March Review Roundup

 I received a copy 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.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto 

Vera Wong runs a down on its luck tea shop, and her life is extremely regimented and void of people. Until one day she finds a dead man on the floor of her shop.

Vera immediately throws herself into the investigation, even drawing a sharpie outline of the body to help the police out. Desperately wanting to solve the crime, Vera finds herself growing closer to each of the suspects, forming a found family that may just break when the murderer is discovered.

I loved this book. I’ve recently been reading more of Sutanto’s books, and I love her work. Vera Wong has so much going on-found family, romance, humor, mystery, and a surprise twist ending. I highly recommend this book.

How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano

This is one dark and twisted book. Sissy, our main character, is a triplet, and her two sisters are serial killers. Now they are insisting Sissy join them, find her own man to love her who she can kill. The only problem is Sissy finds herself falling in love. 

This was such a tense book. The way the story is set up makes you feel like you’re racing along to a terrifying finish line. I was very impressed with how the author played with my expectations to keep me engaged, especially with the ending. I would recommend this book.

Play the Fool: A Mystery by Lina Chern

Katie sees Marley as her best friend, someone who helps her through her life of constantly losing jobs, her parents’ and sister’s never ending pressure, and her general dissatisfaction. But when Katie sees a picture on a customer’s phone of Marley shot through the head, her whole world upends. Suddenly Katie is trying to solve a crime, with the help of her tarot cards, her brother, and a police officer, and she is putting herself into more danger than she realizes. 

This was a fun read, with a main character you really root for, and a great supporting cast. The ending was really well done. I recommend this book, and hope it becomes a series. 

ARC Review: Lemon Curd Killer

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

This is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series. In this entry, Theodosia and her compatriots host a tea during a fashion show. But when she stumbles upon the dead body of a fashion designer, she finds herself promising the murdered woman’s daughter that she will solve the crime. Throwing herself into the world of fashion, and a whole lot of danger, Theodosia is determined to keep her promise.

This is the definition of cozy, particularly the setting, a tea shop full of warm tea and delicious scones and little sandwiches. Coming back to the main characters is always a joy, and the supporting cast is colorful and engaging. I definitely recommend this book. 

February #2 ARC Review Roundup

 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.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

Clarissa Campbell vanished without a trace from a party twenty four years ago. She was never found, and if anyone knew what happened to her, they weren’t talking. 

In the present, best friends Blair and Cameron decide to tackle this mystery as their junior year journalism project. They start a podcast about Clarissa, and attempt to discover the truth about what really happened to her.

I love books that incorporate true crime podcasts, so I was automatically into this book. There are a lot of twists and turns, and the characters of Blair, Cameron, and Clarissa are compelling. I did not see the ending coming, which is always exciting for me with a mystery book. 

This is a quick, gripping read that I would recommend.

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay

A group of adults, who knew each from a traumatic children’s home, are brought back together by the fact that someone is trying to kill them. Readers learn about their dark childhood secret as they attempt to figure out who is after them and why.

This is not my favorite Alex Finlay book, but it’s still a good reas, as all Alex Finlay books are. It’s very suspenseful, with compelling characters, and a lot of drama. If you’ve never read Alex Finlay before, start with a different book first, but if you’re an Alex Finlay fan, definitely check out this book.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Gareth Inglis has never known the love of a family, and has always felt left behind. So when the stranger he is falling in love with has to leave, he feels he is just being abandoned again.

Until his father dies, he inherits a title and a house on the Marsh, and finds his stranger again, one Joss Doomsday, a smuggler. Joss and Gareth don’t ever want to be apart again, but they must contend with their different societal positions, societies views, and family ties-along with an unknown threat to Gareth that could turn deadly.

Joss and Gareth are absolutely a couple to root for, and this makes the readers really invested in their lives and the drama surrounding them. Plus the threat lends an air of mystery to the story that I really enjoyed. I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review Roundup

 My computer has decided not to connect to the internet, so please excuse any and all typos as I type these on my phone.

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

A Tale of Two Princes by Eric Geron

This is a charming “what if” story of royal twins separated at birth. Neither knows the other exists, and one has no idea they are even royal, until a chance encounter one day. Now both their lives, and the lives of their families, have been completely turned upside down, and the fate of the monarchy might just hang in the balance.

The characters are endearing, the romances are worth rooting for, and the plot is just whimsical enough (Canadian monarchy, anyone?). There is some homophobia on the part of some side characters, so just be aware of that, but the book as a whole is a celebration of LGBTQA+ self-love and love.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor

I don’t typically go for dystopia books, but this one grabbed me right from the start. At first, you don’t know what has hit the world, only that it is something truly terrible. As readers, we follow three groups of people in three perilous situations, trying to survive. The book is very mysterious as well, which kept me constantly turning pages. Even if you don’t normally go for dystopia reads, give this one a try.

The Pledge by Cale Dietrich

A queer slasher story, this is one scary read. Sam has survived one murder spree, and is now hoping college will give him a chance at a new and normal life-and maybe even some romance. But when his frat brothers start dying around him, Sam realizes evil has found him again. 

The author does not hold back with the scares, that’s for sure. The book does get gory at times too. Sam and the characters surrounding him are definitely ones I was rooting for, as was the romance. The reveal was really good as well.

ARC Review: Don’t Fear the Reaper

 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.

Please excuse any typos, my computer is no longer working and all reviews are being done on my phone for now. 

This book picks up a few years after the previous one in the trilogy (My Heart is a Chainsaw) ended. Our main character is back with us, just as a serial killer’s caravan breaks down near town. 

Strange and gripping, this is a book that doesn’t always make sense (at least to me) but always keeps you reading. Stephen Graham Jones weighs in so much, takes on culture and wealth, shared history, the impact of trauma, femininity and what this truly means, all while scaring the pants off you. It’s a bit like a fever dream, very uncanny, a really unique and creative take on the slasher genre. 

ARC Review: The Things We Do to Our Friends

 

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.

Wow, is this a haunting and disturbing read, in all the best possible ways.

Clare moves to Edinburgh (loved the setting!) in an attempt to shake loose her past and reinvent herself. While taking classes there, she meets Tabitha and her group of friends, and is drawn into their world. When Tabitha proposes a plan she has been developing, Clare realizes she is already in too deep to say no, and what has become codependence is quickly turning dangerous.

I definitely recommend this read. 

ARC Review: Blaze Me a Sun

 

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

This is a story about crime and its repercussions.

When the prime minister of Sweden is assassinated the same night a serial killer calls in their first murder, it sets off a chain of fear and investigation that lingers through decades. Different characters are affected in different ways, but everyone is affected somehow, sometimes in ways it takes them years to understand.

This book could be really slow moving for me at times, even with the powerful punch of the assassination and murder happening on the same night. But nonetheless there was something compelling about this story that made it so I couldn't put the book down. Whether it was following the characters along on their own personal journeys, or having to know the solution to the mystery, or a combination of both, I'm not sure, but I wasn't able to stop reading (despite having considered it once). And I have to say the big final twist was a really shocking one, and brought everything together in a really satisfying and emotionally hard hitting way.