SuspenseThriller

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I haven't read Koontz in several years, though he's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Pulled this one from the stacks at the library recently, and dove in head first without any idea what it would be about. It was bizarre, but it was really good too. To that point, I'm not sure I've ever really read anything by him that wasn't.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Edited to add: The banter between Aleem and Kuba was amazing!!!

22 likes

monkeygirlsmama

After Death | Dean Koontz

How awful! 😐🫣😱

Safe to assume none of my fellow Litsy family would do such a vile thing. 😝

wanderinglynn No, no, no! That library would be my nightmare. 😱 4d

monkeygirlsmama @wanderinglynn Right?! Give me all my beautiful covers, spines, and colors. 4d

21 likes2 comments

ICantImReading

With My Little Eye: A Novel | Joshilyn Jackson

pick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

It‘s a great feeling when you can‘t stop reading a book (even willingly doing some extra chores to give yourself more time to listen)! It ends a bit abruptly, but the second half is full of suspense. The interesting characters are well-developed and the social commentary is sharp. I enjoy listening to Joshilyn Jackson narrate her own books, and her daughter also does a fantastic job with the narration of the protagonist‘s daughter.🎧

ICantImReading “The difference between stalking and courtship is so thin, I thought then. It all depends if the person likes you back.” 3w

46 likes1 comment

dabbe

The Boscombe Valley Mystery | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
@Cuilin
#puzzlefun

If interested, click below for a jumble and cryptogram for “The Boscombe Valley Mystery.“ 😍
Here's the link: https://bit.ly/3vd4Na4

erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Blackink_WhitePaper, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AllDebooks, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02, SpellboundReader

Librarybelle Thank you! 2mo

dabbe @Librarybelle 💚💙💚 2mo

CogsOfEncouragement I finally made time today to do the puzzles. Very fun! Thanks for sharing this, and making the #NoPlaceLikeHolmes BR extra enjoyable. 1mo

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement You just made my day! 🤩😃😍 1mo

35 likes4 comments

dabbe

The Boscombe Valley Mystery | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
@Cuilin
#TheRedHeadedLeague
#Discussion

What did y'all think? 🤩

erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Blackink_WhitePaper, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AllDebooks, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02, SpellboundReader

Librarybelle I again had my suspicions about the conclusion, which I normally cannot figure out the guilty party until the reveal. I thought Conan Doyle is really getting into the storytelling groove - as we progress, the stories are a bit more polished, a bit easier to read. Or, maybe I am just getting used to Conan Doyle‘s writing style at this point. 2mo

CatLass007 I think I‘m enjoying the short stories more than the novels. But that could be because Conan Doyle is hitting his stride with the character. 2mo

IndoorDame I actually knew who the villain would be this time which never happens! though I totally didn‘t work out the details of why ahead of time. Not sure if that means I‘ve read this one before and don‘t remember it, or if the setup is just a bit obvious 🤔 I‘m leaning towards the latter. 2mo

See All 13 Comments

dabbe @Librarybelle I think you hit the combo and that both apply because I also feel the same way! These Victorian writers can be long-winded, can't they? 🤩😂😃 2mo

dabbe @CatLass007 It'll be interesting when we read the other two novels down the road if he polishes them up better than his first two. 2mo

dabbe @IndoorDame There definitely was something “off“ with the elder McCarthy character. Who argues with their son when they just come home? I definitely smelled a red herring over that! 🤩😃😂 2mo

CatLass007 It will be very interesting. 2mo

kelli7990 I like the short stories better than the novels. 2mo

dabbe @kelli7990 #metoo 😃 2mo

CogsOfEncouragement I was amused when Mary says W is always interested in SH's cases & he replies: I should be ungrateful if I were not, seeing what I gained thru one of them. 😍 At the scene, W says SH gathered up what seemed to be dust. I thought this was ash SH would identify from cigar, etc & was happy to see I was right. Ballarat was a clever word to have Turner misunderstand. The culprit is - “Mr. John Turner,“ cried the hotel waiter... was very funny to me. 2mo

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement That was a cute thing W said to Mary! And good thing Holmes is a virtuoso when it comes to tobacco ash! 😂 2mo

SpellboundReader Just a general comment that I think this is my fav story so far. Perhaps Doyle has hit his writing stride or maybe my impatient mind just likes the short stories better. 2mo

dabbe @BeeCurious There are quite a few gems in the Adventures! 🤩 2mo

42 likes13 comments

dabbe

The Boscombe Valley Mystery | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
@Cuilin
#TheRedHeadedLeague
#Discussion

What did y'all think? 🤩

erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Blackink_WhitePaper, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AllDebooks, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02, SpellboundReader

