Tag: mystery

Macarons Can Be Murder (A Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery: Book 1) by Rose Betancourt

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Contemporary

Series: A Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery

Macarons Can Be Murder—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Ellie Alexander and Lucy Burdette, Rose Betancourt’s series debut is a culinary treat sure to charm.

Living in Paris, Kentucky, and having a sidekick cat named Pepe le Pew gives Marci Beaucoup’s life a certain je ne sais quoi . Combining her love of baking and France, Marci opened La Belle Patisserie to bring her small Southern hometown a bit of French flair and lots of croissants. Everything is sunshine and macarons at the bakery until her landlord calls to tell her she’s selling the property. Marci’s relieved to hear that if the top bidder, an enchanting Frenchman named Antoine Dubois, gets the property, he’ll renew her bakery’s lease. Charmed by Antoine, Marci figures this development isn’t half bad and sees a handsome new landlord in her future—but then Antoine’s estranged ex-girlfriend Kelly turns up dead in front of her bakery. Sacrebleu!

Everyone calls Marci’s pastries “to die for,” but nobody’s actually died at La Belle Patisserie before. Antoine quickly becomes the main suspect to everyone in Paris—including to womanizing detective Maverick Malone. Who else would have killed Kelly but the ex-boyfriend she was just seen fighting with on the day of her death?

Marci finds out from her landlord that if Antoine is arrested, his purchase of her building will fall through—and her landlord will sell to developers instead, who plan to demolish the building and construct a strip mall in its place. Enamored with Antoine and with her patisserie dreams hanging in the balance, Marci is determined to prove Maverick and the rest of Paris wrong and find the true killer before Antoine winds up in jail—and she has to say au revoir to her bakery.   

Now Marci finds herself mixed up in the murder investigation, and she must find the killer before her half-baked theories result in her untimely death.

First Line:

“I need to ask you something,” the woman said. After glancing around at the other customers in the bakery, the blone focused her attention on me again, leaning closer to the counter.

Macarons Can Be Murder by Rose Betancourt

Marci Beaucoup lives her best life, running a French bakery in the small town of Paris, Kentucky. Well, she was until two things happened. The first thing was that her landlord was selling her building to a handsome and charming Antoine Dubois, and the second thing was Marci stumbling across the dead body of Antoine’s ex-girlfriend outside her bakery. With Antoine under suspicion for murder and a developer who has plans to demolish the buildings and build a strip mall waiting for that deal to fall through, Marci decides to solve the case. But, when the killer targets her, Marci needs to find out who the murderer is and why this person killed Kellie before she becomes the next victim.

Macarons Can Be Murder is the last book in the series of mysteries that I downloaded from Crooked Lane Books on NetGalley. And I will admit, I only downloaded it because a cat was on the cover. I didn’t read the blurb or check out any early reviews. I wish I did because I didn’t enjoy reading this book.

Macarons Can Be Murder is the first book in A Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery. Since it is the first book in the series, you do not need to read any previous books to understand the characters’ backstories/storylines.

Macarons Can Be Murder is a fast-paced book set in Paris, Kentucky. I wish the plotline had been slowed down (the book takes place within a week of Marci finding Kellie’s body). I had to reread chapters to understand what was going on.

The main storyline in Macarons Can Be Murder centers around Marci and her investigation into Kellie’s murder. There is also some focus on Marci’s love life, which I didn’t like. I did like the bare bones of this storyline (small-town baker turns detective to solve a murder), but I didn’t particularly appreciate how the author executed it. The storyline was all over the place, and several secondary storylines were introduced and never went anywhere. That alone drove me up the wall.

I liked Marci but found it very hard to connect with her. She came across as immature, and the way she went around investigating Kellie’s murder made me wince. She also was very hung up on what happened in high school. It was brought up several times with Maverick (she couldn’t trust him because his car broke down and another girl gave him a ride to prom, or as Marci thinks, he ghosted her and took another girl instead). It was also mentioned during different interactions with different people around town.

The storyline with Kellie’s murder and Marci’s investigation was interesting but was all over the place. I figured out who killed Kellie reasonably early in the book (there is a scene where Marci is talking to the B&B owner, and the person is mentioned). When the murderer was revealed, I almost missed it. I read that chapter several times to understand that person was caught. Marci’s investigation was well done, but she did take unnecessary risks while getting information.

There was a romance angle that ran throughout the book. It was a love triangle between Marci, Maverick, and Antoine. I wasn’t a huge fan of that at all. Why? Marci used Antoine to get evidence from him (she invaded his privacy and stole things from him). She also went back and forth about Maverick (see what I wrote above). I would have liked this angle better if I had connected better with Marci.

The end of Macarons Can Be Murder seemed rushed. Again, repeating myself, I had zero clue that the killer had been caught. The plotline was all over the place, and I had an issue keeping things straight. It was also creepy how the author dealt with the romance angle. With all this said, I will read book 2. Once I have started a series, I need to finish it.

