Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

I am not interested in attending medical school but nonetheless was most intrigued by these essays.  Each tells a story of a person’s life and the ethos behind their hopes and dreams.

Prospective medical students may find this book to be quite helpful as it includes not only the essays but also information about test scores, the college attended by the applicant and more.  My only caveat is that applicants should consider the importance of  retaining their own voice.  It could be easy to want to frame one’s experiences in a format described in the book.  I would suggest writing your own essay before taking a look at these.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Some good choices here including Nevada Barr’s first Anna Pigeon mystery, a Donna Leon title, the first in one of McCall Smith’s series and more.  See my archive for a review of The Other Windsor Girl.  Also, I have loved all of the books that I have read by Charlie Lovett.  Enjoy.

This book is very aptly named. The puzzles are, in fact, fiendishly difficult to solve. This is at least partly due to the author’s ability to create a puzzle and the variety that she finds within each type. This book includes crosswords, word searches, sudoku, calcudoku, kakuro and cryptograms. In each category, Ms. Chen has created variations on a theme. For example, the first word search puzzle is difficult but traditional. Following this one though, the others all have a twist; for instance the next puzzle has anagrams and the one after that is called change the first letter. Similarly most of the puzzles in the book have a twist that makes them quite challenging.

This book will be welcomed by those who want to immerse themselves in a challenge that could well take time. Beginning puzzlers may be frustrated by the book. Think about who you are and then decide.

Many thanks to Callisto publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

 

From the publisher:

This is a great list of podcasts on mysteries from The Bookish Hooker.

A little bit of many things for May 1.

Young readers and listeners will learn how Robert Zimmerman became the famous, somewhat reclusive, musician Bob Dylan in this entry in the Little People, Big Dreams series. Finding his voice and using it are what made this singer, songwriter and multiple instrument playing musician the person that he became. Attention is paid to the kind of music Dylan makes and the ways in which he is his idiosyncratic self. Nicely illustrated and with additional biographical information at the end of the book, this is another excellent entry in an excellent series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#BobDylan #NetGalley

From the publisher:

This is a sweet counting book that young children should enjoy. Lily, a rabbit, and Milo, a mouse, count all of the different farm animals that they see, going from one-to-ten. There are vows, lambs, kittens and more and even a little surprise at the end. The book is brightly and charmingly illustrated. Definitely a title to read with a toddler who is learning to count.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by this author who has written a number of successful thrillers. The premise was intriguing. A high school student was murdered in a cave. Who did it? Why?
The case is not solved at the time. Now, a number of years later a new clue has been found and the case is being re-opened. During the initial investigation, the investigator was the father of one of the victim’s friends. Now, in the current time line, the detective is that daughter and friend, Maggie. She is heavily pregnant and volunteers to review the old files and work on the case.
I liked the setting of this story. However, I found that there were characters who were most unlikable including the victim’s sister, Nola, and the victim’s boyfriend from the time, a bully and abuser. I found that I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped because of these characters to whom I did not want to relate. I did want to see the case resolved however.
If you like your stories on the darker side, this may be for you. It was a tad too much for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 12 May 2020

This is the first entry in what, I think, will be a series.  The things that I loved most in this cozy mystery were the setting, the characters and the knitting.  The story takes place in a small Scottish town that, aside from murder, sounds like an idyllic place to live.  The protagonist, Paislee, is surrounded by family and friends.  She runs Cashmere Crush, a friendly shop, for wool and knitting.

As often happens in mysteries, there are two murders.  As an amateur, Paislee annoys the detective but…of course, finds the killer.  I was pretty sure that I knew who this was and I was right.  There is a clue that really points to the perpetrator.

This is a good book if you just want something easy and distracting.  There is Scottish dialect which tries to add authenticity but can also be distracting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 30 Jun 2020  

My earlier review:

I have absolutely adored Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway mystery series and hope that she will continue to write many more book about Ruth, her family, colleagues and friends. Ms. Griffiths has also penned the post-war Max Mephisto series. Now, she has written her first standalone novel. I will start by saying that this atmospheric, character driven story does not disappoint.

Plot: Clare is a teacher at the school where her daughter, Georgia, is a student. Harbinder is a Detective Sergeant whose alma mater is this school. When Clare’s colleagues begin to die, Harbinder is assigned the investigation. The school also has close ties to the author of a very scary story. These threads intertwine to produce a suspenseful, somewhat Gothic tale.

Most interesting to me in the book were the many characters and their interrelationships. There are Clare and her ex-husband, Clare and her daughter, Clare and her colleagues, Clare and Harbinder. Then there are Georgie and her parents, Georgie and her teachers, Georgie and her boyfriend, Georgie and her writing group, etc.

Another feature of the novel is the offering of different points of view. The reader sees events through the eyes of Clare, Georgie and Harbinder.

As in all good mysteries there are some twists. This is a novel that I definitely recommend. My favorite novels by this author are still the Ruth novels but this is worth a read for suspense lovers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read by one of my favorite authors!