Librarybelle Anyone who reads British mysteries or has watched Midsomer Murders knows how dangerous the countryside can be! 😂 It‘s almost deceiving how the peaceful countryside can be deadly and hold secrets. 2mo

CatLass007 People are people no matter where they live. I‘ve lived in urban, suburban, and rural areas and I‘ve discovered that kind, friendly people live in New York and that rude, inconsiderate people live in East Tennessee. 2mo

IndoorDame I didn‘t really think about it until you asked, but the setup of the adjoining estate and farm is the perfect example of appearance obfuscating reality. It‘s not until the very end that you can pick apart what‘s really going on there. 2mo

See All 12 Comments

dabbe @Librarybelle Especially because one is so isolated! You can yell your head off in the country if someone is attacking you, but no one will probably hear you! Yet in the city people might hear but do nothing because it's not their business. 2mo

dabbe @CatLass007 Very true. I wonder where a killer would rather kill--the country or city? 🤔 2mo

dabbe @IndoorDame Right? People “assumed“ Turner and McCarthy were friends based on their association in Australia, yet nothing could be further from the truth. 2mo

Read4life I enjoyed their story outside of London. I think the different locale added to the more polished feel of this one. 2mo

dabbe @Read4life It makes it more of a real quest, doesn't it? And with the train racing to their destination, it adds to the suspense. 2mo

kelli7990 I liked that this story was set in Australia. 2mo

CogsOfEncouragement I don't think there is a fundamental difference in the morals of city people and country people. Human nature is human nature. Evil can be found anywhere. 2mo

dabbe @kelli7990 We've now had the western US, India, and Australia! 🤩 2mo

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement I agree. I do think the country setting could be scarier and lonelier perhaps, but people are people wherever they are. 2mo

39 likes12 comments

dabbe

The Boscombe Valley Mystery | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
@Cuilin
#TheRedHeadedLeague
#Discussion

What did y'all think? 🤩

erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Blackink_WhitePaper, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AllDebooks, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02, SpellboundReader

Librarybelle I was a little surprised over Holmes‘ response to the confession. I had not thought of this response in conjunction with his response to Identity…I must not be a very detailed reader! But, this response seems almost more sympathetic than his response in Identity. I didn‘t get the full patronizing feel from this one like I did with the Identity conclusion. 2mo

CatLass007 I guess it means Holmes has a philosophy of “Let the punishment fit the crime.” I also think it means that Holmes isn‘t a completely cold-hearted bastard. 2mo

IndoorDame I definitely saw a similarity in the “protecting the delicate sensibilities of women” sense. I also see that Holmes clearly thinks he‘s more fit than the justice system to judge people and dispense sentences 😂. I wondered in this one though… the happily ever aspect is sweet, but will the courts really just drop such a public case because James was acquitted or will someone else pay for what Turner did? And does Holmes care about that? 2mo

See All 11 Comments

dabbe @Librarybelle @CatLass007 @IndoorDame ... I guess when you're the world's only private consulting detective, you can pass judgment however you'd like. Watson never tells us, though, why the police didn't keep looking for a murderer after acquitting McCarthy. This one didn't have the resolution sewed up so tightly as the others. And wouldn't McCarthy want to also know who killed his father? Even if he was a jerk? 2mo

Read4life @dabbe And not just McCarthy wanting to know who killed his father. Wouldn‘t others in the area want to know if a killer walks amongst them? 2mo

dabbe @Read4life You'd think that, wouldn't you? It's also hard for me to believe that Lestrade would just let McCarthy go without having someone (usually the wrong person when the police are involved) to take his place in jail. Doesn't somebody have to pay? 2mo

kelli7990 I didn‘t notice any similarities but maybe it‘s because I‘m not a detailed reader. 2mo

CogsOfEncouragement I took it that Holmes agreed that McCarthy got what he deserved. He wasn't concerned with some sort of justice for him. When Holmes says it is interesting that McCarthy had the Hatherley Farm rent free, I think Holmes suspected there to be a reason other than a gesture of friendship - such as blackmail. When he hears McCarthy wanted the marriage of the children and Turner didn't, he asks - Do you not deduce something from that? 2mo

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement There are quite a few stories where Holmes does not feel beholden to necessarily tell the police anything. And since Turner was dying anyway, Holmes thinks he's been punished enough. 2mo

CogsOfEncouragement @dabbe I'll keep that in mind as we read on. In A Case of Identity there were a number of reasons SH doesn't tell Mary, or try to help get the stepfather prosecuted for something that would be considered against the law at the time. In this one there is more than just Turner dying soon. For example, McCarthy was no innocent, Turner's daughter is innocent and loves her father, and young McCarthy does not take after his father. 2mo

