Elle Hartford
I've enjoyed all the Discworld novels I've read so far, but I particularly loved this one!!
I loved this book! However, I think it's important to point out that I personally would not call it a cozy mystery.
A lot of cozy elements are there: small town, cute business, great friends. Because I knew nothing else about this book when I picked it up, I was a little taken aback by the darkness in the story. Don't get me wrong, darkness has its place – I did give the book 5 stars, after all! – but if you are looking for a cozy escape, this isn't the book for you. The narrator's outlook on the world is extremely mistrustful (with reason) and [slight spoiler ahead] the investigation includes sexual assault and some unsettlingly violent moments. In the end, it came together for me, but I still don't think it's entirely fair to ambush a reader with those elements if what they need is a lighter tale.
This had been in my TBR pile forever, and I finally got around to reading it while traveling. It's emotional and melancholy, for sure, and also reminded me a lot not only of tales of “snow children” but similar tales of selkies and the like. If you're familiar with the folklore, you'll appreciate the story on an additional level, I think!
The one where we meet Ned! This was a fun one that kept me guessing. I enjoyed the way things wrapped up, too!
A very fun read with some great observations of Aunt Dahlia :) As with all of these stories, I think you can read them in any order. This one is a particularly wild ride!
This one got off to a bit of a rough start with me, as there's quite a few asides with unnecessary historical detail (and that's said by a former historian, haha). However, I loved how everything tied together at the end!
It's a bit dense and overwhelming right at the beginning, but overall very well-researched and thought out. Plus, it has a great variety of examples of this type of tale! I think though that the true strength of this book is a clear understanding of how tales of magic reflect real-world beliefs, injustices, and mechanisms of power.
Check out the full review on my blog~
https://ellehartford.com/book-review-sorcerers-apprentice/
More of a 3.5 for me personally: I loved the beginnings of the story, but was underwhelmed at the end. But it would still be good for folks who like bookstores and stories about fairies and just want a peaceful afternoon of reading. :)
The premise of this book was darling, like Hallmark movie meets historical fairy tale. I personally didn't enjoy how it panned out as much as I thought I would; particularly [slight spoiler!] the main character's lack of decision making in her life for much of the book. Even when she did make decisions, they felt more like they'd happened to her than she actually chose them. All that said, though, I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and that whole era, so perhaps my hopes were too high!
An engrossing historical mystery. I realized upon picking it up that I'd read it years ago, but it was interesting to revisit now!
I really liked this little story. The mystery is incorporated really well, and the way it comes together is very satisfying–if a tiny bit bittersweet!
This book wasn't for me. In the author bio at the end of the book, it mentions that the book is a medical thriller, which I totally agree with. Medical thrillers are not my jam–I like Holmes adaptations that are historical or fantastical mysteries. There is a difference!!
[slight spoiler ahead]
In this book, the tension wasn't “who did it?”, the tension was “how do we catch him.” There was also waaay more detail about the dead bodies than I am used to. xD The narrative was very fact-based, which works for a Holmes adaptation, but I found myself missing the bigger picture sometimes.
In the end, I gave it four stars because I think this is probably a good example of a medical thriller. The plot holds together and the premise is clever, and I'm sure some folks like all those gory details. :) I won't continue with the series, but that's just me – that's what I get for trying out a random book with Holmes in the title. ;)
This one has some really glowing professional reviews, especially for its narrator, but honestly it was more of a 3.5 for me. Or perhaps less, I'm afraid. But that's largely due to personal baggage. My issue was twofold: 1) romantic triangle hijinks that made me cringe, and 2) I think everyone loves the narrator partly because her family members are kind of awful, so she's great by comparison. I don't mean to say she isn't a neat character, but I really had a hard time with some of her family members and how she relates to them; maybe it hit too close to home.
Technically, though, I think this is a great example of telling a story with a limited point of view, so I didn't want to let my angst drag down the overall review too much. ;)
I loved this sequel to Murder in an Irish Village. The wedding party did drive me a bit nuts at times, but it was great to see how the rest of the characters developed. Can't wait to read the next one!
A very fun, smart adventure through the Irish countryside! The real highlights of the book were the characters and the setting. The mystery itself was intricate, but I was able to guess it (perhaps a sign I read too many cozies . . . !). And of course, the theme of music throughout was so fun – I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys orchestra, teaching, or Ireland. On top of mysteries and ghosts, of course! :)
The premise of the book is a fun one, but the actual plot does drag in places . . . I read the extended version and it felt . . . Well, indulgent. And certainly there are readers who would enjoy that extra indulgence! I think philosophically my views differ from the author's, so I didn't take to all the extra scenes as readily. My theory is you will adore this book if you tend toward pessimism/nihilism/”everything is meaningless” (the main character does try to die repeatedly, and the main mythology is Norse, after all). I personally am more on the curious/hopeful/universal love end of the spectrum, so I found it rang a bit hollow. That said, I also know a lot about mythology already, so I anticipated some of the twists ahead of time. I still liked seeing how they were retold, but it wasn't perhaps as “fresh” for me as it feels for others. Overall I did like the premise and the main character, but I maybe should have read an edited version!