If you enjoyed this review of Macarons Can Be Murder, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Rosa Betancourt:

A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe: Book 1) by Victoria Gilbert

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult

Trigger Warnings: Mental Illness (Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Agoraphobia)

Series: Hunter and Clewe

A Cryptic Clue—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

A retired librarian gets back to the books—and into a devilish murder case—in acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert’s new series, the perfect literary adventure for fans of Kate Carlisle and Jenn McKinlay.

Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she’s about to discover, a retiree’s life can bring new thrills—and new dangers.

Cameron “Cam” Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something—an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane’s thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane’s delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam’s library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam’s failed romances—and now he’s suspect number one.

Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name—but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he’ll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss—but is he truly innocent?

First Line:

On the day I met Cameron Clewe, I thought I was simply changing jobs. I had no idea I was also changing my life.

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

Jane has been forced into retirement as a university librarian. To make ends meet, she answers an ad for an archivist to catalog his collection of rare books and artifacts for Cameron Clewe, a reclusive billionaire. Jane is overjoyed. That is until she finds the body of Cameron’s ex-girlfriend in the library. With evidence pointing at Cameron, Jane and Cameron decides to clear his name. But that is easier said than done. Someone doesn’t want them to find out who killed Cam’s ex-girlfriend or the reason why. Will Jane and Cam find the killer? What was the motive?

Locked room mysteries are a favorite of mine. I love using my mind to figure out who the killer is and why they did it. So, it was no surprise that I decided to pick up A Cryptic Clue. The blurb did its job by capturing my attention and making me want to read this book. And guess what? I enjoyed reading it.

A Cryptic Clue is a medium-paced book. The pacing for this book was perfect. It would have been ruined if it had gone any faster. There was some lag towards the middle of the book, but it did not affect how much I enjoyed it.

I was tickled to read that this book is set in North Carolina. A Cryptic Clue takes place in central North Carolina, mainly in Bradfordville. There were mentions of Winston-Salem sprinkled throughout the book. I live further west of Winston-Salem (about an hour’s drive) and have been dying to visit. Now that I have read the book, I might take a day trip there.

The main storyline in A Cryptic Clue centers around Jane, Cam, the murder of Cam’s ex-girlfriend, and their investigation. This well-written storyline gave little clues as to who the murderer might be. I liked how Jane’s investigation (thanks to the mysteries she read) revealed some possible clues. Of course, I was shocked at who was behind the murder and the reason why. It was pretty sad.

I was going to start with Jane for the character section, but I decided to highlight Cam first. I loved that the author had Cam as neurodivergent (ADHD) and suffering from mental illness (OCD, anxiety, a bit of agoraphobia, and depression) and that he might have autism. He found it hard to connect to people and show emotions. I could understand why he was on Jane’s radar for a while after his ex’s murder and why it took him so long to open up to her. He was also insanely smart and was one step ahead of Jane in their investigation.

I loved Jane. She was a ball of sunshine in this book, and when she decided to help Cam clear his name, she committed to it. She was just an overall nice person. I was obsessed with her job (it is my dream job). I would be happy to sit and just catalog all day. This reason is why I wish the author had given more details about her doing her job. She was also a great detective and did unearth some things that surprised her.

The mystery angle of A Cryptic Clue was amazingly written. This book kept me guessing who the killer was and their motive. For a while, I did think Cam killed his ex. But she had a past and a laundry list of suspects. The more Jane dug into Cam’s ex’s history; the more people turned up. And the motives were as numerous as the suspects. The author had so many red herrings out that I almost didn’t believe it when the killer was revealed.

The end of A Cryptic Clue was one of the better endings I have read. I won’t get into it, but it was very twisty. I liked how the author ended with Cam and Jane bonding in her apartment. It makes me wonder what other books in this series will be like.

I recommend A Cryptic Clue to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, but there is mild violence and language.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Victoria Gilbert for allowing me to read and review A Cryptic Clue. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of A Cryptic Clue, than you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Victoria Gilbert

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder by Steve S. Saroff

Publisher: Flooding Island

Date of publication: February 2nd, 2022

Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

While breaking into a financial network, a hacker falls for a dangerous artist.

Based on the buried events of one of the largest criminal frauds in history, Paper Targets digs into the motivations of criminals on the fringe. Critics and reviewers are calling it “Wonderfully written,” “A novel to read now,” and “A literary thriller with a soul.”

Set in Montana, Paper Targets simmers with greed and love before boiling over along the red-flagged path between lost and found.

First Line:

My first secret was that I could not read. And yet my earliest joy was listening to the murmuring of my mother as she read to me.

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder by Steve S. Saroff

Enzi has struggled his entire life with dyslexia. Going through school without getting the help he needed, Enzi couldn’t read or understand numbers until he taught himself as an older teenager. By his mid 20’s, Enzi had gotten his life together and was running a successful company with a fellow coder. He also has gotten caught up in a scheme to fleece an international financial company. But that all changed when he met Kaori, the night she got arrested for assault after attacking her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. That starts a tumultuous relationship, ending with one in jail for murder and the other on the run. What happened?

When I agreed to read and review Paper Targets, I did it because of the need for more information in the blurb. A lack of information would have me skipping over the book. But in this case, it caught my attention and made me want to read it. I am glad I read this book because it was good.

