Tag: Review

REVIEW – Deep State by Chris Hauty

Aimeeeliz

I don’t typically read political thrillers, but I couldn’t ignore the reviews for this one. Deep State follows Hayley Chill, an Army veteran who has moved to DC and landed an internship in the White House. Hayley quickly uncovers a plot to assassinate the newly elected POTUS, and this discovery leads her down a dangerous path.

I’m echoing a lot of reviewers, but I will say that this book would probably be better as a movie – but that does not make it an unenjoyable read. A screen adaptation of this would undoubtedly be a blockbuster action movie perfect for summer (picture it: a cool theater, a heart-pounding movie, a giant tub of popcorn and some overpriced candy. Damn you, COVID!)

The twist is really the draw here, and it’s worth it. I’m excited to read the next book in the series now that Hauty has laid a great foundation for what’s sure to be a fun sequel.

Thank you Atria Books for the NetGalley ARC of Deep State!

REVIEW – Watch Her by Edwin Hill

Aimeeeliz

Okay, i’m convinced. I need to go back and read the first two Hester Thursby novels because I am hooked! Watch Her is a sleepier contemporary mystery that really picks up after 1. A character is murdered and 2. Some family secrets all come to light in a heart-pounding final few chapters.

I really enjoyed Hester as a protagonist – she’s feisty and smart, but she doesn’t feel like a stereotype or charicature.

We get multiple perspectives in this book and that really worked to push the story along. Each character was different enough that I felt like I was getting a relatively comprehensive overview of the events of the book.

Content warnings: sexual harassment, death of a child, brief use of ableist language

Thank you Kensington Books and Books Forward PR for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland

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April is spending her first Christmas in Santaland after marrying Nick Claus, who has taken over the title of Santa after the tragic death of his brother months ago. When an elf is found dead a week or so before the big day, April can’t help but do some investigating of her own.

This is a delightful start to a new cozy series – it’s like a grown-up version of The Santa Clause. Santaland is magical and lovely, but there’s a darker side, too. April’s in-laws aren’t exactly the most welcoming (dealing with her new mother-in-law, the dowager Mrs. Claus, can be tough!), there’s a lot of animosity and infighting amongst the different elf families, and reindeer can be horribly mean! Quasar is my absolute favorite, though (Rudolph who? Get ready for a new favorite reindeer!)

I’m interested to see where Ireland takes this series – April still owns an inn in Oregon, and she’s intending on spending summers there with Mr. Claus. It could be really fun to have a series set in two different locations!

Content warning: very brief mention of death of a spouse, infertility and infidelity.

Thank you Kensington Books for the finished copy!

REVIEW – Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Aimeeeliz

Oh boy, do I have mixed feelings about this book. Some of the chapters were really engaging and interesting to me, and others…there are some incredibly unlikeable characters in this book (which honestly is probably the point – women don’t need to be likable to be valid).

I did really enjoy the format – we follow 12 different women in groups of three. Each woman is related closely to her own group of three, and all 12 women tie together in some way or another at the end. Some connections were stronger than others, but Evaristo did a great job of making everything click.

The very end bumped this from a three to a four-star read for me.

Content warning: drug use, suicide, slut shaming, rape, domestic abuse, child abuse, manipulative relationship, infidelity, racism.

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Murder Can Haunt Your Handiwork by Rose Pressey

Aimeeeliz

I loved following painter Celeste and her pup, Van, for another Haunted Craft Fair Mystery! Celeste is attending a craft fair taking place at the Biltmore Estate and, surprise surprise, she finds a dead body. She ends up meeting a ghost with ties to the estate and he helps her solve the case.

I have to say – the ghost was my FAVORITE part of this story! He was an absolute delight. He’s super polite and funny, and at one point tags along with Celeste on a date (I was cracking up). Murder Can Haunt Your Handiwork is only the third book in the series, so you have time to get caught up before book four comes out.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

REVIEW – Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Aimeeeliz

“We’ve all been through a lot, Bryan, all of us. I know that some have been through more than others. but if we don’t expect more from each other, hope better for one another, and recover from the hurt we experience, we are surely doomed.”

