Kim

I really liked this book and look forward to reading more mysteries by Anthony Horowitz. He writes very much in the style of a classic mystery writer like Doyle or Christie, but with an updated lens of modern life and sensibilities.  This book is extremely witty and the plot is a fun ride - I loved the mystery within a mystery set up.  One drawback of this scheme is that the Atticus Pund mystery ends right before the big reveal and then the modern day mystery begins in earnest.  By the time we finally get back to the Atticus mystery, it's hard to get back into it - we've lost momentum.  However, I have to say the author really brought out the feels (anger/frustration) when the Atticus mystery ended abruptly before the murderer was named.  There are times the reader must suspend belief (I mean, the editor/detective falls right into the murders' hands in a very unbelievable way).  Also, the romance between the editor and her SO did not feel believable - her feelings throughout the book belied the ending.  I also did not believe the modern day killer had a believable motive.  I will note that I correctly figured out the modern day killer VERY early.  

This is a modern-day, moody, dark, police investigation into a murder of a child whose body is found in a controversial archaeological dig site in the woods of Ireland. It's a first person tale told through the eyes of a cop who has his own childhood secrets to hide and a unique relationship with his female partner.  The two partners have a great rapport and their back-and-forth digs at one another serve to lighten the mood and even provide a laugh or two. This book has everything to keep me wanting to turn to the next page.  I will say that I figured out whodunnit and why quite early on, but I suspect the author may have wanted the reader to figure it out so that the sense of suspense is increased. I did not see the final plot twists coming. I will definitely read more by this author. 

This cozy murder mystery series centers on an early 20s Lila Macapagal and her life back in her hometown as she helps her aunt run a Filipino restaurant and starts up a cafe with her two best friends.  In this book, Lila is asked to be a judge at a local beauty contest.  A fellow judge (and sexist pig) is murdered and Lila must find out who the murderer is.  There is a lot of description of Filipino food and baked goods that gets old quickly.  The themes of mental health and female empowerment are good ones, but handled in a most basic way.  I don't mind reading these books as fluff or filler while waiting on other books to become available to borrow at my library, but I feel they are best suited for a reader in their late teens or early twenties.  

The Crooked House is an excellent Agatha Christie murder mystery. The crooked house and the crooked family within it present as stereotypes but insist on defying expectations.