Purchased – Carol's Notebook

The Vanishing at Hallwood Hall by Helena Marchmont

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I love the Bunburry mysteries. They're short little reads/listens that are perfect when I'm not sure what I want to commit to next. This time around, Alfie is enrolled at a writing course at Hallwood Hall - perhaps not the best place for him to go back to. The writers are an odd collection and there's clearly tension in the air, so when one of them leaves suddenly but with no way to get to town or the station, Alfie is suspicious. Adding to my list of things to not do if I'm in a cozy mystery book: let someone take my phone away because it's a "distraction" The mystery here is good. It's only 3 1/2 hours long, but we get several suspects and a couple of nice clues. This time, it's up to Alfie and Emma to solve the mystery and I kind of missed Liz and Marge - they're around but not really integral. I do wish...

“What Do You Mean, Murder?” by John Hatch

April 14, 2026April 14, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I think "What Do You Mean, Murder?" appeals to a very specific audience, and I happen to fall there. Obviously, it's for fans of the movie, Clue, but you need to also enjoy ridiculously detailed deep dives and trivia. I can see a segment of people who are fans of Clue and just don't care about 90% of what's in this book. But I thought it was fun. The book is broken down into three sections, the first is about the pre-production process of getting the movie written, financed, and greenlit. We see the various writers and directors who were attached to the film over its years in production and how they ways they saw the movie varied. We also learn which actors were considered for which parts before the final cast was nailed down only shortly before the beginning of production. The second section is about the production of the movie, discussing various shots and edits. The author...

The Murder of Viscount Montcrief by Karen Baugh Menuhin

April 7, 2026April 7, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

The reclusive Viscount Montcrief, whose country home is not far from Lennox', has been murdered shortly welcoming an acting troupe into his home. Lennox and Swift are sent to investigate, but since it's close to home, we get to see plenty of Florence and Persi, too, and the pets. As always, Swift tries to do everything correctly and by the book, while Lennox kind of jumps around and goes more by instinct. The plot works well. The actors are appropriately eccentric and are trying hard to keep their secrets. We've got a couple of surprising twists, and another dead body or two. Maybe I'm getting a little bored with the series, though....

Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang

March 11, 2026March 11, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I found Separation of Church and Hate interesting, informative, and funny. But I'm an anti-death penalty, anti-gun, pro-LGBTQI rights Christian who believes we should provide food, health care and safety to people. I attends church every Sunday and work in the office every weekday afternoon. Mostly, I just agree with Fugelsang, who believes in a Christianity embodied by love, mercy, and service. If you don't, your mileage may vary. Fugelsang takes every hot-button issue- abortion, universal health care, gun control, etc., shows us the scriptures the extreme right tends to use to support them and teaches us why, in his opinion, they're being misinterpreted or are more Paul's opinion and hang-ups than Jesus' actual views. He then points to other scriptures that support a more loving, graceful, and inclusive understanding. I can't really judge how solid his theology is and I might question a couple of his suggestions, but overall I think he makes some really good points. I also appreciate...

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

February 16, 2026February 16, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I don't typically read a lot of sci-fi - last year I think I read two books that would qualify. I enjoy science fiction, but maybe take my opinions as those of a casual reader, not someone who is immersed in the genre. And, no, I have not seen the The Expanse tv series. One of my complaints about science fiction is that sometimes it gets so caught up in the technology and concepts that I end up not really caring. Here the world and politics are definitely center stage - Earth and Luna versus Mars and its outposts, versus the Belters, who live and work in the Asteroid belt, and the issues that seem to plague any society regarding race and income and exploitation, but it's told through its characters. We learn about the world, history, and tensions from their viewpoints. Jim Holden and his crew are at the center of a lot of the action, for really no good...

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

February 10, 2026February 10, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

The Killer Question is a clever book. The shtick is that it's all told through texts, emails, police interview transcripts, and assorted documents. The story's frame is that Dominic is trying to sell his aunt and uncle's story to a streaming service to make into a documentary. Sue and Mal operated a small pub that ran a Monday evening trivia contest. Were not surprised when a body is found in the river near the pub - after all, something made Dominic think it was a story worth pitching, but we'll have several good twists and at least one actual surprise by the end. We have a lot of characters to keep track of and we don't get to know any of them well. That's not a complaint, it's the nature of the style and important to the plot. I think this is one of those books that will either work for you or won't. I enjoyed it, but I'm not...