Mystery

Review: An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

~ megs14malloy

An Unwanted GuestAn Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lapena redeemed!!

An Unwanted Guest is the second book I have read from Shari Lapena. To say I was less than enthusiastic about the first I read, The Couple Next Door, would be to put it kindly. I was left scratching my head as to what people seemed to like so much about it. I have some really great book friends who love her books though so I said I would give her another shot and I am glad that I did. Go me!

I knew going in that this book would be more in my comfort zone being a ‘locked room’-style mystery. Basically, a cast of characters shut in a confined space, bodies start dropping, whodunit? This had the formula of a classic Christie tale: you meet the cast quickly, all in the beginning, none of them are particularly likable, they all check-in to a fabulous, secluded old hotel, interactions begin, someone gets killed and then another and then another…

The setting for this was a family-run hotel where our guests go to escape from the world, reconnect within their relationships and unwind. However, when a powerful ice storm hits and the power is knocked out…oh, and the MURDERS begin, these weekend warriors get much more from their holidays than they initially anticipated.

As I mentioned previously, none of the characters were particularly ‘likable’ in the traditional sense but they were definitely interesting. Everyone seemed to be hiding something and I had absolutely had no idea who the killer was. After ‘hidden information’ was finally revealed all fell into place. I liked it. I really liked it. There was a special little twist at the end that I felt was really fun and satisfying. Overall, I am super glad I gave Lapena another shot and I will definitely pick up more books from her in future!

Original: Alright, alright, alright. Let’s see if Ms. Lapena can redeem herself for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of The Couple Next Door ((to put it mildly)) but have heard good things about this one. ‘Locked room’ mysteries are some of my favorites so I think this could be right in my wheelhouse!

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Recommendation: Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot #39)Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hello Reader Friends!! Are you still trying to find that perfect Halloween read?

Maybe you aren’t a fan of horror or don’t want to be afraid but still want the feeling of the Halloween season? If this is the case, than this may be the perfect book for you!

I read Hallowe’en Party last year on Halloween night and I had a lot of fun with it. This is one of the Hercule Poirot books and if you are a fan of him, his calm and efficient manner in solving mysteries, than what are you waiting for? Pick this one up!

The main plot revolves around a children’s Halloween Party and what one child claims to have witnessed during that party. A murder ((dun dun dun)) Is this kid full of it or what? The atmosphere is definitely Halloweenie but without being frightening and intimidating. Perfect for fans of Christie’s classic ‘whodunit’ formulaic (not meant as shade, I personally find them relaxing) mysteries!

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Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

~ megs14malloy

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #1)Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Stalking Jack the Ripper is the first book in the series of the same name featuring young protagonist Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her charming friend, Thomas Cresswell. Audrey Rose is a great character, although at times a little flat, I liked the idea behind her. A young lady who doesn’t buckle under the pressures of conventional society. Audrey Rose wants to use her mind and more specifically, she wants to use it to study forensic medicine and thusly, crime.

She apprentices with her Uncle, which she has to keep secret from her father and the rest of the world. Her Uncle, who happens to be a forensic scientist, teaches at a local college and advises the local law enforcement on crimes. When the Jack the Ripper killings begin the bodies are brought to her Uncle’s laboratory to be studied and due to that, Audrey Rose becomes interested and tangentially involved with the case. It is during this early stage of the investigation that she first meets Thomas and a sort of hate-to-love relationship begins – one of my favorite YA-tropes. The banter between them is really sweet and Thomas stole my heart as well along the way!

The setting is Victorian London, one of my favorite settings, but for me this didn’t really feel that way. I felt like it could have been set anywhere. The atmosphere wasn’t as rich as I hoped it would be and that is my only real gripe with this book. Well that and the fact that I thought certain sections dragged a bit or were slightly unnecessary.

Overall, I thought the mystery was fun and I liked the risky situations that Audrey Rose put herself in. I definitely plan to continue on with the series. In fact, the last page of this book probably bumped my star rating a half star. I loved how it leaves you off in the perfect spot to have you strongly anticipating the second book. The next book features the legend of Dracula so, totally my aesthetic!

Original: FINALLY getting to this one which I bought when it was a new release a million years ago. This is my first book I am trying to complete for
Spookathon
 which will meet challenge #3 to ‘read a book not set in our time period’. Victorian London is my aesthetic and forensic science, yes please! This should be a good one for me!

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Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

~ megs14malloy

The Death of Mrs. WestawayThe Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is a twisted tale of long buried secrets and newly developed deceptions. Mostly set at a decrepit old estate property where the coldness gets under your skin, I think I enjoyed the setting most of all. I went into this hoping for a gothic atmosphere that would pull me into the story and that’s exactly what I got.

