Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller ReviewsBats & Bling by Laina Turner
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Bats & Bling*
Missing Brooch and Murder
Presley is happy to be providing a swanky gown for Veronica, a mover and shaker in town, for a charity Halloween event. Veronica is ready to dash off to dinner but doesn’t want to take the expensive brooch she brought to match to her gown with her, so she asked Presley to hold it for her in her safe. The next morning, the brooch is gone. Who has access to the safe? Was this some plan? Soon, though, there are more significant problems when Veronica turns up dead, and her husband disappears. Did he have something to do with it? Are the theft and her death linked?
Yet again we have another installment of this series without Cooper. I enjoy the books more when he is in them; he’s a great counterpoint to Presley. Katy is still in Chicago helping Presley run Silk. This book was shorter than the last two. I enjoyed the previous two because there were more elements to the mysteries involved in these longer works. This installment is relatively short, and the big murder doesn’t happen until close to the halfway point, not really giving enough time to develop the unraveling of the mystery. So compared to the previous couple of books, this was a disappointment. There are definitely some issues, too, with punctuation and grammar that were more noticeable here.
Still, if you enjoyed this series, you will most likely enjoy this one, even with its limitations.
Accessories & Alibis by Laina Turner
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Accessories & Alibis*
Proud New Entrepreneur…and Mysteries!
Solange’s husband is giving Presley ownership of Silk. Before the ink is even dry, one of the employees of Silk, Roxanne, is arrested for the murder of her boyfriend, Drew. Roxanne swears she is innocent and wants Presley’s help in clearing her name. All is not well at Silk either, as some merchandise has been ordered on the company accounts but doesn’t seem to exist. Also, Solange’s husband left out a little detail or two about the business’s financial state.
Did Roxanne kill her boyfriend? What will Presley find out? Will Silk be able to survive financially? Will Presley regret her decision to become a business owner?
I was sorry to see that Cooper didn’t feature heavily in this installment of the Presley Thurman Mystery series. At the end of the previous book, they had finally gotten back together after being on the outs for a while. In this book, he’s in New York working for a client. Katy still here in Chicago, supporting Presley as she starts her new business. I enjoy watching their friendship. This particular installment feels like a combination of mystery and chick lit, which is not a bad mash-up. I like how in the last two books the author has increased the complexity of the plot to include more mysteries than just one. This book isn’t just about Roxanne and Drew’s murder; it is also about mysterious happenings at Silk as well.
This book seems to have more issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage than some of the other books in the series, which is unfortunate as I do enjoy reading about Presley’s happenings.
If you’ve enjoyed the previous mysteries in this series and the quirky cast of characters that always seemed to surround Presley, you may enjoy this book. By the way, if you are new to the series, the author does a good job setting up the world by telling you a little about some of the previous mysteries as they relate to Presley and her friends currently.
Romance & Revenge by Laina Turner
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Romance & Revenge*
Problems with Roommate’s Company
Presley’s back in Chicago, and Katy is staying with her and Jared while she puts the debacle of her near wedding behind her. Presley thought Cooper was still out of the country after his failed proposal, but she finds out he’s been back to their hometown. Why hasn’t he called to let her know that he is back in the States? Jared has some unexpected time off from work because one of his co-workers has been murdered. On top of that, his company is suffering because someone is leaking their ideas to rivals, who then present the same ideas to the potential customer, making Jared’s company appear as if it is the one that is stealing concepts.
Why was Jared’s co-worker murdered? Who is the mole, and is that related to the murder? Can Jared’s company get its reputation and clients back? Will Cooper give Presley a call? Or will she have to call him?
This book concentrates on figuring out the murderer, but Presley can’t get Cooper out of her mind. I was glad to see Cooper back, even peripherally, because I do enjoy the dynamics of a couple. I like seeing more of Katy; she has some big decisions to make, and it was interesting to see her work through them. The author has created a well-developed but small set of secondary characters that add substance to the series, particularly in this novel where we see more of Katy and Jared.
Vows & Victims by Laina Turner
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Vows & Victims*
Beauty Salon Murder
After a couple of books where Presley’s been in Texas and Cabo San Lucas with Cooper, she’s back in the Chicagoland area, and this book is about a little girl time. Or it would have been if Presley hadn’t discovered a dead body in her girlfriend’s beauty shop just when she arrived back in her hometown just a little south of Chicago. Her friend Katy doesn’t know the realtor, but Katy’s fiance does. Oh, and before this all happened, Presley was trying out a new career of writing a food blog.
Will Presley try to figure out the murder? Does her friend’s fiance have anything to do with it? Who would have something against a realtor anyway? Will Presley finally have struck gold in her new career as a food blogger, or is this 30-something woman still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up?
It was fun to see the switch up in this novel. The last couple of books have focused on Presley and Cooper, and now it’s time for Presley to return to her roots. It was fun to see her interact with some of her gal pals and her mother.
Tiaras & Texans by Laina Turner
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Tiaras & Texans*
Murder at a Beauty Pageant
Presley is not too thrilled that her first assignment with Cooper’s security company is at a teenage beauty pageant. Cooper explains that as one of the few females on the team she’ll have access to areas that the men can’t or shouldn’t go to. They barely arrive at the pageant when one of the contestants is found dead.
Is the girl a victim of foul play? What enemies could a teenage girl have? Do any of the other contestants have it out for her?
This was a fun and different setting for this cozy mystery series. Presley is not the type of girl to appreciate a beauty pageant! She does, of course, appreciate getting tangled up in a mystery. I love the interaction between Presley and Cooper in this book. The first chapter alone, where Presley is not happy about this assignment, was priceless. The author has come a long way making these two characters so distinct and unique. After having read several of this series in a row, it’s interesting to see the characters’ evolution through the series as well as how the author just gets better and better at working with them.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a fun protagonist to follow, you might enjoy this installment of the Presley Thurman Mystery series.
