Elle Hartford
A nice tale of finding oneself in the countryside, with some slight sinister and romantic undertones.
I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this novel–it was interesting, but a bit muted in all aspects. (For example, the romance is sweet, but understated.) The beginning is sad and a bit longer than necessary, I thought, and then the end happens rather quickly. I loved seeing how the main character's life came together, but often found myself waiting for something more.
Overall it was a quiet story, fascinating in it's own way, but not quite what I had been hoping for. Good for a rainy afternoon of reading though!
I read this for the Cozy Mystery Book Club and enjoyed it a lot! The characters are warm and very quippy, the setting is interesting, and there's an intriguing touch of the paranormal.
Personally, I love Jenn McKinlay's books–and honestly would prefer the library series over this one. This book was laugh-out-loud funny, for sure, but some of the main characters were (lovably) unpredictable and zany . . . so steady, cozy me was sometimes left thinking “what on earth? why would you do that?” xD So I personally am more at home with the characters in some of her other series. Again though, this one is still very enjoyable, and fearures an absolutely lovely community!
Lovely prose about living along the shore! However, for me, this was more of a 3.5 because I wasn't really rooting for any of the characters.
Let me clarify! This book is set on Puget Sound, where I also grew up. I think it is absolutely wonderful how it captures the natural environment there, and I loved that. But I was too invested in the setting. The characters do feel real, and very flawed, and . . . that's about it. In part because of my own baggage, I was constantly holding them all at arm's length. It was one of those books where I felt for the main character but mostly was disappointed by their choices–and that's understandable since the main character is so young–but it wasn't the narrative I was hoping for. That's partly my own fault though, so I've tried not to fault the book too much. :)
I do think this would be a good read for people who like meditative coming-of-age stories and learning about life along the shore!
I really enjoyed this particular puzzle for Poirot! It was a very “high society” crime, and while I had been hoping for a particular ending that didn't work out, I did very much appreciate the way Poirot wraps up the primary subplot.
[[spoilers ahead!]]
The ending–fascinating. On one hand, I admire what Christie did with the final document; but on the other hand, the way all the male characters kept referring to our leading lady throughout the narrative started to grate on me. “She just has no morals” seemed like such a vague and archaic judgment of a woman. Christie did bring that home somewhat though, I think, so my advice to others would be to keep on reading til the very end!
Okay, so, this book was written very lyrically, and it wasn't bad. The problem is that it is marketed as something very different than it is! The back cover blurb talks about mermaids and fantasy, and feels a bit uplifting–that is not what this book is. It seems to be more along the lines of historical fiction, and . . . well, not uplifting. A “meditation on an adventurous but lonely life of struggle” seems more appropriate. It's not the sort of thing I would read normally, and if the blurb had reflected that, I would have known to stay away, haha.
If you like historical fiction though, particularly about the visceral struggles of being a woman in a man's seafaring world, you'll probably love it!
I absolutely loved falling into this world and watching Viv's coffee shop grow! It was so charming to see how each improvement mirrored (or improved upon!) some convenience we would recognize in our own world. :) My only complaint is that it's advertised as “low stakes,” but by the end I was so invested in Viv and her friends that it didn't feel low stakes at all to me! But that's more a compliment than anything else, haha. I would 100% recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy, fantastical break!
A fast-paced and imaginative new take on Holmes and other familiar faces!
There was one sad and unnecessary event, I thought, which I'll put at the very bottom because it is a spoiler.
Aside from that, the magic did take some learning, as it's deeply embedded into the world. However, I adored the concept of the beasts (and want to know what the others are!) and I liked how everything came together. My absolute favorite storyline was Mycroft's, which was a nice change from usual depictions of him.
I will say that for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading book 3 in a series, not book 1. But by the end, I was definitely interested in any sequels that might come along. :)
The [SPOILER] I mentioned earlier . . . the dog dies. :( Really not necessary, I thought, and it took me out of the story. But then, I am very soft-hearted. And I did very much enjoy that the dog (and other side characters) was there at all, because he's a reference to one of the short stories (if I remember my names right!).
Okay, I'm giving this four stars for what it is–a very in-depth retelling of a fairy tale in a historical setting. Good for folks interested in Irish or British lore, especially!