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder started slow. The author did that to show Enzi’s upbringing, his struggles with dyslexia, and his life before Kaori came into it. After Kaori was introduced, the storyline sped up to medium-fast pacing.

The main storyline of Paper Targets is centered around Enzi, Kaori, their relationship, and Enzi’s illegal hacking job for Tsai. This storyline was well-written, with well-fleshed-out characters. The author explained Enzi’s legal coding (and illegal hacking) job in a way I understood (I am not code-savvy).

Surprisingly, Enzi was a likable character. I thought he was sweet and he had a conscience. The whole hacking secondary storyline showed that-well, towards the end, it showed that. Also, this man had horrible taste in women. At the beginning of the book, he stays in a relationship where she mocks him for his stutter and job (a janitor), and then there is the relationship with Kaori. I do like that his character did grow during this book, and not only did he do the right thing, but he didn’t take credit for it.

I don’t know how to describe how I felt about Kaori. At a point in the book, I wondered if everything she did was in her head. She was also crazy talented. I liked how the author showcased her art as a confession once she and Enzi returned to Montana.

The storyline about the hacking and Tsai was interesting. I liked seeing how Enzi evolved from being involved with the whole thing to not wanting anything to do with it and, ultimately, helping the police. The author created a storyline that kept me guessing and kept my blood pressure up.

The end of Paper Targets was interesting. I liked how the author ended all of the storylines. Except for Enzi’s, they all ended in a way that satisfied me. But Enzi’s storyline, I wish that it could have ended a little better. I wish that he could have had a happier ending. But, in a way, I guess he was happy.

I recommend Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder to anyone over 21. There is language, sexual situations, and violence.

Many thanks to Flooding Island Press and Steve S. Saroff for allowing me to read and review Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Steve S. Saroff

Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret by Diana Wurfbain Spinola

Publisher:

Date of publication: January 10th, 2022

Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery

Purchase Links: Kindle | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

A shy orphan with peculiar eyes in search of his father. A mysterious vanishing. An ancient manuscript filled with strange potions. An underground brotherhood keeping the world safe from a looming horror. A world deep below Central Park where all the answers will be found, and the darkest secret will be revealed.

Join 12-year-old Matt Church as he plunges into a world of dark mysteries where he will face his worst nightmares and discover the truth. Self-belief, friendship, and the unbreakable bond of blood ties are at the heart of this enchanting and gripping saga. Under Central Park, The Amulet’s Secret is the first book of a trilogy. The e-book includes over 30 full-color illustrations.

First Line:

Araotz Zarimutz, his heart pounding furiously, stopped for a few seconds to catch his breath.

Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret by Diana Wurfbain Spinola

A shy orphan with a stutter and peculiar eyes, Matt Church is surprised when a renowned professor adopts him. Matt is thrust into a world where his every need is met, and he is not allowed to go outside. Sneaking out at night, Matt meets a young girl, Casseopia, who shares his interest in star gazing. But Matt’s life is soon upended again when his adoptive father disappears. With the threat of being returned to the orphanage looming over him, he tells Casseopia what is happening. Intrigued, Casseopia sneaks Matt into her school. After that, Matt is thrust into a world of secret societies training the next generation to defend the world against evil, a world that he couldn’t have even begun to imagine exists, and both found and biological family. Will the answers to Matt’s questions be answered? Or will more questions be raised?

I have read quite a bit of middle-grade books lately. My youngest child is nine, and I always look for books that interest her. So, when the author emailed me and asked if I wanted to read/review this book, I said yes. I wanted to know if this would be a book she would like, and the blurb also grabbed my attention. I am glad I did say yes to the book because this book was an excellent read. Unfortunately, this book isn’t on my daughter’s radar right now because she’s more into horse books (she is learning how to show jump hunter-style and do dressage and is reading books similar to that), but I will keep it on a short list of books that she can read.

The pacing of Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret flowed between medium to fast-paced. It was a good flow for the book. There was a little lag towards the middle of the book (when Matt was with his biological family), but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of reading or the book’s flow. The author was quickly able to get the book back on track.

Obviously, Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret is in New York City, mainly in Central Park. I loved that the author took such a prominent area and breathed new life into it. I liked that while nothing changed with the park, the author could add some things, like a secret elevator entrance in a fountain or a private school with a central entrance under a bridge.

The main storyline follows Matt Church, his search for his adoptive father, and his adventures throughout the book. The storyline was easy to follow, and it was a little one-dimensional. For a child, it would be perfect to read. For an adult, it was an OK read. I enjoyed reading about Matt’s adventures and thought that the author did a great job with his backstory (it was sad).

The school storyline was interesting. I got some Harry Potter vibes from it, but that was it, just vibes. I found that storyline fascinating because everything revolved around mushrooms and other fungus. I found the animal bonding storyline fascinating too. Now, that might be a little scary for younger readers (the kids get swarmed by bats, foxes, bees, or snakes to find what they are tuned to). But as an adult, I enjoyed it!!