Our main character, Harriet ‘Hal’ Westaway, is a very young woman down on her luck since the unfortunate hit-and-run death of her beloved mother. One day as she is believing she has hit rock bottom, she receives a letter in the mail announcing that her Grandmother, Hester Westaway, has passed and that she is due to the solicitor’s office to attend the reading of the will as she is named a beneficiary. Harriet, knowing there must be some sort of mistake as her Grandparents died years ago, decides to test her luck and go pretend to be the Harriet Westaway named in the letter. At most she is expecting a small financial payout that will allow her to pay off some debt and perhaps live a little more comfortably. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined what would take place once she entered into this dangerous game.

I don’t want to say too much more regarding the plot as I feel it is best to go into it knowing as little as possible. I will say that the family she meets upon traveling to the Westaway estate, Trepassen House, is very interesting indeed and it was a ton of fun watching the truth unfold. Again, to me the setting and atmosphere of this were fantastic. I could picture the cold, the snow, the eerie lake, the attic room with the bars on the windows; the estate was brought to life within the pages. I live for that in a story. At times, I felt I knew the answer to the mystery and I was correct on parts of it, but it was so twisted it was hard to tell until the final reveal whether I was on the right track or not. Truly a lot of fun to read.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes some gothic vibes weaved throughout their mystery/thrillers. My only slight criticism was that the beginning was a little slow. I had this same feeling while reading, The Woman in Cabin 10, another one of Ruth Ware’s books but luckily, for me, the introductory portion of this story didn’t drag quite as much as that one.

In the end, I am so happy that I picked this one up and I will definitely continue reading Ware’s books in future. If this one is any sign, it’s that her works are getting stronger and stronger!

Original: Spookathon Book #2 (read a thriller) – switching up my initial TBR (as I ALWAYS do) and starting this before it’s due back at the library! Excited to start!

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Review: Dead Ringer (Agatha Raisin #29) by M.C. Beaton

~ megs14malloy

The Dead Ringer (Agatha Raisin #29)The Dead Ringer by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars**
Ugh, guys! This makes me SO SAD!!! I didn’t like this one and I really wanted to…

I read a lot of Agatha Raisin books in high school and during summer break for college. This was a long time ago, certainly before I was a member of Goodreads, so I don’t even recall which ones that I read. From what I remember one of the things I really liked about the series was our protagonist, Agatha Raisin. In my memory, she was snarky, impulsive, man crazy, full of fun and daring. That was not the Agatha I found in this story. This Agatha seemed miserable, desperate in her search for a man (CONSTANTLY) and down-right rude to pretty much everyone around her.

The storyline itself was all over the place in my opinion. We were introduced to quickly to way to many side characters and as the story went on, I found myself confused pretty frequently. Having completed it, I am couldn’t tell you who the killer was or what their motivation was. I have already forgotten.

I have so much respect for M.C. Beaton as an author. She has created some iconic characters with Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth but this just was not a solid story for me. I hope if this series continues on that Agatha gets some of her old fun-loving spark back.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate every opportunity I receive to provide my feedback on a story even if it doesn’t go 100% to my tastes.

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Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

~ megs14malloy

One of Us Is LyingOne of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 kids. 1 asshat teacher. 1 room. 1 mysterious death.

Whodunit?

This type of set up is one of my all time favorite mystery tropes. It is so nostalgic for me, bringing back memories of family games of Clue, watching Murder, She Wrote with my Mom and reading Agatha Christie books on summer vacation. Add in the fact that this cast of characters is very similar to the stereotypical characters in the Breakfast Club and you have an equation for the perfect book for Meg!

I listened to the audiobook for this and it had different narrators for the main characters. They all did a wonderful job and I flew through this book. Even though I predicted the ‘whodunit’ portion less than halfway through it was just a hunch and I did not deplete my enjoyment of this at all. I could have easily been wrong but I am glad I wasn’t because it was such a great twist to a classic tale. Getting to the conclusion was pure fun and I never got bored or felt that it was dragging.

Each chapter is from the perspective of one of the suspects – one of the four kids left alive after detention – and each chapter ended in sort of incriminating new facts related to that character. It was really well done and a ton of fun to read! I think this is easily the best YA-mystery that I have ever read and my first Karen McManus book – I am so excited for her next book to be released. If it is anything like this one, it is going to be a heck of a good time!

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Review: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

~ megs14malloy

Publication Date: March 20, 2018     |     Rating: 5-STARS!!!

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is pretty much perfection in my opinion. This book exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I went into this book knowing two things: prep school for girls/mystery. This book is so much more than that. The novel is replete with a gothic atmosphere that transports you in time and place into the storyline. It is the perfect blend of mystery/thriller with extra special paranormal goodness sprinkled the whole way through!

