Author: MurderByDeath

The Begonia Bribe (A Garden Society Mystery #2)

I just couldn’t get into this book at all. I liked the first book well enough that I looked forward to this one, but it just fell flat. I had a hard time remembering who was who from the first book at first, so it took me a while to sort it all out. Then, well, meh.

 

The characters are all likeable, the plot was serpentine and convoluted and almost too complicated, but it kept you guessing. It was well written. And beyond the pageant stuff – which I have zero interest in on a good day – I like the gardening talk. So I can’t really say why this book fell so short for me.

 

I’ll wait for the next book before deciding whether or not to drop this series – it could be just a sophomore slump.

A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses

I loved Molly Harper’s Nice Girl’s series – the characters were people I wanted for friends. If I could live in one of the fictional universe’s in my books, Half Moon Hallow would rank in my top 5 list – IF I could work at Specialty books.

 

So having said all that, of course I loved this book. While Jane and Andrea aren’t center stage, they are a major part of the book and plot – as is Dick. Nola isn’t quite as left of center as these loveable members of HMH, but she plays a great straight-man to many of their antics.

 

I’m a sucker for treasure hunts, so the plot of this book appealed to me: searching for four objects necessary for the continuation of her family’s magic. Ms. Harper tried to keep each artefact search a little bit different, nothing too clichéd. I loved the scene at Jane’s parents house – very funny.

 

Overall, a great addition to the Half Moon Hollow Universe. I hope Ms. Harper continue’s to spin her tales in that little town in Kentucky for some time to come.

Hex on the Ex (A Mind for Murder Mystery #3)

Ok, I really enjoyed this book, but I have to say the killer was screamingly obvious towards the end – like it could have ended several chapters sooner, but it seemed like the author had more to say so she kept her characters in a state of temporary stupidity until she was ready.

 

Beyond that, a great story – not quite as much woo woo, although the murder has a very occult spin to it. But it was restricted to the murder itself, so we don’t have to read about Liz’s refusal to have an open mind, which was an irritant to me in the last two books. I like Nick and the rest of the cast; they’re all fun to read. I especially love that Ms. Staab doesn’t feel the need for a nemesis, or a love triangle – thank you.

 

I was a little bit on the fence about this series after the second book, but this one has me eagerly awaiting the next book.

Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects

Things that make you go ‘ewww’.

 

Excellent read but not for the easily squeamish. Amy Stewart vividly describes what many of the world’s pests do, making my partner insist that I stop reading sections out loud to him as they were really too disgusting. But if you like nature, or any interest in entomology, this book is a fascinating, entertaining read.

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)

Moon CalledMoon Called
by Patricia Briggs
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780441013814
Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Publication Date: January 31, 2006
Pages: 288
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance.

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her…


This one started out slow for me, although reliable friends recommended it to me so I wan’t too worried I wouldn’t love it.

The story really kicked in for me once they hit Montana and I was hooked from there. I like Mercy – she’s got enough humour about her to keep the whole thing from feeling too dark. Adam is exactly what Adam should be!  Zee is fun and Stephan is, again, what he should be. So a great cast of characters you can get involved with.

The plot itself was delightfully labyrinthian – not so complex you couldn’t follow it, but complex enough to keep you guessing right up until the very end, when even the bad guys were somewhat sympathetic.

I’m not yet ready to add this series to my top 5 list, but I’ll definitely be reading the next book as soon as possible.

Gluten for Punishment (A Baker’s Treat Mystery #1)

WHY WHY WHY do cozy author’s suddenly think love triangles are the way to go?!?!?!?! They are an annoying, irritating turn-off. Ugh!

 

Honestly, if I had to read the otherwise-likeable protagonist, Toni, go on one more time about ‘I’ll never trust a man again…’ blah blah blah, I was going to toss the book down and walk away.

 

OTHERWISE…A very good first in a new series with an excellent plot – I had a major part figured out pretty early on, but it didn’t matter at all because the ending was excellent. Seriously, this is not your normal cozy climax.

 

The characters were well written – likeable, quirky. I’d like the author not to make grandma’s smoking habit so front and centre like it’s a badge of coolness or something, because it diminishes what would otherwise be a delightfully eccentric, quirky character. Best friend Tasha seems likeable enough as well. And BOTH romantic interests sound hot and lovely, but Ms. Parra – don’t do it!!! Give one to Tasha or something, but NO LOVE TRIANGLES!!!

 

Look forward to the next one.

Hex Hall (Hex Hall Series #1)

It’s a bit hard to rate this book, or review it, as it’s definitely not a book for my demographic. BUT, this is a book I would have loved loved loved as a ‘Young-adult’ and as it is, I found it to be a very fun read as a not-so-young-adult. I love Sophie’s wit and humor and the students around her are all interesting and far from bland. The plot was excellent and I didn’t find it at all predictable – I loved the ending. Not so much loving the Archer twist…  Part of a trilogy, I’m looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

Killer in Crinolines (A Consignment Shop Mystery #2)

A much better book than the first in this series. Fun, quirky characters and a much more plausible reason for investigating: clearing her friend of murder charges.

 

I love the inclusion of the 17th street gang and I hope they become permanent cast members – they’re a hoot! Cloud computing and HMO plans… lol.

 

Very little of the ex-husband in this book, but his appearances are as stupid and asinine as ever and I really don’t understand why the author feels he’s necessary to the story line at all. I liked the scene at the pizza place, but him coming by to threaten her about selling her house? What the hell is the point?

 

Kudos to the author though, for a plot most excellently crafted. I was as much a spectator at the denouement as I could be and certainly didn’t see the end coming at all. As is usual anymore with books, I saw quite a few editing errors – the kind where someone relies on spell check and not on an eagle-eyed proof-reader. But Ms. Brown’s book gets the award for Most Humorous Editing Error for this description of the hotter-than-hades-every-woman-wants-him lawyer and possible love interest, Walker Boone:

 

‘He was a head taller than me with perpetual scruff, buzz-length back hair, black eyes, a hard lean body….’ (pg. 30, 2nd para..)

 

At least, I certainly hope that’s an error…. 

Garden Spells

I put off reading this book for a long time because I figured it had to be one of those emotionally manipulative tear jerkers, but the lure of a book with magic and the recommendation of a trusted book-twin had me cracking it open.

 

Just a lovely, brilliant book that grabbed me from the first page. Each character came to life vividly and I just didn’t want to stop reading about any of them. I genuinely enjoyed that the author did not take us down the clichéd path with Sydney or with Fred – in a book all about magic (or mostly about magic), the author chose to take the more realistic path. The book’s climax is predictable, given the plot points, but thank you Ms. Addison Allen for not drawing it out and making it any more melodramatic than it needed to be. It was just right – and deliciously ironic.

 

My only complaint: I truly feel that poor old apple tree is just horribly mis-understood.