The storyline that involved Matt’s background was heartbreaking. The author revealed why Matt’s father abandoned him when Matt met his biological family. That whole conversation broke my heart because Matt’s biological father seemed like a great guy, and he truly loved his son. Of course, there is a twist on what happened to him. As for Matt’s adoptive father, I wasn’t surprised that the author chose to go the way she did with that storyline. But I was surprised by what Matt learned about his adoptive father, and what he told the monks at the end of the book will come into play in book 2.

The fantasy angle of Under Central Park was wonderfully written. I loved that the author had a secondary world connected to this one by an elevator. And this secondary world was amazing. I couldn’t get enough from the different races to the social structures. Even the bad guys, who were at the top of the social hierarchy, were written well.

A bonus to Under Central Park was that the author included illustrations of some primary (and central secondary) characters. It was nice to put a face to who I was reading about. I will warn you that the bad guys are a snake/octopus/alien hybrid that creeped me out.

I loved seeing Matt’s character grow throughout the book. Initially, he was a bullied, introverted, timid child with a stutter. But, as the book went on, he started to come out of his shell. While still there, his stutter wasn’t as prominent as it was at the beginning of the book. By the end of the book, that shy child was replaced by a child who had grown in confidence.

The end of Under Central Park was interesting. The author did not wrap up any of the storylines. Instead, she left them open. Not only that, she added more questions to the main storyline. Seeing that this is a trilogy, I expect that any questions I had during this book will be answered in book 2 or book 3.

I recommend Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret to anyone over 10. There are no language or sexual situations, and there is mild violence.

Many thanks to D.W. Spinola for allowing me to read and review Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Other books by D.W. Spinola:

The Master of Demise by Nadija Mujagic

Publisher: Pioneer Publishing

Date of publication: June 15th, 2023

Genre: Mystery

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mitch Wegner had it all: a prestigious career as a professor, a loving wife, and a reputation as a brilliant academic. But when a student takes his own life and Mitch is blamed, his life quickly spirals out of control. As his marriage falls apart and his job is put on the line, Mitch finds himself descending into a dark and dangerous world.

Haunted by his past and fueled by his own narcissism, Mitch makes a series of increasingly desperate choices that lead him down a path of violence and betrayal. When another person on campus mysteriously dies, Mitch becomes the prime suspect, but the truth behind the killings is far more twisted than anyone could have imagined.

In this gripping psychological thriller, author Nadija Mujagic takes readers on a heart-pounding journey through the mind of a man consumed by his own ego and the dark secrets that he thought he had buried. With twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, The Master of Demise is a chilling tale of obsession, revenge, and the terrifying consequences of our actions.

First Line:

Nothing give me a natural high like burning stuff, but killing comes close. This one was quick and painless.

The Master of Demise Nadija Mujagic

Mitch has a happy marriage, a beautiful wife, and a successful career. But, when a much-liked student committed suicide and mentions Mitch and his class as the straw that broke the camel’s back in his diary/suicide note. As his marriage crumbles and his mental health deteriorates, Mitch starts making choices that take him down a dark and dangerous path. This path is shrouded in lies, betrayal, and death. When another student dies, Mitch is the prime suspect. But did Mitch kill those students? Or is he being set up?

When I read the blurb for The Master of Demise, I knew I needed to read this book. I was curious about the plotline outlined. Plus, I like reading psychological thrillers. But I wasn’t expecting what I read, and I mean that in a good way. This book was a fantastic read from beginning to end.

The Master of Demise is a fast-paced book that takes place entirely in Vermont. The pacing of this book suited the storyline, mainly because everything takes place within a couple of months of the book’s beginning. The book had zero lag; the author kept this book moving. I enjoyed it and felt that if the book had slowed down for a minute, it would have been ruined.

There were two main storylines in The Master of Demise. The first storyline is the one following Mitch and his downward spiral. This storyline was exciting because of how disjointed Mitch got as the book continued. The more things started to happen to him, the more disjointed the storyline got, and I loved it!! The other storyline started early in the book, and I didn’t understand why it was there for a while. Once I realized it was the real killer’s backstory, I started paying more attention. I didn’t understand why the author wrote this until Mitch’s big “Aha” moment towards the end of the book.

Mitch was not a likable character. From the beginning of the book, he just came across as one of those guys whose ego preceded them into the room. So, when he was named as the reason why that kid unalived himself, he couldn’t handle it. It started his descent into paranoia and madness. I liked that the author started with little things with Mitch and worked her way up to bigger things. By the end of the book, Mitch is a beaten man willing to accept his fate. I was a little put off by that. I figured it would be better to keep him alive, but I understood why the mystery man did what he did.

The other main character of this book is the mystery man. All I have to say is that my heart hurt for that poor child. He was dealing with so much at home, and having even more piled on him at school was awful. The author didn’t hold back regarding the bullying scenes; I will admit they made me tear up. I also understood why the mystery man did what he did (and he did explain it at the end of the book).