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement Young McCarthy's no innocent either, having married a barmaid that he didn't love. I think Holmes even describes him as not being the brightest bulb. Still, like you said, he's nowhere near as bad as his father, and he does love Alice. The two young ones shouldn't have to pay the price for their fathers' mistakes. 2mo

36 likes11 comments

dabbe

The Boscombe Valley Mystery | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
@Cuilin
#TheRedHeadedLeague
#Discussion

What did y'all think? 🤩

erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Blackink_WhitePaper, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AllDebooks, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02, SpellboundReader

Librarybelle I honestly didn‘t read into anything wrong with the marriage. I‘m not married nor have a significant other, so I cannot speak from personal experience, but she knows hanging with Holmes makes Watson happy, plus it gives her some quiet time. As for his dress, I just accepted that comment as Holmes‘ snobbishness. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2mo

CatLass007 It never crossed my mind that the Watsons had marital problems. It‘s something to consider. 2mo

IndoorDame 🤣🤣🤣 That comment jumped out at me for a totally different reason. This is the first place I‘ve noticed Doyle using formulaic writing. But he tends to interject a Holmes deduction about something unrelated to the case early on like that. And it becomes a staple of both Sherlock‘s personality and the whole genre. 2mo

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dabbe @IndoorDame Excellent word choice with “staple.“ We do come to expect Holmes showing us his incredible power of deduction right at the very beginning, don't we? 2mo

dabbe @CatLass007 Mary is quite accommodating in letting Watson jet around with Holmes. She needs to pay attention more to how he looks, though! 🤩😍😃 2mo

dabbe @Librarybelle To not notice how your husband looks early in a marriage may not be a good thing or it may not be anything. I know my husband has (on a few occasions) questioned me as to why I let him go out the door with, say, wrinkled pants. My answer usually is: “25+ years of marriage, that's why.“ 😂🤩😍 2mo

kelli7990 I don‘t have a husband or a boyfriend so I don‘t know but I didn‘t think about the Watsons having marriage problems. 2mo

CogsOfEncouragement I saw it as a very loving, selfless move on Mary's part to encourage Watson to go. She knows how much he enjoys being a part of the cases. Why would she stop him from doing something he loves? They want each other happy. I took the bad shaving as an entertaining way for Sherlock to be observant and make an alarmingly accurate deduction. I don't think we need blame Mary or think Doyle meant to. 2mo

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement She is quite an amazing woman! 🤩 2mo

SpellboundReader I just thought Mary realized Watson needed a change of scenery but otherwise didn't read any troublesome motivators into the equation. 2mo

dabbe @BeeCurious She also probably knows by now how much Watson loves to be involved with Holmes's cases, including her own! 🤩 2mo

Aimeesue @dabbe Wrinkled pants! 🤣 I mean, men can use mirrors, can‘t they? But honestly, having married a military man myself, I have to say that the military drills that in to a person - attention to detail, starting with personal appearance. Watson‘s slipping! 2mo

dabbe @Aimeesue my 1st husband and high school sweetheart (gasp) was in the Navy. He insisted that I always fold his t-shirts military style. When done, you could stack them like the folds of an accordion! 😂 1mo

30 likes13 comments

Read4life

Boscombe Valley Mystery: The Boscombe Valley Mystery: English-Spanish Learning Edition | Arthur Conan Doyle

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#NoPlaceLikeHolmes discussion in a couple of days. Looking forward to it.
I‘m really enjoying revisiting these stories. 💙💙
#BookSpinBingo #readyourTBR #readyourebooks #ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024

Cuilin, DieAReader, Andrew65, TheSpineView, CBee, dabbe, TheAromaofBooks

dabbe I am, too! It's a delight to read one every week! 🤩😍😃 2mo

TheSpineView Fantastic! 2mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo

DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo

41 likes4 comments

dabbe

The Boscombe Valley Mystery | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
@Cuilin

Fabulous discussion today, Sherlockians! Next up: “The Boscombe Valley Mystery.“ Below is a study guide with summary (spoiler alert!) Discussion next Saturday!
Here's the link: https://bit.ly/3TxrcZa

Have a lovely week! 💚💙💚

erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Blackink_WhitePaper, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AllDebooks, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02, SpellboundReader

kelli7990 Yay! 2mo

Librarybelle Thanks! 2mo

dabbe @kelli7990 🤩😍😃 2mo

See All 6 Comments

dabbe @Librarybelle 🤩😘😃 2mo

SpellboundReader Thank you! 🙂 2mo

dabbe @BeeCurious 🤩😃😍 2mo

47 likes6 comments

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