Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller ReviewsAll Bets are Off by Kristi Rose
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
All Bets are Off*
Plucky New PI Tries to Sort It All Out
Even though the author does tell us in the blurb what exactly happens to the heroine at the start of the book, I still was a bit shocked to read all of it, to see her world turned upside down so quickly–the money part especially got to me. Poor Samantha! But the heroine gets back on her feet as best she can as she tries to figure out the mystery of it all. I liked Samantha; she’s a great protagonist. Even though the world did its best to get her down, she kept getting up and fighting the good fight. I am usually ambivalent about private eye mysteries, preferring amateur sleuth mysteries to those, but I quite enjoyed this one, probably because Sam is a newly minted PI who doesn’t yet know her way around the business (much like an amateur sleuth). Enjoyable banter and humor were a surprising part of this book as well. This is the first book I have read of the series, and I might have to go back and read the first one.
Violet Souls by Abbey MacMunn
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Violet Souls*
Violet-Eyed Aliens Among Us
How to classify this book… How about alien shifter romance thriller? Yes, this book has a lot going on. The heroine’s world is quickly rocked when she finds out that she is an alien. There is a bad guy after her because he craves power, and he needs her to get it. The heroin has a bonded mate, but she doesn’t presently know him or recognize him. But he knows and remembers her and seeks to protect her while helping her learn about their society and her powers. The book was a little awkwardly worded in places, but the author kept a book moving with lots of fast-paced action. I really liked Quinn and Lexie, the heroine’s little girl. Jane was a fun character, too. I hope we see more of all these characters as well as find out more about the home planet of Evox.
Let the Shadows Fall by Terri A. Wilson
Available at Amazon only
NOT with Kindle Unlimited
Let the Shadows Fall*
Quirky Combo of Genres Makes for Fun Read
This is the first book that I have read by this author. This book is a quirky and fun combination of–of all things–the Old West, steampunk, and the paranormal. It is such a surprising and delightful combination. The heroine, Elizabeth, is as plucky as any we see in a traditional western romance. She wants so much to help keep the inn that she believed her family owned. When presented with a way to do so, a whole new world is opened up to her. She had no idea that she was living amongst paranormal beings (dragons, shifters, witches) and had no clue that she was descended from a magical lineage. Elizabeth is a likable and relatable character. In fact, most are in this book, except the ones you aren’t supposed to like. What a very different, pleasing read.
Time Tourist Outfitters, Ltd. by Christy Nicholas
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Thalia, Smashwords, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Time Tourist Outfitters, Ltd.*
Time Travel Medical Thriller
How fun to combine a medical thriller with time travel! I love the protagonist, and I so appreciate that the author chose to use an older one. In these days of the popularity of magical academies and dystopian worlds, younger people seem to be the stars the most often (and the older generations often the villains). I actually think authors miss out by not at least experimenting with older characters in novels. An author could give such a character a great background (more time for the character to have done cool stuff in his or her life), which can greatly really enhances the story as it does here. The times and places traveled to in this book were so fun to visit. It is clear that the author did some excellent research. I felt like the book was a bit repetitive in places. It could have used some tightening in general. But all in all, I found this book to be an engaging read.
Siren Song by Alexandria Clarke
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Siren Song*
Paranormal Adventures
This is actually three novellas in one book, all following the paranormal adventures of Bay and Nicco. They are great characters, and in these three novellas, they have to deal with Sirens, an evil beauty contestant, and an incubus! Each book is relatively short, which doesn’t give a lot of time for each story to develop, though the author does manage to get in a few a fun twist and turns. But what is written is well done and engaging. The author has created a fascinating world for these characters, both the “Witch Myth” universe and these particular looks at it.
Kerning to Crime by Jessa Archer
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Kerning to Crime*
I Love This Series
Jamie Lang, amateur sleuth and hand letterer, gets mixed up in another crime, witnessing an unknown woman dying on the street in the arms of a man. At first, they first thought she was having an allergic reaction, but when an Epi-Pen doesn’t help, something more sinister must have been at work. I enjoyed this book, as I have the other books in this series. I liked the way this book started, with a little look at Jamie’s hand lettering vlog. Nice to see a mention, too, of Hot Hugh, a YouTube hand letterer and Jamie’s friendly rival. How did she get mixed up with so many good-looking guys? Hot Hugh, law enforcement in town, and Kit–the man with the dying woman in his arms and the natural first suspect. This book, like all this author’s books, has a good balance between the quirky characters needed in a cozy mystery and the actual suspenseful mystery aspects; this is not easy to achieve, as I see most authors tending to go either one way or the other without striking the balance. A great read that had me turning the pages.