Several secondary storylines fed into the main storylines. They added additional depth and background to Mitch’s storyline. The one with Emily did confuse me. I couldn’t tell if she was just an ice-cold person or if he had been abusing her, and the ice-cold persona was something she used to protect herself. I will say that I didn’t see what happened to Emily coming or the revelation that came from it. But it did show how much people disliked Mitch. Even Mitch’s in-laws, who professed to like him, turned around and told him to pound sand at the end of that storyline. The storyline with Sarah was similar. I saw it for what it was at the beginning (she let some hints drop). But, again, I didn’t even begin to imagine what happened to her would happen (if that makes sense).

The thriller angle of The Master of Demise was on point. Several scenes took me aback in the book. It also tied in beautifully with the mystery angle.

Like the thriller angle, the mystery angle was amazingly written. There were twists and turns within this angle that I didn’t see coming. The author combined the mystery and thriller angle at the end of the book to make for what I thought was an explosive ending.

The end of The Master of Demise wasn’t what I thought it would be. I thought the book was going one way; instead, it went the opposite. It shocked me, as did the confession chapter at the end.

I would recommend The Master of Demise to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to Nadija Mujagic for allowing me to read and review The Master of Demise. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Master of Demise, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Nadija Mujagic

One * Life: Ameno by Blaze Dendukuri

Publisher:

Date of Publication: March 27th, 2022

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

A power to be able control space itself .
That is what Artorius possessed . He possessed a power akin to that of a God. But he didn’t feel like one….
Waking up, seeing himself drowning in the ocean of emptiness, Artorius saw the world that he had to confront. The governments that he had to face. Unable to die, unable to live, seeing himself devolve into obscurity, aeons went by.
Seeking the world, becoming the villain in the face of it, he is going to topple it. In the face of such an existence, how are the world leaders going to react? How is the universe going to react….

One•Life is a story that goes through the life of a lone existence that was chosen by the universe. A gripping tale of geopolitical intrigue and cosmic wonder, Artorius takes his initial stride, ready to confront the notorious terror organization, ISII, and a world teetering on the edge. Containing psychological thriller elements as well as escalating action, One•Life displays the tumultuous life that one man can lead.

First Line:

WHAT IS THE COST OF LIFE? LIFE ITSELF.

One * Life: Ameno by Blaze Dendukuri

Artorius lives in the jungles of India, a solitary and lonely existence. One day, Artorius is called to leave the jungle. Once he does, it sets off a chain of events that will kill millions. Who is Artorius, and what does he want?

When I initially decided to read and review One * Life, I was intrigued by the storyline. A geopolitical, psychological thriller was right up my alley. But then I read it, and the storyline left me confused and unfulfilled.

I will do a quick review, different from the average in-depth review I usually do. As I said above, I was confused during Artorius’s parts of the book. The author gave no background about him other than that he was part of the void and had a daughter named Thalia, who died. As for his motives, they were just as murky. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to help people or if he wanted people to die.

As for feeling unfulfilled, that is mainly aimed at the end of the book. I wanted more from this storyline. There were sparks of something good when the author wrote about the world leaders and the blogger, but it was lost under everything else.

I would recommend One * Life to anyone over 21. There is extreme and graphic violence and language, but no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Blaze Dendukurri for allowing me to read and review One*Life. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Other books by Blaze Dendukurri:

Playing with Fire (A Carrie and Keith Mystery: Book 3) by Flora McGowan

Publisher:

Date of publication: August 4th, 2020

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Cozy Mystery

Series: A Carrie and Keith Mystery

Material Witness—Book 1

Thirteen in the Medina—Book 2

Playing with Fire—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a prequel to ‘Material Witness’ and ‘Thirteen in the Medina,’ it’s the summer before she met Keith and Carrie’s holiday plans have been thrown into disarray by the political climate.
She ends up taking a trip to Sicily where she meets octogenarian Millie and a local Sicilian, Enzo.
Enzo appears to be following Carrie as she tours around the island; is he smitten, as Millie maintains, or does he have criminal intentions, as suggested by another of her fellow travellers?
And if so, is he responsible for a series of antiquities’ burglaries?
Or is he on the hunt for Excalibur, the legendary sword rumoured to be lost in Sicily, a sword forged by the ancient Roman blacksmith, Vulcan, god of fire?
Carrie and Millie decide to investigate, but their amusement palls when the adventure takes an unpleasant turn as someone, it seems, is playing with fire.

First Line:

The house was located in the midst of Lazio in central Italy, a region containing not only the country’s capital, Rome, with its ancient Forum, the Coliseum, and the more recent Baroque additions of the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps but also the Vatican, the spiritual and physical heart of the Roman Catholic Church; while of the coast sits Ostia with its ancient port.

Playing with Fire by Flora McGowan

Carrie had been planning on traveling to the Middle East when she was forced to look elsewhere to travel because of political unrest in the area. She decided to take a guided tour of Sicily. But her trip wasn’t the laid-back vacation she expected. Instead, she was pursued by a local named Enzo while ushering a King Author obsessed older woman around the island, all while trying to enjoy the island’s history. But, a string of burglaries throws a shadow over the tour. Who is robbing the museums and why?

