Carol's Notebook

The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch

April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

I've read a couple of the Rivers of London books, which gave me enough background to enjoy The Masquerades of Spring, but since it's a novella that falls outside of the regular series, I also didn't feel like I was missing anything plot- or relationship-wise. We are in the 1920s in Harlem. Augustus Berrycloth-Young is a very British wizard, who has taken refuge in America. His life is pretty decent - he spends his time listening to jazz, enjoying the city, and being in love with his boyfriend, Lucien. It can be difficult, gay men are hassled by the cops and Lucy, being black, is not allowed into some of the nicest restaurants, even in Gussie's company. And then Thomas Nightingale arrives asking for Gussie's help in finding the original owner of a cursed saxophone. What follows is a decent little mystery, with plenty of action and magic. I loved the characters in this one. Nightingale is his usual self, if...

April Cloak and Dagger Link-Up

April 1, 2025March 24, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

Welcome to April's Cloak and Dagger Link-Up. I love that it's finally spring. Longer, warmer days just make me so much happier. What's on your reading list this month? Any spring mysteries I should check out? Is anyone else participating in Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon on the 26th? Link up your Cloak and Dagger reads below or in the comments. You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter...

Full Moon Pups by Liz Garton Scanlon

March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

I enjoyed this one and I think Amber would have loved it when she was little. We follow the lives of a new litter of wolf pups for a lunar month. Between the full moons, we learn all about how the pups grow and how the wolf pack takes care of the. The illustrations are lovely and the wolf pups are adorable. We also learn about the phases of the moon and there was a bit in the back talking about the Yellowstone Wolf Project and offering other sources for more information on wolves....

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

March 27, 2025March 27, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

I wasn't a fan of The Treasure Hunters Club, but the twist was surprising - even if it was more annoying than clever. I listened to the audiobook and while the narrator was competent, I may have been a little spoiled by some of the fabulous readers I listened to lately. Or maybe it's tough to do three main characters make them all convincing. We forty year old Peter who is new to town, hoping to make a connection with the grandmother he never knew. Cass is house sitting and trying to write a new book. And finally, there's self-proclaimed teenage detective Dandy, who is grieving after the death of her grandfather. We got a couple murder, a lost treasure, and families keeping secrets. The concept is great, but the story itself fell flat for me. Each of the characters, and half the town, had good backstories, but weren't fully developed as characters. I didn't really care about them. And the...

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

March 26, 2025March 26, 2025 by Carol1 Comment

This Book Will Bury Me is told from Jane Sharpe's point of view. She's 24, has recently lost her father by way of a heart attack, and has become obsessed with true crime, or maybe more accurate, with a true crime online forum where amateur sleuths discuss clues and theories about the murders in the headlines. I listened to the audio and the narrator does a fabulous job. Her tone and pace match the story well. Each character has a distinctive voice, and she brings out Jane's emotions well. Take the time to read the author note on this one. She was inspired by several real life murder cases, including the killings in Idaho in 2022, and the loss of her own father. How you feel about that may influence whether you want to pick this one up or not. The plot is engrossing. Jane has found acceptance and support in her online community, even a bit of fame. Then...

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

March 17, 2025March 17, 2025 by Carol6 Comments

I honestly expected to thoroughly enjoy The Marlow Murder Club. It features three very different women who form a friendship and solve murders. We have Judith, in her 70s, who lives on her own in a mansion on the edge of town, drinks too much, and sets crossword puzzles. Becks is the vicar's wife, who usually spends her time taking care of her family and house. Suzy is a dog-walker who is estranged from her adult daughter. I like the friendship the women form and how they push each other outside of their comfort zones. The plot is where the story really let me down. Judith very early on has a couple of suspicions and then they spend the rest of the book trying to prove her theories. A few of the clues were unbelievable. The twist wasn't surprising, although it did make the mystery overly convoluted. Even the suspenseful ending was over the top and borderline silly. I listened...