mystery

Book Review: An Honorable Deception

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

An Honorable Deception
The Imposters #3
by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When a young socialite who seeks the Imposters’ help in finding her missing ayah is subsequently shot, Yates knows there’s more to this case than it first appeared. And since two of his team are semi-incapacitated, it’s easy to accept help from his old friend Lady Lavinia, who is still reeling from the betrayal uncovered in her family in a previous Imposters case.

Yates was a semi-side character in the previous two books, but there were always sections from his POV, giving us a chance to get to know him as an Imposter, brother, and earl. In this book, he’s in the forefront, and his history with Lavinia shown in the first book is expanded upon. I always liked Yates, so I was happy to see more of him. And though his sister Marigold is married now, I love their sibling relationship in this book.

Besides Yates, this book has two other POVs—Lavinia and Lady Alethia, the woman whose ayah has gone missing. Alethia has her own dark past, and the way Lavinia and Alethia help each other through their healing is one of my favorite things about this book. There was one quote in particular that I found very moving:

“‘Whoever made you think you’re not worth it— they’re wrong. So very wrong. And you let them win when you keep thinking those thoughts. You are precious….You must not take any unnecessary risks. Your life matters.’”

After reading the first book in this series, I already knew I needed to read other books by Roseanna M. White, and after reading the author’s note and finding out that some characters from another series of hers appeared in this book, I’ll definitely be starting with that one. The ending makes it seem like there’s more to come in this series, though I don’t know if that will be the case, or if it will spill into a different series like the Shadows Over England series did into this one. I’ll definitely keep an eye on White’s future books, but in the meantime, I highly recommend this book for fans of Christian historical mystery (this is set during the Edwardian era in London).

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: November 19, 2024

Find out more about A Noble Scheme

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: Dog Tags

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

Dog Tags
Andy Carpenter #8
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Mystery

After taking part in a crime, former police dog Milo is freed from custody by reluctant defense attorney Andy Carpenter. Though at first Andy wants nothing to do with the dog’s owner who masterminded the crime and is in jail for murder, eventually Andy comes to see that there’s a lot more to the story than is being told. Getting to the bottom of a conspiracy is Andy’s specialty.

Grand conspiracies have become the bread and butter for this series, and this installment has plenty of that. Andy’s team is still a large part of what makes the book so good. Marcus makes an appearance, but I don’t recall him getting to come out and play much. Kevin is “replaced” by a pessimist (who calls himself a realist). And I noticed a distinct lack of song-talking in this book.

One major note is that this book has a largely different format. Normally, these books are 1st-person all the way through—Andy tells us the story. This time, we get a lot of 3rd-person sections to show us things that happen when Andy isn’t around. Listening to the audiobook makes it difficult to estimate accurately, but it seemed like somewhere in the 40-50% range was 3rd person. It would probably have been very jarring if I were reading the series normally, but since I’ve been reading the new installments as they come out (the last 3 so far), I’ve had a chance to start getting used to it. I can only guess that writing this way makes it easier for Rosenfelt to show the depth of the conspiracy without dumping it all on the reader at once at the end. I suppose it also might add some suspense. Normally I’m not a huge fan of this kind of meshing of perspectives, but I like these books enough that it doesn’t bother me.

There isn’t a lot of surprise in the ending of this book, and it wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I still completely enjoyed the journey. I recommend the book (especially the audio—Grover Gardner makes Andy’s sarcasm and wit come to life) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas.

Find out more about Dog Tags

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: Peril at End House

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

Peril at End House
Hercule Poirot #8
 by Agatha Christie
read by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

This was my favorite Poirot novel so far. Somehow it didn’t feel as bloated or muddled, or at least it managed to keep me more engaged throughout. I don’t know if it was due to there being a few less characters or less unnecessary side trails during the mystery, though there were certainly still some. Really, I can’t pinpoint the reason, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Granted, I guessed at the culprit fairly early on and ended up being right, though I had no idea about the motive. Maybe that played a part in my enjoyment, but maybe not, since I second-guessed myself several times, since, without a motive various things that happened along the way made me doubt my theory. 

Huge Fraser does a great job narrating, and I hope to enjoy the next book as much as I did this one.

