Review: Murder at Midwinter Manor by Anita Davison

Murder at Midwinter Manor (Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery, Book #3)

by Anita Davidson

Release Date: September 10, 2024

2024 Boldwood Books

Ebook ARC; 283 Pages

ISBN: 978-1785133442

ASIN: B0CVKS7BSW

Audiobook: B0D94NSMLZ

Genre: Fiction / Cozy / Historical / Murder

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.75 / 5 Stars

Summary

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

My Thoughts

Murder at Midwinter Manor is the next entry in this delightful series, and I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Hannah and Violet are visiting family for the Christmas season, the magnificent manor house of Hannah’s sister and her husband.  In the midst of WWI, they just want to have some time to spend with family and maybe get some cherished time away from London and the horrors of the war. Unfortunately, death still finds them as one of the guests is murdered and it is up to Hannah and Violet to investigate.  

This Christmas, 1916, and one of the things I loved about this book was the consequences of the war on its soldiers, in particular the discussion around shell shock, something that was just being discussed and acknowledged although there was still a stigma on those who suffered.  I thought the author did a great job weaving not only the impacts of shell shock on families, but the war in general from food shortages to an interesting discussion around servants and lack of ‘good help’. When you strip away the themes, the actual plot was predictable and it was quite easy to figure out the culprit, but I still had a good time reading about the motives. Despite the predictability, it was still fun to see how Hannah and Violet figured things out.

I enjoyed the interactions between the main characters and was happy to get to know Hannah’s parents a bit better, but realistically, there were a lot of characters in this book and as a result, I didn’t really connect with most of them or feel any empathy for them due to this. When something happens, I want to feel something, and this just didn’t work for me.  I wasn’t confused over the characters, but sometimes, when there is a lot going on, I find the character development becomes more one-dimensional which is what happened in this book.

Verdict
Murder at Midwinter Manor was a fun story, and I definitely like the ambiance. Who doesn’t like a Christmas murder mystery set in the country with a blizzard happening around you? The author took the time to explore some themes integral to the war effort and I was very appreciative of those. And while I found it hard to connect to the character and thought the mystery was easy to figure out and predictable, there was a lot to like in this book.

 

Review: One House Left by Vincent Ralph

One House Left

by Vincent Ralph

Release Date: August 27, 2024

2024 Wednesday Books

Softcover Edition ARC; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250882189

ASIN: B0CQHN5LS2

Audiobook: B0DC173WRL

Genre: Fiction / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Nate Campbell grew up in the shadow of Murder Road – a street cursed by the vengeful spirit of the Hiding Boy.

Every few years, for nearly six decades, a different house on that street has been the scene of a tragedy.

Nate and his family move to a new town as they try to outrun the curse once and for all. But, when he is pulled into his new friends’ urban legend club, new ghost stories merge with old until there is nowhere left to run.

 

 

 

My Thoughts

One House Left had an interesting premise and I was definitely captivated by the lore of the story in the first quarter of the book.  Because It was so interesting, I didn’t actually mind that it was slow as I figured it would pick up as the story went along, which is sometimes the case with psychological/horror novels.  Unfortunately, the pace never really picked up, took a wild turn in the middle which was quite jarring, and by this point, I just wasn’t invested.

The character development felt quite flat. It had nothing to do with the slow-burn of the story, but sometimes when an author holds too much back to keep a story ‘’mysterious”, they can lose the reader from a case of not enough information to keep them interested, and this is exactly what happened.  It left the characters feeling flat, unemotional, and I just couldn’t empathise or connect with any of them.  Even the little glimpses into the characters’ backstories don’t really add anything to the story which is really unusual, but I think maybe it was just the way it was done.  Or maybe I just didn’t care at that point?

The plot itself had a lot of potential and I did find it intriguing, but the development and the delivery didn’t quite work for me. It wasn’t that it was uninteresting, but when you have flat characters, I just never got emotionally invested into what was happening which lessened the overall tension.  And it’s the tension in horror books that makes or breaks the story.  And then there’s the twist.  I don’t want to mention anything about it as it came out of nowhere, something I thought was interesting, but it would definitely have had an even bigger impact if I was invested in the characters.  And the following chapters after the twist blew it for me as well. You can’t have such a jarring thing happening in the middle of the book without a good setup if you want your readers to feel any emotion.  I did wonder if the twist would have worked better as the prologue rather than the one that was used.