Just Mercy is truly essential reading for all Americans. Our justice system is so broken – and Bryan Stevenson provides stories about real people who have suffered because of it. There’s not much I can say about this book that hasn’t already been said, but I can say that I have waffled back and forth on the death penalty for years. It really depended on the day, or the news I had most recently read, that swayed my opinion either for or against it. This book solidified my opinion – we need to abolish the death penalty. There are too many people who have been failed by our justice system, failed by a lack of education, or social programs, support, love, care, for those in power to fairly decide if someone should be put to death.

“We’ve given up on rehabilitation, education, and services for the imprisoned because providing assistance to the incarcerated is apparently too kind and compassionate.”

Just Mercy is one of those books that will move you to ACT. This isn’t just an educational read, it’s a motivational read. There are a lot of tough topics covered throughout this book, but I urge you not to look away.

“We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation. Fear and anger can make us vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair, until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and we condemn ourselves as much as we victimize others.”

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Death at a Country Mansion by Louise R. Innes

Aimeeeliz

What a great start to a new series! Death at a Country Mansion is just delightful. Set in a small village in Surrey, England, we follow Daisy Thorne, salon owner by day and forensic psychology student during her downtime. When her best friend’s mother, Dame Serena Levante, is found dead in her palatial home, Daisy quickly gets involved in the murder investigation.

This book was so fun! The mystery was interesting and there are a lot of little twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Daisy and her best friend, Floria, are charming, likable characters, and Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness is a perfect potential love interest.

I’m already excited for book two!

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

REVIEW – Murder in the Lincoln White House by CM Gleason

Aimeeeliz

I bought this book last fall because I was intrigued by the premise, but it took me a year (and some change…) before I actually picked it up. I regret not reading this sooner! I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I loved this.

We follow Adam Quinn, who is part of President Lincoln’s security team. At Lincoln’s inaugural ball, a dead body is found (just a few yards from the POTUS, might I add). President Lincoln tasks Adam with investigating the murder, which takes him on a journey across DC where he meets some eccentric, fun and suspicious characters.

When a second dead body turns up inside the White House, Adam has to race against time to find the culprit before they reach the president himself. He ends up putting himself in harm’s way because someone REALLY does not want these murders solved…

There are clever little clues throughout the book, and Gleason does a great job of placing the reader directly in 1860s Washington. There are some hilarious scenes in this book (and some pretty gruesome ones, too). Overall it features a great balance of humor and mystery and suspense, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

REVIEW – Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Aimeeeliz

I like Riley Sager. I look forward to a new Riley Sager book each year. However, none have lived up to Final Girls in my opinion. Home Before Dark just continues that trend…

This book suffers a bit from too-much-ism. The reader wonders if the house is really haunted (and if the house isn’t haunted, who was doing the “haunting”)? Is Maggie’s dad telling the truth in his book? And if not, why lie? There are also two murder mysteries woven throughout…

I liked this enough to finish it, and I liked it enough to want to know how it ended. But the final few chapters threw so many twists, it was just…too much. The ending had me rolling my eyes and my final verdict? Meh.

It’s worth reading if you’re a Sager fan, but don’t expect anything more than a run-of-the-mill thriller that tries a little too hard to shock the reader. I think my expectations were a bit too high.

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Finished Off in Fondant by Rosemarie Ross

Aimeeeliz

Finished Off in Fondant is the second book in the Courtney Archer Mystery Series, which I am really enjoying!

Inspired by everyone’s favorite, cozy baking competition (you know the one!), this series follows Courtney Archer, known as The Farmer’s Daughter (except her parents were definitely not farmers…) We open book two as Courtney comes clean about her background to a live audience during a taping of her show.

She’s also getting ready to start filming season two of The American Baking Battle. The first season was overshadowed by the murder of one of the contestants, but the odds of a murder happening twice during the filming of the same show are low, right? ….right? Unfortunately, a body shows up in the suite of one of the show’s co-hosts, and Courtney can’t help but get involved with yet another murder investigation.

I’m excited to see where the series goes…the supporting characters are a lot of fun, and there’s a potential love triangle in the works (I have my favorite guy but we shall see what actually happens!)

Thank you Kensington Books for the NetGalley ARC!