Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

by CarolNo Comments
In this Christmas novella, which is the third book in the series, Ern once again finds himself on the case of a murder. This time the victim is the current partner of his ex-wife Erin. And of course Erin's been arrested. Ern doesn’t think she's guilty, but can he prove it? I don't usually like meta-fiction, but this series is an exception, mainly because it's fun and funny and knows exactly how hard it's trying. I listened to the audiobook which is the perfect way for me to read it. The story is told in the first person, which works super well for audiobooks. It's like Ern, who is likable as always, is telling us how events unfolded and it even has some minor nods to the listener. The set-up goes along with the season - and the story- 24 chapters, one for each day leading up to Christmas, one for each door in an advent calendar. The murders are clever...
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All the Queen’s Men by S. J. Bennett

All the Queen’s Men by S. J. Bennett

by Carol2 Comments
The Queen is disconcerted to see one of her favorite paintings at an exhibition of maritime art in Portsmouth. The painting, given to her by the artist, is of the retired Britannia yacht and once hung outside her bedroom. She enlists Rozie to discover when it left her collection and why it has never been returned, a task that turns out to be not as easy as it sounds. Then, a housekeeper is found beside the Palace swimming pool and it turns out several of the staff, including the dead woman, had received nasty, threatening anonymous letters. The mystery is a bit convoluted. The clues and cases all tie together, but it meanders a bit getting to the conclusion. I do enjoy the characters though. They give the book its charm. The Queen is sharp and charming. Rozie is super competent and we get to see a bit more of the personal side of her life. Prince Philip steals every...
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Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

by Carol4 Comments
I really wanted to like Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. It's a gender-swapped retelling of Pride and Prejudice featuring a rich Indian-American family, which sounds really promising. I expected a fun, light read - a little wit, a little charm, a happy ending. I got the happy ending, but that's about it. Trisha is a brilliant neurosurgeon, the only one in the world who can perform this life-saving surgery but is awkward and can come off as arrogant. She also puts up with her father being pretty terrible to her. DJ's a brilliant chef, Cordon Bleu-trained, who quit his job at a Michelin starred Parisian restaurant to take care of his sister but can come off as cold and a jerk. Clearly, these two dislike each other, but to be honest I had a hard time there were sparks underneath. I knew they would fall in love eventually, but I didn't enjoy the story getting there. Julia Wickham was maybe...
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Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

by Carol4 Comments
Wealthy, mean Simeon Lee has invited his family to spend Christmas. We've got 4 adult sons, three of whom have wives with them, and a granddaughter from Spain, an exotic young woman out of place in the traditional English setting. Simeon's goal, however, doesn't seem to be a happy family reunion. Instead, he is amusing himself by re-igniting all the old angers and rivalries. Of course, it's still a shock to them when he ends up dead, murdered in a locked room. Hercule Poirot's Christmas was another reread for me, and to be honest I'm surprised I didn't remember who the killer was. Poirot was staying with a friend in the neighborhood when the death was reported and agreed to help discover the killer. Of course, we've got plenty of motives, from hatred to money to diamonds, and everyone in the household is a suspect. I like how much even the most minor of the characters has their own personality. Each...
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Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

by Carol8 Comments
So, my favorite part of Death in the Clouds is that a jury believes Poirot is guilty of the murder, although their opinion is not upheld. And really, someone is always dying around him. Granted, the fact that he was foreign had more to do with their suspicion than anything, but nonetheless. A woman is killed on the same plane Poirot was on. Unfortunately, Poirot was asleep at the time. Flying does not agree with his stomach. From the clues on the plane, the woman was killed by a dart from a blowgun. We have a nice limited group of suspects - it had to be someone on the train. We also get appearances by Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard and Parisian chief inspector Giraud, showing the different ways the three go about investigating. The suspects are an interesting lot, the solution's well done. It's perhaps not memorable, but it is a solid book....
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The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

by CarolNo Comments
I have a soft spot for seasonal romances, and what is more perfect for October than The Ex Hex. We have two witches, Rhys and Vivi who had a summer romance that ended with Vivi having her heart broken. Rhys is back in town, nine years later, and the sparks are still there. But Rhys is having all kinds of bad luck and his magic is on the fritz - turns out Vivi and her sister's curse wasn't harmless. This was just so much fun. Rhys and Vivi make a fabulous couple. He's a good guy who seems to take everything in stride. Vivi is smart and more powerful than she knows. Their dialogue strikes just the right notes, angry and teasing and flirty. Of course, they spend a lot of time enjoying each other's company when the town might be in serious danger, but you'll have that in a romance. There's plenty of tension and suspense though. The Ex Hex is...
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