Verdict
One House Left had a lot of potential, but the delivery and the character development made a good idea turn into a bit of a slog. I did thoroughly enjoy the lore in the first half of the book and the discussions around truth behind the legends and whether one should play around with that stuff, but I wish the story had been tighter and more focused as it seemed to ramble.  There were a couple of interesting themes in this book, about family and how far one would go to protect one’s family, but again, it wasn’t clearly developed, which was a shame.  Because of the potential however, I would definitely try another book by this author in the future.

 

Review: The Secret Truth by Barry Finlay

The Secret Truth (A Jake Scott Mystery, Book #3)

by Barry Finlay

Release Date: September 3, 2024

2024 Keep on Climbing Publishing

Ebook Edition

ISBN: 978-1068837111

ASIN: B0D9WDLJGZ

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from author

 

3.75 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Jake Scott, a retired reporter, is on his way to a peaceful bed and breakfast when his life is suddenly put at risk by a reckless driver. But his journey takes an even more dangerous turn when he approaches the bed and breakfast he is staying at and it explodes, killing all occupants. Homicide detective Dani Perez is determined to uncover the truth, and she enlists Jake's help to investigate the backgrounds of the victims. As Jake delves deeper into the case, he uncovers dark secrets that point to a sinister plot at the bed and breakfast. With the clock ticking and danger lurking at every turn, Jake must use all his investigative skills to solve the mystery before it's too late. 

 

My Thoughts

The Secret Truth is the third book in the Jake Scott mystery series and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I like the fact Jake is a retired investigative reporter who seems to get caught up in things out of his control and is trying hard not to get involved as he wants to enjoy his life and spend time relaxing and enjoying spending time with friends and family. I thought the overall mystery was enjoyable, but having read the previous books in this series, I did feel like something was missing in this one, that bit of tension that really kept me turning the pages in the first two books.

Jake is quite enjoyable as an MC, but I didn’t quite buy into his lack of technology when it came to his phone and other stuff.  He is a retired investigative reporter so this lack of technical ability just didn’t work for me. It would work better if he had retired 10, 20 years ago, but only a couple? And not have the ability to navigate social media? No way.  Otherwise, he is a fun character to follow and I enjoyed his interactions with the other characters in the story. Although his is book 3, I am still waiting for a bit more character development when it comes to Dani however, and this book displayed a bit more depth to her personality, a vulnerability that we didn’t really see before.  

What drew me to this book was the setting, Ottawa. I am very familiar with the city and I currently have family living there, so it was nice to have a book set somewhere I know. And tackles issues related to the city.  There were quite a few themes running through this book, if indirectly, and that is where I had a problem as I think there were too many.  While I did find the overall mystery to be quite interesting, it did become a bit convoluted with other stuff, stuff that could easily be developed into entire novels in their own right.  

Verdict
The Secret Truth had very likeable characters and a story line that was quite interesting. And while Jake’s spontaneous involvement in the case may annoy Dani, I like how she listens to what he has to say and I also like that Jake doesn’t hide anything from her. It drives me crazy when characters hide things from the police when they are investigating (amateur sleuths) and then get annoyed when a police officer won’t tell them what is happening. Jake does have trouble letting things slide, but I think I would too if that was my life career, even if I was retired.  And while I did think some of the tension was missing in this one due to an over-convoluted plot, Jake was definitely the highlight of the book and I am looking forward to his further adventures.  

 

Review: The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano

The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna

by Erin Palmisano

Release Date: May 7, 2024

2024 Grand Central Publishing

Paperback Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-1538757499

ASIN: B0CH84LNRV

Audiobook: B0CKLTMKWQ

Genre: Fiction / Romance / Magical Realism

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

In a village on Naxos lies a gorgeous guest house and taverna that never opened. Cressida’s husband died suddenly three years ago – the taverna was their dream – but she’s been too lost in grief to keep that dream alive.

Marjory "Jory" St. James, a young traveler who always feels more at home on the move, arrives on Naxos in the middle of the night as if summoned by the island. She quite unexpectedly becomes Cressida’s very first guest.

Jory quickly discovers that this island vacation is more than just a sightseeing adventure as all of the women in town are more than what they seem. But when a hotel group offers to buy Cressida's taverna, it's going to take all of Jory and Cressida's drive and expertise to keep that from happening.

 

My Thoughts

The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna is the type of book that I don't read very often as I am not usually interested in books about romance, but as it was set in Greece I thought, why not? I definitely enjoyed the setting and still want to visit the place, I loved the friendship theme running through the story lines, and I definitely enjoyed Cressida's cooking even if I can't eat most of it due to having Celiac Disease.  But a girl can dream about food, can't she? To be honest, I think it reminded me of those days when I would cook with my mom and my grandmother as I was feeling nostalgic reading those pages.  

