premise for a cozy mystery and I am thrilled to say it panned out beautifully. I loved the juxtaposition of the current mystery and drama with Capri  researching and trying to clear her grandfather's name (aka a convicted serial killer). There are a few different themes that are carried throughout both mysteries (no spoilers) and I love how everything was connected even in subtle ways.  Capri is such a fun amateur sleuth to follow; she is loyal and strong and smart and sassy, but not over the top. She thinks on her feet and knows when she needs to play it safe. I love her boldness and also the spark of romance to come. And her career of leading these serial killer tours around SF is fascinating and something I kind of hope is a real thing! I was shocked by all the reveals at the end and I hope hope hope this series continues!

Note: I listened to the audiobook and definitely think it's the way to go as the characterizations are great.

Thanks to the publishers for the free audiobook copy; my thoughts and review are my own.

 This book was SO good! I think this series gets better and better and especially as we connect more and more with all the amazing characters. Though the series is cozy, it's definitely on the darker/more serious edge of coziness and deals with many tough topics in each book. I felt so strongly for Nora especially in this book as her past, which is always in the back of her mind, really comes back to haunt her right in her face. She is such a kind and loving person to a group of people that should be hard for her to even associate with, but she is too caring of a person to turn them away. This mystery was very tough to solve and I was shocked by the reveals and the ending. It is an emotional rollercoaster which many bright happy spots along the way, but also some dark moments.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and LOVE this version. I will probably return to this format in the future when reading this series if I can 

A home renovation show + ghosts?! YES. Sign me up. I wish this was a real show to be honest because I love the idea. I especially love the glimpse "behind the curtain" of the production of such a show. I also enjoyed Mara and really connected with her wandering spirit.  Just because she's not a driven career women, her family writes her off as unserious and I felt for her so much. I love how in this short book she seemed to really come into her own and understand herself better (possibly with a little help from the beyond).  Overall I great scary season book that was short, but incredibly engaging.

I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend that way because of the great narration.

Thanks to the publisher for a free audiobook copy; my review and my thoughts are my own.

LOVE love love! A literal run-in meet cute that was hilarious. A quirky and completely sweet vampire and a smart, determined accountant. What a perfect couple. I loved this fake dating troupe and the misunderstand was handled so well and was kind of even funny without being frustrating. There was instant banter and chemistry and the spice was spiiiiiicy. A perfect light vampire romance with tax law saving the day?! Yes please!

Note: I listened to the audiobook and both narrators were fabulous!

Thanks to the publisher for a free copy of this audiobook; my review and thoughts are my own.

LOVED IT! I have been putting this off because I loved the first book so much and was afraid that this wouldn't live up, but IT DID. It was fabulous and totally different from the first book. Tess and Gertrude have the BEST dynamic and banter and mother-daughter relationship. I love their team and how they work together but also in their own ways. Tess is her self-confident, quirkly, daring self and I loved all her interactions with both her friends and also romantic interests.  The characters in this series are just so vibrant and fun; even the "villains" or people you "shouldn't" like, but you (and Tess) can't help but vibe with. I lovedddd the concept of this mystery and it took turns I never would have expected.

Such a fabulous series, perfection and I can't wait to continue!

I love nordic noir crime novels and this one my very favorite author of this subgenre! This book had all the hallmarks of a creepy story without being outwardly creepy; just something about the writing that makes you know something is quite off with everything even though it seems straight forward.  I loved the flashbacks, the amateur author detective who pushed the boundaries, and intriguing but slightly vague characters (many whom you love to hate), and the twists (HELLO THAT ENDING?!) A great nod to the classic mystery writing Agatha Christie. I also loved seeing Hulda from the Hidden Iceland series.

Note: AUDIOBOOK was really well done and I highly recommend especially for the name pronunciations

Thanks to the publisher for a free audiobook copy; my review and thoughts are my own.

YES! I loved this book. I listened to the audiobook and could not stop; I finished in one day with TEARS IN MY EYES.  ADHD rep, good communication (after the initial misunderstandings), a renovation, ONE BED, the best spice and the best couple. This was beautifully written and even the side characters were vibrant and interesting and just overall a fantastic read!

Thanks to the publisher for a free audiobook copy; my review and thoughts are my own.

This book was so good and so unexpected. I have to admit that I was VERY nervous about how this book was going to go.... I was worried for the characters and that it was going to be very emotional and depressing.  Well, it WAS emotional! But not in the way I thought. It was more because I grew so very attached to the main characters than being with them through their life was emotional in itself. And Cherry! Wow she was so interesting and I absolutely loved following her through her past (which is what prompted a lot of the tears).  Such an endearing character!

I love the premise and the idea of what you would do with your own mortality staring you in the face and I love the way the different characters reacted and processed and the decisions they made.  This is one of my FAVORITE authors and she has really honed her craft of understanding and presenting realistic humanity (with all the drama, and laughs and emotions that accompany that).

Note: I listened to the audiobook and this is one of my FAVORITE narrators and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to the publishers for a free ARC and a free audiobook copy; my review and thoughts are my own/.

Wowwwwww.  Immediately hooked. I could not put this down and I stayed up super late to finish this last night because I could not get enough. Of the writing, of Raven and Ares, of the drama and the spice and the storyline.  Such a unique situation and I love everything to do with this arranged marriage storyline. Blow after blow kept coming and I loved how real everything felt; all the reactions made sense without being melodrama.  This was EMOTIONAL and I felt the full gamut from love to rage to sadness to hope.  This is a new favorite romance author for me and I cannot wait to read more about the brothers!

This is such a good book! Janice Hallett is both the master of these epistolary thrillers, but ALSO a complete master of this character study. The way her characters come through so vividly just through correspondence is actually amazing. I felt inside their heads the whole time and that I knew them so well, which made the twists even that more shocking. I love how the story was crafted and perfectly pieced together; the different missives were presented to the reader in the perfect order to lead the reader to make certain assumptions and miss others.

I had SO much fun reading this and I stayed up way too late to finish it!

Thanks to the publisher for an eARC; my review and thoughts are my own.