Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller ReviewsListen to Your Art by Wendy Meadows
Listen to Your Art*
Enjoyable Characters but Mystery Lacked
I typically enjoy cozy mysteries by Wendy Meadows. This book does have the quirky community that one needs to have in a good cozy, and I do like the characterization for the most part. I felt this book lacked a little in the mystery department, and I found the end somewhat disappointing. For a paranormal cozy, it didn’t feel it was “paranormal” enough. I know that Mimi is grappling with accepting that she has any sort of witchy powers, but I would have loved to see that aspect of the book explored a little more. All in all, I still found it an enjoyable read because Ms. Meadows is a good storyteller and has a way with words.
Murder in Bloom by Carly Reid
Murder in Bloom*
Murder in Small-Town Scotland
Having visited Scotland last September, I could just about the picture what the author and the heroine described. A small town in Scotland just seems to be a perfect place for a cozy mystery. Lots of quirky characters in town, which you have to have for a solid cozy mystery. The heroine’s aunt is moving out of Edinborough to a small town to open up a small flower shop, and Jessica is going to help her out. (She’s been looking forward to a holiday since graduating from college and breaking up with her boyfriend.) But this being a cozy mystery, a dead body is found in the cellar of the flower shop, and who would be the prime suspect? The aunt, of course. So now Jessica has something more challenging to handle than just renovating a small shop and helping her aunt with it; now she wants to make sure that her aunt doesn’t end up imprisoned for murder. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and all of its delightful characters. I sincerely hope the author continues with this series and these characters. There is definitely some potential here. I am sure there is much more than this small town has to offer cozy mystery fans!
Apple Crumble Assault by Diana Dumont
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Apple Crumble Assault*
Another Enjoyable Trip to Sunshine Springs
I have read all the books in this series, and while I have enjoyed them all, I found this one to be a particular delight. I think it is because I have read the previous ones and gotten to know the community and the characters, so it was like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers to reenter the world in this novel. I enjoy Izzy’s relationship with her grandmother, who always does have her interest at heart (even if Izzy doesn’t want to listen). Seriously, what’s up with Izzy and Theo? I loved how Izzy got involved with the murder in this particular book. She does have some skills, and they’re not all in the baking department!
Seeing the Light by E. C. Bell
Available at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Seeing the Light*
Book Falls Short
I generally enjoy mysteries and books that have anything to do with the paranormal or supernatural, so I thought that this book would be a natural fit for me. However, this particular novel didn’t work for me. I’m having a hard time pulling together my thoughts about it. Several things just didn’t ring right with me, but I’m having a hard time putting my finger on precisely what I’m not liking here. One of the things I can say for sure is that I didn’t like the profanity in the book; I just don’t think profanity is necessary except to show character and only in very limited places (genres). I felt like the characterization was weak for all the major players in the book. Marie, a viewpoint character, could have been interesting given all that she had to deal with but she was just lacking in too many ways; I didn’t feel like her head was an interesting place to be in. The main viewpoint character has to have solid characterization to be believable, relatable, and someone that we want to follow, and that just wasn’t here for me. I also felt like the mystery element of the story was barely there; for a book called a mystery, there needs to be more mystery! Like the other characters, I didn’t find the villains particularly well drawn either. I understand that this is the author’s first book, and perhaps she will improve the more she practices writing.
Burning Lies by J. P. McLean
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Burning Lies*
Trust and Jeopardy
This book certainly adds more twists and turns to Em’s tale. She’s only just recovering from the attack in the last book when this one starts. So much happens in this book. Em doesn’t know who to trust, and that is probably a good thing because trust and relationships (both between individuals and with a group) definitely seem to be shifting sands in this series. Much going on with the Tribunal and the Redeemers. This book feels darker than the other two; I would say it contains several layers of darkness. The entire world of the Fliers is in jeopardy on several fronts. This is a long book, but it is a fast-paced read. I found Em’s evolving relationships with Mason and James to be fascinating to follow. A little bit of lightness is present when Em becomes a part of her best friend’s bridal party. A gripping and page-turning thriller, but you should definitely read the books in order to get a sense of the scope of this just-off-normal series.