Find out more about Peril at End House

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: I Think I Was Murdered

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

I Think I Was Murdered
by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
read by Karen Peakes

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian mystery, romance

After Katrina’s beloved grandmother dies and the FBI goes after the CEO of the tech company for which she is legal counsel, she retreats to her hometown to figure out her next steps. She also lost her husband a year previous, and she eases her grief by talking to an AI chat program that is loaded with her his texts and emails. But then an innocuous question to her the bot returns a response that sets her world spinning even more: “I think I was murdered.”

The premise of this story intrigued me greatly, and the mystery aspect of the story was suspenseful and engaging. The book mostly takes place in a small town in California, where Katrina grew up with a Norwegian father and grandmother (called “Bestemor”), and there are a lot of references to Norwegian food and traditions, which I enjoyed. There is romance, but it’s not quite as front-and-center as a lot of these Christian romantic suspense books tend to be. The main male character has family issues that don’t connect to the main story, though they do provide an in-depth backstory for him that make him a well-rounded character.

However, there are several side stories, and I’m not sure all of them are particularly beneficial to the story. There are a couple of minor twists in the book, one of which I suspected from pretty early in the book. I don’t know if it was just that obvious or if I simply took a leap that happened to be correct. In the end, the book wasn’t a stand-out read for me, but I did enjoy listening to it. The narrator is decent, differentiating voices well enough to make the story easy to follow, though there were times when it seemed like her voice was more distressed-sounding than it needed to be. Overall though, I’d recommend this book for fans of Christian romantic suspense/mystery novels, especially those who are interested in the AI angle.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: November 12, 2024

Find out more about I Think I Was Murdered

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Secret of Red Gate Farm

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Secret of Red Gate Farm
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #6
by Carolyn Keene
read by Laura Linney

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery

The coincidences that occur around Nancy that lead her to solve this case would bother me if the book was meant for adults or even teens. But I often have to remind myself that the books are written for kids, and with that in mind, the elements that don’t seem connected at first might create an exciting story for the target audience. The plot of this book didn’t seem as bloated as the previous couple in the series did, but I was still annoyed by the “Nancy is the best at everything she does” aspect that I suppose I’ll just have to get used to. Whatever reason the writers had to think that was the role model kids needed at the time these were written, I’m sure it won’t be toned down at any point in the series. Linney does a great job bringing Nancy to life, and I’m looking forward to continuing.

Find out more about The Secret of Red Gate Farm

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: A King’s Ransom

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

A King’s Ransom
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #2
by Jude Watson

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Amy and Dan Cahill continue to jump through hoops for their enemy, Vesper One, trying to save the lives of their abducted friends and family members. This time, they’re given the impossible task of finding a map that’s been missing for decades.

The Cahills’ saga continues strong in this 2nd book in the sequel series. Amy and Dan are forced to make decisions beyond their years, and pick up some allies and enemies along the way. Some major developments happen in this book, more than I expected so early, though I have to remember this series is about half the length of the previous. I enjoyed the excitement in this book and the little hints at a greater hunt that the Vespers are on.

I feel like the different-author-per-book issues aren’t as noticeable so far in this series, which could be due to there being a lot more to look at and build off of. Plus, both of the authors so far have written at least one 39 Clues book already. Amy still struggles with nerves, yet it’s clear that her training has helped her overcome some of it. Dan, though he’s clearly more serious and troubled than he used to be, still has his goofy moments that are reminiscent of his younger self. I appreciate the growth seen in these two; it’s realistic for what they’ve been through. I recommend this book for young and old, anyone who enjoys mystery and adventure for a younger audience.

Find out more about A King’s Ransom

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: New Tricks

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

New Tricks
Andy Carpenter #7
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When reluctant defense attorney Andy Carpenter is tasked with deciding who should take ownership of a special dog, he realizes that it won’t be simple. The dog’s original owner is dead, and one of the parties who want to be given ownership of the dog is soon accused of the murder. When other people involved with the dog seem to be in danger as well, Andy really has his work cut out for him.

