Review: Bel of the Brawl

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Title: Bel of the Brawl
Author: Maggie McConnon
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended If You Like: cozy mysteries, strong female protagonists, wedding-themed cozies, vivid settings

The Book: 

Bel is a chef for weddings at her family's estate, but murders keep happening around the happy events. This time, its the groom who has died, and a waitress and ten thousand dollar tip that have gone missing. And remains have been found on the island where Bel's best friend disappeared many years ago.

What I Liked:

This was a great cozy mystery. The characters are vivid and unique, as is the setting. There are a lot of twists and turns, and a budding romance as well. The crime from the past, that of Bel's missing best friend, is really intriguing.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I wanted to know more about Bel's best friend's case! But that is not a fault of the author, rather a plus in her book, as it means she has me hooked for more books in this series.

I didn't like that the solution to the previous book in the series was mentioned in this book, thus giving that ending away before I could read it.

So...?

If you like cozy mysteries, I would definitely recommend this one. It has all the hallmarks of a great book of this genre-unique characters, a vivid setting, and a compelling mystery, plus something that has you hooked in and needing to read more.

Review: Meet Your Baker

Title: Meet Your Baker
Author: Ellie Alexander
Publication Date: December 30, 2014
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended If You Like: food, small town settings, coffee, cozy mysteries, characters you can relate to, strong female narrators

The Book:

In this fun start to a cozy mystery series, Juliet "Jules" Capshaw has returned to her hometown, nursing a broken heart. She settles back into working at her family's bakery, Torte, but her healing time is interrupted by the discovery of a dead body in the kitchen.

What I Liked:

Juliet is a strong, capable, and complex narrator and protagonist. She is easy to relate to and root for, as she works to find her place in the world.

The supporting cast of characters are unique and vividly written. Even though there is a large cast of characters, I had no trouble remembering them and telling them apart.

The mystery is a very intriguing one, with a lot of twists, turns, and red herrings. I definitely didn't guess the ending!

Anything I Didn't Like?

My only complaint would be that Juliet sort of stumbled into the solution to the mystery, rather than solving it herself necessarily, but it was her hard work and detection skills that moved things along.

So...?

I actually read a later book in this series before this one, and enjoyed that one as well. This is definitely a series I see myself returning to in the near future.

Review: The Amateurs

I've become a little wary of Sara Shepard's books. I started and got hooked on both her previous series, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, only to give up on them a few books in when they got too outlandish for my tastes or simply lost my interest.

But from the minute I heard about her new book, The Amateurs, I knew I had to give it a try. It's centered around a website where online amateur sleuths attempt to solve cold cases, something I am fascinated by the idea of. A group from the website gets together in real life to try to solve one of the most famous and perplexing cold cases, that of a missing and then murdered teenage girl, but find things reach far further than they had ever anticipated.

This is a good read, and a quick one. I definitely found myself drawn in and wanting to know what happened next. The characters are compelling, as are the friendships and relationships forming between them. A few of the more minor characters verge on stereotypes that can feel overused, such as a crazed possible stalker female, but on the whole the characters are well-developed

And that ending! It is an amazing ending that left me gasping, and absolutely having to read the next book in the series. Shepard did an amazing job of hiding the truth right under her readers' noses, and it plays out brilliantly.

Review: A Study in Scarlet Women

Apologies if I don't update this as frequently as I typically do for the next few weeks. I've been having a lot of pain in my shoulder and neck, and finally went to the doctor this week. It turns out I have a pinched nerve and possibly slipped disc, which, among other things, means I can't carry hardcover books around (so I'm reading them at home with the book propped up on piles of pillows), and have to be careful on the computer. 

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself


Title: A Study in Scarlet Women
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Genre: Mystery
Recommended If You Like: twists on the Sherlock Holmes canon, strong female protagonists

The Book: 

Charlotte Holmes refuses to mold herself to society's expectations of who a lady should be. Forced to fend for herself, she becomes entangled in the mysteries society tries to hide from the light of day.

What I Liked:

Sherlock Holmes is my all-time favorite literary character, and I am always intrigued by twists on the canon. I really enjoyed the nods Thomas gave to canon stories and characters, especially in the last chapter.

 I also love strong female protagonists, and Charlotte is very much her own woman. And while she is strong and brilliant, she is also human, allowing her to be easy to relate to as well.