Basket Delivery by Wendy Meadows
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Basket Delivery*
Cozy Mystery Novella Delivers the Goods
This delivers a wonderful mystery even though it is so short. Often, mystery novellas lack the key elements that are needed for good cozy mystery, like red herrings, quirky characters, and plenty of possible suspects. This book delivers in so many ways. I love Hillary as the amateur sleuth in this series. She has such an empathetic way about her that she is able to elicit stories and even confessions from people. I love her interactions with her group of friends and her daughter. The group of friends provides excellent humor, and they seem to act like real groups of female friends do. Hillary’s relationship with her daughter isn’t always simple, again like real life. In this book, Hillary does not approve of Annabelle’s relationship with the first prime suspect for the murder in this book. He’s a womanizer who lacks a moral compass according to Hillary. But the mother of a grown woman can only say so much to her daughter in the area of romance. Speaking of romance, things are slowly heating up with Hillary and Preston, which is a delight to see as this has been a slow burn for them in the previous books of this series. A well-done, character-driven quick read.
Arsenic and Ole by Jessa Archer
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Arsenic and Ole*
Problem of First in Series Plagues Second
I have read books from several different series by this author, and I find myself somewhat amazed that I don’t have a single opinion about her as a writer. When I read a lot of books by one author, I tend to develop an impression that covers all the books I’ve read. With Ms. Archer, it changes for each series I read, it would seem. For instance, I absolutely adore the hand lettering series. This is now the second book I have read of this Coastal Playhouse series, and it isn’t sitting well with me. This book suffers from the same problem that the first one did. Namely, the book has far too many chunks of straight-out backstory about a variety of characters and circumstances littered throughout the first half of the book. I just do not like information dumps. With her skill, the author could definitely have spread this information around more evenly throughout and only when needed; I don’t think all the background itself was necessary. I do like the world she has created in this quirky little community. I like Tig (even if I still can’t stand her name) and her relationships with those around her, especially with her daughter and her former high school boyfriend (now local law enforcement). All in all, I would say that this series is not the author’s best work, but if you don’t mind data dumps, it is actually a very serviceable and enjoyable cozy mystery.
Mummy Issues by Paula Lester
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Mummy Issues*
Not Easy to Keep Mum
I have read every book in this series about Zoey and the zany characters at the paranormal retirement community where she works. Something in Zoey’s past is coming back to haunt her, literally and figuratively! I absolutely love the way this series mixes Zoey’s life with those of her residents. The community members add such color. In this book, Zoey is facing parental issues. Her crew with her retirement community has her back, but oh, my! I love that the magical aspect of these books is written with such humor. If you’ve read and enjoyed the other books in this series, you will thoroughly enjoy this latest addition.
Candy, Carpenters, and Candsticks by Paula Lester and Lisa B. Thomas
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Candy, Carpenters, and Candlesticks*
Halloween in Comfort Cove
Even though we’re several books into the series, it feels like Paige is still settling into her life in Comfort Cove. She has some new ideas for the bookstore, and a batch of used books turns up an old love letter. Things heat up when somebody connected to the letter turns up dead. The book is also about Paige’s relationship with her Italian boyfriend, Marco. When the book starts, he is still in Italy after his grandmother’s death; when he returns to Paige, they both want American Halloween to be special for him. Things certainly never run smoothly in this little town and certainly not for Paige. She seems to attract trouble, which of course is fun in a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the Halloween parts of the book, and I was amused that Paige was so happy about that holiday since she is an actual witch—even if no one knows that she is outside of her coven. I actually wish that there was a little more witchy-ness in this story, as I love paranormal cozies. As often happens in cozy mysteries, this book felt like it was more about Paige, her friends, and the community rather than the actual mystery. It’s a relatively short book, and in such a small amount of words, it is hard to get the balance between the cozy aspect and the mystery aspect. Still, I have enjoyed this series, and this installment was no exception.
Embrace of the Shade by Amanda Muratoff and Kayla Mansur
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Embrace of the Shade*
Backstory Woven in the Way it Ought to Be!
I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for just about any fiction novel that in some way has to do with a mysterious book or library. This one has both. I love the chemistry between Kin and Amarie. It sizzles from the start and weaves its way through the book in a delectable way, including well-written, contextual sensual scenes. The story had plenty of action to keep it interesting. I love how the authors maintain a certain degree of mystery about the main characters’ pasts. Fantasy, unfortunately, is the genre that most often falls prey to my most hated thing in genre fiction: the information dump, overwhelming the reader with backstory right at the start. This was not done here, for once—yeah! Instead, we get to know about the world and the main characters slowly as we need to better understand them. In fact, I think the way the authors did it is inherent to and necessary for the story itself. If we knew it all the beginning, the story would not have been so gripping, or the novel itself such a page-turner. So, well done, ladies! I look forward to the next book in this trilogy as well as the greater universe that the trilogy is the starting point for.
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