[slight spoilers]
But for me personally, I won't be continuing the series. I found some of the violence to be unnecessary to the plot and off-putting, and got a bit tired of the main character, who spends a lot of time being angry (understandable) but also not doing much more than patching other people up or sewing (also completely understandable, but just not the sort of storyline I'm into). It was very dramatic, which is fine, but I'm a more cozy kind of gal.
I will say the ending was sweet, when we eventually got there (it all happened a bit suddenly, but it was nice). And I get the feeling that the sequels will be about other siblings, which is cool, but I wasn't quite invested in them enough to continue.
The Irish Murder mysteries meet the locked room puzzle!!
I loved the mystery in this one! The whole set up with the suspects being poker players added to the fun (and sometimes, the frustration, haha). Plus, the recurring characters' relationships were so satisfying to see as they evolved . . . no spoilers though ;)
Moving on to the next one asap! :D
I really enjoyed this book–it made me laugh out loud often, and I enjoyed both the narrator's observations and the twists of the plot. Even the little vignettes about the boyfriends were fun and relatable, I thought. I've never been a huge Austen fan–I was always more into the Brontes–but of course I've seen Pride and Prejudice, and read enough of Austen's work to follow along. Great for an afternoon at the beach!
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!
So, I'm giving this 4 because the mystery itself was a pretty intricate puzzle. But personally, I won't be continuing this series.
[slight spoilers] I had a very hard time liking the main character. Her flaws are on full display at the beginning of the book, and of course flaws are totally fine–so I read the whole thing looking for where she would redeem herself–and for me, that point never really came. Even her investigation felt a lot more about helping herself than her friend. Plus, some of her opinions and judgements felt outdated to me . . . which again could be understandable, but when combined with the rest of her personality, I found it very off-putting.
Overall I didn't get the feeling of community and kindness from this book that I usually look for in cozies, but I think perhaps people who like older, darker mysteries might enjoy it.
Very atmospheric, with a great setting!
[slight spoilers] The book reminded me a lot of The Writer's Apprentice series, which isn't surprising, since it's the same author under a different pen name. ;) I actually had a hard time at first relating to the main character, not to mention keeping track of the actors; the first part of the book is learning lots of details, and motives don't become clear until midway through. But, that said, the characters' relationships are super sweet, and the ending was very satisfying! Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Castle Dark. :D
I really enjoyed this mystery. It felt a little different from other Poirot mysteries because, as the character observe, the murders have a very public and serial quality rather than a personal one. Of course, that didn't stop me from looking for a “personal” murderer . . . and though I was disappointed about who it ended up being (I was hoping it was a different and much more disagreeable character), everything did come together really well!
I enjoyed this Cozy Mystery Book Club read, though I don't often read knitting cozies. The friendships between the characters were definitely the best part as far as I'm concerned! [Slight spoiler] I was expecting a much different end to the subplot with the love interest, haha. That made it hard for me to get on board with him, but I can see that relationship being lots of fun in future books. Overall, it was an nice light read.
I loved being swept back in time with Lucas and Clara!
The Problem with Dead People is a wonderful introduction to the characters and the series. It's actually a series of five novellas, each of which tie into the next one seamlessly. It was really fun to see the characters in a variety of situations facing some very different problems–by the end, I felt like I really knew them! Plus, the ghosts Lucas encounters are so varied and interesting, I was always looking forward to the next one. (Hmm–perhaps that's not the right thing to say about ghosts? ;) )
And the romance . . . absolutely perfect. <3
Living in the 1920s alongside Lucas and Clara felt like second nature, and I can't wait to dive into the next book!
So, I actually haven't watched the movie yet–I picked up the book on a whim for some vacation reading. And I wasn't disappointed! It was a lot of wacky, super-close family fun. Maybe I'm jaded, but I was able to call most of the dating issues before they happened; that whole storyline took a bit of a back seat to the family antics, in my opinion. But that's not necessarily a complaint. :) I enjoyed the story overall, and it certainly was good for a laugh!
I LOVE the premise of this mystery. From the author's note at the very beginning, I knew I'd relish my time in Shady Hollow. The characters are perfect, the commentary is funny, and the setting is idyllic. Exactly what I needed!
[[slight spoilers!!]]On a plot note, I have to say that I did figure out the murderer, and I was a little disappointed there wasn't a more twisty twist, if that makes sense. This was the one weakness of the book, in my opinion. But it wasn't nearly enough to keep me from going on to the second book!