Anything I Didn't Like?

There were way too many characters for me to keep track of. I got confused, especially towards the end, with who was who, and how they were connected. This affected my enjoyment of the solution of the mystery, because I wasn't sure I understood it all.

So...?

I had really high expectations for this book, given the positive reviews and accolades I had seen it getting, as well as the subject material. And it just didn't live up to them for me. It's by no means a bad book, but the mystery gets lost among the multitudes of characters and double (and even triple) identities.

I don't plan to be in a rush to pick up the rest of the series, though someday I might return to it in hopes that the author has tightened up the story lines and characters.

Review: The Girl Who Lied

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Title: The Girl Who Lied
Author: Sue Fortin
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Psychological Suspense/Thriller
Recommended If You Like: secrets from the past, family drama, twists and turns

The Book:

Erin has been brought back to her hometown, a place she swore she'd never return to, by a family emergency. But her return has also brought her back in close contact with Roisin, her former friend, and Roisin says she knows the secret from her past Erin is desperate to hide.

What I Liked:

Books about secrets from the past are inherently intriguing to me. Fortin does a good job of interweaving information through flashbacks and character discoveries.

Erin is also a strong character, who goes on a compelling journey to find herself and her connection to her family again. The romance that begins to blossom between her and another character is one I definitely rooted for.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I was able to call a lot of the bigger twists a long time before they happened. It seemed to me like the clues that were planted were just too obvious most of the time.

The ending also seemed way too pat for a book with the kind of story lines this one has.

So...?

This isn't a bad book, and it's not a great one. It's a quick read, and a suspenseful one, but I wish it wasn't quite so predictable.

Reviews: Swiss Vendetta, The Turning, and Tricky Twenty-Two

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Title: Swiss Vendetta
Author: Tracee de Hahn
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Mystery
Recommended If You Like: mysteries in isolated locations, books with lots of characters, strong female protagonists

The Book:

Agnes Luthi, an Inspector in Switzerland, finds herself trapped in a mansion with a blizzard and a murderer. She must put aside the feelings she is still struggling with following the death of her husband, and figure out who among the many family members and guests committed the crime.

What I Liked:

I love mysteries set in isolated settings, so I was immediately drawn to this. It doesn't get much better, creepier, or more mysterious than a mansion no outsiders ever get to enter, snowed by a massive blizzard.

I also really liked that the main detective was a strong, smart, complex woman.

Anything I Didn't Like?

This book tried to do too much. There were so many characters and storylines it was hard to keep them all straight, and many plot points felt like they came out of left field because so much else was going on.

So...?

I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. There was way too much going on, and the solution to the mystery, while interesting, just wasn't strong enough to carry the book.

Title: The Turning

Author: Francine Prose

Publication Date: September 25, 2012

Genre: Psychological Suspense/Paranormal/Horror

Recommended If You Like: young adult reads, modern takes on classics, gothic horror, the paranormal, books told through letters

The Book:

In a modern take on The Turn of the Screw, Jack has been hired to spend the summer on an island, in charge of two children. But as Jack spends more time isolated from the outside world, with Flora and Miles and their strange ways, he begins to see things that don't make sense--things that seem to fit all too well into the ghost stories he's been told.

What I Liked:

The Turn of the Screw is one of my all-time favorite books, so I always excited to read any sort of take on it. This was a creepy read that had some very suspenseful moments.

Anything I Didn't Like?

This book just didn't live up to what I was hoping for. This could definitely be due in part to my love of the original source material and how hard it would be for any other take to live up to the original story. 

But this book felt rushed to me, as if Prose was making up for the slow beginning by cramming the main events in too quickly. Character changes came so fast, and not in the creepy amazing way the original used to create paranoia of the paranormal. Jack's sudden changes didn't make sense, and the ghost aspect almost felt just thrown in at those parts to explain why Jack was so different all of a sudden. I don't think it was the physical shortness of the book either, as The Turn of the Screw is not a long book itself, and still manages to spin an incredibly complex and suspenseful tale.

The ending also felt cliched, and didn't really live up to the build up.

So...?

This is not a bad book, but it's not a great one. It's a quick and easy read if you're intrigued enough by the premise, like I was, but I wouldn't say it's urgent you go out and get a copy.