Bleak December by Rachael Rawlings
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Bleak December*
Letter Raises More Questions Than It Answers
After a trip to the graveyard and settling in with Ramsey, Lenore receives a letter from her father that raises many questions about their family. Lenore wants answers, so she and Ramsey hunt for the person who should know.
What are the mysteries hiding in Lenore’s family closet? Will she and Ramsey be put in danger as they search for the truth?
This book is written in the first-person past. A great danger with this point of view is for there to be long, uninterrupted passages of straight narration of the protagonist’s inner thoughts as well as descriptions of what they see. Unfortunately, this book had an excess of narrative passages, making the book tedious to read at times.
Other than that, it was an enjoyable story.
Cupids and Crooks by Laina Turner
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Cupids & Crooks*
Vacation a Little More Than They Bargained For
Presley’s not having much success looking for a new job; it seems she is overqualified for most of the ones she is interested in. Cooper surprises her with a vacation to a fancy resort in Cabo San Lucas. Presley’s thrilled to get away and hopes for nothing more on her agenda than fun. But that wouldn’t be Presley’s vacation now, would it? Soon, a Mexican soap opera star is found murdered, and a journalist suggests this is not the only star to meet such an end. How can Presley not get involved?
So who is murdering celebrities in Mexico? Will Presley help sort it out? What will Cooper think about this addition to their vacation?
I continue to enjoy seeing Cooper’s and Presley’s relationship evolve. They are fun and funny to read about. I enjoy their banter. As has happened in the last few books of the series, the author has done away with the mini prologue scenes where she gives a little taste of something happening around the murder itself. I miss these short scenes. They tantalized, making you wonder how they would fit into the bigger story.
That said, I enjoyed this latest of Presley’s and Cooper’s adventures.
Wild Prey by Yossi Uzrad
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Wild Prey*
Cold Case Re-examined, with Historical Context
A park ranger in northern Israel finds a woman left for dead on the side of the road in a national park. She lives, but the police don’t figure out her attacker, and the case is dropped. When the park ranger’s finances are audited, he and the auditor discuss the case and wish to delve into it to see what they can figure out. They get involved in far more than they bargained for.
I’m not that familiar with the history of Israel. This is woven into the story–an integral part of it–and is almost as much of a character as the park ranger! I also learned some about the cultures of the Arab and Bedouin peoples. It was fascinating to have a fictional look at cultures I knew little about; nothing makes history come alive like living it through the eyes of fictional characters. The author writes well, with phrases that are evocative of time and place. The story pulled me right in. The characterization is deep. This definitely is a thriller–even if at times it is a little slow going–and I could understand why the park ranger couldn’t let this mysterious happening go.
If you are interested in a thriller that is a little different, you might enjoy this book.
Fianna’s Awakening by Ron C. Nieto
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Fianna's Reawakening*
Is the Spear of Lugh Real in Modern Times?
Aisling is a modern-day fiann warrior. She protects a territory in Dublin, Ireland. An item has turned up that is to be auctioned off that may be the mythical Spear of Lugh. If it is, she needs to get her hands on it before anybody else does. Ronan is a professor of ancient history and is an expert in Celtic studies at Trinity College, and Aisling wants him to consult with her on this to determine the spear’s authenticity. Ronan, the professor, has his own desire and need for the spear if it is authentic.
Is the item the mythical Spear of Lugh? If it is, who will succeed in obtaining it, Aisling or Ronan? Why does Ronan need this spear?
What an incredibly action-packed, fun read! The book starts with a bang, where Aisling finds herself stalked and attacked on a dark Dublin street. The girl has got some mad fighting skills! It’s not easy to write a realistic and imaginable action scene, but this author pulled it off. While the book did slow down after the initial scene, at times it revved up again. Aisling is a fascinating protagonist. Even though she has strength, speed, and skill, she is not well regarded within her warrior group buy some. But still, she persists. She can be fearsome when she wants to be. I love the interaction between her and Ronan, first when they are trying to feel each other out and then as they work together.
I loved how this story was grounded deeply in the mythology of Ireland, bringing it into the present day. I also appreciated that this book was well edited. I’ve read some books lately that have had more than the usual amount of problems with grammar, punctuation, and usage. What a delight to read a book that correctly used commas and had no significant grammatical errors. It allowed me to simply enjoy the story.
If you like the fast-paced contemporary urban fantasy that’s based in mythology and heroic tales, you might enjoy this book.
Once Upon a Murder by D. E. Dennis
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Once Upon a Murder*
Grimm Time for the Charmings
It’s been a slow time for those at Grimm Investigations. Brother-and-sister team Michael and Monica just landed a new case. The teenage son of one of the wealthy families has just turned up murdered. The Charmings have hired Grimm Investigations, much to the chagrin of one of the police officers, Gutierrez, who never liked Michael. Castle Rock is a town of haves and have nots. Who would want to kill the Charming’s son? Will the PIs and police be able to work together?
The book had more than the common issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. The typical comma issues were a problem; there were rarely commas between independent clauses in a compound sentence, and commas after an introductory phrase were often missing. The words who/that were used incorrectly. I don’t typically notice adverbs and adjectives, though the former are often decried these days, but the beginning of the book seems to have an excess amount of these modifiers, which slowed reading.
That said, the book has some funny moments that one looks for in a cozy mystery. I’m a sucker for a story with good family dynamics, and I loved the relationship between the Grimm siblings. There were fairytale in-jokes. I like that the brother and sister PIs were from the Grimm family. That definitely helps set up the concept of the series. After all, any manner of fairytales could be exploited under the Grimm name.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
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