Buried Secrets by Leighann Dobbs

Buried Secrets by Leighann Dobbs

by Carol2 Comments
I really enjoy the Blackmoore Sisters Mysteries. In Buried Secrets, they head West on a treasure hunting trip with Luke, one of the sisters' boyfriends and his team. I like that the people around the women recognize, and believe in, their powers. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the sisters leaving their hometown, but since they took all of the recurring characters with them, it didn't really matter much. The girls piece together what happened Dead Water's past and get right in the middle of some present day illegal activities. Overall, it's a bit predictable, but there was a least one twist I didn't see coming. I would suggest starting the series at the beginning. They're light, quick read that are just fun. There are a lot of characters though, and a variety of powers, so I think starting with #1 allows you to get introduced to them all and get to know them. I'm looking forward to the next in the...
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Sci-Fi Summer Readathon

Sci-Fi Summer Readathon

by CarolNo Comments
The Sci-Fi Summer Readathon starts today. Thanks, Michelle, for hosting again this year. From Season of Reading: Read-a-Thon dates: Friday, June 1 at 12:00am CDT until Thursday, June 14 at 11:59pm CDT. Since science fiction is a very specific genre, this will be strictly reading science fiction during the event. However, since fantasy is so closely related to the genre (often grouped together), if you feel more comfortable reading fantasy, that is also fine. To check in on social media, we'll use our new hashtag #SciFiJune As usual, you do not have to have a blog to participate...feel free to link up and check in from Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I'm going to try to keep my updates below, but I'm also on Twitter and Instagram. I'm starting off with Lock In by John Scalzi on audio and probably The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein in print. Friday: Listened to about an hour of Lock In (Sci-fi/Mystery). Read 10 pages of The Gray House...
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l’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

l’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

by Carol6 Comments
l'll Be Gone in the Dark is my first foray into true crime, which seems a little surprising. With the recent capture of the Golden State Killer and all the positive reviews of the book, I took a chance. I didn't know anything about the Golden State Killer until the recent news coverage. He committed at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 to 1986. And it took detectives until this year to capture him. McNamara died before Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested, but the book is fascinating. It details the crimes, without being overly graphic. She talks about the victims and their families, how the crimes affected them, their families and their communities. She goes over the evidence and talks to detectives. She works with other amateur sleuths and is tireless in her own investigation with the resources she can access. But we also learn about her, about how she thinks, what drives...
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First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intro

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intro

by Carol2 Comments
Every Tuesday Vicki at I'd Rather Be At the Beach hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon. Mine comes from Side Life by Steve Toutonghi. The man was defying traffic, striding slowly down the center of the merge lane that Vin and the line of cars behind him were waiting to use. The man was big and lean in a black T-shirt and black denim jeans, a long dark mane flaring like a sadhu's, a full beard softening his heavy jaw; and he looked preposterously confident, as if he were separate from the world and impervious, as if he were parting illusion. One lane over, cars flew by, their wakes gently tugging his long hair while he walked within two feet of Vin's new Tesla S and didn't even tilt his head to acknowledge the driver of the machine. Eyes forward, fixed on...
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The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

by Carol6 Comments
I read Ware's In A Dark, Dark Wood a couple of years ago and was underwhelmed. At the time, however, I wrote "I think she's an author worth giving another chance, even if this book had problems." I'd been hearing a lot of positive things and The Death of Mrs. Westaway seemed like one of the to-read books of this summer. I just don't think I'm ever going to be a Ruth Ware fan. Hal is a bit desperate. She owns money to a loan shark and is barely (not quite) making end meet as a tarot card reader. Out of the blue comes a letter about an inheritance. Hal knows it must be a mistake, but she's out of options, so she takes the gamble and heads out to Trepassen House. I liked Hal for the most part. She's a survivor. And the atmosphere at Trepassen House was appropriately spooky and gothic. I guess, maybe Ware can be a bit heavy-handed and...
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