Tag: mystery

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Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano

Posted on by Kasey

Lady Jayne DisappearsLady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a pleasant surprise and as such, is easily recommended for all readers. The Christian Fiction elements are light with no preaching; the character makes mention of God’s plans or her writing being between her and God and says a few prayers. The romance elements are also light; no instant-love, fade-to-black, or heavy petting. I absolutely loved the mystery and historical fiction elements and feel this made the read unique and fresh. The characters all feel unique and well fleshed out, complete with their little flaws. It’s not easy to write a book in first person but Joanna did a fine job with this one. The reader sees and feels everything the character does through a well-crafted and presented story. I was drawn in from the first chapter, loved the little plot threads weaved throughout the story, and feel you will enjoy it as well. I received an ARC through Revell in exchange for an honest review. This in no way has influenced my opinion or recommendation.

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Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge

Posted on by Kasey

Eeny Meeny (Helen Grace, #1)Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Typically I pass a lot of crime drama reads on to my fellow bookworm as she absolutely loves reading them. For some reason this one wasn’t passed on and I ended up reading it. I’m so very glad I did! I like how well developed the plot is, with excellent pacing as well. The characters came across as well-developed and nicely fleshed out. I have no complaints about the writing either, which can be a picky point with me. Overall, the read was enjoyable and has me looking forward to the next book by Arlidge. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Former by A.E. Stueve

Posted on by Kasey

FormerFormer by A.E. Stueve

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There were things I enjoyed about this read and a few things I wasn’t as pleased about. The overall writing is done quite well with no glaring mistakes or typos. I like the plot idea very much. I enjoy my zombie culture settings in books and shows. I like aspects of how this was handled, although certain questions kept resurfacing during the read. There were a lot of why’s and single eyebrow raises but nothing was ever explained in great depth. This may have been an oversight but I have a feeling it was cut during the editing process to help with the flow of the read and to prevent an overwhelming amount of information feeding taking away from the core plot. I don’t think this will be a huge issue for the majority of readers. It’s a good start to a much ignored aspect of the zombie genre. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

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Journey to Death by Leigh Russell

Posted on by Kasey

Journey to DeathJourney to Death by Leigh Russell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

There are aspects of this read that I like, and aspects that I do not like. I like the descriptions of the locations, the vivid imagery and ability of Russell to paint such a colorful picture in my mind. I don’t like the characters. They felt lacking in consistency, reason, maturity at times, and were difficult to connect with. The plot felt a bit thin for me with things happening that felt like they were only happening because the plot needed something like that to happen in order to drive it forward. I didn’t like the reactions most of the characters had to the events. This made it difficult to stay interested in the book and eventually I had to set it aside as a DNF. I feel that there are readers out there that prefer this type of read and they will enjoy it. I don’t believe the author is terrible by any stretch, just that the style is not for everyone. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion, which is my own and may or may not mirror your own.

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Those We Fear by Victoria Griffith

Posted on by Kasey

Those We FearThose We Fear by Victoria Griffith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoy books that pull you into the plot from the start and fill in the other bits of the story as you read. The characters were unique and interesting to learn about. I like the various threads that were woven into the book along with the primary plot thread. The suspicion and other-worldly elements added to the feel of the read. There seems to be a bit too much effort into keeping the guessers from predicting anything which makes for a bit of a winding type of read. A few less switches and twisting turns and the book would easily earn another star. There is rarely a moment where there isn’t something going on. Overall this is a good read and certainly something many readers will enjoy. I received an ARC through library thing in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

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Epiphany by Nickolae Gerstner

Posted on by Kasey

EpiphanyEpiphany by Nickolae Gerstner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The overall feeling from this read is mediocre. The writing is just ok; nothing thrilling, nothing terrible. I did notice a few inconsistencies along with a struggling plot flow and characters who, in my opinion, acted outside their position. This feels like a rough draft instead of a finished and polished product and could use a content editor to clean and tighten it up. That said, it’s not a terrible book and is written well enough that it could be mildly enjoyed to pass the time, say, on a flight. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

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The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

Posted on by Kasey

The Quality of SilenceThe Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book ended up being a DNF for me. I just couldn’t believe the characters or the choices some of them made. I am familiar with the Ice Road and I was married to a trucker for many years. I couldn’t suspend enough belief to enjoy the read and I felt it was basic and predictable. That said, the writing itself wasn’t terrible. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion, which is my own and may or may not mirror your own.

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Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa

Posted on by Kasey

Annabel Lee (Coffey & Hill, #1)Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Nappa definitely has a skill with words. From the first page I was intrigued and wanted to find out more. It was very difficult to put down from the start. While this is a Christian Fiction genre book it’s not the least bit preachy or heavy, which makes it enjoyable by a much broader range of readers. I was pleasantly surprised by just how well-written this book is. I love the characters and feel they are very well fleshed out with interesting quirks to boot. The plot is very well threaded through the book and one that is fresh, unique, and well-paced. Overall I feel this is an excellent book and one I can easily recommend. I received an ARC through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

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Blood Axe by Leigh Russell

Posted on by Kasey

Blood Axe (DS Ian Peterson Murder Investigation)Blood Axe by Leigh Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very well conceived and executed investigative/crime/ PI/detective type novel. From the very start it is able to pull in the reader. All through the book there are hooks and hints that keep you wanting to turn the pages. I really enjoyed this type of detective theme although I think part of that can be attributed to interesting murderer. A small wrinkle on my enjoyment comes from an improper use of a verb. Other than that I feel this is an intriguing read and well worth picking up. I received an ARC through Oldcastle Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

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2232 by Ken Kroes

Posted on by Kasey

2232 (Percipience, #3)2232 by Ken Kroes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are a lot of elements in this third book in the Percipience series that come together in a unique manner. The read will definitely stir the analytical though processes and set into motion some deeper inner thoughts. I’m still not thrilled with the format used in the book and I still feel the series could use a good editor. It’s not enough to ruin the read and is more than likely not going to bother a good portion of the readers. The characters are thought out and presented as individuals although I feel they could use a bit more fleshing out. This could be due to a bit of a lean towards telling instead of showing which does need some work through the series. Still, overall this is an intriguing read and one I can recommend to those who enjoy a good science fiction book. I received an ARC through the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.