thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

I rarely reread books, but I made an exception for The Hunger Games trilogy. I did the math—it’s been twelve years since I first read the series—and the first book still stands the test of time. Collins’ world-building is top-tier, and I found it hard to put the book down. Reading it feels like a masterclass in YA dystopian fiction.

All Dressed in White is the third book in the Under Suspicion series. We return to the beloved television crew led by Laurie, who has a strong track record of solving the mysteries she features on the show. This time, however, the crew doesn’t have much time to plan or investigate before diving into filming. I still recommend this series to fans of true crime, though I found this installment a bit less exciting than the first two.

I am so excited that this series exists. As a 20/20 fanatic, I love the premise of a reality show that focuses on bringing light to cold cases. In this novel, they revisit the fictional murder of Susan Dempsey, a UCLA coed. Their investigation is full of twists and turns, and crime fiction lovers should add this backlist title to their shelf!

Acts of Violet, another title from Montimore, is one of my favorite books. To say that I’m a fan of this author would be an understatement. The Dollhouse Academy is a good story but lacks the magic I’ve come to expect from Montimore’s previous works. I would recommend this title to fans of Black Mirror, as it explores similar themes to the television series

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(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I picked up Swamp Kings after falling down a rabbit hole with the Alex Murdaugh case. The book expands on many of the widely reported stories and sheds light on the generations of corruption within the family. Unfortunately, I struggled to follow the narrative. The repeated names across family members and the nonlinear timeline made it difficult to keep everything straight. Even for true crime fans, I wouldn’t recommend this one unless they had a vested interest in this particular case.
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(I received an audio recording of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)