The main story revolves around Jory, but I never really thought her character was all that interesting. There were times when she came across as snobbish, judging anyone with money to be the same as her grandparents who had this tendency to look down upon anyone who didn't, including Jory and her mother.  I understand how it was meant to come across, but it made Jory seem very judgmental herself.  To be honest, I actually preferred Cressida and enjoyed the scenes she was in far more. I also thought she had the largest character development arc as she went from this woman who was struggling with her grief to someone who knew what she wanted and went after it.  She didn't do it alone however, and the friendship theme was strong throughout the book.  Because of the number of women involved in this book, I did feel like most of their character arcs were a bit on the shallow side and I would have like to have known a few of them a bit better. 

The setting made me want to pack and go to Greece now as I love these small-town settings. Cressida's guest house sounds like a place I would love to stay as I prefer those over big, showy hotels and driving around on mopeds to explore the island sounds ideal. Once you get past all of that however, you realize the story is lacking, both in sizzle for the relationship as well as in plot development. And I don't mean smut, I mean I just didn't buy the attraction between Jory and Shane as the 'sizzle' didn't really work for me. I did enjoy their story, but overall, there was just something missing.

Verdict

The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna was a fun little diversion, but it didn't really have any depth to it. I enjoyed the setting, but thought the characters and the story line were mediocre.  It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I just would have liked a bit more depth to the romance between Shane and Jory, and maybe more character development on Jory's part to make her more empathetic. However, if the author ever decides to write another book with these characters, I will definitely pick it up.

 

Review: Now You Are Mine by Amanda Brittany

Now You Are Mine

by Amanda Brittany

Release Date: September 9, 2024

2024 Boldwood Books

Ebook ARC; 299 Pages

ISBN: 978-9836171782

ASIN: B0D3P6CCKC

Audiobook: B0D94QPKG4

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

When Polly signs up to an art retreat in the Lake District, it's an escape from the stress of recent months, when a stalker preyed on her and her friend.

It's also an opportunity to find out more about her family as Polly believes her biological mother once lived here, at Lakeside House. But things quickly turn sinister. The previous owners supposedly took their own lives here, years before – and the glamorous new owners are now receiving disturbing threats. Someone is sabotaging Polly's artwork. The five other guests on the retreat all seem to be hiding something.

Then one of them goes missing.

My Thoughts

Now You Are Mine is one of those books that intrigued me because of the mystery surrounding her mother and her family. Plus, I like stories that revolve around sinister events from the past whereby the net generation has to go hunting for clues about mysterious disappearances and secrets. How I love secrets! This had all the elements that I love in a story. So, where did it go wrong? Well, I actually found a lot of it implausible and although I can suspend some level of belief, there is definitely a limit. And I wasn't a fan of the main character.

The overall character development was one-dimensional which made it really difficult to root for the characters or really care what happened to them. I didn't really care that they were written in both first and third person as I don't think that was the problem, but I am writing this almost two months later from my notes, and if I hadn't written those notes, I would not recall who was who as they were all bland. 

The first part of the book was the most interesting for me as I was intrigued by the mystery and I was interested in the setting and the threatening notes the new owners were receiving.  You have Polly's artwork being tampered with, some of the characters are behaving weirdly, other characters are definitely hiding things from their friends and their significant others, and then one of them just disappears.  Looking at all those things, it should have been a fascinating read, but the execution of it all just didn't work and felt excessive, like the author was trying too hard to create all of these strange scenarios, but couldn't keep track of all the threads.  And because the characters weren't all that engaging, I just couldn't get invested in the story and what was happening, flipping through the pages just to get to the end. 

I did enjoy the atmosphere of this book and thought the setting was intriguing, but then I love tunnels and secrets, so that was the part I enjoyed the most. I was actually grateful for the multiple POV as it gave me a break from Polly's story line as I found her irritating at times, and it was nice to learn what happened in the past and how it affected the future.  

Verdict

Now You Are Mine had a lot of elements that were interesting, but issues with character development and pacing definitely impacted the overall reading experience.  Some of the twists were a bit hard to believe, and overall, I found the book to be a bit forgettable with an average plot and average characters.

Review: A Rough Way to Go by Sam Garonzik

A Rough Way to Go

by Sam Garonzik

Release Date: May 7, 2024

2024 Grand Central Publishing

Hardcover ARC; 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-1538743362

ASIN: B0CH81ZN6F

Audiobook: B0CJCVS5VY

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

2 / 5 Stars

Summary

Peter Greene spends his days taking care of his toddler, Luke; staying on the right side of The Moms in his local beach town; and hanging out with his surf buddy, Frank. Isolated from his former life in finance, and frustrated by his current “out of work” existence, he worries that if he sits around the house for much longer, his workaholic wife might start to lose patience with him. He has few escapes aside from surfing and the love he has for his son.