Though Andy generally avoids taking on clients, he often comes across his clients in these books in a fairly basic way—they’re a neighbor, a friend of a friend, etc. This case is different, which is nice in a series that is overall formulaic. There are some other differences from the formula here as well, and a scary moment for Andy (which was less scary for me, since I’ve read several books later in the series). The case itself and the end to it felt a little weak to me, and then the final resolution seemed to come out of nowhere.

Despite the weaker endings, I still enjoyed this book as I have all of the series that I’ve read so far. I recommend the book (especially the audio—Grover Gardner makes Andy’s sarcasm and wit come to life) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas.

Find out more about New Tricks

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Mystery of the Blue Train

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Mystery of the Blue Train
Hercule Poirot #6
 by Agatha Christie
read by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

I know I haven’t been the biggest fan of this series so far, but this one felt even messier and a bit more convoluted to me. Lots of red herrings and potential suspects are trotted out, there are conversations that amount to nothing, and in the end, the solution is a lot simpler than all of that set-up made it seem like it would be. I actually found the story interesting when the different characters are being introduced and I’m trying to guess who is going to be found dead and who would be the culprit. But the second half or so seemed to slow way down, and that’s where the filler came in. 

What’s funny to me is that while I was listening to this audiobook (narrated very well by Hugh Fraser), I decided that here is where I would end my attempts to go through this series. But afterward, I decided to keep going for now. I think I’m still hoping something will suddenly click and I’ll see what everyone else sees in these books. We’ll see.

Find out more about The Mystery of the Blue Train

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Secret of Shadow Ranch

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Secret of Shadow Ranch
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #5
by Carolyn Keene
read by Laura Linney

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery

This book was the first in the series to bring up major ND video game memories for me. The game takes different turns, but the legend of the outlaw whose phantom horse is showing up and wreaking havoc are in the game. There’s a sub-plot in the book regarding a kidnapped man that I didn’t see a reason for—supposedly his kidnappers let him drawing pictures and then sold them in town. It ended up being a way to help Nancy and her friends begin to find answers to the main mystery, but it seemed pretty sloppy to me.

This series has already showcased Nancy as great at everything she does, but this book takes it a step further, when Nancy and her friends win every activity during a town festival. I suppose that during this time period, it seemed best to show the good guys as the best at everything, but it would certainly have been more realistic and taught kids more about real life if Nancy was 2nd-best now and then.

For a second time, a bloated plot was my biggest issue with the book. Linney still does a great job bringing Nancy to life, but I hope to enjoy the next one more.

Find out more about The Secret of Shadow Ranch

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Medusa Plot

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Medusa Plot
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #1
by Gordon Korman

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Two years after the events at the end of the main series, we pick up with Amy and Dan, trying to live a “normal” life. For Amy, this means dating a guy at school while secretly training in various disciplines at home. For Dan, this means the drudgery of normal school, but he’s also dealing with some internal distractions. When the Vespers make a move after 2 years of silence, it’s a big one. Now Dan and Amy are in a race against the clock to save some of their closest loved ones and some of their once-worst enemies.

This follow-up series to The 39 Clues starts off with a bang. Despite the hatred that these family members had for each other in the past, I think the ending of the main series was sufficient to pave the way for these young people working together now. And the fact that their parents aren’t necessarily on board with inner-Cahill-family friendship seems quite realistic as well. I particularly like that Sinead lives with Dan and Amy now and has established a com-center at their house. The way this generation of Clue hunters works together is nice to see.

Dan seems to have a sort of PTSD, where he’ll pull away from Amy and kind of recede into himself. She doesn’t know that he’s mentally working out how he can complete and use the serum that was destroyed (everywhere but in his memory) 2 years ago, so he can stop the Vespers. I really appreciate this aspect of the story and feel for these siblings who have already been through so much tragedy and just want to keep their loved ones safe.

I feel like, in some ways, the story has aged and matured past where it started. The original series could be read by as young as 10-11-year-old kids, but this series, so far, seems a bit darker and more mature than that. If kids sort of “grow up” with the series, though, and start this series after reading the first, at around 12-13, I could see it working. For my part as an adult reader, I enjoy the new, deeper elements to the plot and look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

Find out more about The Medusa Plot

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!