The main portion of the story alternates back and forth between 1950 and 2014, following different girls/women in and around Barrens, Vermont, and more importantly Idlewilde Hall. I do not want to say too much about the story itself, as I wouldn’t want to risk giving anything away to potential readers. Just know this – I put off reading this book for many months. I don’t know why – I can’t explain it – it just kept getting shuffled down the ole’ tbr. Now, I can say, I am physically distraught at not having read this as soon as I got it. Okay – that may be taking it a little far but I do wish I would have picked it up immediately. I honestly do not have even one constructive criticism of this. Because of that this will be a very short review: This book is incredible. This book wants you to read it. This book will keep you up nights after…read it!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me with a copy to review. I apologize to you, as well as to myself, that I didn’t get to it until now. I am even going to run out and buy myself a copy so that I may read it again and share it with others – I love it that much!

Review: A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart

~ megs14malloy

Publication Date: February 27, 2018    |    Rating: Solid 4-Stars!!!    |     Jane Lawless #25

I received A Whisper of Bones as an e-ARC through NetGalley. The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. It’s gorgeous. I love the colors…and it’s a mystery, one of my favorite genres. I failed to note however that it was #25 in a series; completely blinded by the cover…again. However, I kept it in mind and kept checking reviews to see if I could read it as a stand-alone. I certainly didn’t have time to go back and read 24 books in order to get myself ready for this one. I was so psyched when I discovered that this series, like many adult mystery series, do not need to be read in order; think Hercule Poirot, Murder, She Wrote, etc. You could definitely read this as a stand-alone so if you haven’t read any other books in this series, please don’t let that deter you!

Jane Lawless, our MC, is a restaurant owner and a PI who is hired in this case by a young woman named Britt Ickles. Britt is looking for answers about what happened to her cousin, Timmy, who she only met once when she was very, very young. The answers dwell with Britt’s two old Aunts, Eleanor and Lena, who live together in a boarding house they own. Jane goes undercover and rents a room at the house for her investigation. Aiding her is her best friend, Cordelia Thorn, who was my favorite character of the whole book! She is an over-the-top theater director who brings so much joy and humor to the story that I laughed out loud during more than one scene that she was a part of! I seriously would read an entire series of just Cordelia Thorn books…honestly, I think the world needs that. Needless to say, a whole cast of wonderfully drawn out side characters arose, deep family secrets were revealed and it kept me involved as a reader the whole way through.

Another great element in this book, which I was unaware of going in, is the strong LGBTQ+ rep going on here. Jane is a lesbian and we get to read about her complex relationship with her on again, off again girlfriend Julia. I feel like sometimes it can be hard to find solid LGBTQ+ rep in Adult lit, particularly in the mystery genre, so this was a welcome change of pace and I definitely plan to pick up more books in this series. The good news is I have 24 more books I get to choose from! So, if you love a good mystery with a fun and engaging cast of characters and a great, classic whodunnit format, you should definitely pick up this book!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with the opportunity to read this book and provide my feedback. I am confident other mystery fans will enjoy it as much as I did!

Review: The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty

~ megs14malloy

Expected Publication: March 13, 2018

“It’s like my mother’s death made this huge noise a long time ago. And this murder is the echo of it”

(3.5-stars rounded up to 4) The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty is an adult thriller following female protagonist, Harper McClain, who is a crime reporter in the city of Savannah. As female leads go, I really liked Harper; I found her to be smart and believable. Although haunted by a past trauma where she stumbled across the crime scene of her murdered mother, we learn how Harper’s whole life was shaped by that one event; how she used it to fuel her passions for writing and reporting. For me, the book didn’t really pick up until about 30% into the story. The introductory phase of the characters, the city and Harper’s early life seemed just a little too drawn out for my taste before ever getting into the main point of our story – the murder and subsequent investigation of a woman by the name of Marie Whitney. Once Harper started looking into Ms. Whitney’s death, and coming to the conclusion that there was more to the story than her police friends were letting on, the action really started to pick up. Overall, I enjoyed this story and would definitely be interested in reading the next book in the series!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for providing me with an early copy of this book – I am excited for the release date to see what other readers think of it!

 

Review: The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen

~ megs14malloy

Expected Publication Date: March 2018

*I received an ARC-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars – I had so much fun reading this book! Originally, I went into it thinking, historical fiction, but quickly discovered it is really so much more than that. The book does weave a bit of historical fiction into what is actually more of a modern day murder mystery. The main storyline takes place in Deeprath Castle, a very old (and possibly haunted) castle in the County Wicklow, Ireland, which has been in the Gallagher family for generations. Our protagonist, Carragh, is an archivist hired on to inventory the extensive historical library prior to the castle’s potential sale. There she finds not just books but mystery, suspense, gothic settings, a potential love match, long guarded family secrets and an unsolved murder that sees its investigation rekindled.

Throughout the book the chapters shift between present time, the late 1880s and the 1990s. In addition to Carragh, we meet a full cast of Gallaghers, as well as some outside players. I loved this aspect of the book and enjoyed watching the multiple generations of storylines eventually tie together. Many of the characters were extremely likable and I wouldn’t mind reading more about them in the future- particularly Aidan and Carragh- I know their stories can’t end here!

There is so much to love about this book and I am hoping that many, many readers get to enjoy it as much as I did – a big thank you to Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!