But when the body of wealthy Wall Street investor Robert Townsend washes up on shore one morning, nothing about the incident makes sense to Pete, and he’s completely bewildered when the death is ruled an accidental drowning.  But when he takes his concerns to the police, they ignore him—so he decides to investigate on his own. Sustained only by the unquestioning devotion of his three-year-old sidekick, Pete starts looking into Townsend’s eccentric relatives and employer, the ruthless and secretive private equity firm GDR. But has Pete deluded himself with this misguided quest for redemption? Or has he uncovered something sinister enough to risk his life, and even his family?

 

My Thoughts

A Rough Way to Go was exactly that, rough. While the title had to do more with the death of the victim, it could aptly refer to the story line itself as it was sometimes rough reading and the dialogue made me wince quite a few times. Peter and his character development however, was one of the the stronger elements of this book, in particular his inner monologue.

So, Peter is a stay at home dad looking after his toddler son, Luke. His character was quite interesting and I was intrigued enough by him to want to know how they ended up in this small town, what happened to his career, and why he and his wife were having some difficulties. He is naturally inquisitive and when one of his buddies is discovered by the beach, he is not satisfied with the answers he gets from people as the time lines and what he knows don’t line up.  And now we have the problems with the other characters in this book. For whatever reason, most of them were antagonistic towards Peter and his investigation, even when he had some good information to relay.  This led to some unfortunate dialogue between characters that almost put me to sleep or made me roll my eyes.  Peter’s inner monologue was quite interesting, and sometimes comical, but as soon as they opened their mouths, things went awry and I found myself rushing through those parts. Why? I don’t know. It just didn’t work, make sense, or fit the character, or something felt off.

The plot moves along at a snail’s pace, which doesn’t always bother me if the content is full of tension and makes sense, neither of which happened here.  At a basic level, I could see where it was going, the author trying to make it seem so much bigger than it was, something that often happens in real life if all the conspiracy theories on social media are to be believed, so I liked what was happening, how it was made to seem more political and bigger as the story progressed, but then got turned on its head. I just didn’t necessarily like the way it was done.  I also think more could have been done with some of the characters, including Pete’s wife Lauren. I’m all about reading between the lines, but sometimes I want something concrete as well. And don’t get me wrong, I love stories where the story is a lot simpler than it looks as so many books are political. I love it when an author sends you in that direction, but then it ends up being something completely different. But when it is tedious getting there, you can also lose a reader which almost happened to me.

Verdict
A Rough Way to Go actually had a lot going for it, with an interesting concept, and there were definitely flashes of good writing. Pete was a great written character and I wish the other characters had been written the same way rather than being used as tools to prevent Peter from investigating.  If conflict was needed in this book, I’m sure what was happening with his wife would have been enough as she was particularly annoying and I was looking for something to happen between them.  While this one was a little rough for me, I will definitely take a look at another book by this author as there was a lot of potential in his writing.

 

Review: The Hardwick Heath Killer by Michelle Kidd

The Hardwick Heath Killer (DI Nicki Hardcastle, Book #3)

by Michelle Kidd

Release Date: July 16, 2024

2024 Joffe Books

Ebook ARC; 331 Pages

ISBN: 978-1835265550

ASIN: B0CTHQJYBW

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.75 / 5 Stars

Summary

The call comes at midnight on a stormy March night. A body has been found hanging from a tree on Hardwick Heath. In the dead man’s pocket is a handwritten SORRY. LIFE IS JUST TOO HARD. LOVE TO YOU ALL.

Detective Nicki’s instincts tell her this was no suicide — but someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like one.

Three days later, a second body is found floating in a pond, just a few miles away. But the victim didn’t drown.

The police are treating the deaths as separate cases. Then Nicki uncovers a link between the two dead men — and the case takes a shocking twist.

As she unearths a series of secrets stretching back twenty years, Nicki and her team find themselves in a race against time before more people die.

 

My Thoughts

The Hardwick Heath Killer is the third book in the DI Nicki Hardcastle series, and while it was enjoyable, I did feel it lacked the tension of the first two books, and I wasn’t as engaged in the main story line as I was in the previous stories.  This book does focus quite a bit on the kidnapping of Nicki’s brother all those years ago, and I really enjoyed how that tied into the first two books. 

