Tag: Mystery (Page 1 of 19)

BOOK REVIEW: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

BOOK REVIEW: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally CarterThe Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at a snowbound English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished in a classic locked-room mystery, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue in this cozy holiday mystery will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

Review:

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a mystery that kept me intrigued, and had a tiny bit of Christmas sprinkled throughout.  The characters were so easy to like, and the narrators did a fabulous job of bringing this story to life.  There were a lot of hints that made almost everyone look guilty, so I had fun putting the clues together.  It gave me old school Agatha Christie vibes!  And while I guessed the mystery correctly, I still enjoyed listening to this one because I had no clue if I was right or wrong till all was revealed.

I adored Maggie Chase from the beginning with her sass and take no bs attitude!  And I couldn’t help but be intrigued by Ethan Wyatt.  He seemed to have a lot more going on then he showed us or Maggie.  So as we got to know both of them better, and see moments from their past, I was a goner.  I wanted to just push them together.  They were perfect for each other.  And Ethan even made me shed a few tears, I loved him!

Yet, I had to take away a star, because I personally struggle with loose ends.  I’m someone who likes to have things wrapped up in a bow, and this ending was not that.  I had so many unanswered questions.  Yes we were given a HEA, but I desperately needed answers, sigh.  So while I’m not sure if I’ll read this author again, this was fun and a nice change up from the Christmas romances I typically read in December!

BOOK REVIEWS: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams & The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEWS: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams & The Five Year Lie by Sarina BowenHow to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university's chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again.

Review:

With an adorable cute meet cute that ended in disaster, How to Fail at Flirting, snagged me from that first chapter.  The characters stood out and were easy to root for.  The angst and drama were wonderfully done.  There were serious moments and an emotionally abusive relationship that was handled in a thoughtful way.  And I loved Naya’s found family, her best friends were so supportive.  With a fun and flirty vibe, along with some deeper moments, How to Fail at Flirting was a hit!

 

BOOK REVIEWS: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams & The Five Year Lie by Sarina BowenThe Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

She thought it was love. Then he vanished.

On an ordinary Monday morning, Ariel Cafferty's phone buzzes with a disturbing text message. Something’s happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP. The words would be jarring from anyone, but the sender is the only man she ever loved. And it's been several years since she learned he died.

Seeing Drew’s name pop up is heart-stopping. Ariel’s gut says it can’t be real. But she goes to the tree anyway. She has to.

Nobody shows. But the text upends everything she thought she knew about the day he left her. The more questions she asks, the more sinister the answers get. Only two things are clear: everything she was told five years ago is wrong, and someone is still lying to her.

The truth has to be out there somewhere. To safeguard herself—and her son—she’ll have to find it before it finds her. And with it, the answer to what became of Drew.

For fans of Laura Dave and Julie Clark, but with a heart-stopping romance that only Sarina Bowen can execute, The Five Year Lie is a page-turning, spine-tingling thriller that will have you guessing until the very end.

Review:

The Five Year Lie was a mysterious thriller that gripped me from the first chapter.  This story was an easy one to devour, especially since we got moments from the past too.  It painted a bigger picture, and I loved watching Ariel and Drew fall for each other. Trying to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together had me turning those pages faster.  And while I got a good portion of it right, I loved how intricate this story became!  This one also hit emotionally hard, and I shed a few tears.  If you’re a fan of thrillers that have romance laced throughout the story, definitely add this one to your tbr!  I’m excited to see what Bowen writes next in this genre!   

Three weeks ago, my biggest problem was which summer day camps Buzz might enjoy – would he prefer Mad Science? Or the one at the arts center?
Then a text message from a dead man blew our lives apart with the force of a grenade.  Now I know what it means to be scared.

 

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Rise of the Snake Goddess (Samantha Knox #2) by Jenny Elder Moke

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Rise of the Snake Goddess (Samantha Knox #2) by Jenny Elder Moke

I'm so excited to be on the Rise of the Snake Goddess tour! Check out my review below and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy♥

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Rise of the Snake Goddess (Samantha Knox #2) by Jenny Elder MokeRise of the Snake Goddess (Samantha Knox #2)
by Jenny Elder Moke
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads
Synopsis:

The beautiful island of Crete, an archaeological find for the ages, and one seriously pissed-off Greek goddess. It’s just another day for Samantha Knox.