I absolutely love this series! It's guaranteed to make me laugh, and I love the characters. In this entry, Stephanie is tasked to track down a fraternity brother on the run, who is accused of assaulting the Dean. But the case is much more complex than it appears, and Stephanie finds herself drawn into a web of conspiracy and intrigue.

One of my favorite parts of this series is the relationship between Morelli and Stephanie (I'm absolutely a "Cupcake" girl), and I wasn't sure I liked where Evanovich was going with them in the beginning of this book. But by the end, I was happy with where they stood, and enjoyed the solution to the mystery as well. Grandma and Lula are also hysterically funny as always.

If you haven't discovered this series yet, hurry out and get the first book (I would highly recommend you start at the beginning with One For the Money)!

2017 Love-A-Thon!

I love the Love-A-Thon, and am so excited to be a part of it again! This weekend got busier than I expected it to, but I will jump on and participate whenever I can.

QUESTIONNAIRE

 An Introduction to You and Your Blog

My name is Becca, and I am blogging from Chicago.

I've always been a reader. My parents met in a bookstore where they both worked, My mom is a storyteller, and my dad is a poet. Reading, and words, are such a huge part of my family. I've always loved books.

I got involved in the online book community through Librarything. I then joined Goodreads as well, and got intrigued by the idea of starting a blog. It seemed like a great way to start writing again, share about one of my absolute favorite things (books!), and meet other book lovers.

I chose a blog because it gave me a chance to start writing again, which I was really missing. I chose the blog name The Bookkeeper's Apprentice as an homage to a Sherlock Holmes' non-canon book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Sherlock Holmes is my all-time favorite fictional character (my dog is even named Sherlock!), and I loved the idea of naming my blog as if I was his apprentice (my dream job) --and I loved the play on bookkeeper (I own so many books and keep so many of them!). 

I do also do bookstagram-I love taking pictures of what I'm reading and my surroundings (and my dog!)

I love the online book community because everyone is so friendly, gives such good recommendations, and just genuinely love books and reading so much.

I typically post reviews, especially of mystery, thriller, suspense, and true crime. I read and review a lot of ARCs, as well as older books from my TBR bookcases and the library. I frequently participate in Top Ten Tuesday, and do What Are You Reading Wednesday and Five Friday.

Favorites

My favorite foods are pizza and my mom's egg salad. My favorite beverages are chai, coffee, tea, and rumchata. 

My favorite color is purple. Besides reading, I am a preschool teacher. I love spending time with my family and friends, cheering for my Bulls, watching TV and movies, coloring, making fan videos, and doing crossword puzzles.

I have a ton of favorite TV shows, past and present, including: Lost, Alias, Sherlock (BBC), Elementary, Criminal Minds, Bones, Castle, So You Think You Can Dance, Hunted, American Horror Story, Lethal Weapon, Psych, Sense8, Scream Queens, Bates Motel, The Mole, Shadowhunters, Harper's Island, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Hercule Poirot, Midsommer Murders, The West Wing, Lucifer, This Is Us, Project Runway, Face Off, America's Next Top Model, Veronica Mars, Scooby Doo, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, and The Amazing Race.

I have a lot of favorite movies too, including: Dirty Dancing, Identity, Scream, Psycho, Basic, Zodiac, Moana, Mulan, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, Cry Wolf, Primal Fear, And Then There Were None (1945 and 2016 versions), Murder on the Orient Express, Step Up, Rent, and Grease.

My favorite music to listen to is Matt Nathanson (I have a tattoo of one of his lyrics on my shoulder, my very first tattoo), the Hamilton soundtrack, Rob Thomas, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Matchbox Twenty.

I love to shop anywhere that is a bookstore! I love thrift stores too, and have recently fallen in love with Lularoe. I also love Target.

Book Talk

My favorite books as a kid were Nancy Drew, Happy Hollisters, Sam the Cat, Moomintrolls, Linnea in Monet's Garden, and Rainy Day Kate. 

My favorite book of the last 21 years remains The Westing Game, which I have read more times than I can count. 

Some of my other top books are And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite author), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Devil in the White City, and The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. I also love any books by Gillian Flynn, Jennifer McMahon, Erle Stanley Gardner, Ngaio Marsh, P.D. James, Will Lavender, and Marisha Pessl.

Leave me a link to your Love-A-Thon post and I will try to come comment and leave some love! <3