Nicki is an engaging MC and I really enjoy her character. She is a pretty sharp detective and investigator and is determined to follow through on every lead despite pushback from those around her.  I found her to be quite empathetic; perhaps it’s her personal struggles and the grief over losing her brother all those years ago that make her seem so relatable, it’s hard to say.  And while she has strong supporting characters around her, Nicki’s strength and determination really make her stand out from all the other characters.

I absolutely loved the setting and the atmosphere as I felt it added a depth to the story through a fascinating background and historical richness that only such a setting can provide. I love it when an author intertwines history and uses the setting to add depth to the story line and this author does this very well.  The twists and turns were quite interesting, but I did feel the story was a bit choppier than in previous novels and wasn’t quite satisfied with the main mystery. It felt like it was there to fill in the gaps between Nicki’s search for her lost brother and sometimes lost momentum. It’s not that it wasn’t interesting, it just felt it wasn’t going anywhere and felt rushed so the author could get to the other story, which was the search for the brother.  

Verdict
The Hardwick Heath Killer was a good entry into this series, but I don’t feel the tension was quite as high as in the previous two books. That being said, the author does tie together all the loose ends, maybe not in a way that satisfies everything, and leaves the door open for some interesting plot lines in future books.  While you don’t necessarily have to read the previous books in this series, I do recommend it as you will get some information for this book that is explained in the earlier books.  I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.

 

Review: The Unfinished by Cheryl Isaacs

The Unfinished

by Cheryl Isaacs

Release Date: September 3, 2024

2024 Heartdrum

Ebook ARC; 336 Pages

ISBN: 978-0063287389

ASIN: B0CSPJJY98

Audiobook: B0CSLJKKNZ

Genre: Fiction / YA / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

When small-town athlete Avery’s morning run leads her to a strange pond in the middle of the forest, she awakens a horror the townspeople of Crook’s Falls have long forgotten.

Though Avery had heard whispers of monsters from her Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) relatives, she’s never really connected to her Indigenous culture or understood the stories. But the Elders she has distanced herself from now may have the answers she needs.

When Key, her best friend and longtime crush, is the next to disappear, Avery is faced with a choice: listen to the Kanyen’kehá:ka and save the town but lose her friend forever…or listen to her heart and risk everything to get Key back.

 

My Thoughts

The Unfinished is an interesting young adult horror story that weaves elements of the author’s indigenous culture with elements of her own imagination, focusing quite a bit on generational pain and one’s identity.  It is full of tension and supernatural lore rather than gore, but I enjoy a good psychological horror as much as the other and I enjoyed the author’s exploration of trauma, regret, friendship, and self-growth.  But while I enjoyed the overall story, the pace was somewhat slow or erratic, and the tension was simply not there.

Avery is the main character and her flaws and her choices drive the story. Full of angst about her future as well as her relationships with her friends and family, she makes some poor choices that affect the rest of the community.  Because of a choice she makes, she awakens an ancient evil and begins seeing things around her. Her behaviour is drive through what she sees, but she offers little explanation to others and the visions simply vanish at some point so I am unsure as to why they were there to begin with.  I did think the interactions with those around her made sense as she was unsure about her future, had pressure on her to get a good scholarship due to her family situation, so her reactions made sense. I did really like her thoughts with regards to her heritage and how disconnected she felt to her people; the growth in this area was very well written and I like the fact the author clearly shows how complicated and difficult the path will continue to be, but she has to make an effort as well.

The overall pacing of the book was somewhat erratic; I really enjoyed the first part of the book as it was a bit creepy and the supernatural aspects were quite fun. But honestly, when the action started picking up towards the middle, there were a couple of things that slowed down the narrative. First of all, Avery’s constant introspection really had no place in these sections of the story as it takes away from the tension. You have these creepy people coming after you, but you have time to reflect on life’s choices at that moment? And second of all, the ragged man and company could have been utilised in a way that made them scarier. Personally, in real life, I would be running as fast and as far as I could, not having a discussion with my friends at that moment.  Make it scary by increasing the tension and the danger. The reader can understand Avery’s growth through her actions as well as her thoughts. There doesn’t need to be an explanation EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Verdict
The Unfinished definitely had a lot going for it, but I don’t feel it lived up to its promise.  And while it was still enjoyable, I did wish for more suspense and tension as the pacing was slowed down quite a bit through too much inner monologue going on.  Again, I think authors sometimes forget readers can pick up on clues of growth and other things through a character’s actions, we don’t need to read paragraphs of their thoughts as well.  And while I enjoyed the subtle aspect of the pond and what it represented, some of the backstory was glossed over, something I think would have been interesting. I would recommend this book if you like a character who experienced significant growth which included learning more about her indigenous culture.