After being snubbed by her college’s archaeology department for an honor she rightfully earned, Sam is hell-bent on proving her worth to her misogynistic department head. So when an opportunity presents itself to solve the hidden meaning behind a symbol found inside a cave in Greece, Sam is all over it, and she’s bringing Bennett and Jo with her for the cross-Atlantic trip. Once on the island of Crete, Sam finds a treasure she never expected―the golden girdle of an ancient and powerful goddess, and she can’t resist its siren call, or the accolades she would win for discovering it. But before she can take credit for the find, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite coincidental.

Soon Sam, Bennett, and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt―one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous high-stakes auction, and a fiery near-death experience―to find the girdle before someone can use it to raise the ancient goddess from her slumber. An unexpected heist, a terrifying trek through a labyrinth, and a fight to the death with the Minotaur itself lead to a final standoff she and her friends won’t soon forget―one that might just break up Sam and Bennett for good.

Set against the gorgeous backdrop and ancient ruins of the Greek islands, the pulse-pounding action in this twisting mystery will appeal to action-adventure fans, romance die-hards, and mythology buffs alike.

Review:

Rise of the Snake Goddess was an action packed adventure!  With mythology, treasure hunts and even a goddess, this book was a lot of fun.  Fans of National Treasure and The Mummy should have a blast reading this book!

“Isn’t that what drew us to this course of study in the first place? The promise of a discovery that would change the world?”
“Last time we discovered something, it nearly ended the world,” Bennett pointed out.
“Are you going to let that keep you from ever seeking adventure again?” Sam asked.

Our favorites Sam, Jo, and Bennett were together at college.  When they intercepted a letter for Bennett’s professor, who we met in Curse of the Specter Queen, it led them on an adventure of a lifetime.  They ended up of traveling to Crete, yet not everything was at it seemed.  Caves, treasure hunters, relics, mythology and puzzles filled the story making this a fascinating read!

“It’s a secret passage,” she breathed in wonder.

The characters made this story for me!  Jo continued to crack me up with her antics and do what she wanted to do attitude.  I loved how she could be so clever!  But most of all I loved her and Sam’s mended friendship and how they worked together as a team.  They were the truest of best friends!  Sam continued to impress me with her ability to not quit and her wits!  Sam was so clever and smart, the adventure she led us on was one I won’t forget!

“Just once in this whole business, Bennett, I do wish you’d understand what I’m trying to do. I wish you’d understand me.”
Bennett looked down in surprise. “Why do you think I don’t understand you?”
“Because if you did, you’d help me, instead of constantly trying to stop me.”

Shockingly I felt like Bennett was the one who needed to grow the most in this story.  He always tried to see the best in others.  And while that was an admirable trait, it also led him to put that trust in others blindly that didn’t deserve it.  I was so happy to see how far he had come from that first page to the last.  Plus I loved seeing how much he cared for Sam and his sister, and the lengths he would go to to protect them.

These walls weren’t built to keep something out; they were built to keep something in.

The cast also included characters I absolutely loathed like Theo and one of the other professors, Professor Atchinson.  There were others who I didn’t know if we should trust or not.  It kept me guessing and I loved that each one stood out and felt unique.  Finishing that last page, I felt like the message in this book was only you can find your true self-worth.  You can’t let it be dictated by others and their expectations of you. Only you can forge your own path and love yourself truly.  I was so happy that Sam, Bennett and even Jo encompassed those feelings on their journey!

The Snake Goddess had risen.

Stories were told, lies were spun and Sam, Jo and Bennett did everything possible to keep themselves not only out of trouble but alive too!  There was a secret that came out from the first book that left me dying laughing!  It was so perfect lol!  So with a smidgen of romance and a ton of adventure, Rise of the Snake Goddess was a story not to be missed!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

 

Find it:
GoodreadsAmazonKindle, AudibleB&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD,
Bookshop.org


 

 About  Jenny Elder Moke:

Jenny Elder Moke writes young adult fiction in an attempt to recapture the shining infinity of youth. Her debut novel, Hood, was a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Mayor’s Book Club selection, and received critical acclaim.

When she is not writing, she’s gathering story ideas from her daily adventures with her two irredeemable rapscallions and honing her ninja skills as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Jenny lives in Denver, CO with her husband and two children.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

 

Giveaway:

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/1/2022

YABooksCentral

Excerpt

6/2/2022

@simplybeccamee

IG Review

6/3/2022

Just Another Teen Reading Books

Review/IG Post

6/4/2022

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

6/5/2022

A Court of Coffee and Books

Review/IG Post

6/6/2022

Karen Dee’s Book Reviews

Review/IG Post

6/7/2022

Book-Keeping

Review/IG Post

6/8/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

6/9/2022

Lisa Loves Literature

Review/IG Post

6/10/2022

@wraithreads

TikTok Review/IG Post

6/11/2022

DB’S Guide to the Galaxy

Review

Week Three:

6/12/2022

@drewsim12

IG Review/TikTiok Review

6/13/2022

Read With Serena

Review/IG Post

6/14/2022

@ReadsReaders

YouTube Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/15/2022

Star-Crossed Book Blog

Review/IG Post

6/16/2022

popthebutterfly

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/17/2022

Fire and Ice

Review/IG Post

6/18/2022

@coffeesipsandreads

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

6/19/2022

beersbooksandboos

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/20/2022

The Real World According To Sam

Review/IG Post

6/21/2022

@jacleomik33 The Page Ladies

IG Post Review

6/22/2022

The Reading Devil

Review/IG Post

6/23/2022

Emmiepooh2

IG Review

6/24/2022

The Girl Who Reads

Review/IG Post

6/25/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

Week Five:

6/26/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

6/27/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

6/28/2022

BookBriefs

Review/IG Post

6/29/2022

Library of Alexandria Archives

Review/IG Post

6/30/2022

onemused

Review/IG Post

BOOK REVIEW: Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. Manansala

BOOK REVIEW: Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. ManansalaArsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #1)
by Mia P. Manansala
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer....

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…

Review:

Arsenic and Adobo was a fun cozy mystery that I adored. With heartwarming characters and a mystery that kept me on my toes, this book was definitely entertaining. If you enjoy stories about family, friendship and putting clues together, then you will want to add this one to your tbr!

I grinned as he seemed to squirm with delight. “Good, huh?”
He let out a long, drawn-out sigh but didn’t answer.
I put my hands on my hips. “Oh, come on. Would it kill you to say something nice for a change?”
He responded by convulsing violently, then face-planting right into the dish.

Lila Macapagal moved back home to help her family’s restaurant, since they were struggling.  Right off the bat we got to meet her ex, Derek. He was a local food blogger and critic who never had anything positive to say, yet he still dined at their restaurant.  This day he brought his stepfather with him, who was also their landlord. But during Derek’s meal, he died face first into his food.  With their landlord pointing the finger at them, Lila found herself being accused of poisoning her ex by the police!  What’s a girl to do?

We’ll be fine, I told myself. We didn’t do anything, so they couldn’t possibly find anything on us. Right? Right.
I sure hate it when I’m wrong.

Two of my favorite things about this story were the characters and the food!  One of my besties is Filipino, so while I’ve had a few of the meals mentioned (lumpia being my favorite that she cooks!), there were sooo many more that I desperately need to try!  The food sounded absolutely delicious, so be prepared for this book to make you hungry.  And much to my surprise and happiness, there were some of the recipes in the back of the book.  Loved it!

He squeezed my hand and leaned forward, eyes burning with conviction. “I swear to you, I will fix this. Just trust me, OK? Everything will be fine.”

Not only did I enjoy our main character, Lila, but everyone she surrounded herself with too.  There was her eccentric Grandmother and her Tita Rosie who I just wanted to hug and hang out in the kitchen with!  I wanted to go have a cup of coffee with her bestie Adeena and steal away Adeea’s very sexy brother, Amir.  I was kinda obsessed with him.  Amir’s a lawyer who helped Lila and her family out time and again.  There were definitely sparks there, but there was another guy in the picture too.  So while there were little hints of romance here and there, it never overshadowed the story.  And I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll find out who Lila chooses in the next book.

I needed to figure out who killed Derek Winter.