When I read the blurb for Playing With Fire, I knew I needed to read this book. Not only does it take place in Italy, which is high on my list of places to visit, but it also offers an exciting view of where Excalibur and Camelot were compared to the legend. I am glad that I read this book because it was good. Plus, I loved reading the historical tidbits thrown throughout the book.

Playing With Fire started slowly and took a while to build up pace. But, once it got going, it flowed nicely. The book maintained a medium pace from the middle of the book to the end, which surprised me. I am used to mysteries having a more brisk pace. I liked it because it allowed me to process the information given.

Playing With Fire takes place entirely on the island of Sicily. I loved the author’s visuals of each town and the historical areas Carrie toured. I also liked the smattering of Italian given in the book.

The main storyline of Playing With Fire centers around Carrie, the tour, Enzo, and the burglaries. As I stated above, the book started slow. But, as Carrie traveled around Sicily and the mystery of Enzo/the art thefts deepened, the storyline gradually increased. This storyline was well-written and well-researched storyline. The author did not lose my attention for a moment.

I liked Carrie and admired her for traveling alone. I also liked that she gravitated toward people similar to her (her travel buddies). Millie and Joan were perfect for her. Vanessa, on the other hand, was not. She also had a good head on her shoulders and used it wisely during the book. Her instincts about Enzo and Vanessa were right on, well, for the most part.

The mystery angle of Playing With Fire was a slow burn. I wondered who the thief was. The author did use red herrings and misdirection to keep me from guessing. So, when the thief was revealed, I was shocked. Put it this way, that person was not on my radar.

There was a slight romance angle in Playing With Fire. The author kept it in the background and was brought up occasionally. But I wasn’t surprised at how it played out.

I want to mention King Arthur/Excalibur/Sicily’s history storyline. It was well-researched. I liked that the author threw some doubt as to where King Arthur was buried. I also liked that some of the mystery centered around Excalibur. And the history of Sicily was fascinating.

The end of Playing With Fire was standard. The author was able to wrap up the mystery in a way that satisfied me. I also liked how the author ended the romance storyline.

I recommend Playing With Fire to anyone over 16. There is no language, mild violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Flora McGowan for allowing me to read and review Playing With Fire. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Playing With Fire, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Flora McGowan

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Adult, Crime

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door in a chilling story of murder and intrigue set in a well-to-do DC suburb.

Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

First Line:

The listing popped up on my phone last night. I scrolled through the pictures as least a dozen times, then tried to conjure the house’s full layout in my mind’s eye as I fell asleep.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Alexis and her husband Sam are thrilled to buy a fixer-upper in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C. But things start to go south almost immediately after they move in:

  1. The house they loved is turning into a money pit with endless repairs.
  2. Alexis’s relationship with Sam turned from goodish to rocky.
  3. The husband of her next-door neighbor (Teddy) is killed while running on a popular path that borders the Potomac River.

Alexis, a stay-at-home mother of two children, slowly makes friends with the other women in the neighborhood. But, the one she grows closest to is Blair, who happens to be the widow of the man killed. But the longer it takes for Teddy’s killer to be identified, the more tense the neighborhood gets, and long-held secrets come to light. What secrets are being unearthed in this neighborhood? And how are those secrets directly linked to Teddy’s death?

When I read the blurb for What the Neighbors Saw, I thought I was getting into a psychological thriller. But what I thought and what I read were two different things. In a way, it was a psychological thriller but not how I thought it would be. This book was an almost soap opera-type look into an affluent neighborhood. It reminded me a little bit of a Jackie Collins book. I did enjoy reading What the Neighbors Saw but wished there was less drama and more thriller.

What the Neighbors Saw is a medium to fast-paced book. It took me over a day to read it. The pacing of What the Neighbors Saw did suit the book. I wish the author had slowed the book’s pacing during key points (mainly the ending).

What the Neighbors Saw takes place entirely in an affluent neighborhood in Washington, D.C. There are some flashbacks to Alexis’s life growing up in Baltimore, but the entirety of the book is set in this one neighborhood.

I liked Alexis, and the more she revealed about her past, the more I felt terrible for her. But, she was an unreliable narrator. She was exhausted from caring for a newborn and toddler (even with a nanny), and I felt that exhaustion colored her views of people and events in the neighborhood.
This sentiment extends to her waste of space husband, Sam. He gaslit and verbally abused her for 90% of the book. Their scenes together alternately made me sad and ticked me off.

I liked Alexis, and the more she revealed about her past, the more I felt terrible for her. But, she was an unreliable narrator. She was exhausted from caring for a newborn and toddler (even with a nanny), and I felt that exhaustion colored her views of people and events in the neighborhood.
This sentiment extends to her waste of space husband, Sam. He gaslit and verbally abused her for 90% of the book. Their scenes together alternately made me sad and ticked me off.

I wanted to like Blair but couldn’t quite cross that line. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. Her grief over her husband dying was too predictable. Her friendship with Alexis was too convenient. And there is the question of her secret. I figured it out quickly but was still surprised (and disgusted) when it was revealed.