In the Nib of Time by Jessa Archer
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
In the Nib of Time*
Murder of a Master Letterer
I am so enjoying this series! And not just because the heroine, amateur sleuth Jamie Lang and I share the same first name! I love the hand lettering aspects of it, as I am a calligrapher myself. (I find myself wondering if the author herself has a love of lettering, because two series of hers now have had to do with it in some way, this one on hand lettering and another on typography.) I love how Jamie notices details, like a woman in her profession would. In this book, the author strikes the perfect balance between cozy and mystery. What do I mean by that? Some cozy mysteries put too much emphasis on the interesting characters or community, and the mystery lags (or is too obviously solved). Others have the opposite problem. Ms. Archer strikes the perfect balance between the two. I love the story. What a method of murder in general, and in particular for such a master lettering craftsman as the victim. I also enjoy a mystery with a lot of potential suspects, and this one had plenty. The book pulled me right into the story’s world, and I loved watching the details unfold. Another excellent book in this series.
The Sweetest Poison by Jane Renshaw
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Sweetest Poison*
Overlong and a Little Odd
It is hard to know what to say about this book. For one thing, it is very long. Now, I have read some long books in my day—a couple of eight- and nine-hundred-page books by Katherine LeVeque come to mind—so I’m no stranger to long fiction. But for a book that is supposed to be a mystery, which should have some tight suspense—and it’s even listed as a thriller—the length felt ponderous; it was not a page-turner. I felt like the book was paced too slowly, and the story did sometimes meander off into strange territory that didn’t improve the overall arc of the book. The beginning of the book, to about the 7% mark, gives us a glimpse into the heroine’s childhood. Like other parts of the novel, the section felt repetitive. I feel like it would have packed more of a punch if it were condensed, much like the rest of the book. I enjoyed the contemporary Scottish setting, but I didn’t really enjoy the rest of the book.
POSTED: HG, Amazon, Goodreads
Battered by G. P. Gottlieb
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Thalia, Smashwords, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Battered*
Needs All Levels of Editing
I love a good culinary mystery, especially one that includes recipes that sound yummy (like this one has); unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. The language seemed oddly stilted, with phrases that we wouldn’t typically use (like “Edith tightened her lips”–making me visualize Edith and a screwdriver!) and word choice that was meant to be strong (like action verbs) but was actually just wrong in the context or distracting because it was trying too hard. I felt like the author more often told us what was happening than showed us, creating a distance between the reader and the work. The book also started with a rather large information dump, and that is one of my big pet peeves about novels, and it seems to be particularly rampant in indie-published works. It needed firm-handed editors–developmental, line, and copy editors. The book did have issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage that were hard to overlook. But, at least, the recipes do look good.
The Naked Truth by Maggie Aldrich
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Naked Truth*
Romantic, Suspenseful Cozy Mystery
Oh, my gosh! What a fun ride is! I’ve read many cozy mysteries, but I don’t think I’ve ever read one with such a strong romantic element. This one takes place on a honeymoon, of all things. We are firmly in the head of the bride, and the author has given her such a great voice. It feels like she’s just your funny girlfriend telling you about the zany things in her life. There is so much humor, even though there are some very serious aspects to this story. What a beleaguered couple, trying to figure out the mystery when they should just be having the time of their lives. Secondary characters Fritz and Darcy were a fun addition as well. The book definitely had some twists and good red herrings, what you must have in a good mystery. It wrapped up satisfactorily, but the author wisely left it open for more adventures by the couple or perhaps by Fritz and Darcy… or maybe both! By the way, I haven’t read the first book of the series, but I was still able to read this book without any confusion or issues. This was so good, though, that I think I’m going to have to go back and read that one. I recommend this fun and easy romantic cozy mystery.
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