As the story progressed, it seemed as though Lila was framed and setup time and again.   It didn’t help that Lila kept stumbling upon dead bodies.  She held it together for the most part, which was impressive because I would have lost it lol.  I truly didn’t know how it would all be fixed. So when Lila started investigating on her own, I was cheering for her every step of the way!  Arsenic and Adobo was an entertaining tale that was a delightful read!  I don’t reach for cozy mysteries near enough, but I definitely need to in the future!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu

BOOK REVIEW: The Best Lies by Sarah LyuThe Best Lies by Sarah Lyu
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Remy Tsai used to know how her story would turn out. But now, she doesn’t even know what tomorrow will look like.

She was happy once. Remy had her boyfriend Jack, and Elise, her best friend—her soulmate—who understood her better than anyone else in the world.

But now Jack is dead, shot through the chest—

And it was Elise who pulled the trigger.

Was it self-defense? Or something deeper, darker than anything Remy could have imagined? As the police investigate, Remy does the same, sifting through her own memories, looking for a scrap of truth that could save the friendship that means everything to her.

Told in alternating timelines, Thelma and Louise meets Gone Girl in this twisted psychological thriller about the dark side of obsessive friendship.

We were a forest fire, wild and full of rage. We were a galaxy unto ourselves, a million stars blazing and bright. Everything was possible then.

The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu is another YA thriller that is full of potential but fails to execute on its premise. What could have been a twisty and dark story about toxic female friendships and how that can boil over into terrible consequences is more bark than bite. I almost DNF’d at 50%, when the pace of the book was still moving at an almost glacial speed, but wanted to see it to the end. The end picked up a little bit, but it couldn’t make up for the slow pace and repetitive scenes and conversations that plague this book.

I know she’s here somewhere. I can feel that invisible push and pull whenever she’s near, like she is a star and I am a captured object.

The Best Lies follows Remy Tsai’s life over a couple of months. The book jumps back in forth between the night her boyfriend, Jack, is killed and the beginning of her friendship with Elise. Elise meets Remy outside of a school dance right after Remy is dumped by her now-college boyfriend. They quickly bond over their screwed up family lives: both girls are dealing with a lot of heavy and serious issues at home and learn to lean on each other to deal with it.

At the heart of every good lie is the truth, that’s what Elise told me once. The best lies are at least half-true she said.

Elise is nothing like Remy. She is obsessed with justice for those who can’t fight for themselves, she is extremely loyal to those she deems is worthy of her loyalty and she impulsive and rash. Once she becomes fixated on something, she can’t let it go. Remy is more quiet and reserved, living in the shadow of her much more popular and accomplished older brother. She is kind of drifting through life, with a small social circle that she’s not really attached to. Elise and Remy are opposites attracting and a strong bond is quickly formed.

“What we have is real,” she repeated. “No one else has what we have. No one will ever love you like I do.”

However, the bond between Remy and Elise begins to fray. Remy is not comfortable with some of Elise’s decisions, especially related to her vigilantism. In a chance meeting after Elise abandons her at party, Elise meets Jack. Jack is her light in a dark world. He’s funny and caring and sees her for who she really is. Before long, Remy is spending more time with Jack and less with Elise. This is the main catalyst for many of the problems and crescendos up until the night he is killed.

I told myself I was running toward him and not away from her, but maybe that was just a convenient lie.

As I said before, this story had a lot of potential. The mini recap I wrote above shows how dark and twisted this story is and I liked the ideas presented by Lyu. However, I felt it fell very flat in execution. First off, it’s so repetitive. So many scenes and conversations are almost identical that I often wondered if my Kindle glitched and I was reading something I already had. Remy and Elise seem to have the same arguments over and over. They also are ALWAYS crying. I’m pretty sure one of them does not go more than five pages without being described as crying or sobbing or tearing up. I get there are a lot emotions happening, but it was too much. If there had been variety to the story, as well as better pacing with these scenes, I could have been more forgiving.

Overall, I’m in the middle about this book. I liked aspects of it. The subject of a toxic and dependent female relationship was new and different from a lot of other YA thrillers. I liked how Remy’s family life issues were handled and resolved. I really liked Jack and Remy and Jack’s relationship. Elise was an interesting character, who while flawed, kept my attention. However, I still can’t get over the pacing, the repetitiveness and the minimal twists in a thriller. 3/5 stars.

We believed our wounds made us special. We believed what didn’t kill you made you stronger. We believed our tragedies were romantic.

CW: Death/murder, physical abuse, verbal abuse, manipulation, cheating, lying

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