The thriller angle was lacking in What the Neighbors Saw. It didn’t reach thriller level in my eyes. It did come close to that towards the end of the book but has yet to get it. I was sad about that because I could see the potential.

On the other hand, the mystery angle of the book was chef’s kiss. The author kept the mystery of who killed Teddy and why under wraps until the end of the book. It also went hand in hand with two twists that surprised me—these twists I did not see coming.

As I said above, the end of the book was full of twists. I was in disbelief over what was revealed, and I needed to retake everything. But the ending didn’t mesh with the rest of the book. I felt the author rushed it.

I recommend What the Neighbors Saw to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and mild graphic sex scenes.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Melissa Adelman for allowing me to read and review What the Neighbors Saw. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of What the Neighbors Saw, then you will enjoy reading these books:

A Stolen Child (Maggie D’Arcy: Book 4) by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Ireland, Mystery Thriller

Series: Maggie D’Arcy

The Mountains Wild—Book 1

A Distant Grave—Book 2

The Drowning Sea—Book 3

A Stolen Child—Book 4

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sarah Stewart Taylor is known for her atmospheric portrayal of an American detective in Ireland, and her critically acclaimed series returns with A Stolen Child.

After months of training, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is now officially a Garda. She’s finally settling into life in Ireland and so is her teenage daughter, Lilly. Maggie may not be a detective yet, but she’s happy with her community policing assignment in Dublin’s Portobello neighborhood.

When she and her partner find former model and reality tv star Jade Elliot murdered—days after responding to a possible domestic violence disturbance at her apartment—they also discover Jade’s toddler daughter missing. Shorthanded thanks to an investigation into a gangland murder in the neighborhood, Maggie’s friend, Detective Inspector Roly Byrne, brings her onto his team to help find the missing child. But when a key discovery is made, the case only becomes more confusing—and more dangerous. Amidst a nationwide manhunt, Maggie and her colleagues must look deep into Jade’s life—both personal and professional—to find a ruthless killer.

First Line:

“Guard! Guard and American Guard! Guard and American Guard!” My partner, Garda Jason Savage, and I were just finishing up our community patrol when we see two boys beckoning us along the South Circular Road.

A Stolen Child by Sarah Steward Taylor

Maggie D’Arcy is finally a Garda after months of training. It is a step down from her American role as a homicide detective in Long Island, but she is happy. She loves community policing with her partner in the Portobello neighborhood in Dublin. Things change when she and her partner are called to a murder. The victim, a former reality TV star and model, has been found strangled in her house. But, to their horror, they find out that the victim also has a toddler daughter, and she is nowhere to be found. Due to Garda shortages because of a gang murder, Maggie is brought in to help investigate. They are not only tasked with finding the toddler but solving the murder. And the deeper that Maggie digs into the victim’s life (professional and personal), the muddier it gets. Who killed the victim and why? And more importantly, where is the baby?

A Stolen Child is the 4th book in the Maggie D’Arcy series. This book can be read as a standalone book. But I always suggest reading the previous books to catch up on the backstories. I have added books 1-3 to my Goodreads list, and hopefully, I will get to read them at some point.

A Stolen Child is a medium to fast-paced book. I was a little torn on how to describe the book’s pacing. It was fast-paced up to about the middle of the book and then slowed down to a medium pace. I thought that slowing down the storyline would throw the reader off. Surprisingly, it didn’t. There was a slight lag after Laurel was found, but it didn’t affect my interest.

A Stolen Child occurs entirely in Dublin, Ireland, with a few brief forays into a small village on the outskirts of Dublin. I loved it. Ireland ranks very high on my bucket list of places to visit when the kids leave the house.

The main storyline centers around Maggie and the investigation into Jade Eliot’s death and the disappearance of her toddler, Laurel. The author did a fantastic job of showing how the Garda deals with child abductions in Ireland. I also loved seeing how the police investigated a murder in Ireland. When Laurel was found (about halfway through the book), the author turned the storyline into Jade’s murder, which became this twisty-turny storyline that captivated me.

The characters in A Stolen Child were well-written and well-fleshed out. Even the secondary characters had a depth to them that I liked.

I liked Maggie. She was no-nonsense about her job and genuinely enjoyed it. I was thrilled with her when she was asked to be on the murder investigation. It made sense since she was a homicide detective in Long Island. She brought an American approach to Jade’s murder investigation that I felt helped it.

The main storyline, Laurel’s disappearance and Jade’s murder, was well written. I was genuinely afraid that they wouldn’t find Laurel alive. I also did guess who took her. It wasn’t a huge stretch to figure it out. But, on the other hand, Jade’s murder was this twisty turny mess. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who killed her. I was not expecting who it was or her storyline’s turn. Talk about a substantial unexpected twist for both.

I wasn’t too sure what to make of the ending. As I said above, there were a couple of massive twists that I didn’t see coming. I am hoping that there will be a book 5. I am curious if Maggie gets promoted to detective in the Garda.

I recommend A Stolen Child to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Stewart Taylor for allowing me to read and review A Stolen Child. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of A Stolen Child, then you will enjoy reading these books.