I picked this up because I have found memories of discovering the romance genre via Nora Roberts–but my casual acquaintance with her books definitely doesn't hold a candle to the main characters' passion for them! It was a cute bond the sisters shared. I really appreciated the strong relationships throughout the book. It definitely has “thriller” aspects–the death kind of shocked me, but then, I am mostly a cozy reader these days. Overall it was a very earnest tribute to enduring romance!
So. There were two plot points that I did not fully understand, and I've never seen this performed in person. That said, reading it still made me cry–several times–and it left me thinking deeply about the bravery of being honest about what we fear.
I'm not a super-fan of the original series, but I have read them, and I did get satisfaction from seeing the next phase of familiar characters' stories . . . And from some of the indirect ways the authors addressed mythologies and a few criticisms that have developed about certain characters' actions.
It's difficult to read Rowling's books without bearing in mind the controversy around her opinions these days. The podcast “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling” gave me much to ponder on that front. Within that context, the themes of facing our imperfections and being painfully honest with those we love hit home in a very meaningful way.
Overall, the story goes to some darker places than I would like; I have always been a little too “cozy” a reader for the Potter books. ;) (By that I mean torture & watching people die, which both happen within a very intentional context, but I am a softie and it was a step further than necessary for me personally.) Despite that it drew me in and made me love characters I did not expect to, and I think that is the real strength of the play–and the series as a whole.
An intriguing cold case mystery with some great twists. I love this series, and it was fun to return to it with this novel! Plus, the relationship subplot was very satisfying. :)
If you haven't read the previous books, you don't need to in order to enjoy this one; but really, the setting, characters, and mysteries are all engaging and well-thought out, so why not read the other books too? ;D
This book dives deep into the backstories of Belle's family and other side characters, following not only Belle and the Beast but other characters in previous times by turn. It builds a world with struggles that were definitely believable, and I loved seeing more consideration of the servants in the castle and Belle's interactions with the Beast.
That said–the narrative takes a dark turn, particularly in the last section of the book (warnings for torture, twisted asylums, abuse). It was too dark for me and not totally necessary, I think, though it did fit in with the overall plot.
Aside from that, I did really like how the story concluded, and the characters felt recognizable and solid. I think perhaps this series is not shy of going dark (I remember having this issue with one other in the series so far too) but it is an interesting take!
The characters were interesting and the suspense was definitely present. However, I personally found the mystery aspect to be pretty clear; maybe because I have done lots of research into different types of abuse and narcissism? And then, of course, I do read a lot of mysteries. ;)
So, I picked this one up entirely because of the eye-catching cover and my interest in Ancient Egypt. I hadn't read the first in the series (Reawakened, I believe) but I was able to follow along well enough. This was perhaps a 3.5 for me overall: I enjoyed the adventure and the imagining of Egyptian gods, but the drama felt a little unnecessary at times–of course, my drama threshold is low, so grain of salt there. ;) Also–SPOILER–the ending is not satisfactory, not in a romantic sense. I haven't looked into it, but from the epilogue it seems clear that the series is meant to go on.
So, this one was my mistake! I knew that this book was the 3rd of a series, but I thought that the books in the series were only loosely related, since the films are all different. I was wrong!
In my opinion, you definitely need to read the other two books first for this to make sense. I was constantly wondering why certain characters were in the narrative at all, but I think they must be through-lines from the other books! I do think I'll go back and read the first two and then give this one another try.
A fun and light-hearted read! I actually haven't read the first one but had no trouble following along. I found Bronwyn funny and liked most of the other characters, too. Will probably read more!
I love this series, and this book didn't disappoint!
You don't need to have read the previous books–in fact, it had been a while since I read the last one, and I had to remember a lot of details. It's still worth it to read the previous ones, though, if you get the chance. ;)
The drama is pretty high in this one, especially on the relationship front, but–slight spoiler!!–it turns out well. The Thanksgiving theme is quite fun, and the mystery itself started out ever-so-slightly frustrating–I caught on to one large red herring that seemed forgotten–but turned out twisty and satisfactory. I'm looking forward to the next book!