Other books by Sarah Stewart Taylor

How the Murder Crumbles (Cookie Shop Mystery: Book 1) by Debra Sennefelder

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Contemporary

Series: Cookie Shop Mystery

How the Murder Crumbles—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Debra Sennefelder whips up cookies and crime in a delicious new cozy series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Peg Cochran.

Wingate, Connecticut, is famed as one of the top ten shopping destinations in the state, and home to Mallory Monroe’s beloved Cookie Shop—a place where patrons are greeted with the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies that are as beautifully decorated as they are insanely delicious.

But things aren’t going so smoothly for Mallory. Her two employees are a disaster in the kitchen, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and she’s seen having a fierce argument with food blogger Beatrice Wright, who accuses Mallory of stealing her cookie recipe. Then Beatrice turns up dead in her kitchen, flour outlining her body and a bloodied marble rolling pin nearby. Mallory immediately becomes suspect number one, her sales plummet, and she desperately tries to clear her name—but that’s not the only murder the killer is baking up.

Debra Sennefelder has cooked up a perfect recipe—endearing characters, a picture-perfect evocation of small-town life, and a quaint sweets shop. And just when things get a little too comfy, there’s always a murder or two for good measure.

First Line:

“Why was the cookie so angry with the baker?” Kip Winslow asked the group of five women as they tied their aprons. He waited a beat.

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder

Mallory is working at her dream job, running the bakery left to her by her late aunt. But things are not going smoothly. Her two employees are bickering with each other, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and a food blogger, Beatrice, has publically accused Mallory’s deceased aunt of stealing a cookie recipe from her. If things can’t get any worse, they do. On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Mallory visits Beatrice to try and smooth things over. When she gets there, Beatrice is dead, and Mallory is the main suspect (due to the argument earlier that day). With the police breathing down her neck and her reputation in tatters, Mallory decides to solve the mystery. But that is easier said than done because everyone in town had issues with Beatrice. Can Mallory catch the killer? Or is she next on that person’s list?

I had been on a cozy mystery download frenzy when I decided to download this book. I had decided that I needed to read more cozy mysteries, and I would follow that promise to myself. Coincidentally, Crooked Lane Books had a bunch that was read now. How the Murder Crumbles is part of that haul.

While I liked How the Murder Crumbles, I wasn’t a big fan of it. The characters didn’t cut it for me. Everything else (including the mystery) was well written. But will I read the other books in the series (when they are published), yes. I have become attached to the secondary characters and hope Mallory’s business catches a break.

The main storyline in How the Murder Crumbles centers around Mallory, Beatrice’s death, and Mallory’s investigation. I felt that Mallory was a little unstable from the beginning of the book. I don’t know if the author meant to write her this way, but it came across like that to me. And her mental state began to crumble once she found Beatrice dead, and the police started investigating her. The author did a great job of showing her heading toward a breakdown while hyper-focusing on Beatrice’s murder. She was able to pull up some great leads to give to the police during that time.

The characters in How the Murder Crumbles were well-written and multi-faceted. I liked that even the victim had multiple sides to her. Those dimensions of the characters fleshed out the storyline and made the characters feel lifelike.

I did feel bad for Mallory. She was trying her best to ensure her aunt’s business succeeds. But she had her work cut out for her. Then Beatrice blows into the story and publically accuses her of stealing one of her recipes, and Mallory loses it. I don’t blame her; I would have done the same thing. But Mallory’s stinky day turns even more so when she finds her boyfriend cheating on her and then she finds Beatrice dead. The glimpse of a happy but stressed out Mallory turns into a stressed out, anxious, heading towards a breakdown Mallory who is convinced she’s going to jail for murder. Again, I would have felt the same way. But I wouldn’t have done what Mallory did and actively hunted down leads. Maybe it was the stress or the mysteries she read, but she would clear her name. Adding to her anxiety, her cousin acted weird, her ex convinced his boss to withdraw a large order, and the other woman wanted to be her best friend. I have no clue how Mallory didn’t snap.

I loved the mystery angle of How the Murder Crumbles. This was a twisty mystery with so many red herrings that I was utterly bamboozled by who the murderer was and why that person killed Beatrice when it was revealed. The author had Mallory chasing dead-end leads or chasing leads that led to her becoming more prominently featured in the community (she joined a business committee). Some were boring, and others were interesting. But all painted a very unflattering of the victim and other town residents. I was also a little peeved at the police because in no way did they even tell Mallory she wasn’t a suspect until almost the end of the book. All that stress and anxiety could have been avoided if they were more open. But, then again, would they have gotten the results? Yes, but not with the flair that Mallory brought.

A very slight romance angle was kept almost one-sided until the end of the book. I understood why (conflict of interest), and I can’t wait to see where this romance will go!!

The end of How the Murder Crumbles was interesting. I did not see how the murderer was and why that person killed Beatrice. It took me entirely by surprise.

I recommend How the Murder Crumbles to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, mild to moderate violence, and mild language.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Debra Sennefelder for allowing me to read and review How the Murder Crumbles. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of How the Murder Crumbles, you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Debra Sennefelder: